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Virtus Draconis: Book 1: Blood Price (Draconis
Check out the translation of the Award Winning Book!
International Latino Book Awards 2024 medalist (original version: Virtus Draconis -Precio en Sangre-)
Best Fantasy Novel, Spanish category (Silver Medal)
Best Website, Spanish category (Gold Medal)
Honorable Mention: Best First Book, Spanish category
In unknown times, where magic is a renewable energy source, and technology exists in tandem...
Earth is a planet full of challenges and struggles. The human race has diversified: the incompletes (anthropomorphic animals of unknown origin, colloquially known as furries, an offensive term in some circles) live hand in hand with humanity. Since the dawn of modern magic, society utilizes it as a renewable energy source. An essential resource, magic exists alongside technology: it’s just as common to see cell phones, cameras and even credit cards as it is to witness a child learning to use magic. All can use it freely, though mildly regulated by the government.
Society is fairly advanced. But where discrimination over foolish things, like religion and sexual orientation/gender identity do not exist... Racial tensions and magical harassment are the norm.
To combat these and other difficulties, paramilitary groups, like the Eon Group, are born.
But sometimes, we all have to face our reckoning...
Claude Virtus, the dragon, is a mercenary's apprentice. Poisoned by an incurable venom, he is brought back from the brink of death by a blood price that endows him with power beyond knowledge and threatens to take him over. His life changes when he is set on a collision course with the evil tyrant of their lands. To stop her, he may have to lose himself to the power, but if he doesn’t stop her, she could destroy everything he values.
Gunter Moray, the alligator, is the regent of an embattled kingdom whose princess has turned into a despot. He is bound to her by his own honor, but her actions are no longer acceptable. In his attempt to redeem her, will he mire himself in deeper or be able to pull back before it's too late?
Faced with impossible choices and beset with dangers, can they make the right choice before it's too late?
Virtus Draconis is a coming of age science fantasy tale about acceptance, redemption and loss. If you enjoy books with neurodivergent characters, memorable battles and impactful consequences, this book is for you!
International Latino Book Awards 2024 medalist (original version: Virtus Draconis -Precio en Sangre-)
Best Fantasy Novel, Spanish category (Silver Medal)
Best Website, Spanish category (Gold Medal)
Honorable Mention: Best First Book, Spanish category
In unknown times, where magic is a renewable energy source, and technology exists in tandem...
Earth is a planet full of challenges and struggles. The human race has diversified: the incompletes (anthropomorphic animals of unknown origin, colloquially known as furries, an offensive term in some circles) live hand in hand with humanity. Since the dawn of modern magic, society utilizes it as a renewable energy source. An essential resource, magic exists alongside technology: it’s just as common to see cell phones, cameras and even credit cards as it is to witness a child learning to use magic. All can use it freely, though mildly regulated by the government.
Society is fairly advanced. But where discrimination over foolish things, like religion and sexual orientation/gender identity do not exist... Racial tensions and magical harassment are the norm.
To combat these and other difficulties, paramilitary groups, like the Eon Group, are born.
But sometimes, we all have to face our reckoning...
Claude Virtus, the dragon, is a mercenary's apprentice. Poisoned by an incurable venom, he is brought back from the brink of death by a blood price that endows him with power beyond knowledge and threatens to take him over. His life changes when he is set on a collision course with the evil tyrant of their lands. To stop her, he may have to lose himself to the power, but if he doesn’t stop her, she could destroy everything he values.
Gunter Moray, the alligator, is the regent of an embattled kingdom whose princess has turned into a despot. He is bound to her by his own honor, but her actions are no longer acceptable. In his attempt to redeem her, will he mire himself in deeper or be able to pull back before it's too late?
Faced with impossible choices and beset with dangers, can they make the right choice before it's too late?
Virtus Draconis is a coming of age science fantasy tale about acceptance, redemption and loss. If you enjoy books with neurodivergent characters, memorable battles and impactful consequences, this book is for you!
249 pages, Paperback
Published July 9, 2023
About the author
Edi Álvarez
7 books7 followersVideojugador, furry (la forma furro ha sido propuesta y documentada por la Real Academia Española), lector, escritor, fotógrafo y traductor. Nace el 15 de agosto de 1987 en Ponce, Puerto Rico. Cursa sus estudios universitarios en la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Arecibo, donde obtiene un Bachillerato Magna cum Laude en Tecnologías de la Comunicación Tele-Radial, y luego adquiere su Maestría Summa cum Laude en Artes en Creación Literaria con concentración en Narrativa de la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (San Juan, Puerto Rico). Virtus Draconis fue su tesis de maestría, supervisada por Luis López Nieves (Seva, El Corazón de Voltaire). Diagnosticado a los 16 años con trastorno del espectro autista.
Gamer, furry, reader, writer, photographer and translator. Born August 15th, 1987 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Studied at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, where he graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in Tele-Radial Communication Technology with honors. He later obtains a Master of Arts in Creative Writing with a Narrative specialty from the University of the Sacred Heart (San Juan, Puerto Rico). Virtus Draconis was his graduate project, supervised by Luis López Nieves (Seva, El Corazón de Voltaire). Diagnosed at 16 years old as being on the autism spectrum.
Gamer, furry, reader, writer, photographer and translator. Born August 15th, 1987 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Studied at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, where he graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in Tele-Radial Communication Technology with honors. He later obtains a Master of Arts in Creative Writing with a Narrative specialty from the University of the Sacred Heart (San Juan, Puerto Rico). Virtus Draconis was his graduate project, supervised by Luis López Nieves (Seva, El Corazón de Voltaire). Diagnosed at 16 years old as being on the autism spectrum.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 28, 2024
Virtus Draconis has vivid descriptions of its characters, and adventures. The prose is clean, with philosophical passages, and characters have compelling stories. There is humor, drama, and surprises in the story.
December 8, 2024
*Going to start off this review by saying that I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
By all accounts, this book should have been a dead ringer for me. A dragon main character and a subplot that involves transformation sounds laser targeted to my interests. After reading through this book, I think I can confidently say it was not for me. I believe it has more to do with the writing style of the author than it does with the content of the book though. I also wonder if something is lost in translation to English as a lot of the word choices and sentence structure seemed odd or out of place as I was reading through it.
The plot of the book centers around stopping an evil elf princess from causing mayhem and destruction and I wish I could say that I found her an engaging villain throughout the story. Most of her on-screen time is spent being a caricature of Saturday morning cartoon villains.
I did enjoy the feeling of bringing a group of people together that the book builds over time. Going across the country and gathering the ragtag band of rebels to stop the evil threat is one that works well within the structure of the story.
Claude’s neurodivergence is something that I think the author does a good job at portraying. There are a few scenes that stick out in my mind even now as I write this review. I think it could have been a bigger part of his character and come up more often than it did, however.
The angels and the magic system that was shown throughout the book was one of the more interesting pieces of it for me. Spells for power at Faustian bargain prices and uncontrollable impulses for justice are aspects that I hope further books in the series flesh out a lot more.
The book moves at a very brisk pace between scenes and while I understand not wanting to waste time with scenes not integral to the plot, I think the book could have benefitted from some more time spent with the characters outside of big fights and shakeups of the status quo.
There’s a lot of good ideas in here, I just think the execution left a lot to be desired. I will be keeping my eye on Edi, as I think he has a lot of potential as a writer.
By all accounts, this book should have been a dead ringer for me. A dragon main character and a subplot that involves transformation sounds laser targeted to my interests. After reading through this book, I think I can confidently say it was not for me. I believe it has more to do with the writing style of the author than it does with the content of the book though. I also wonder if something is lost in translation to English as a lot of the word choices and sentence structure seemed odd or out of place as I was reading through it.
The plot of the book centers around stopping an evil elf princess from causing mayhem and destruction and I wish I could say that I found her an engaging villain throughout the story. Most of her on-screen time is spent being a caricature of Saturday morning cartoon villains.
I did enjoy the feeling of bringing a group of people together that the book builds over time. Going across the country and gathering the ragtag band of rebels to stop the evil threat is one that works well within the structure of the story.
Claude’s neurodivergence is something that I think the author does a good job at portraying. There are a few scenes that stick out in my mind even now as I write this review. I think it could have been a bigger part of his character and come up more often than it did, however.
The angels and the magic system that was shown throughout the book was one of the more interesting pieces of it for me. Spells for power at Faustian bargain prices and uncontrollable impulses for justice are aspects that I hope further books in the series flesh out a lot more.
The book moves at a very brisk pace between scenes and while I understand not wanting to waste time with scenes not integral to the plot, I think the book could have benefitted from some more time spent with the characters outside of big fights and shakeups of the status quo.
There’s a lot of good ideas in here, I just think the execution left a lot to be desired. I will be keeping my eye on Edi, as I think he has a lot of potential as a writer.
June 19, 2025
I don't normally post reviews on this site, but I greatly enjoyed this title even if it wasn't perfect. I felt like some things could have been emphasized a little more. Here are my full thoughts, which are too long-winded to post here: https://the-mane-course-politics.squa...
June 22, 2025
A powerful, nostalgic, and inclusive fantasy. Virtus Draconis blends political intrigue, magic, and 90s-inspired worldbuilding into a gripping tale of resistance, identity, and redemption. With neurodivergent characters at its heart, this award-winning Puerto Rican novel is as emotionally deep as it is visually striking. A must-read for fans of video games, animation, and epic storytelling.
June 27, 2024
Edi Álvarez is a great writer. He accurately portrays mental health and gives neurodiversity a proper representation. The plot is intriguing and the characters are unique. I loved the dynamic between Mordred, Cluade and their uncle/adoptive father, Bai-Feng. There were beautiful, heartwarming, and hilarious moments between Mordred, Cluade, and Bai-Feng and their interactions with the other characters. My favorite moment was them relaxing on the balcony.
Edi has a way to wrap you in the characters. He makes you fall in love with them through the narrative, makes you root for them, and then...BAM! He breaks you into a million pieces, but in a good way. I will only mention that there will be some deaths. My favorite character was Lala Doremi. She is such a mood. Her portrayal made me chuckle a few times. I also find interesting the part where Mordred asks for a translation because this is a technique my mom uses when I am overwhelmed with complicated instructions.
His narration is simple and to the point, but he carefully chooses certain words that make the text rich and captivating. The story may start a bit slow, but as you read further, the plot gains speed until you are spiraling out of control, then make a sudden and shocking stop and slowly move to a stop. That is how I described it. Well, to put it simply, my heart rate was fast in the middle of the story, rising some more during the climax, and then still a bit fast as we reached the conclusion. It was an adrenaline ride.
I recommend this book for anyone who wishes to see a proper representation of mental health and neurodiversity. I can't wait to read the sequels to this wonderful story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews