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Dragonrider Chronicles #1
Fledgling
When Jaevid Broadfeather is given the rare opportunity to become a dragonrider for the king’s army, the 15-year-old boy has no idea that he is part of a conspiracy that will rock the very foundations of the kingdom.
Jaevid Broadfeather has grown up as a wartime refugee, hiding from the world because of his mixed racial heritage. He feels his future is hopeless, until a chance encounter with a wild dragon lands him in Blybrig Academy—a place usually forbidden to anyone but the rich and royal. But Jaevid’s case is special; no dragon has voluntarily chosen a rider in decades, so the proud riders of Blybrig must begrudgingly let him join their brotherhood despite his bloodline. Lieutenant Sile Derrick, a sternly tempered man with a mysterious past, becomes his instructor and immediately takes a peculiar interest in Jaevid’s future.
While struggling through the rigorous physical demands of training, things begin to go awry. Jaevid witnesses the king’s private guards kidnapping Sile in the dead of night. When none of the elder riders are willing to help him, Jaevid begins a dangerous adventure to save his instructor.
Everything Jaevid learned at the academy will now be put to the ultimate test.
Jaevid Broadfeather has grown up as a wartime refugee, hiding from the world because of his mixed racial heritage. He feels his future is hopeless, until a chance encounter with a wild dragon lands him in Blybrig Academy—a place usually forbidden to anyone but the rich and royal. But Jaevid’s case is special; no dragon has voluntarily chosen a rider in decades, so the proud riders of Blybrig must begrudgingly let him join their brotherhood despite his bloodline. Lieutenant Sile Derrick, a sternly tempered man with a mysterious past, becomes his instructor and immediately takes a peculiar interest in Jaevid’s future.
While struggling through the rigorous physical demands of training, things begin to go awry. Jaevid witnesses the king’s private guards kidnapping Sile in the dead of night. When none of the elder riders are willing to help him, Jaevid begins a dangerous adventure to save his instructor.
Everything Jaevid learned at the academy will now be put to the ultimate test.
296 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2013
956 people are currently reading
2499 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Conway
40 books600 followersNicole Conway is originally from North Alabama and attended Auburn University. She is happily married and enjoys writing as a full time career.
Best known for her international bestselling fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES - Nicole is currently working on a follow-on series, THE DRAGONRIDER LEGACY. Her other published works include MAD MAGIC, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS, SCALES (Releasing Spring 2019), and RENEGADE RUNNER (2021).
Nicole is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel.
Best known for her international bestselling fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES - Nicole is currently working on a follow-on series, THE DRAGONRIDER LEGACY. Her other published works include MAD MAGIC, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS, SCALES (Releasing Spring 2019), and RENEGADE RUNNER (2021).
Nicole is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
September 25, 2018
Fledgling
The Dragonrider Chronicles, Book 1
By: Nicole Conway
Narrated by: Jesse Einstein
This is a charming story of the underdog saving the day! I love those kind of stories and especially those with dragons. It is more for middle grade and teens but I certainly enjoyed the story too.
If you love action, adventure, dragons, and suspense then this is for you! I loved the closeness of the dragon and rider bond. Great characters and plot. Well done.
The narrator was perfect for this story! Great with the voices and keeping the story flowing just right! (or flying just right!)
The Dragonrider Chronicles, Book 1
By: Nicole Conway
Narrated by: Jesse Einstein
This is a charming story of the underdog saving the day! I love those kind of stories and especially those with dragons. It is more for middle grade and teens but I certainly enjoyed the story too.
If you love action, adventure, dragons, and suspense then this is for you! I loved the closeness of the dragon and rider bond. Great characters and plot. Well done.
The narrator was perfect for this story! Great with the voices and keeping the story flowing just right! (or flying just right!)
February 3, 2014
I'll read most things with dragons in 'em, YA or otherwise. As advertised, the book has dragons, so +1 star. That's...about it.
In terms of the Dragons, Fledgling tries to be a cross between The Dragonriders of Pern and Heart's Blood, but it has neither the charm of the one or the heartfelt intensity of the other.
In terms of Sword and Sorcery, it's like a fleshed-out version of a half-assed backstory you come up with for your D&D character to justify "elvish" and "draconic" under the Languages tab.
It would have earned another star if the plot elements - especially the true conflict w.r.t the kidnapping, etc. were developed with proper attention to craft. Either the book ended too early, or it took too damn long to start...
However, Dragons. Dragons make everything better :) and the descriptions of the dragonriding-experience are fantastic. There's a lot of potential there, and I could be persuaded to pick up the next one in the series if the price-point is right.
In terms of the Dragons, Fledgling tries to be a cross between The Dragonriders of Pern and Heart's Blood, but it has neither the charm of the one or the heartfelt intensity of the other.
In terms of Sword and Sorcery, it's like a fleshed-out version of a half-assed backstory you come up with for your D&D character to justify "elvish" and "draconic" under the Languages tab.
It would have earned another star if the plot elements - especially the true conflict w.r.t the kidnapping, etc. were developed with proper attention to craft. Either the book ended too early, or it took too damn long to start...
However, Dragons. Dragons make everything better :) and the descriptions of the dragonriding-experience are fantastic. There's a lot of potential there, and I could be persuaded to pick up the next one in the series if the price-point is right.
January 30, 2022
If there are dragons I will give the book at least 3 stars,simple as that!
I liked Mavrik and Jaevid bond and I think it will further develop in the sequels.
The story was good, nothing really spectacular there but I don't truly mind the "not-uniqueness".
It is meant for younger readers but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
The only thing I didn't like were the dialogues with Beck because she talked like a little kid and she is in fact 14.
I liked Mavrik and Jaevid bond and I think it will further develop in the sequels.
The story was good, nothing really spectacular there but I don't truly mind the "not-uniqueness".
It is meant for younger readers but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
The only thing I didn't like were the dialogues with Beck because she talked like a little kid and she is in fact 14.
February 23, 2014
A bit slow to start, though I think that is due to it being the first book in a series with the need to introduce the characters. The next book will be "Avian", which my Kindle e-book says will be out in Summer 2014.
Reading through The Dragonrider Chronicles FaceBook page, this book has apparently been taken down from Amazon.com because... It is being "republished by an official publishing company." Way to go, Nicole Conway!
Reading through The Dragonrider Chronicles FaceBook page, this book has apparently been taken down from Amazon.com because... It is being "republished by an official publishing company." Way to go, Nicole Conway!
May 29, 2019
Check out my blog, One Man Book Club
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
Now here's a series your fantasy loving middle graders will love!
The Dragonrider books by Nicole Conway are marketed as two separate series.
The first four books are The Dragonrider Chronicles. They introduce the main characters and deliver the first story arc. The Dragonrider Legacy includes the final three books. This series continues the story of the main characters after a 40 year time jump, introduces new characters, delivers it's own story arc, and puts a nice bow on the conclusion of both series. Because the two series are so connected, I consider them one, seven book series.
The Dragonrider series isn't unique and it's quite formulaic. Not really any surprises here.
Unassuming, unloved boy gets accepted into Dragonrider school after a dragon chooses him to be his rider. The boy discovers he's the chosen one, destined to unite the people of the land, restore order and balance, overthrow the evil tyrant, and save the day. Twice. You know, because there are two series. The ending to the first story arc was meh, but the wrongs are righted in the end of the second story arc. Dues ex machina is the go to solution for the biggest problems.
But if the formula works, it works, and these stories work for their audience. The Dragonrider series are definitely story driven. It was enough to keep me interested through 7 books! Battles, mysteries, coming of age, magic, elves, first love, humor, friendship, bad guys, heroes.
Plus...dragons! Like I always say: dragons are the bacon of books--they make everything better!
The Dragonrider books are targeted for upper-middle grade fantasy fans and dragon lovers everywhere. Content appropriate for 10 and up.
Happy reading!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
Now here's a series your fantasy loving middle graders will love!
The Dragonrider books by Nicole Conway are marketed as two separate series.
The first four books are The Dragonrider Chronicles. They introduce the main characters and deliver the first story arc. The Dragonrider Legacy includes the final three books. This series continues the story of the main characters after a 40 year time jump, introduces new characters, delivers it's own story arc, and puts a nice bow on the conclusion of both series. Because the two series are so connected, I consider them one, seven book series.
The Dragonrider series isn't unique and it's quite formulaic. Not really any surprises here.
Unassuming, unloved boy gets accepted into Dragonrider school after a dragon chooses him to be his rider. The boy discovers he's the chosen one, destined to unite the people of the land, restore order and balance, overthrow the evil tyrant, and save the day. Twice. You know, because there are two series. The ending to the first story arc was meh, but the wrongs are righted in the end of the second story arc. Dues ex machina is the go to solution for the biggest problems.
But if the formula works, it works, and these stories work for their audience. The Dragonrider series are definitely story driven. It was enough to keep me interested through 7 books! Battles, mysteries, coming of age, magic, elves, first love, humor, friendship, bad guys, heroes.
Plus...dragons! Like I always say: dragons are the bacon of books--they make everything better!
The Dragonrider books are targeted for upper-middle grade fantasy fans and dragon lovers everywhere. Content appropriate for 10 and up.
Happy reading!
May 12, 2016
Jaevid is a half-elf, half-human that’s sent to live with this biological human father, Ulric, who makes saddles for dragon riders. Fledgling, especially early on, goes quickly into How to Train Your Dragon territory. Jaevid is basically Elven Hiccup. If this is the How to Train Your Dragon novelization, I’m okay with that (I loved that movie).
The story is a little slow. Not in terms of action, but Jaevid’s internal monologue doesn’t quite feel right. The writerly part of my brain started to whisper "passive voice and gerunds...too much passive voice and gerunds..." This pattern of writing makes Jeavid feel like a boring character, even though I’ve got a solid idea of him as a person being that he's a shy fifteen year old. He's a bit more introspective, but there were parts that I started to skim because there was too much passive vs. active voice.
Felix is a weird character for me. I like him, but his personality--what we're told and what we see--is a bit incongruous. Felix at once feels too mature and understanding, and yet, he does the silly ‘don’t tell me the clearly important information you have’ shtick. He's also a huge goof-ball when it comes to the other students and girls. As I said, I liked him, but he feels a bit hard to pin down.
The dragons don’t have much personality, which is a bit of a shame. (Note: This gets better in Avian, but I want to talk about it in Fledgling, first.) Mavrik feels like an animal here, which is good, but this novel begs for the How to Train Your Dragon comparison. Toothless feels distinct as an animal with a personality, but Mavrik is a bit more of plot prop in this novel. He's an animal, which is good, but he lacks the quirky behaviors normal animals exhibit. Once again, this gets better, but this is where Mavrik's character stands for me in Fledgling.
There’s a lot of little, incongruous details in this story that felt silly to me. There are 9 fledglings and yet, a 100 trainees? That’s a very lopsided class size (years 1 and years 2 only were mentioned as being dragon riders). Once again, this is fixed and explained in Avian, but it left me scratching my head in Fledgling. They also jump on the back of a dragon…a dragon that has spines! And live. The slavers didn’t notice their prisoners run free? There was a lot of these little things, which added up for me, and even impacted the enjoyable moments of the book.
There are several times in the story where the mentor, Sile, has to be saved by Jae and Felix. It feels a bit repetitive, but it establishes that there’s a faction out for his life and that they're connected to the crown. I liked Sile, but he doesn't explain nearly enough of the major backstory to satisfy me. This is purposeful, but it does obscure his motivations.
MYTH TWIST! There's a little surprise and added mythology after Felix and Jaevid are captured. This isn't the dragon version of Hogwarts, and I expected the climax to take place at the school, which it doesn't. This is a welcomed surprise and hooked me into the end of the story. The conclusion of the plot felt a bit too convenient. This is a continuing series, and there's certainly more in the world and series. This book has the easy, MG feel of Eragon without the fiddly prose, but the obvious comparison is How to Train Your Dragon. The middle of the story diverts it away from what I expected, which elevated this book (and other novels in the series) for me.
The story is a little slow. Not in terms of action, but Jaevid’s internal monologue doesn’t quite feel right. The writerly part of my brain started to whisper "passive voice and gerunds...too much passive voice and gerunds..." This pattern of writing makes Jeavid feel like a boring character, even though I’ve got a solid idea of him as a person being that he's a shy fifteen year old. He's a bit more introspective, but there were parts that I started to skim because there was too much passive vs. active voice.
Felix is a weird character for me. I like him, but his personality--what we're told and what we see--is a bit incongruous. Felix at once feels too mature and understanding, and yet, he does the silly ‘don’t tell me the clearly important information you have’ shtick. He's also a huge goof-ball when it comes to the other students and girls. As I said, I liked him, but he feels a bit hard to pin down.
The dragons don’t have much personality, which is a bit of a shame. (Note: This gets better in Avian, but I want to talk about it in Fledgling, first.) Mavrik feels like an animal here, which is good, but this novel begs for the How to Train Your Dragon comparison. Toothless feels distinct as an animal with a personality, but Mavrik is a bit more of plot prop in this novel. He's an animal, which is good, but he lacks the quirky behaviors normal animals exhibit. Once again, this gets better, but this is where Mavrik's character stands for me in Fledgling.
There’s a lot of little, incongruous details in this story that felt silly to me. There are 9 fledglings and yet, a 100 trainees? That’s a very lopsided class size (years 1 and years 2 only were mentioned as being dragon riders). Once again, this is fixed and explained in Avian, but it left me scratching my head in Fledgling. They also jump on the back of a dragon…a dragon that has spines! And live. The slavers didn’t notice their prisoners run free? There was a lot of these little things, which added up for me, and even impacted the enjoyable moments of the book.
There are several times in the story where the mentor, Sile, has to be saved by Jae and Felix. It feels a bit repetitive, but it establishes that there’s a faction out for his life and that they're connected to the crown. I liked Sile, but he doesn't explain nearly enough of the major backstory to satisfy me. This is purposeful, but it does obscure his motivations.
MYTH TWIST! There's a little surprise and added mythology after Felix and Jaevid are captured. This isn't the dragon version of Hogwarts, and I expected the climax to take place at the school, which it doesn't. This is a welcomed surprise and hooked me into the end of the story. The conclusion of the plot felt a bit too convenient. This is a continuing series, and there's certainly more in the world and series. This book has the easy, MG feel of Eragon without the fiddly prose, but the obvious comparison is How to Train Your Dragon. The middle of the story diverts it away from what I expected, which elevated this book (and other novels in the series) for me.
September 3, 2014
**I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.
Mild spoilers
Gave this a 4.5 star rating.
The way Jaevid grew up was horrible. His upbringing was terrible and no one had respect for me at all. I love that no matter what came his way, being a halfbreed or the drama that took place, he never gave up on anything. He made it a mission to save Sile every time danger arised. For a fledgling he went above and beyond.
Ulric is a terrible father. I hated him for treating Jaevid the way he did. He hated his own son because his mother was an elf. Just unspeakably rude.
Sile was an excellent man and father like figure for Jae. He taught him ad nurtured him like a father should. He was the first person to really care about Jae's life and opinions. The way his coworkers treated him for taking Jae under his wing was ruthless.
Mavrik was funny! For a wild dragon he definitely allowed Jae to be his rider and train him. That bond between them was strong from the start and only got stronger as their journey went on.
Leony was a cowardice punk. I hated him and that's all I have to say about him.
Felix was an awesome friend! He didn't care what Jae was, only for the person and kindness he had. Felix was there through it all for Jar. Thick and thin and that is a great foundation for a friendship.
Beckah was so sweet and young, but she had some knowledge on her. Loved her character and I think she and Jae would make the cutest couple ever!
This was such a great read. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Excited to read the sequel: Avian!
Mild spoilers
Gave this a 4.5 star rating.
The way Jaevid grew up was horrible. His upbringing was terrible and no one had respect for me at all. I love that no matter what came his way, being a halfbreed or the drama that took place, he never gave up on anything. He made it a mission to save Sile every time danger arised. For a fledgling he went above and beyond.
Ulric is a terrible father. I hated him for treating Jaevid the way he did. He hated his own son because his mother was an elf. Just unspeakably rude.
Sile was an excellent man and father like figure for Jae. He taught him ad nurtured him like a father should. He was the first person to really care about Jae's life and opinions. The way his coworkers treated him for taking Jae under his wing was ruthless.
Mavrik was funny! For a wild dragon he definitely allowed Jae to be his rider and train him. That bond between them was strong from the start and only got stronger as their journey went on.
Leony was a cowardice punk. I hated him and that's all I have to say about him.
Felix was an awesome friend! He didn't care what Jae was, only for the person and kindness he had. Felix was there through it all for Jar. Thick and thin and that is a great foundation for a friendship.
Beckah was so sweet and young, but she had some knowledge on her. Loved her character and I think she and Jae would make the cutest couple ever!
This was such a great read. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Excited to read the sequel: Avian!
November 21, 2024
Solid, entertaining, likable characters, cool plot. Ready to continue!
January 11, 2018
It took me a little bit to really get a feel for the world and Jae's simple, straightforward thoughts definitely made this a MG book, but I liked that though Jae was special, he wasn't special in all aspects--he has plenty of shortcomings that make him relateable. I want to know a lot more about the gray elves! I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series and whatever else Nicole publishes.
May 4, 2016
"If your really gonna make this deal with me, you have to show me. Show me I can trust you" So starts a relationship between a wild dragon and a halfblood that will have you hooked from the very start of the book. I felt that the book had echoes of the relationship you see between hiccup and toothless in How to train your dragon which for me worked as it a great movie.
I love how Sile stands up for Jaevid "Any rider chosen by a dragon must be allowed to join us that is our first law." The wild dragon choose Jaevid so who are these people to say he not a dragonrider just cause he of a mixed heritage that by the end of this book saves a few characters more then once. For by not letting Jaevid in to the academy "You'll be suggesting that the spirit of the dragon no longer matters at all, that we've bred them down to stupid beasts no better then winged pedigree dogs" what a statement of fact about how strongly Sile feels about Jaevid becoming a dragonrider.
As Javeid steps in to his place in the academy he learns "We all start at the bottom as fledglings, in this brotherhood, respect must be earned." So Sile has stood up for him and said you should be here but now you must prove it.
Their are strong lessons to be found in this story which i feel is great for the middle age crowd such as "You can't just condemn someone, no matter what they've done. Everyone deserves justice, even traitors" Jaevid says this about Tyron a character who truly treats him with no respect, and betrays him more then once in the story.
Towards the end of the story one of my favorite scences happens when Jaevid talks to Icarus the dragon of the evil character in the story. He uses his new found knowledge of being able to communicate with animals and he says "I'm going to have a word with the king" its a very powerful scene for Jaevid is basically showing that dragons can thing for themselves and if their master is truly cruel justice will be swift and harsh.
The final thought I will leave you with is one of the strongest lessons Jaevid learns in the story "Bravery is not an immunity to fear, it is rising up to meet it with the hope that nothing is impossible."
I love how Sile stands up for Jaevid "Any rider chosen by a dragon must be allowed to join us that is our first law." The wild dragon choose Jaevid so who are these people to say he not a dragonrider just cause he of a mixed heritage that by the end of this book saves a few characters more then once. For by not letting Jaevid in to the academy "You'll be suggesting that the spirit of the dragon no longer matters at all, that we've bred them down to stupid beasts no better then winged pedigree dogs" what a statement of fact about how strongly Sile feels about Jaevid becoming a dragonrider.
As Javeid steps in to his place in the academy he learns "We all start at the bottom as fledglings, in this brotherhood, respect must be earned." So Sile has stood up for him and said you should be here but now you must prove it.
Their are strong lessons to be found in this story which i feel is great for the middle age crowd such as "You can't just condemn someone, no matter what they've done. Everyone deserves justice, even traitors" Jaevid says this about Tyron a character who truly treats him with no respect, and betrays him more then once in the story.
Towards the end of the story one of my favorite scences happens when Jaevid talks to Icarus the dragon of the evil character in the story. He uses his new found knowledge of being able to communicate with animals and he says "I'm going to have a word with the king" its a very powerful scene for Jaevid is basically showing that dragons can thing for themselves and if their master is truly cruel justice will be swift and harsh.
The final thought I will leave you with is one of the strongest lessons Jaevid learns in the story "Bravery is not an immunity to fear, it is rising up to meet it with the hope that nothing is impossible."
July 1, 2014
I would like to thank Month9books and Nicole Conway for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I started this book in the flight back from Sharm El Sheikh and I couldn't put it down.
Jaevid is half while elf and half human he is hated by both sides. Jaevid never felt he fit in anywhere, he was protected by his mum up till her death when he was 12. Thrown with his human father and his step family he was always on the outside, until his father takes him to where the dragon riders are trained, here he meets a wild dragon and they build a bond.
Jaevid is sponsored by Sile in the academy, having a perchanct to get into trouble at every turn he meets Felix and they become firm friends. Here starts a fantastic adventure where the two learn about friendship and trust.
The book would be aimed at a younger audience than myself but I loved the adventure and the characters were easily believeable. I get the feeling there is a lot lot more to come from this series of books and I am looking forward to book 2. Book 1 was tied off nicely but left me certainly with some unanswered questions.
If you like a fantasy read that isn't tied down with too much sex, being a young or older reader this is for you, nicely written from a young males POV, It is refreshingly different with, elves and dragons along the way.
I started this book in the flight back from Sharm El Sheikh and I couldn't put it down.
Jaevid is half while elf and half human he is hated by both sides. Jaevid never felt he fit in anywhere, he was protected by his mum up till her death when he was 12. Thrown with his human father and his step family he was always on the outside, until his father takes him to where the dragon riders are trained, here he meets a wild dragon and they build a bond.
Jaevid is sponsored by Sile in the academy, having a perchanct to get into trouble at every turn he meets Felix and they become firm friends. Here starts a fantastic adventure where the two learn about friendship and trust.
The book would be aimed at a younger audience than myself but I loved the adventure and the characters were easily believeable. I get the feeling there is a lot lot more to come from this series of books and I am looking forward to book 2. Book 1 was tied off nicely but left me certainly with some unanswered questions.
If you like a fantasy read that isn't tied down with too much sex, being a young or older reader this is for you, nicely written from a young males POV, It is refreshingly different with, elves and dragons along the way.
April 3, 2015
A Halfling - elf and human - lives with his human father after the death of his elven mother, being despised by both elves and humans, until he bonds with a dragon and is admitted to the academy for training to become a dragonrider in the war between humans and gray elves, which does not make his life any easier.
Very short summary here, I don't want to spoil anything, after all.
From the simple narrative style and language, I would assume this story is aimed at younger readers, but the plot and the characters, in my opinion, more than make up for this for an adult reader. Although it cannot compare in my opinion with the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, or the Jouster series by Mercedes Lackey, it has everything a reader can wish for: dragons - who doesn't love dragons! - the problems of being an outsider, growing up, learning to take responsibility, and stand up for one's own code of honour.
Despite the simplicity of the language, the story is well developped and continues to capture the reader.
I have just started Avian, the second book in this series, and I sincerely hope there will soon be more!
Very short summary here, I don't want to spoil anything, after all.
From the simple narrative style and language, I would assume this story is aimed at younger readers, but the plot and the characters, in my opinion, more than make up for this for an adult reader. Although it cannot compare in my opinion with the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, or the Jouster series by Mercedes Lackey, it has everything a reader can wish for: dragons - who doesn't love dragons! - the problems of being an outsider, growing up, learning to take responsibility, and stand up for one's own code of honour.
Despite the simplicity of the language, the story is well developped and continues to capture the reader.
I have just started Avian, the second book in this series, and I sincerely hope there will soon be more!
July 14, 2017
This librarian loves to find a new dragon series and this one is a winner! Jaevid is a character that readers will be rooting for from the very beginning--loving mother dies, forced to live with a birth father who doesn't want him, no money, no hope of a future....But tides turn and Jaevid ends up at a dragon rider academy, finds friends (and enemies) of human and dragon-kind, and a whole new series filled with dragons, magic, elves, battles and all things fantasy opens up. I read through all 4 volumes in the series quickly and immediately tried to find them in hardcover for my junior high library. Sadly, paper and Kindle are the only formats, but if fans of dragon-lore spread the word, maybe new editions will come out in hardcover. Because Conway does not include unnecessary profanity or sexual innuendo, this series would be appropriate for any reader of the genre who can handle the likely reading level of grade 6ish and a length of 300+ pages, but probably best suited for grades 6 and up.
February 6, 2016
What a delightful book. It was fun and engaging right from the start. I never once felt the urge to skip anything. The action was well paced and the story keeps you engaged. The characters are defined well and the dialogue is sincere. If you like dragons, and scenes with people flying and interacting with dragons you will enjoy this book. Great book for readers young and old. I'm going to add her next book to my to-read list right now.
October 2, 2015
Summary: There are humans and grey elves in a medieval like world setting and they are enemies. The main character is Jaevid. He is half human, half elf, and despised by both races. One day in his miserable young life, a dragonrider takes interest in him. Shortly after his life changes.
I'd call this fantasy-lite. The world building was rather sparse, and there was no back history at all. Nevertheless, it's interesting enough that I will read the sequel.
I'd call this fantasy-lite. The world building was rather sparse, and there was no back history at all. Nevertheless, it's interesting enough that I will read the sequel.
November 11, 2013
Read this on my Kindle, and the first part definitely needs editing and cleaning up, full of typos and poor grammar. Having said that, it was an enjoyable, if rather lightweight read.
February 13, 2014
Somewhat predictable story line.. Seemed rushed at the end
July 23, 2018
I enjoyed this coming of age fantasy adventure with warrior dragons. My rating 4.25.
Jaevid was raised by his mother in a war-torn ghetto as a refugee where the guards scorned the gray elves but other refugees scorned Jaevid as a half breed. He never met his human father until his mother died when he was 12. His father reluctantly allows him to sleep in the barn where he is mistreated by his hulking father, hated by his step mother and tormented by his younger half-siblings.
His father makes fine saddles for the dragon riders. A few years after living with his father, he is taken along to work with him as he goes to the Blybrig Academy to deliver the load of saddles to the dragon riders there.
Jaevid is a brave young man especially considering he is often bullied for being small and thin. He is fascinated by the dragons and sneaks in to see them. He encounters a wild dragon and is able to convince the dragon that they need each other. His being chosen by the dragon gets him accepted into the academy although the rich students don’t think he belongs and are ready to pummel him. He is lucky to make a friend in a mentoring knight, Lieutenant Sile Derrick, and another young student. Sile works the two boys hard in training suspecting that there is something special about Jaevid.
As Jaevid’s training continues it becomes apparent that someone is plotting against Sile. Jaevid and his dragon, Mavrik, are able to step up to save Sile from sabatoge. Months later Jaevid sees Sile kidnapped. Jaevid is unable to convince the other instructors to help so he sets out, with only his dragon, his young friend and a young girl, to attempt a rescue against the king’s guards.
Through the dangerous adventure Jaevid and Mavrik build a stronger bond and more secret talents are revealed. I really enjoyed the development of the friendships for Jaevid who had always been alone. I also liked the fast paced action and intrigue. There are clearly political upheavals surrounding the dragon rider knights though the details are not fully revealed in this first book of the series. I enjoyed this and will want to continue the series at some point. I recommend this to middle graders and adults who enjoy dragon adventures.
Audio Notes: Jesse Einstein does a really fine job with the narration. He portrays Jaevid at the right age and temperament and is able to give the other characters their unique voices too. The audio made the story more engaging for me.
Jaevid was raised by his mother in a war-torn ghetto as a refugee where the guards scorned the gray elves but other refugees scorned Jaevid as a half breed. He never met his human father until his mother died when he was 12. His father reluctantly allows him to sleep in the barn where he is mistreated by his hulking father, hated by his step mother and tormented by his younger half-siblings.
His father makes fine saddles for the dragon riders. A few years after living with his father, he is taken along to work with him as he goes to the Blybrig Academy to deliver the load of saddles to the dragon riders there.
Jaevid is a brave young man especially considering he is often bullied for being small and thin. He is fascinated by the dragons and sneaks in to see them. He encounters a wild dragon and is able to convince the dragon that they need each other. His being chosen by the dragon gets him accepted into the academy although the rich students don’t think he belongs and are ready to pummel him. He is lucky to make a friend in a mentoring knight, Lieutenant Sile Derrick, and another young student. Sile works the two boys hard in training suspecting that there is something special about Jaevid.
As Jaevid’s training continues it becomes apparent that someone is plotting against Sile. Jaevid and his dragon, Mavrik, are able to step up to save Sile from sabatoge. Months later Jaevid sees Sile kidnapped. Jaevid is unable to convince the other instructors to help so he sets out, with only his dragon, his young friend and a young girl, to attempt a rescue against the king’s guards.
Through the dangerous adventure Jaevid and Mavrik build a stronger bond and more secret talents are revealed. I really enjoyed the development of the friendships for Jaevid who had always been alone. I also liked the fast paced action and intrigue. There are clearly political upheavals surrounding the dragon rider knights though the details are not fully revealed in this first book of the series. I enjoyed this and will want to continue the series at some point. I recommend this to middle graders and adults who enjoy dragon adventures.
Audio Notes: Jesse Einstein does a really fine job with the narration. He portrays Jaevid at the right age and temperament and is able to give the other characters their unique voices too. The audio made the story more engaging for me.
August 15, 2023
This fantasy story focuses more on the action, than on the details, explanations, skills and abilities of the main character. It is above average in story-telling and the pace of the development/advancement of the story. I would have liked to know if main character's Mom really got involved with the hateful and abusing Dad, and why? The back stories about main character's species, their origin, why they were stuck in a human territory being Grey Elves themselves. Details about why main character was accepted into a Dragon Academy if his species (at least half of it) is in a war with the Grey Elves. The author doesn't really get into the conflict much. Enslavement, bullying, discrimination, all abominable/despicable things that the main character and his Mom had to endure. Must a person receive constant abuse/ be a total underdog for the readers to enjoy a fantasy novel series?? Is the author using the main character as a punching bag to gain the pity and empathy from the readers?? Why would she do that though??
I think there should be a better description of the relationship between the Dragon Mavrick and the main character. If there is a special bond, I think the author should have explained it better.
Again, this first book focuses on the action, and the writing seems done by the seat of the author's pants, a little too much in this first book. There is almost no pause, no rest, no time for meditation, introspection, character development/relationship development or real world building (what economic, political, geo-political, religious, social, systems are in place in this fantasy world, size of the territories, description of the causes and results of the constant war, etc.)
The story is positive, it is well above average, but I feel it could have been much better. This first book has no maps of this other world, no character summaries, no inside illustrations, no glossaries, introductions/prologues or conclusions.
I think there should be a better description of the relationship between the Dragon Mavrick and the main character. If there is a special bond, I think the author should have explained it better.
Again, this first book focuses on the action, and the writing seems done by the seat of the author's pants, a little too much in this first book. There is almost no pause, no rest, no time for meditation, introspection, character development/relationship development or real world building (what economic, political, geo-political, religious, social, systems are in place in this fantasy world, size of the territories, description of the causes and results of the constant war, etc.)
The story is positive, it is well above average, but I feel it could have been much better. This first book has no maps of this other world, no character summaries, no inside illustrations, no glossaries, introductions/prologues or conclusions.
January 19, 2023
4.25 Stars 🌟
Another "first time" author for me. The story starts off a little slowly as we are getting to know the world and trying to understand the magic system - or the world of dragons I guess would be a better way to say it. Our MC at this point is a young teen who is in an awful situation at home. You honestly cannot even call it home. He is a "half-breed" (gray elf/human) whose mother has passed away and after never having ANYTHING to do with his human father, he is sent to live with him. Unfortunately, the father already has a family and they cannot stand the boy. They will not even let him in the house and he sleeps in a loft in the barn. And "half-breeds" are hated by both species, for the same reason, because they are not fully one thing or another. Oh, did I mention that the gray elves and the humans are at war?
So, this type of story tends to bother me. Why? Because the author is trying to get across how hated this boy is. He is scrawny (very, very, scrawny), weighs like 80 pounds soaking wet and is beaten constantly. At this point in his life, he doesn't even fight back. If boys gang up on him, he just waits for it to be over. Kinda hard to read/listen to.
This is going to be a story about a young man turning into a hero - I think. So, I guess we have to start at the bottom. So, book 1...by chance, he bonds with a dragon and gets accepted into the Dragon Academy (or something like that, can't remember the name). He's, of course, the scrawniest cadet in the academy, so life is not easy.
This first book takes us on that journey. He finds one friend and his dragon Mavrik is awesome. Seriously awesome. I listened to most of this on audio and the narrator does a good job of creating a voice for Jaevid that seems to coincide with his age - he is 15 I think (maybe 16).
Let's see what happens in book 2.
Another "first time" author for me. The story starts off a little slowly as we are getting to know the world and trying to understand the magic system - or the world of dragons I guess would be a better way to say it. Our MC at this point is a young teen who is in an awful situation at home. You honestly cannot even call it home. He is a "half-breed" (gray elf/human) whose mother has passed away and after never having ANYTHING to do with his human father, he is sent to live with him. Unfortunately, the father already has a family and they cannot stand the boy. They will not even let him in the house and he sleeps in a loft in the barn. And "half-breeds" are hated by both species, for the same reason, because they are not fully one thing or another. Oh, did I mention that the gray elves and the humans are at war?
So, this type of story tends to bother me. Why? Because the author is trying to get across how hated this boy is. He is scrawny (very, very, scrawny), weighs like 80 pounds soaking wet and is beaten constantly. At this point in his life, he doesn't even fight back. If boys gang up on him, he just waits for it to be over. Kinda hard to read/listen to.
This is going to be a story about a young man turning into a hero - I think. So, I guess we have to start at the bottom. So, book 1...by chance, he bonds with a dragon and gets accepted into the Dragon Academy (or something like that, can't remember the name). He's, of course, the scrawniest cadet in the academy, so life is not easy.
This first book takes us on that journey. He finds one friend and his dragon Mavrik is awesome. Seriously awesome. I listened to most of this on audio and the narrator does a good job of creating a voice for Jaevid that seems to coincide with his age - he is 15 I think (maybe 16).
Let's see what happens in book 2.
September 6, 2021
Fledgling: MG/Lower YA. Secondary-World Fantasy. Academy. Training. Animal Companions - Wyverns. Overcoming Adversity. Friendship. Single POV. Mentor/student (parental figure). Romance. Humans. Grey Elves. War.
In a world cleaved by war between humans and Grey Elves, a scrawny young boy named Jaevid, struggles to survive in his human father's home after his Elven mother dies in the camps. Abused and without many friends, his future is bleak. That is until his abusive father takes him to the kingdoms prestigious Blybrig Academy, where knights learn to ride dragons (wyverns), as an saddle-making apprentice, and in an act of fate Jaevid meets Mavrik, a wild Wyvern. Together they have a chance at a future, and together their journey begins.
The protagonist is likeable and the socio-political and cultural backdrop is very interesting. As for the wyverns, I enjoyed their characterisations and vocalisations. While body language could be used more, Nicole Conway does a good job at describing Wyvern vocalisations and body language to express emotions and opinions. Overall, Fledgling is a unique character driven academy rider fantasy about striving in the the face of adversity and never giving up. It's an enjoyable read that's easy to read.
How much I liked it: 4 Stars
Ideas - World Building: 3 Stars
Ideas - Plot: 4 Stars
Character Depth: 4 Stars
Character Interactions: Average
Animal Characterisation: 3.5 Stars.
Warnings: None.
Execution: 5
Writing Notes: n/a
In a world cleaved by war between humans and Grey Elves, a scrawny young boy named Jaevid, struggles to survive in his human father's home after his Elven mother dies in the camps. Abused and without many friends, his future is bleak. That is until his abusive father takes him to the kingdoms prestigious Blybrig Academy, where knights learn to ride dragons (wyverns), as an saddle-making apprentice, and in an act of fate Jaevid meets Mavrik, a wild Wyvern. Together they have a chance at a future, and together their journey begins.
The protagonist is likeable and the socio-political and cultural backdrop is very interesting. As for the wyverns, I enjoyed their characterisations and vocalisations. While body language could be used more, Nicole Conway does a good job at describing Wyvern vocalisations and body language to express emotions and opinions. Overall, Fledgling is a unique character driven academy rider fantasy about striving in the the face of adversity and never giving up. It's an enjoyable read that's easy to read.
How much I liked it: 4 Stars
Ideas - World Building: 3 Stars
Ideas - Plot: 4 Stars
Character Depth: 4 Stars
Character Interactions: Average
Animal Characterisation: 3.5 Stars.
Warnings: None.
Execution: 5
Writing Notes: n/a
May 29, 2018
Fledgling is a young adult fantasy novel about a mixed human elf. With the elf and the human nation at war Jaevid does not fit in with anyone except his mother. With her death, at twelve, Jaevid is shipped off to live with his human father. Yet the stars align, and through a series of events Jaevid becomes a Dragonrider.
This is the first book in a four book series. It is a lot of character introductions with some good action to keep the reader engaged. The plot is a pretty classic tale, yet it is done in a way that is engaging and makes you want to keep reading. It would be appropriate for late elementary school and up. As an adult I still enjoyed it immensely.
The writing starts off a little choppy. There are way to many extra commas and the word placement was weird. Do not be put off it does not last past the first chapter. The rest of the writing is beautiful. The characters are engaging and distinct. Each character has their own distinct voice and personality, although it is all highlighted through Jaevid's perception.
This is the first book in a four book series. It is a lot of character introductions with some good action to keep the reader engaged. The plot is a pretty classic tale, yet it is done in a way that is engaging and makes you want to keep reading. It would be appropriate for late elementary school and up. As an adult I still enjoyed it immensely.
The writing starts off a little choppy. There are way to many extra commas and the word placement was weird. Do not be put off it does not last past the first chapter. The rest of the writing is beautiful. The characters are engaging and distinct. Each character has their own distinct voice and personality, although it is all highlighted through Jaevid's perception.
December 14, 2017
This a novel about a half-breed boy, Jaevid, and his chance become of a Dragonrider and warrior. Jaevid is half human, half Elf, and isn't accepted by either side, including by his biological fire. His biological father makes saddles for the dragonriders, and one of his customers, Side Derrick, notices Jae. He recruits Jae in at Blybrig Academy for Dragonriders. Jaevid must work harder than the others, experiences bullying and prejudice, but forms a bond with his very own wild dragon, despite how unusual it is. This was a pretty good first book and was a fun read, but as usual when I read Middle Grade, I noticed the writing style differences between this book and a YA read. It definitely as the chosen one trope vibes and reminds of Harry Potter in a way, but it does show how hurtful it can be when you're prejudice to someone just because of their heritage. I am going to continue and see what happens next for Jaevid.
March 28, 2018
entertaining fast-paced start to a series that is a little short but has an epic feel.
From beginning to end this is an easy afternoon read. Seeing as this is a fantasy for adolescents to young adults I have to give it a five star rating for what it is. The fantasy does feel a little short but it also has an epic feel to it. The author does a great job in showing us the tip of the iceberg without going into a great deal of information dumping. It is easy to imagine world as it feels real and vibrant. I'm not sure how long the series actually is but again it is a perfect little book for adolescence to young adults looking for an easy and entertaining read. There is enough depth to the story to be entertaining to all ages.
As to be expected for the target age of the story there is no foul language and while the action scenes are intense and they are a few graphic injuries and obvious death it is a pretty clean story.
From beginning to end this is an easy afternoon read. Seeing as this is a fantasy for adolescents to young adults I have to give it a five star rating for what it is. The fantasy does feel a little short but it also has an epic feel to it. The author does a great job in showing us the tip of the iceberg without going into a great deal of information dumping. It is easy to imagine world as it feels real and vibrant. I'm not sure how long the series actually is but again it is a perfect little book for adolescence to young adults looking for an easy and entertaining read. There is enough depth to the story to be entertaining to all ages.
As to be expected for the target age of the story there is no foul language and while the action scenes are intense and they are a few graphic injuries and obvious death it is a pretty clean story.
April 23, 2023
Read for 52 Book Club Challenge 2023 #12 High Fantasy
I had high hopes of this High Fantasy - a dragon chooses its rider, a "half-breed" human/grey elf, and they must tackle prejudice and conspiracies to train as a Dragon Rider and find out why his sponsor has been kidnapped. The descriptions of flying on a dragon and the world building were sound, but I hated the characterisation - the main protagonist was just ground down by unrelenting prejudice - you felt sorry for him, but he wasn't very likeable.
The other characters also felt under-developed, especially the female characters, and I longed for a bit of humour to leaven all the whininess. The story just seemed to go and on - the author seemed to want to echo Harry Potter's year by year approach but it meant the story carried on beyond its natural arc. Wasn't keen on the audiobook narrator either. I won't be bothering with the rest of the series.
I had high hopes of this High Fantasy - a dragon chooses its rider, a "half-breed" human/grey elf, and they must tackle prejudice and conspiracies to train as a Dragon Rider and find out why his sponsor has been kidnapped. The descriptions of flying on a dragon and the world building were sound, but I hated the characterisation - the main protagonist was just ground down by unrelenting prejudice - you felt sorry for him, but he wasn't very likeable.
The other characters also felt under-developed, especially the female characters, and I longed for a bit of humour to leaven all the whininess. The story just seemed to go and on - the author seemed to want to echo Harry Potter's year by year approach but it meant the story carried on beyond its natural arc. Wasn't keen on the audiobook narrator either. I won't be bothering with the rest of the series.
August 8, 2025
a half elf-half human boy is sent to live with his dad after his elf mother dies. The married man is abusive and, because the boy is a halfbreed, no one cares. Until everything changes, over night he goes from an abused ward, to a fledgling. Everyone still hates him but the number of friends he has more then doubles, going from one to four! Throughout the story he remains loyal to his friends, facing death multiple times as he continues to face prejudice, saves the kingdom, and his friends learn the struggle of being an outcast.
Both the plotline and self reflection keep you engaged throughout the book. The last chapter is a little dry, but a nessecary wrapup from all the action.
The main charcters self-reflection serves to drive the main character and propel the story forward without bogging down the reader with an endless pity-party.
Both the plotline and self reflection keep you engaged throughout the book. The last chapter is a little dry, but a nessecary wrapup from all the action.
The main charcters self-reflection serves to drive the main character and propel the story forward without bogging down the reader with an endless pity-party.
February 28, 2018
A good plot, and a nice and cute main character. The story could have been more detailed, now I felt that something was missing quite often. For example, the relationship between Jaevid and his dragon wasn’t described deeply enough. Because there were so good characters, that would have been worth ”more” telling and details.
Hyvä tarina, jota olisi voinut kehitellä enemmänkin kohti yksityiskohtia. Jaevidin ja Mavrikin suhdetta olisi voinut rakentaa huomattavan paljon enemmän, mikä olisi saanut tarinaan hienoa syvyyttä. Kirjan olisi pienellä lisäpaneutumisella saanut aikuisillekin sopivaksi, nyt hienoinen pinnallisuus saanee vanhemman lukijan sittenkin miettimään hankkiiko kuitenkaan seuraavan osan luettavakseen.
Hyvä tarina, jota olisi voinut kehitellä enemmänkin kohti yksityiskohtia. Jaevidin ja Mavrikin suhdetta olisi voinut rakentaa huomattavan paljon enemmän, mikä olisi saanut tarinaan hienoa syvyyttä. Kirjan olisi pienellä lisäpaneutumisella saanut aikuisillekin sopivaksi, nyt hienoinen pinnallisuus saanee vanhemman lukijan sittenkin miettimään hankkiiko kuitenkaan seuraavan osan luettavakseen.
March 28, 2019
I loved this book! I checked it out on my schools online library because I was desperate for some fantasy world to take me away from my stressful life and I didn't expect much from the book after reading the description but boy was I wrong! From just the first few sentences, I was drawn in to an amazing world about a half-elf boy and his struggles to find his place in the strict society he lives in. All throughout the book I was reminded of the struggles people go through just to be accepted as the person they are and not to be judged by their race or heritage. I also got some How to Train your Dragon vibes from this, so that made me very happy. I can't wait to read the next one's to see where Jae's journey leads!
January 7, 2017
Reader thoughts: I've set down this book several times because the first chapter is dull. It's a summary of Jaevid's life thus far, and there's not much emotion in it.
It drags. Yes, stories about down-on-their-luck characters can be interesting (see Harry Potter 's first few years), but this one just wasn't.
BEWARE: some minor spoilers ahead.
There are quite a few moments of that-is-so-unlikely-that-couldn't-possibly-have-happened. I wouldn't quite call them plot holes, but they were close.
1, the scene where Jaevid meets Mavrik. How would a halfbreed get into the breaking dome? Why would anyone allow him that close to a dragon? And why didn't Jaevid keep his promise that he made to Mavrik (the dragon totally should have burned him to a crisp when he didn't let him go)?
2, Becca's age. She first acts like a maybe nine-year-old (eating dessert first, saying things like, "Daddy says..." and waiting for Jaevid to decide what to do and when to eat). Mostly it's because Sile thought she needed a babysitter . . . for a couple hours. How is she fourteen? Plus, she's smaller than Jaevid, who is reported as scrawny, small, puny, and the like. Wouldn't she be bigger?
3, slavers in the marsh. Jaevid walks around on watch, keeping the sleeping Becca and Darius in sight. Suddenly, Becca screams, and Jaevid runs toward them to find six slavers holding them at swordpoint. Um, how did Jaevid not see them? How did the dragons not see them?
Anyway, the slavers then proceed to threaten the people to convince the giant dragons to back off. It works. Two big dragons can't defeat six slavers? Why would six slavers risk coming against dragons just to steal three small kids? What were they doing in the middle of the marsh away from the path anyway? How does anything about this situation make sense??
4, the way the training was run. Jaevid had to run four miles every morning (torture). He had to memorize maps (and was supposedly really good at it, but he didn't know the way from the one city to the other and had to rely on Darius, who was supposedly bad at map reading). He had to polish gear and learn sword fighting (they learned several moves in just an hour of training, but I'd think they'd still be on stances the first week).
Oh, and sometimes they actually trained with their dragons (and the first lesson wasn't about how to get on and off a dragon but a "let's strap you into the saddle and send you up for a spin." This training sounded like it was half-designed to kill the trainees. (Actually, the tests for the second-year students often did kill trainees, which just sounds sloppy to me. Do they really have a plethora of dragon riding students that they can waste so many on testing?) It's like authors want to make up their own fantasy boot camp without knowing quite what sort of training is needed. Um, boot camp is, like, 9 weeks long, not a whole year!
Kel and Alanna's knight training was soooo much more practical and specific. Read First Test and Alanna: The First Adventure.
5, Jaevid only seemed heroic at important moments. How do I explain this? The sense I had of his character was that Jaevid was cynical and worldweary. Nobody trusted him, and he didn't trust anybody. He kept his head down, didn't fight back, and hid in the shadows. Then Darius helps him and asks, "You'd do the same for me, wouldn't you?" Uh, no. Everything the reader has seen so far says Jaevid would not put himself at risk for others. He grew up in a dog-eat-halfbreed world. But Jaevid says he would. Really?
This happened a couple other times, where Jaevid's character/behavior suddenly changed for a moment to do something heroic just because he had to save the plot. It just wasn't believable to me.
6, the academy people at the end. A few pages ago, they wouldn't listen to his cry of alarm. Now they're bowing to him. Really? Then Jaevid has the nerve to fear he's going to get expelled. I actually hoped he would, because that would not be predictable. No, he's commended for his bravery instead. How typical.
BUT, oh, the dragon riding! That was fun. Also, danger and action kept happening. The book didn't slow down, but somehow it was still dull to me (except those couple pages of dragon riding).
Writer thoughts: Or call this Marketer's thoughts if you wish.
The reason I kept coming back to this book was because Amazon kept recommending books 2 or 3 for me, they looked interesting, and I'd click on them, only to find that they were sequels to Fledgling. Then Audible recommended this book to me. Several books I liked had these as the "also boughts." Finally I caved and decided I had to read (listen to) it.
Meh. The rest of the series might be better, and I might read them, but this one isn't quite worth buying.
He's a hated halfbreed. His mom dies. He goes to live with his human father, whom he resembles. His step-mother and human siblings hate him. His life is awful. He is undergrown and picked on. He hopes he can be a saddle-maker some day like his father. He has a nice friend, Catty, whose parents feed him and say kind words.
It drags. Yes, stories about down-on-their-luck characters can be interesting (see Harry Potter 's first few years), but this one just wasn't.
BEWARE: some minor spoilers ahead.
There are quite a few moments of that-is-so-unlikely-that-couldn't-possibly-have-happened. I wouldn't quite call them plot holes, but they were close.
1, the scene where Jaevid meets Mavrik. How would a halfbreed get into the breaking dome? Why would anyone allow him that close to a dragon? And why didn't Jaevid keep his promise that he made to Mavrik (the dragon totally should have burned him to a crisp when he didn't let him go)?
2, Becca's age. She first acts like a maybe nine-year-old (eating dessert first, saying things like, "Daddy says..." and waiting for Jaevid to decide what to do and when to eat). Mostly it's because Sile thought she needed a babysitter . . . for a couple hours. How is she fourteen? Plus, she's smaller than Jaevid, who is reported as scrawny, small, puny, and the like. Wouldn't she be bigger?
3, slavers in the marsh. Jaevid walks around on watch, keeping the sleeping Becca and Darius in sight. Suddenly, Becca screams, and Jaevid runs toward them to find six slavers holding them at swordpoint. Um, how did Jaevid not see them? How did the dragons not see them?
Anyway, the slavers then proceed to threaten the people to convince the giant dragons to back off. It works. Two big dragons can't defeat six slavers? Why would six slavers risk coming against dragons just to steal three small kids? What were they doing in the middle of the marsh away from the path anyway? How does anything about this situation make sense??
4, the way the training was run. Jaevid had to run four miles every morning (torture). He had to memorize maps (and was supposedly really good at it, but he didn't know the way from the one city to the other and had to rely on Darius, who was supposedly bad at map reading). He had to polish gear and learn sword fighting (they learned several moves in just an hour of training, but I'd think they'd still be on stances the first week).
Oh, and sometimes they actually trained with their dragons (and the first lesson wasn't about how to get on and off a dragon but a "let's strap you into the saddle and send you up for a spin." This training sounded like it was half-designed to kill the trainees. (Actually, the tests for the second-year students often did kill trainees, which just sounds sloppy to me. Do they really have a plethora of dragon riding students that they can waste so many on testing?) It's like authors want to make up their own fantasy boot camp without knowing quite what sort of training is needed. Um, boot camp is, like, 9 weeks long, not a whole year!
Kel and Alanna's knight training was soooo much more practical and specific. Read First Test and Alanna: The First Adventure.
5, Jaevid only seemed heroic at important moments. How do I explain this? The sense I had of his character was that Jaevid was cynical and worldweary. Nobody trusted him, and he didn't trust anybody. He kept his head down, didn't fight back, and hid in the shadows. Then Darius helps him and asks, "You'd do the same for me, wouldn't you?" Uh, no. Everything the reader has seen so far says Jaevid would not put himself at risk for others. He grew up in a dog-eat-halfbreed world. But Jaevid says he would. Really?
This happened a couple other times, where Jaevid's character/behavior suddenly changed for a moment to do something heroic just because he had to save the plot. It just wasn't believable to me.
6, the academy people at the end. A few pages ago, they wouldn't listen to his cry of alarm. Now they're bowing to him. Really? Then Jaevid has the nerve to fear he's going to get expelled. I actually hoped he would, because that would not be predictable. No, he's commended for his bravery instead. How typical.
BUT, oh, the dragon riding! That was fun. Also, danger and action kept happening. The book didn't slow down, but somehow it was still dull to me (except those couple pages of dragon riding).
Writer thoughts: Or call this Marketer's thoughts if you wish.
The reason I kept coming back to this book was because Amazon kept recommending books 2 or 3 for me, they looked interesting, and I'd click on them, only to find that they were sequels to Fledgling. Then Audible recommended this book to me. Several books I liked had these as the "also boughts." Finally I caved and decided I had to read (listen to) it.
Meh. The rest of the series might be better, and I might read them, but this one isn't quite worth buying.
May 20, 2020
I adore this book! Jay is just the best character ever, and meeting Mavrik (spelling?) was just amazing! Actually, bump jay down one, because Felix wins the best character title. It was so fun and so interesting to read about this scrawny halfbreed who is just trying to survive dragon training, and has barely any time to train before dealing with a king drake after seeing his sponsor get captured. Than goodness he has the magical animal calling ability. Although it does make me wonder: if those giant turtles were extinct, can he bring animals back from the dead? Or were they just in hiding? We may never know. Anyways, great read, great story, great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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