Sword of the Dragon

The Neverqueen Saga #1

by Scott Appleton

Violet has never known what a home is like, not an ordinary home. She has lived with Farsil in a cave in the woods for as long as she remembers. Her companions are the wee mermaids in the nearby river who tell her of the big dark world beyond her reach. Little does she know that her life is about to change in a drastic way and she will at last discover her true origins. This book begins a new series connected to The Sword Of The Dragon novels by the same author.

Genres: Fantasy

216 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2013

About the author

Scott Appleton is the author of the novels The Sword of the Dragon series, and The Neverqueen Saga, which are widely read by adults and younger readers.

Besides these, Scott has also published a collection of short speculative fiction (By Sword By Right) which runs the gamut of science-fiction, fantasy, allegory, romance, poetry, and biblical.

Driven by a love of storytelling and an appreciation for the craft, Scott has spoken extensively at events across the United States. His specialization in fiction editing and writing has garnered praise from some prominent writers.

Scott was born in Connecticut and grew up there. He actively pursued astronomy through his teen years, built ships-in-bottles and, throughout his life, read and wrote extensively. Besides his writing he works in sales.

Currently Scott lives in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife, Kelley, and their five children. His activities of choice are reading with his kids, watching fantasy and science-fiction movies, reading, and playing the occasional Star Wars video game. You can find him at AuthorAppleton.com and facebook.com/scottappleton.fans

Reviews

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Appleton has written a wonderful story about a magical land inhabited by humans, sprites, fairies, wee Merfolk, Dragons, and other creatures like the It'Ren.
The story begins with Lord Ostencair's castle being attacked by an It'Ren who wants to steal his newborn daughter. There is a battle and the child is stolen...but somehow, there is another It'Ren who manages to take the child away from the bad It'Ren.
Good It'Ren, Farsil, hides Violet in the middle of a dense forest inside a cave where they cannot be found. Violet is now about 7-9 years of age. She has beautiful black skin and white hair. She also has the white eyes of the child of prophecy. A child that will free the land from the evil Wizard.
When Violet is caught in a hunter's trap she is recognized immediately as Lord Ostencair's daughter. The hunters are also immediately attacked by evil dragons and the evil It'Ren who first tried to steal Violet.
This story was action packed and filled with twists and turns...and moral dilemmas. I like the way the author used those moral dilemmas to guide the group and open their eyes to evil.

[Mackenzie Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cover-Art
I'm a big fan of well rendered cover-art. I know many readers quip, "Don't judge a book by its cover!", however that's just it - many people do judge a book by its cover (especially if they're not a voracious reader). That being said, I was exceptionally thrilled with the cover-art of Neverqueen in the copy I have (there are two versions). We see a mystical land filled with fog in the background, and a regal It'ren holding a crown in the foreground surrounded by little mer-people. If anything I would buy this book simply for its delightful art!

Characters
There are a good deal of intriguing characters within the pages of Neverqueen. The main character, Violet, and her two unlikely companions take the lead - however, we also see the appearance of little mer-people (as implied by the cover-art), the great white dragon, a sinister blind fairy, and much more. There are a good deal of extras to help the plot along, but in general the story never strays far from Violet and her mission at hand.

The Plot
In literary criticism, this type of tale would be termed a bildungsroman, or a "coming-of-age" novel. We grow with Violet, watching her life unfold from tiny babe to curious kid, from brave girl to noble queen. The plot sweeps from the fingertips of evil to the heart of darkness, which can only be conquered by the faith of a child - Violet and her companions struggle to overcome traps laid by a villainous Ar'ten all the while trying to avoid the pitfalls within their own hearts. There are lessons to be learned along the way, some much harder than others - and the consequences of doing things as one sees fit can lead to life-threatening disasters.
Appleton delivers strong supporting morals for his story, which go hand-in-hand with Biblical truths. I was a fan of this style in the Sword of the Dragon series and was pleased to see it once again in Neverqueen.

My Thoughts
I think Neverqueen is the perfect tale for a middle-school reader. The writing style is straight-forward and simplistic; my main qualm was that the characters often acted in ways that were not believable. I felt this took away from the plot of the novel. However, I think it would be well enjoyed by the young and growing reader. The style is easy and there are many great action scenes that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
I would recommend this book to any pre-teen (as I feel that age group would best enjoy the novel)! And I'm pleased to have it in my collection - I look forward to telling the kids in my life about Neverqueen!


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Overall, Neverqueen is a great fantasy read with strong moral background - perfect for the young reader :) I give it 4/5 stars.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I was rereading this, I was thinking, “oh, it’s a nice middle grade fantasy, probably for Jr Highers and such,” but then I read the description of the guy getting his eye gouged out? That didn’t fit with my expectations 😆

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to start a series - full of twists and turns and an unexpected ending... Looking forward to part 2