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Heartstrikers #1
Nice Dragons Finish Last
As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don’t cause trouble, and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek behavior doesn't fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has finally reached the end of her patience.
Now, sealed in human form and banished to the DFZ--a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit--Julius has one month to prove that he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are considered monsters to be exterminated, he’s going to need some serious help to survive this test.
He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons...
Now, sealed in human form and banished to the DFZ--a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit--Julius has one month to prove that he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are considered monsters to be exterminated, he’s going to need some serious help to survive this test.
He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons...
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2014
1798 people are currently reading
14147 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Aaron
35 books3,038 followersHello, my name is Rachel Aaron, and I write the Heartstriker books, a new Urban Fantasy series about misfit dragons, starting with Nice Dragons Finish Last. I also wrote The Legend of Eli Monpress fantasy series for Orbit Books about a wizard thief and the poor bastards who have to try and stop him. PLUS I'm also the author of the new, rolicking fun Science Fiction romance Fortune's Pawn under the name Rachel Bach.
I was born in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Denver, CO with my lightspeed son, perpetually understanding husband, and far too many plants. Besides my own books, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is probably to read my blog or follow me on Twitter.
I was born in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Denver, CO with my lightspeed son, perpetually understanding husband, and far too many plants. Besides my own books, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is probably to read my blog or follow me on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,489 reviews
March 23, 2016
I'm still debating whether to put Nice Dragons finish last in my list of favorites...I'll wait to see how I feel about the sequel.
Ok, ok, how do I start. I was freaking bored with this book... XD Yep, that's how I felt at first. Julius, the protagonist, was too nice, too misunderstood, too predictable. The supporting cast failed to impress me too, as if they all had a couple of personality traits and that was it (the nasty and dangerous big sister; the crazy, all-knowing brother; the hyper-active and annoying side-kick and so on). So, it was "no" surprise that by the end of this book...I TOTALLY LOVED IT!!!
WHAT?!? How did this happen?!
Well, one day I was looking at my list of books to read...
And like many goodreads members, I was slightly concerned about my capability to finish it during my life-time. Others are far more relaxed about it...(because they are aliens from another planet, of course)
I was trying to decide on what to read next when this gorgeous cover popped up!
I mean, just LOOK AT IT! The combination of colours, the composition, the city scape, the hot dude at the front, the little poster behind him! HOW AWESOME IS THAT! And it even has BIG letters that many people find ... ummm, I have no idea what, but many booktubers love them, ok? Me personally, I want to see more of that stunning background and the letters are on the way...grrrrrrr!
Back to the topic - I WAS SOLD! It's not like I've read any other Urban Fantasies for this month...
Ahem! So I got the audiobook and I was ready to dive in!
How did it go?
0-10% - Ok, that's interesting, but still not hooked.
10-30% - I'm still not half way through? This book is so slow...I'm kind of bored.
30-40% - There are a few interesting stuff, I love the humor, but should I just move on to the next one. My TBR pile is too big...still not half-way through?!
40-50% - Ok, this is getting better, but still not sure...Wait, that's kind of cool!
50-70% - ....THAT'S FREAKING AWESOME!!!
70-90% - OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!
90-99% - NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! DON'T END! PLEASE DON'T END!
100% - Dammit!
The World
Magic is back and so are most magical creatures! The scariest and most dangerous of them all, however, are the dragons, with their uncanny ability to shapeshift into humans and blend in among the unsuspecting human population. Being the greedy and power-hungry creatures that they are, they operate similarly to the mafia (think of Yakuza, with the leader being the Mother Dragon, her followers are her children and her servants are humans with magical abilities). Nothing makes a dragon happier than to threaten, beat up and even kill anyone who gets in their way. And noone is more enthusiastic about it, then the Heartstrikers - the largest dragon family there is with 10 clutches for the past 1000 years! There is one tiny exception - Julius, the youngest and most useless to his mother dragon in the family and probably the whole world.
Protagonist
Julius is only 24 years old - still a baby for dragon standards and the runt in his family. Not only is he the smallest of his clutch, but he's also ...kind, considerate, polite, reasonable and ... not at all aggressive. WHAT THE HELL? - is the usual reaction the rest of his sisters and brothers have, who can't wait to go around subjugating and hurting anyone who doesn't obey their mother's whim.
One day, his mother has had enough of him hiding from his siblings in his bedroom and decides to lock his shapeshifting abilities. Having a useless brat in the family is not something the Heartstrikers want to advertise to the rest of the Dragon Clans, so Julius's mother decides to give him a task and if he succeeds and proves his worth, she won't have to send his older sister, Chelsie, to kill him. Don't question Dragon logic, ok?
The Siblings
We don't get to see many of Julius's siblings, but, let me tell you, THEY ARE AWESOME! I complained about them being boring and predictable, but I was proven wrong quite quickly. Not only are they more complicated than they first seem, they are also epicly amazing and hilarious! Like any Heartstriker, the few brothers and sisters Julius meets along his way, are way too trigger-happy, violence-loving and manipulative.
Chelsie (around 700 years old) is the Heartstrikers' best assassin. She's not only her mother's right hand, but she's also responsible for keeping all of her siblings in check and eliminating anyone who crosses the line or annoys their mother. Chelsie appears to know everything and to be everywhere, often popping out of nowhere to clean Julius's mess or give him a "friendly" warning.
Ian (around 100 years old) - a calculative and probably the most ambitious Heartstriker, despite his young age. Very good at manipulating others to achieve what he wants. He's the one who hires Julius to complete the task.
Bob (around 800 years old) - is the family's highly treasured Seer (able to see the future and predict any enemy attack) and also...the weirdest dragon alive. If he wasn't an immortal being with 800 years of experience behind him, you would think Bob was just high. Stumbling around, appearing out of nowhere as if by accident for no reason at all, sending strange and meaningless phone messages to his siblings (that they freak out about them and take very seriously regardless of their brother's easy-going nature). Bob is also the most dangerous Heartstriker of them all. You'll know why by the end.
Justin - Oh my, where do I start. Justin is Julius's clutch mate, meaning he's 24 as well. He's also his mother's favorite child and often the most pampered one. He gets the best tools and a lot of his mother's attention. And no surprise, Justin's dragon form is very large for a Hearstriker, he's one of the best fighters in his family and he's a relatively valuable asset considering his age. Only problem is...he isn't very smart and his common sense can be hard to find. Most of his older siblings would much rather avoid dealing with a baby brother who has the tendency to be way too trigger happy even for the Heartstriker standards. So when Justin is sent over to help Julius during his task, it's difficult to say whether "help" is the right word.
Of course, there are a few more dragons in this story, but this review is getting way too long as it is.
Marci
Marci is hyper-active, too curious for her own good and a highly powerful mage with a very complicated life. She's also Julius's side-kick/ human servant (according to his siblings), who has no idea that she's working for a dragon, nor the mess she's getting into (or is it the other way around?) Anyways, she's a cool character, just not as interesting as the dragons. Oh, and she also bonded herself to a rather menacing ghost cat for life...due to some weird circumstances.
My final impression:
I absolutely loved it! The story was alright, the pace I thought was a little too slow at times, the world-building wasn't phenomenal, but it was interesting enough (I found the Yakuza-dragon mafia element highly entertaining), but what really made this book great for me was the Characters. They are hilarious, complex, despite their nature, and, interestingly enough, relatable (yes, even the menacing dragons). I can't describe it with words, all I know is that by the end, my hands were itching to get the sequel.
Audiobook
Vikas Adam is hilarious, he adds even more humor to the dialogue and I loved his narration!
Conclusion
Will I read the sequel?: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Will I reread?: Sure, probably once I finish the series.
Will I buy a hard-copy?: Depending on whether a like the sequel. A few times I bought the whole series just because I enjoyed the first book and I regretted it later.
Will I recommend to friends?: Yep, if you're looking for a light and entertaining Urban Fantasy read with good-quality humor, give Nice Dragons Finish Last a go. If you find the first half a little bit boring, like me, don't worry - it gets far better!
Published on the 15th of July? My birthday? It's a sign!
May 5, 2023
3.5/5 stars
This is literally the second urban fantasy book that I enjoyed reading.
My great friend, TS, recommended this to me since the end of 2016. She said, “I know you have a long TBR but I think you might like this.” Fast forward almost one year six month later, here I am. Yes, I have a long TBR, who doesn’t? As far as I know, Heartstrikers is one of the more popular and well received self-published series, ever since my friend recommended it to me, I’ve seen tons of people loving this series and even though urban fantasy is not my favorite genre, I’m happy that I found this one highly enjoyable.
There are several reasons why I think the book ended up becoming enjoyable to me but most of all it’s because I started this one knowing what the mood and tone of the book will be, and that is fun and light-hearted. The plot revolves around Julius, a 24 years old dragon—considered super young in dragon age—and unlike all the other dragons, Julius has an extremely nice personality. Because of his nice attitudes, his ruthless and powerful mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker sealed him in human form and gave him a one month test to prove himself that he can be a ruthless dragon, otherwise he’ll lose his dragon form forever. The plot never takes itself seriously, it played out like generic fun action movies and I found it a nice change of pace from the kind of books I usually read. The plot may be predictable, it may be simple for now but incredibly, I found the book entertaining and it managed to put a smile on my face several times during my read through it.
Julius as the main character is pretty much almost a carbon copy of every Shonen manga main characters, like Luffy and Naruto for example. He’s a super duper kind person, bullied, with hidden power sealed, who cared deeply for his friends and will do anything to save them. This is not a problem for me, I’m quite surprised that it took me this long to see this kind of character appeared in a novel. Other than him, what really stands out from this book is the way Aaron immediately fleshed out the side character’s personality from their first appearance. Marci, Ian, Justin, Bob, Chelsie, Bethesda all have a distinctive personality and this makes a wonderful starting line and groundwork for the entire series to come.
Check out this awesome artwork of Julius by a fellow Goodreads user, Gergana!
Picture: Julius by Gergana (Posted with permission, of course)
If you want to see more of her artworks for the other characters, you simply have to check her reviews on the series. Believe me, they're so damn good, both review and arts!
I need to also talk about Bob a bit, he didn’t appear a lot in this book but his eccentric and antics gave me a strong feeling that he will become my favorite character in the entire series. That still remains to be seen of course but c’mon, how can someone dislike a character that paid homage to Star Wars!?
World-building wise, Aaron did a great job in explaining the lore and history of the dragons, settings are written efficiently. Plus, the class and birth specification (clutch in this book) of the dragon based on the first alphabet of their name is a nice and unique touch. For example, Julius’s name started with a J which means he’s in the tenth clutch or tenth generation, Bob is in the second clutch which makes him a much older dragon. I also think Aaron’s prose was simple and very easy to read. Her writing never gets in the way of the story and it accumulates to a pleasantly appropriate pacing for the book. However, I have to admit that there are a lot of sentences that felt a bit awkward to read and she used several glaring words repeatedly, one for instance is “ten-foot pole”. I heard from my friends that all these awkward sentence problems vanished in the sequels and I can’t wait to read the improvements.
Nice Dragons Finish Last as the first book of a five book series is really well done. It’s different from the usual urban fantasy and it’s more of a preparation book for the entire series as the book prepared the groundwork for the general plot, characters, and world-building for the rest of the series. I heard from everyone that this is a series that keeps on getting better with each sequel and I definitely will continue reading the series.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
This is literally the second urban fantasy book that I enjoyed reading.
My great friend, TS, recommended this to me since the end of 2016. She said, “I know you have a long TBR but I think you might like this.” Fast forward almost one year six month later, here I am. Yes, I have a long TBR, who doesn’t? As far as I know, Heartstrikers is one of the more popular and well received self-published series, ever since my friend recommended it to me, I’ve seen tons of people loving this series and even though urban fantasy is not my favorite genre, I’m happy that I found this one highly enjoyable.
There are several reasons why I think the book ended up becoming enjoyable to me but most of all it’s because I started this one knowing what the mood and tone of the book will be, and that is fun and light-hearted. The plot revolves around Julius, a 24 years old dragon—considered super young in dragon age—and unlike all the other dragons, Julius has an extremely nice personality. Because of his nice attitudes, his ruthless and powerful mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker sealed him in human form and gave him a one month test to prove himself that he can be a ruthless dragon, otherwise he’ll lose his dragon form forever. The plot never takes itself seriously, it played out like generic fun action movies and I found it a nice change of pace from the kind of books I usually read. The plot may be predictable, it may be simple for now but incredibly, I found the book entertaining and it managed to put a smile on my face several times during my read through it.
“Well, he’s not really my friend,” Julius admitted. “I don’t even know his real name, actually, but I was his healer in the game, and the bond between healer and tank runs deep.”
Julius as the main character is pretty much almost a carbon copy of every Shonen manga main characters, like Luffy and Naruto for example. He’s a super duper kind person, bullied, with hidden power sealed, who cared deeply for his friends and will do anything to save them. This is not a problem for me, I’m quite surprised that it took me this long to see this kind of character appeared in a novel. Other than him, what really stands out from this book is the way Aaron immediately fleshed out the side character’s personality from their first appearance. Marci, Ian, Justin, Bob, Chelsie, Bethesda all have a distinctive personality and this makes a wonderful starting line and groundwork for the entire series to come.
Check out this awesome artwork of Julius by a fellow Goodreads user, Gergana!
Picture: Julius by Gergana (Posted with permission, of course)
If you want to see more of her artworks for the other characters, you simply have to check her reviews on the series. Believe me, they're so damn good, both review and arts!
I need to also talk about Bob a bit, he didn’t appear a lot in this book but his eccentric and antics gave me a strong feeling that he will become my favorite character in the entire series. That still remains to be seen of course but c’mon, how can someone dislike a character that paid homage to Star Wars!?
“There’s been a great disturbance in the Force.”
World-building wise, Aaron did a great job in explaining the lore and history of the dragons, settings are written efficiently. Plus, the class and birth specification (clutch in this book) of the dragon based on the first alphabet of their name is a nice and unique touch. For example, Julius’s name started with a J which means he’s in the tenth clutch or tenth generation, Bob is in the second clutch which makes him a much older dragon. I also think Aaron’s prose was simple and very easy to read. Her writing never gets in the way of the story and it accumulates to a pleasantly appropriate pacing for the book. However, I have to admit that there are a lot of sentences that felt a bit awkward to read and she used several glaring words repeatedly, one for instance is “ten-foot pole”. I heard from my friends that all these awkward sentence problems vanished in the sequels and I can’t wait to read the improvements.
Nice Dragons Finish Last as the first book of a five book series is really well done. It’s different from the usual urban fantasy and it’s more of a preparation book for the entire series as the book prepared the groundwork for the general plot, characters, and world-building for the rest of the series. I heard from everyone that this is a series that keeps on getting better with each sequel and I definitely will continue reading the series.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
October 30, 2017
***10/30/2017 AUDIBLE DAILY DEAL $4.95 IS A STEAL Y'ALL***
I've talked about my rocky relationship with Urban Fantasy in the past. It's often formulaic & it usually doesn't satisfy my craving for a Fantasy adventure because of its tendency to focus on sexual encounters.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Nice Dragons Finish Last.
The Heartstrikers are a large clan of dragons known for their ferocity & power. Headed up by their matriarch, Bethesda, they exude the type of unyielding superiority to be expected from any respectable family of dragons.
And then there's Julius...
Born without the personality or temperament of a "good" dragon, Julius is undoubtedly the black sheep of the Heartstriker clan. As punishment for his lack of initiative, his mother seals him into his human form & drops him in the middle of the Detroit Free Zone, where dragons are destroyed on sight if discovered.
This story in a word? FUN.
The book sets up a situation that manages to be both serious & playful at the same time. It reminded me a lot of the experience I had reading The Rook. The magic & lore are relevant to the outcome of the story, but do not overwhelm the charm of the characters.
Speaking of, my favorite aspect of the novel is, by far, the characters. Julius' interactions with every member of his family are hilarious & authentic in the way they are written. I was delighted every time someone new came into the story & totally engaged with how they involved themselves in the plot.
Julius in particular really appealed to me as a character. He's a lover of video games & fantasy movies with a heartfelt sense of justice & he is exactly the type of person I could see myself hanging out with in real life.
The story is sprinkled through with so many references, my heart was singing. I could really feel Rachel Aaron's love for nerd culture.
My only issues with this installment were:
1. Some phrases were repeated more often than necessary & it interrupted the flow of my reading.
2. I did not love the romantic development, but it is in no way overwhelming. Most people would probably agree that it's not relevant enough to mention, but after being exposed to so many shitty insta-love triangles & "but daddy, I love him" plot devices, I'm a little no nonsense when it comes to romance in my novels.
As the book came to a close, it laid out some hints about the forthcoming plot that really piqued my interest. I can't wait to start the next one!
I've talked about my rocky relationship with Urban Fantasy in the past. It's often formulaic & it usually doesn't satisfy my craving for a Fantasy adventure because of its tendency to focus on sexual encounters.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Nice Dragons Finish Last.
The Heartstrikers are a large clan of dragons known for their ferocity & power. Headed up by their matriarch, Bethesda, they exude the type of unyielding superiority to be expected from any respectable family of dragons.
And then there's Julius...
Born without the personality or temperament of a "good" dragon, Julius is undoubtedly the black sheep of the Heartstriker clan. As punishment for his lack of initiative, his mother seals him into his human form & drops him in the middle of the Detroit Free Zone, where dragons are destroyed on sight if discovered.
This story in a word? FUN.
The book sets up a situation that manages to be both serious & playful at the same time. It reminded me a lot of the experience I had reading The Rook. The magic & lore are relevant to the outcome of the story, but do not overwhelm the charm of the characters.
Speaking of, my favorite aspect of the novel is, by far, the characters. Julius' interactions with every member of his family are hilarious & authentic in the way they are written. I was delighted every time someone new came into the story & totally engaged with how they involved themselves in the plot.
Julius in particular really appealed to me as a character. He's a lover of video games & fantasy movies with a heartfelt sense of justice & he is exactly the type of person I could see myself hanging out with in real life.
The story is sprinkled through with so many references, my heart was singing. I could really feel Rachel Aaron's love for nerd culture.
My only issues with this installment were:
1. Some phrases were repeated more often than necessary & it interrupted the flow of my reading.
2. I did not love the romantic development, but it is in no way overwhelming. Most people would probably agree that it's not relevant enough to mention, but after being exposed to so many shitty insta-love triangles & "but daddy, I love him" plot devices, I'm a little no nonsense when it comes to romance in my novels.
As the book came to a close, it laid out some hints about the forthcoming plot that really piqued my interest. I can't wait to start the next one!
January 23, 2018
Audible Daily Deal Sale until 28Jan18 $4.95
4.25 Just try to forget I’m watching your every move while silently judging you and make the decision as you normally would based on the information provided. Thank You! <3 <3 Stars
What a breath of fresh air. Where has this book been in my tbr pile I should have dusted it off to read/listened (the audio is really good) forever ago.
Another YA book that proves that you don’t have to have sighing teenagers, whose eye dilate in a spectacular shade of blue and let out breaths they didn’t know they were holding to have tension and a great story. You could just actually have a plot and cool characters. This was actually so good I don’t even want to put it in my YA pile.
Julius is a horrible dragon. He is the scrawniest least dragon like of all his many siblings. He has no ambition to gain power, no drive to hoard treasure and he is nice to humans of all things. His mother has had enough of him hiding out in his room playing on the internet and not being dragonlike so she has bound him in his human form and he has a month to do something Dragon-worthy or she is going to eat him.
I loved this story. Julius is adorable in so many ways and he brought out this mothering instinct in me that made me want to nurture the kid. But it isn’t just Julius, he hooks up with a witch to get a little help and I totally LOVE her. Marci is a fantastic character and she was so much fun with her interesting witchy contraptions, bubbly personality and curious nature. She is hard not to like her but she is definitely has some demons and secrets that might be of a not so nice nature.
But if you don’t read this for one of the best Beta-Boy characters I’ve ever read, read it for BOB.
Bob is Julius’s favorite brother or at least he will be in about a year according to Bob the Heartstrikers great and powerful seer. Thing is getting caught up in Bob’s potential futures could also get you killed. He was hilarious and one of the best side characters I’ve read in a long time. He seems a little on the cray-cray side but that was part of the fun of his character.
There was some ground work set and you can tell that there are some bigger dragon politics and machinations going on it the background but the overall story and getting to know the characters, magic and world was a lot of fun. I’m so happy I finally got to this book
I totally recommend it to any Fantasy lover.
4.25 Just try to forget I’m watching your every move while silently judging you and make the decision as you normally would based on the information provided. Thank You! <3 <3 Stars
What a breath of fresh air. Where has this book been in my tbr pile I should have dusted it off to read/listened (the audio is really good) forever ago.
Another YA book that proves that you don’t have to have sighing teenagers, whose eye dilate in a spectacular shade of blue and let out breaths they didn’t know they were holding to have tension and a great story. You could just actually have a plot and cool characters. This was actually so good I don’t even want to put it in my YA pile.
Julius is a horrible dragon. He is the scrawniest least dragon like of all his many siblings. He has no ambition to gain power, no drive to hoard treasure and he is nice to humans of all things. His mother has had enough of him hiding out in his room playing on the internet and not being dragonlike so she has bound him in his human form and he has a month to do something Dragon-worthy or she is going to eat him.
I loved this story. Julius is adorable in so many ways and he brought out this mothering instinct in me that made me want to nurture the kid. But it isn’t just Julius, he hooks up with a witch to get a little help and I totally LOVE her. Marci is a fantastic character and she was so much fun with her interesting witchy contraptions, bubbly personality and curious nature. She is hard not to like her but she is definitely has some demons and secrets that might be of a not so nice nature.
But if you don’t read this for one of the best Beta-Boy characters I’ve ever read, read it for BOB.
So let me make sure I’ve got this straight,” Marci said. “The three great dragon seers are the Black Reach, Estella the Northern Star, and Bob?” When Julius nodded, she arched an eyebrow. “One of these things is not like the others.”
“He’s actually Brohomir, Great Seer of the Heartstrikers, but he only answers to that on formal occasions or when he’s booking tables at restaurants.”
Bob is Julius’s favorite brother or at least he will be in about a year according to Bob the Heartstrikers great and powerful seer. Thing is getting caught up in Bob’s potential futures could also get you killed. He was hilarious and one of the best side characters I’ve read in a long time. He seems a little on the cray-cray side but that was part of the fun of his character.
“Don’t get your feathers in a fluff,” he chided. “I’m here to help! I can’t let you have all the fun, can I?”
Julius gaped at him. “What’s fun about almost dying?”
“But that’s the best sort of fun,” Bob replied. “The kind you can look back on centuries later and laugh about. Of course, since I’m always centuries ahead, I can laugh about it right now.”
There was some ground work set and you can tell that there are some bigger dragon politics and machinations going on it the background but the overall story and getting to know the characters, magic and world was a lot of fun. I’m so happy I finally got to this book
I totally recommend it to any Fantasy lover.
May 11, 2015
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/03/10/a...
I found this book surprisingly enjoyable…or perhaps that ought not to be so surprising. After all, I loved The Spirit Thief and the rollicking sci-fi Paradox trilogy that the author wrote under her pen name Rachel Bach. Still, combining dragons, magic, dystopia, humor and urban fantasy? Seemed just a tad ambitious. But boy, does Aaron pull it off with flying colors. I think Nice Dragons Finish Last may be my favorite book from her yet. I also had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of this book and it was fantastic.
Meet Julius, the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan. He isn’t a pushover so much as he’s just downright terrible at being a dragon. He’s nice, considerate, has no designs on taking over the world, all of which makes him an absolute failure in his mother’s eyes. After twenty-four years of watching Julius hide out in his room in the mountain, Bethesda the Heartstriker has finally had it. Sealing him in his human form, the dragon matriarch banishes her son to the Detroit Free Zone.
Built on the ruins of old Detroit, the DFZ is set apart from the rest of the country, having been annexed by the spirit Algonquin, Lady of the Great Lakes. It is home to modern mages, lesser spirits and all manner of magical creatures. Unfortunately, it’s also got a strict no dragons policy. Trapped in hostile territory with only the clothes on his back, Julius is going to have to prove himself to his mother if he wants any chance of getting his true form back. His only source of help comes in the form of Marci, an exiled human mage who is dealing with her own hefty set of problems.
First of all, I called this one an urban fantasy, but it’s actually a lot more complicated than that. Rachel Aaron puts a fun, fresh twist on the genre, infusing her setting with science fiction, post-apocalyptic and dystopic elements as well as a touch of mythology. It’s a fascinating mix. Magic exists in the world now, thanks to a meteor striking the earth in 2035. Algonquin awakens from the resulting shockwave, causing great tidal waves to rise, which was how Detroit was flooded and destroyed. The DFZ rises from its ruins, thriving unchecked on an economy system based on free enterprise and bounty hunting.
I also love rooting for the underdog, and Julius is an underdog all right, being the runt of Bethesda’s latest clutch. While his siblings are out doing great things, Julius prefers to avoid the rest of his family by shutting himself in his room playing computer games and earning an impressive collection of online degrees. It’s hard not to feel for him; if Julian were human, he’d actually be quite a catch! Good looking, sweet, kind, educated, and being just this side of geeky enough for me. Bah, too bad he had to be born to a clan of merciless, cutthroat dragons who can’t appreciate his finer points.
No worries though, because I’m on Team Julius all the way. Also in his corner you’ll find Marci the runaway thaumaturgic mage, as well as – surprise, surprise – Julius’s brother Justin. Marci’s a great character; she’s got an awkward personality but also a shrewd mind, which creates an interesting dynamic with our protagonist. I loved Justin too. He’s Julius’s complete opposite, but it’s hard not to be touched by his brotherly love and concern. I even got a kick out of Julian’s less benevolent family members like Chelsie the Heartstriker assassin and Bob the mercurial Seer. Did I also mention Bethesda names her children by assigning each clutch by letter in order of the alphabet, so that all the dragonlings in her first clutch would have names starting with A, those in the second clutch would have names starting with B, and so on? The Heartstriker clan is full of quirks, and I loved them all.
Rachel Aaron has an incredible imagination, and I think this book, more than any of her others, let her go wild with it. The audio version really did an amazing job bringing this book and all of her ideas to life, the narrator Vikas Adam making this one a really fun listen. I haven’t listened to any of his other performances, but this was a great first experience. Adam can do a wonderful range of voices, even though I have to say a couple of them didn’t quite “fit”, like Bob whom he made sound like a stoned surfer dude, and at times his female voices can be hilariously awkward. You can tell he had a good time reading the book too though, because his narration is animated and he does wonderful effects like hissing for when Bethesda is annoyed, or groaning when Justin is exasperated with Julius. Little touches like that can make the listening experience more memorable.
All in all, I’m really impressed with how well this book came together. Maybe it’s because urban fantasy is more to my tastes, but I think I liked this one even more than Aaron’s Paradox trilogy, and I did love those Devi Morris books. Julius is just such a lovable character though, and the story is so fun and easy to get into, it’s hard to stop once you start. Highly recommended if you’re looking for an entertaining feel-good book.
I found this book surprisingly enjoyable…or perhaps that ought not to be so surprising. After all, I loved The Spirit Thief and the rollicking sci-fi Paradox trilogy that the author wrote under her pen name Rachel Bach. Still, combining dragons, magic, dystopia, humor and urban fantasy? Seemed just a tad ambitious. But boy, does Aaron pull it off with flying colors. I think Nice Dragons Finish Last may be my favorite book from her yet. I also had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of this book and it was fantastic.
Meet Julius, the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan. He isn’t a pushover so much as he’s just downright terrible at being a dragon. He’s nice, considerate, has no designs on taking over the world, all of which makes him an absolute failure in his mother’s eyes. After twenty-four years of watching Julius hide out in his room in the mountain, Bethesda the Heartstriker has finally had it. Sealing him in his human form, the dragon matriarch banishes her son to the Detroit Free Zone.
Built on the ruins of old Detroit, the DFZ is set apart from the rest of the country, having been annexed by the spirit Algonquin, Lady of the Great Lakes. It is home to modern mages, lesser spirits and all manner of magical creatures. Unfortunately, it’s also got a strict no dragons policy. Trapped in hostile territory with only the clothes on his back, Julius is going to have to prove himself to his mother if he wants any chance of getting his true form back. His only source of help comes in the form of Marci, an exiled human mage who is dealing with her own hefty set of problems.
First of all, I called this one an urban fantasy, but it’s actually a lot more complicated than that. Rachel Aaron puts a fun, fresh twist on the genre, infusing her setting with science fiction, post-apocalyptic and dystopic elements as well as a touch of mythology. It’s a fascinating mix. Magic exists in the world now, thanks to a meteor striking the earth in 2035. Algonquin awakens from the resulting shockwave, causing great tidal waves to rise, which was how Detroit was flooded and destroyed. The DFZ rises from its ruins, thriving unchecked on an economy system based on free enterprise and bounty hunting.
I also love rooting for the underdog, and Julius is an underdog all right, being the runt of Bethesda’s latest clutch. While his siblings are out doing great things, Julius prefers to avoid the rest of his family by shutting himself in his room playing computer games and earning an impressive collection of online degrees. It’s hard not to feel for him; if Julian were human, he’d actually be quite a catch! Good looking, sweet, kind, educated, and being just this side of geeky enough for me. Bah, too bad he had to be born to a clan of merciless, cutthroat dragons who can’t appreciate his finer points.
No worries though, because I’m on Team Julius all the way. Also in his corner you’ll find Marci the runaway thaumaturgic mage, as well as – surprise, surprise – Julius’s brother Justin. Marci’s a great character; she’s got an awkward personality but also a shrewd mind, which creates an interesting dynamic with our protagonist. I loved Justin too. He’s Julius’s complete opposite, but it’s hard not to be touched by his brotherly love and concern. I even got a kick out of Julian’s less benevolent family members like Chelsie the Heartstriker assassin and Bob the mercurial Seer. Did I also mention Bethesda names her children by assigning each clutch by letter in order of the alphabet, so that all the dragonlings in her first clutch would have names starting with A, those in the second clutch would have names starting with B, and so on? The Heartstriker clan is full of quirks, and I loved them all.
Rachel Aaron has an incredible imagination, and I think this book, more than any of her others, let her go wild with it. The audio version really did an amazing job bringing this book and all of her ideas to life, the narrator Vikas Adam making this one a really fun listen. I haven’t listened to any of his other performances, but this was a great first experience. Adam can do a wonderful range of voices, even though I have to say a couple of them didn’t quite “fit”, like Bob whom he made sound like a stoned surfer dude, and at times his female voices can be hilariously awkward. You can tell he had a good time reading the book too though, because his narration is animated and he does wonderful effects like hissing for when Bethesda is annoyed, or groaning when Justin is exasperated with Julius. Little touches like that can make the listening experience more memorable.
All in all, I’m really impressed with how well this book came together. Maybe it’s because urban fantasy is more to my tastes, but I think I liked this one even more than Aaron’s Paradox trilogy, and I did love those Devi Morris books. Julius is just such a lovable character though, and the story is so fun and easy to get into, it’s hard to stop once you start. Highly recommended if you’re looking for an entertaining feel-good book.
July 25, 2018
I didn’t have any expectations when I picked this book up and was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. At first glance, one might mistake this for young adult fantasy. Rest assured, it is not and neither does it have all the standard overused YA tropes which are prone to induce eye-rolling.
This is an urban fantasy tale about dragons which are able walk the earth in human form. Rachel Aaron created a really interesting world that takes place in the future where magic which had disappeared for over a thousand years ago came crashing back into earth. While I’ve not read a lot of urban fantasy aside from Dresden Files and Kate Daniels, I find that the premise of a futuristic, slightly dystopian earth with dragons living amongst human in our guise to be unique. Draconic clans and politics, dragon seers and magic, emergence of magical spirits of the land and sea, all of these make a potent cocktail of an addictive story.
Julius, the main protagonist, was the titular nice dragon who was such a failure in the eyes of his tyrannical mother, Bethesda, was tossed out from his home magically sealed in human form to prove himself worthy before he can regain his dragon form. The characters took awhile to warm up to initially. Julius was really as nice as the title suggests, and perhaps even a bit boringly so at first. His older siblings, however, have characteristics more typical to such apex predators, i.e. arrogant, aggressive and ambitious. Being so undraconic and feeling completely out of his element amongst other dragons, Julius struck up a partnership with a human mage, Marci, much to the disdain of other dragons who treat humans like pets, or food.
As the story progressed with more interactions between Justin and Marci, and with his family members, his characterisation became more engaging. With his aversion to aggression, Julius necessarily relied on his mind to negotiate compromises in order to obtain what he needed to succeed or in some cases, to merely survive.
The plot was not entirely predictable as one does not know for sure how Julius was going to work his way around all these more powerful characters, while still being true to his personality. His partnership and eventual friendship with Marci played a large role in their success, indicating that the pervasive arrogance of dragons was misplaced. And strangely, while one of his brothers, Justin, was obnoxious and full of himself, I actually ended up liking his character as well.
In short, Rachel Aaron has taken our fascination with these mythical, magical flying creatures, gave it an original spin and it resulted in a story that was at once fun, enjoyable and riveting. A series that is definitely worth continuing.
This review can also be found at Booknest
This is an urban fantasy tale about dragons which are able walk the earth in human form. Rachel Aaron created a really interesting world that takes place in the future where magic which had disappeared for over a thousand years ago came crashing back into earth. While I’ve not read a lot of urban fantasy aside from Dresden Files and Kate Daniels, I find that the premise of a futuristic, slightly dystopian earth with dragons living amongst human in our guise to be unique. Draconic clans and politics, dragon seers and magic, emergence of magical spirits of the land and sea, all of these make a potent cocktail of an addictive story.
Julius, the main protagonist, was the titular nice dragon who was such a failure in the eyes of his tyrannical mother, Bethesda, was tossed out from his home magically sealed in human form to prove himself worthy before he can regain his dragon form. The characters took awhile to warm up to initially. Julius was really as nice as the title suggests, and perhaps even a bit boringly so at first. His older siblings, however, have characteristics more typical to such apex predators, i.e. arrogant, aggressive and ambitious. Being so undraconic and feeling completely out of his element amongst other dragons, Julius struck up a partnership with a human mage, Marci, much to the disdain of other dragons who treat humans like pets, or food.
As the story progressed with more interactions between Justin and Marci, and with his family members, his characterisation became more engaging. With his aversion to aggression, Julius necessarily relied on his mind to negotiate compromises in order to obtain what he needed to succeed or in some cases, to merely survive.
The plot was not entirely predictable as one does not know for sure how Julius was going to work his way around all these more powerful characters, while still being true to his personality. His partnership and eventual friendship with Marci played a large role in their success, indicating that the pervasive arrogance of dragons was misplaced. And strangely, while one of his brothers, Justin, was obnoxious and full of himself, I actually ended up liking his character as well.
In short, Rachel Aaron has taken our fascination with these mythical, magical flying creatures, gave it an original spin and it resulted in a story that was at once fun, enjoyable and riveting. A series that is definitely worth continuing.
This review can also be found at Booknest
March 8, 2021
Nice Dragons Finish Last is a delightful start to what looks like a very promising series.
I might love the fantasy genre, but urban fantasy has ever been my least favourite of its sub-genres, making this latest foray of mine a rarity. Despite my reservations, I am impressed though. Once again, my friend, TS, has proven that the title I have bestowed upon her - Queen of Recommendations - is not a ceremonial one in the least. I am confident that this series is going to be one of my favourites.
Meet our main character, Julius. He is as nice a dragon as you will ever meet. Friendly. Courteous. Empathetic. He loves reading, studying online and playing games and hardly ventures from his bedroom.
Meet his family and also the rest of the dragon race. Ruthless, cruel, ambitious. Apex predators. They rule society from powerful positions. They are doctors, senators, captains of industry. Dragons demand, and the world gives.
Clearly, one of the apples fell far from the tree. Unfortunately for Julius, his mother will no longer tolerate the embarrassment of having a nice dragon for a son. Thus, she seals his dragon form trapping him in his human body and banishes him to the DFZ. A place where dragons are to be killed on site. That’s still the nice part of it though. She also gives him an ultimatum. He will get one last chance to prove himself a worthy, truly draconic member of the Heartstriker clan.
Or she'll eat him.
To avoid relating much more of the plot I will keep the rest to a minimum. Julius teams up with a mage called Marci as they take on a seemingly simple sounding task, but one that could put him back in his mother’s graces. Unfortunately for Julius, things are way more complicated than they appear.
I had a really great time following Julius’s journey. So often we as readers expect every main character to fit the same mold of asskicker and nametaker, but it was refreshing to have a character who is basically just a nice guy. Sure, he IS a DRAGON, so he is not without SOME skills. And he IS very smart. Julius’s superpower though, is being a nice guy. That never changes and I loved his steadfastness in that regard. No conforming to dragon standards, because it’s expected. No being cruel, because you were treated cruelly. Just being compassionate and doing what is right.
And that’s just Julius. Marci was equally fascinating, and even more enjoyable. A mage with some secrets of her own, she fights for what she wants and is tough as nails. She is also completely wonderful and sincere and passionate and I can’t get enough of her. Or her cat, Ghost.
Along the way we meet quite a few other great characters as well, including some of Julius’s siblings such as Julian and Chelsea, both proper draconic siblings and both very intriguing in their own right. And then we have likely the most entertaining and fascinating character of them all. The Great Seer of the Heartstrikers, Brohomir. Also known as, Bob.
Wrapping up, Rachel Aaron has woven more than enough worldbuilding into the story, fleshing out the setting quite well for such a short tale and giving us tastes of dragon lore, magical creatures, myths, spirits and much more. The pacing is brisk, the writing easy to read and the best part of it all is how much damn fun this book is.
Nice Dragons Finish Last is feel good urban fantasy and you can never have enough of that. It’s the ice-cream of the genre and I’d like another scoop.
• You can find this review and more at Novel Notions
I might love the fantasy genre, but urban fantasy has ever been my least favourite of its sub-genres, making this latest foray of mine a rarity. Despite my reservations, I am impressed though. Once again, my friend, TS, has proven that the title I have bestowed upon her - Queen of Recommendations - is not a ceremonial one in the least. I am confident that this series is going to be one of my favourites.
Meet our main character, Julius. He is as nice a dragon as you will ever meet. Friendly. Courteous. Empathetic. He loves reading, studying online and playing games and hardly ventures from his bedroom.
Meet his family and also the rest of the dragon race. Ruthless, cruel, ambitious. Apex predators. They rule society from powerful positions. They are doctors, senators, captains of industry. Dragons demand, and the world gives.
Clearly, one of the apples fell far from the tree. Unfortunately for Julius, his mother will no longer tolerate the embarrassment of having a nice dragon for a son. Thus, she seals his dragon form trapping him in his human body and banishes him to the DFZ. A place where dragons are to be killed on site. That’s still the nice part of it though. She also gives him an ultimatum. He will get one last chance to prove himself a worthy, truly draconic member of the Heartstriker clan.
Or she'll eat him.
To avoid relating much more of the plot I will keep the rest to a minimum. Julius teams up with a mage called Marci as they take on a seemingly simple sounding task, but one that could put him back in his mother’s graces. Unfortunately for Julius, things are way more complicated than they appear.
Sometimes, he really, really, really hated being a dragon.
I had a really great time following Julius’s journey. So often we as readers expect every main character to fit the same mold of asskicker and nametaker, but it was refreshing to have a character who is basically just a nice guy. Sure, he IS a DRAGON, so he is not without SOME skills. And he IS very smart. Julius’s superpower though, is being a nice guy. That never changes and I loved his steadfastness in that regard. No conforming to dragon standards, because it’s expected. No being cruel, because you were treated cruelly. Just being compassionate and doing what is right.
And that’s just Julius. Marci was equally fascinating, and even more enjoyable. A mage with some secrets of her own, she fights for what she wants and is tough as nails. She is also completely wonderful and sincere and passionate and I can’t get enough of her. Or her cat, Ghost.
“What is going on?” he cried. “Why does she need a ward against bullets? And why does your human have a dead cat in her purse?”
Along the way we meet quite a few other great characters as well, including some of Julius’s siblings such as Julian and Chelsea, both proper draconic siblings and both very intriguing in their own right. And then we have likely the most entertaining and fascinating character of them all. The Great Seer of the Heartstrikers, Brohomir. Also known as, Bob.
“So let me make sure I’ve got this straight,” Marci said. “The three great dragon seers are the Black Reach, Estella the Northern Star, and Bob?” When Julius nodded, she arched an eyebrow. “One of these things is not like the others.”
Wrapping up, Rachel Aaron has woven more than enough worldbuilding into the story, fleshing out the setting quite well for such a short tale and giving us tastes of dragon lore, magical creatures, myths, spirits and much more. The pacing is brisk, the writing easy to read and the best part of it all is how much damn fun this book is.
Nice Dragons Finish Last is feel good urban fantasy and you can never have enough of that. It’s the ice-cream of the genre and I’d like another scoop.
• You can find this review and more at Novel Notions
January 19, 2023
4.5 stars! I am giving the sequel a space to grow! I loved it and can not wait for the next one!!! It is not a secret that I am nuts about dragons and my all time favorite series is about the flying magical beasts, so my falling for this book was not particularly surprising. What did surprise me was the ease with which the author emersed us in this magic infused world and the Heartstriker family politics. Everything unfolds with increasing pace and the end promises a lot more fun to follow! loved it! For the fans of urban fantasy and selfish dragons, recommend it enthusiastically!!?
March 29, 2018
5 dragons/stars!
Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. Me.
THIS BOOK. I loved it. I bought the audio version based on a recommendation (well, a number of recommendations, really), and the fact it had been sat on my TBR list for a while. I LOVE all things dragon. I love fantasy. I love magic. I love world building. I love character-driven stories. On occasion, and when done well, I love humour.
Nice Dragons Finish Last delivered everything and more, and the audiobook narration by Vikas Adam made the experience all the more enjoyable.
I’m struggling on where to start with this. There’s so much to go over. It’s an urban fantasy without the urban fantasy tropes. But despite the lack of expected stuff (which can make a lot of urban fantasy boring), this book is the start of what’s sure to be a fantastic series. I’m so pleased all the books are out so I can devour them one after another. I’m already nearly halfway through book two, and am loving that more than this one.
The story kicks off with a mysterious prologue where we’re introduced to the concept of magic and mages, which is all very enjoyable and thought-provoking. Then we get straight into it with Julius, the youngest, smallest, and weakest of all his siblings in the Heartstriker dragon clan, waking up on the sofa in an immaculate apartment. Jessica, his sister, has let him stay with her for the night after he was kicked out of home by their mother, Bethesda.
A phone call from Bethesda, lays everything out for him. She’s bored of him hiding in his room (a survival tactic Julius used to avoid his older, more aggressive siblings), and has given him an ultimatum: he has less than a month to do something “draconic” (you know, take over something – command and conquer) or she’ll eat him.
As punishment for being a whelp, Julius has been sealed in his alternate, human form by his mother. While it has cut down on his appetite, it means he can’t transform into his true form – a feathered dragon. Bethesda is the daughter of the the ancient Quetzalcoatl.
To make matters even worse, Julius has been sent to the Detroit-Free-Zone. The DFZ is about the only place in the world where dragons are illegal, and killed on site. What a set up indeed!
We’re introduced to a number of characters, all of whom I loved (and some I loathed as well), including the absolutely wonderful Marci. She’s not just some side-character or love interest (although there might be a few sparks building) – she’s fully fleshed out with power and troubles of her own. She and Julius make quite the pair when they end up together.
There are also a number of Julius’s siblings. Bethesda is unlike most other dragons in that she’s had a number of clutches over her life. Ten, to be exact. Each clutch is named for a different letter of the alphabet, with A clutch being the oldest, down to J clutch, where Julius comes in. We meet a few of his siblings alongside Jessica – Justin, Ian, Chelsie, and Bob. I can’t get over how awesome Bob is. They all are, in their own way. But Bob is extra special awesome.
There are other dragon clans including the amazing Svena, Katya, and Estella. There are Seers, too, throwing a spanner in the works.
The lore and world building is as strong as the characters and their development. You have spirits and shaman, thugs from Las Vegas and unique, rare magical items. It’s an unrelenting story in terms of pace, action, reveals, twists, and turns. I could not predict what would happen and thought about this story as soon as I stopped reading/listening.
If you want a fun, playful (yet deathly dark and serious in numerous places), highly entertaining (I laughed out loud in my car so many times) story, this is one to go for. The cover art, too, is DAZZLING, and if you enjoy audiobooks, I cannot rate it highly enough.
The most fun reading I’ve had in a very long time.
To read the rest of my review including things I loved and didn't love, head over to my website! http://www.llmcneil.com/2018/03/29/bo...
Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. Me.
THIS BOOK. I loved it. I bought the audio version based on a recommendation (well, a number of recommendations, really), and the fact it had been sat on my TBR list for a while. I LOVE all things dragon. I love fantasy. I love magic. I love world building. I love character-driven stories. On occasion, and when done well, I love humour.
Nice Dragons Finish Last delivered everything and more, and the audiobook narration by Vikas Adam made the experience all the more enjoyable.
I’m struggling on where to start with this. There’s so much to go over. It’s an urban fantasy without the urban fantasy tropes. But despite the lack of expected stuff (which can make a lot of urban fantasy boring), this book is the start of what’s sure to be a fantastic series. I’m so pleased all the books are out so I can devour them one after another. I’m already nearly halfway through book two, and am loving that more than this one.
The story kicks off with a mysterious prologue where we’re introduced to the concept of magic and mages, which is all very enjoyable and thought-provoking. Then we get straight into it with Julius, the youngest, smallest, and weakest of all his siblings in the Heartstriker dragon clan, waking up on the sofa in an immaculate apartment. Jessica, his sister, has let him stay with her for the night after he was kicked out of home by their mother, Bethesda.
A phone call from Bethesda, lays everything out for him. She’s bored of him hiding in his room (a survival tactic Julius used to avoid his older, more aggressive siblings), and has given him an ultimatum: he has less than a month to do something “draconic” (you know, take over something – command and conquer) or she’ll eat him.
As punishment for being a whelp, Julius has been sealed in his alternate, human form by his mother. While it has cut down on his appetite, it means he can’t transform into his true form – a feathered dragon. Bethesda is the daughter of the the ancient Quetzalcoatl.
To make matters even worse, Julius has been sent to the Detroit-Free-Zone. The DFZ is about the only place in the world where dragons are illegal, and killed on site. What a set up indeed!
We’re introduced to a number of characters, all of whom I loved (and some I loathed as well), including the absolutely wonderful Marci. She’s not just some side-character or love interest (although there might be a few sparks building) – she’s fully fleshed out with power and troubles of her own. She and Julius make quite the pair when they end up together.
There are also a number of Julius’s siblings. Bethesda is unlike most other dragons in that she’s had a number of clutches over her life. Ten, to be exact. Each clutch is named for a different letter of the alphabet, with A clutch being the oldest, down to J clutch, where Julius comes in. We meet a few of his siblings alongside Jessica – Justin, Ian, Chelsie, and Bob. I can’t get over how awesome Bob is. They all are, in their own way. But Bob is extra special awesome.
There are other dragon clans including the amazing Svena, Katya, and Estella. There are Seers, too, throwing a spanner in the works.
The lore and world building is as strong as the characters and their development. You have spirits and shaman, thugs from Las Vegas and unique, rare magical items. It’s an unrelenting story in terms of pace, action, reveals, twists, and turns. I could not predict what would happen and thought about this story as soon as I stopped reading/listening.
If you want a fun, playful (yet deathly dark and serious in numerous places), highly entertaining (I laughed out loud in my car so many times) story, this is one to go for. The cover art, too, is DAZZLING, and if you enjoy audiobooks, I cannot rate it highly enough.
The most fun reading I’ve had in a very long time.
To read the rest of my review including things I loved and didn't love, head over to my website! http://www.llmcneil.com/2018/03/29/bo...
March 14, 2018
Full review now posted!
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Sometimes, it doesn’t pay to be nice. But it’s always the right decision. Even if you’re a dragon.
Julius Heartstiker is having a hard day. His mom kicked him out with nothing but the clothes on his back, and has threatened to eat him if he doesn’t mend his ways. By mend, she means stop being so darn nice. Why is being nice a problem, and what kind of mother threatens to eat her child? Well, the answer to both of those questions is DRAGON, because that’s what Julius and his mother and his dozens upon dozens of siblings are: dragons! However, Julius’s draconic form has been sealed, leaving him helplessly human in the only city in the world where dragons are illegal. Understandably, chaos ensues.
Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres for when I’m stressed or tired or just need an escape. The genre doesn’t tend to be as literary as a lot of the fantasy and other fiction I choose to read, which is absolutely why I enjoy it. It gives me a compelling story with interesting characters, but in a way where I can just sink into the story without having to think too deeply. Urban fantasy and romance and middle grade books are what I read for fun, and to give my mind a break.
That being said, I still expect a certain quality of writing in my urban fantasy, and this first installment in the Heartstrikers series left something to be desired. The writing felt novice, if that makes sense. There was a lot of "said wearily" and "scoffed angrily" and such, which is a writing pet peeve of mine. Show me what the characters are feeling; don't overuse adverbs to describe their tones! Aaron did a lot of telling instead of showing, and because of that I never engaged as deeply with the characters as I would have liked. One of the things about urban fantasy that I used to dislike but now appreciate is the use of first person narrative. It’s not my favorite perspective to read; however, it imbues the main character with more, well, character. I feel more like I get to know the protagonist, and some writing choices that I would generally view as lazy become more like character quirks in my eyes, actually making the protagonist sound more realistic. I think Julius, our main character in this series, would have benefitted from this treatment. However, I’ve heard that Aaron’s writing improves as the series progresses, which I look forward to experiencing.
While I didn’t fully click with the characters, I did enjoy them. Especially Bob. Bob is quite possibly the most eccentric character I’ve come across in urban fantasy, and that’s saying a lot. I can’t wait to learn more about him!
I didn’t immediately fall in love with this series, but I am intrigued. Dragons aren’t very predominant in the UF genre, and the whole premise is interesting. I have multiple friends who adore this series, so I can’t wait to see where it leads!
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Sometimes, it doesn’t pay to be nice. But it’s always the right decision. Even if you’re a dragon.
Julius Heartstiker is having a hard day. His mom kicked him out with nothing but the clothes on his back, and has threatened to eat him if he doesn’t mend his ways. By mend, she means stop being so darn nice. Why is being nice a problem, and what kind of mother threatens to eat her child? Well, the answer to both of those questions is DRAGON, because that’s what Julius and his mother and his dozens upon dozens of siblings are: dragons! However, Julius’s draconic form has been sealed, leaving him helplessly human in the only city in the world where dragons are illegal. Understandably, chaos ensues.
Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres for when I’m stressed or tired or just need an escape. The genre doesn’t tend to be as literary as a lot of the fantasy and other fiction I choose to read, which is absolutely why I enjoy it. It gives me a compelling story with interesting characters, but in a way where I can just sink into the story without having to think too deeply. Urban fantasy and romance and middle grade books are what I read for fun, and to give my mind a break.
That being said, I still expect a certain quality of writing in my urban fantasy, and this first installment in the Heartstrikers series left something to be desired. The writing felt novice, if that makes sense. There was a lot of "said wearily" and "scoffed angrily" and such, which is a writing pet peeve of mine. Show me what the characters are feeling; don't overuse adverbs to describe their tones! Aaron did a lot of telling instead of showing, and because of that I never engaged as deeply with the characters as I would have liked. One of the things about urban fantasy that I used to dislike but now appreciate is the use of first person narrative. It’s not my favorite perspective to read; however, it imbues the main character with more, well, character. I feel more like I get to know the protagonist, and some writing choices that I would generally view as lazy become more like character quirks in my eyes, actually making the protagonist sound more realistic. I think Julius, our main character in this series, would have benefitted from this treatment. However, I’ve heard that Aaron’s writing improves as the series progresses, which I look forward to experiencing.
While I didn’t fully click with the characters, I did enjoy them. Especially Bob. Bob is quite possibly the most eccentric character I’ve come across in urban fantasy, and that’s saying a lot. I can’t wait to learn more about him!
I didn’t immediately fall in love with this series, but I am intrigued. Dragons aren’t very predominant in the UF genre, and the whole premise is interesting. I have multiple friends who adore this series, so I can’t wait to see where it leads!
June 11, 2023
I'm bowing out of this after a couple of hours listening. I can't take the character/background mix seriously. Julius is sold as a "nice" guy in a bloodthirsty and conniving family of dragons. He's smaller than the rest and keeps a low profile so he, literally, doesn't get eaten. Literally. Like, his mother will actually eat her offspring if they don't live up to her dragony standards. His siblings bear this out and we see examples of their avarice and vicious manipulations.
So the stakes for him have supposedly been high all his life and I'm supposed to have sympathy for him as he's kicked out of his house to go "take over something" or be eaten in three weeks. Only, every time I hear about all the things he can't do and doesn't know I get just a little more disgusted with the guy. In all his skulking around and "keeping a low profile", he hasn't done squat to learn anything, anything at all about what he can and cannot do. He has no idea what kind of magic he can do, let alone how it stacks up with others of his kind. He doesn't have any kind of information resource because heaven knows it wouldn't be smart to try to know what's going on in his family or society so he can, I dunno, avoid running afoul of the predators? See danger coming before it pounces on him in the middle of the night? Being stupid works for the naïve narrator I think the author was going for. But it doesn't work for someone I can respect at all. I kept thinking, "you know, his mother kind of has a point. Eating him is a bit extreme but at this point, he's a complete waste of oxygen."
So, like I said, it's a bad character/background mix. I might have done better if he had a believable reason for being the naïve narrator. Or if he had taken steps not to be the gormless numbskull he starts the book as so that he's got some idea of what he's doing and/or how to do it. But both the dire background and the ignorance doesn't work. For me.
Note: lots and lots of people love this story, including some very smart readers. So this is very much a "me" reaction. I bounced hard on the narrator, but the worldbuilding is interesting, Detroit as a Free Zone is fascinating, and I liked Marci as the humble know-it-all that you'll have to read to know what I mean. So while it's going to be a one-star for me, your mileage will very likely vary.
So the stakes for him have supposedly been high all his life and I'm supposed to have sympathy for him as he's kicked out of his house to go "take over something" or be eaten in three weeks. Only, every time I hear about all the things he can't do and doesn't know I get just a little more disgusted with the guy. In all his skulking around and "keeping a low profile", he hasn't done squat to learn anything, anything at all about what he can and cannot do. He has no idea what kind of magic he can do, let alone how it stacks up with others of his kind. He doesn't have any kind of information resource because heaven knows it wouldn't be smart to try to know what's going on in his family or society so he can, I dunno, avoid running afoul of the predators? See danger coming before it pounces on him in the middle of the night? Being stupid works for the naïve narrator I think the author was going for. But it doesn't work for someone I can respect at all. I kept thinking, "you know, his mother kind of has a point. Eating him is a bit extreme but at this point, he's a complete waste of oxygen."
So, like I said, it's a bad character/background mix. I might have done better if he had a believable reason for being the naïve narrator. Or if he had taken steps not to be the gormless numbskull he starts the book as so that he's got some idea of what he's doing and/or how to do it. But both the dire background and the ignorance doesn't work. For me.
Note: lots and lots of people love this story, including some very smart readers. So this is very much a "me" reaction. I bounced hard on the narrator, but the worldbuilding is interesting, Detroit as a Free Zone is fascinating, and I liked Marci as the humble know-it-all that you'll have to read to know what I mean. So while it's going to be a one-star for me, your mileage will very likely vary.
February 9, 2017
I really like Ms. Aaron as an author. I loved Eli Monpress and now I have Heartstrikers.
From a purely narrative standpoint, the story was a lot of fun. Great pacing, compelling characters, and an interesting story line. You will likely read many reviews to that end. I hope you also read some great reviews about how kindness isn't weakness and finding your own identity. This will not be that review.
I will focus on the art of collaborative negotiation as taught by this book. These lessons are important to me because my job entails a fair amount of negotiation. And I am terrible at some forms of negotiation, and middling in others. I do best at collaborative negotiation (negotiations pursing win-win solutions
Negotiation Lesson 1: Not all Negotiations need to be aggressive
When I was 6, I was the MVP of perhaps the worst soccer team ever. We were the Vultures (our cheer was "we're the vultures CAW CAW"). We went our whole season without ever scoring a goal and lost every game. I take some pride in being the best of the worst (really I was the only one who understood that you can't pick up the ball).
Our coach wasn't one of those "as long as everybody is having fun I've done my job" kind of coaches (which frankly, given my interest in sports was the kind of encouragement I needed). Instead he was a rather hot headed coach that would frequently yell at us from the slidelines to "GET AGGRESSIVE!!"
As you may recall, I'm 6 at this time. My vocabulary hadn't yet learned the meaning of the word "aggressive." So I would usually cease pursuing/kicking the ball while I turned to my coach and asked what "Aggressive" meant. He was obviously less than pleased. Other kids knew what aggressive meant and would flock like the vultures we were to pick apart some random kid like a rotting carcass. Well, probably more like a group of wolves attacking a different wolf... because the kid wasn't dead so carrion eats wouldn't really apply yet...
ANYWAY
The charge to be "aggressive" actually hurt our performance in the soccer match. I suspect that if we had actually just focused on having fun and doing our best (as "groovy" as that sounds) I believe we would have done much better. We certainly wouldn't have done worse.
What does this have to do with negotiations? Not much, to be honest. But a little.
Too often negotiations are focused on getting as much as I can at the expense of the other person. We call these win/lose negotiations. There is always a loser in those scenarios. And the winner has likely burned a bridge limiting their options for future negotiations.
You likely have heard of win/win negotiations. I like these kind much better.
During Julius's negotiation with the the power of collaborative negotiation. He was able to . If Justin was the negotiator their ultimate goals would have be thwarted then and there.
Negotiation Lesson 2: Clearly Understand your Best Alternative to Negotiation (BATNA)
BATNA is a term that basically means, if you don't reach a deal through this negotiation, what will you still have. You then compare to that to what you get out of negotiation and determine if the deal makes you better off.
I find we sometimes think of our alternatives too simply. One that I hear often in my environment is "well we will just go get a different supplier" if we aren't getting the pricing we want out of the supplier we have. Well, in my line of work the quality of the service is very important and the learning curve for suppliers to learn how to work with us and our processes is extremely steep. So going to get another supplier is actually a very costly BATNA but isn't' always recognized as such.
Perhaps a better example comes from the book.
Negotiation Lesson 3: Harness interest to grow the pie
This is one of the pieces I am woefully bad at. I'm not always great at discovering what everyone is hoping to get out of the negotiation. See there is a difference between what someone's position is (What they say they want) and their interests (what they actually want). For example, the sister whom I forget her name (Stella maybe) assigned Julius to touch her sister with the amulet. This is her position, but what she really wanted was . Julius was able to recognize these interests and explore alternatives that meet the interest in more mutually beneficial ways.
Negotiation Lesson 4: Harness interest to gain allies
In tandem with the previous lesson, Julius was able to leverage Ian's interests to further open options and close the deal. I'm not always good at recognizing the "Ian's" who have a vested interest in the outcome of my negotiations but aren't directly involved. It requires a much broader analysis of stakeholders and interests than I usually consider.
So, long story short. I wish this was one of my negotiations textbooks
From a purely narrative standpoint, the story was a lot of fun. Great pacing, compelling characters, and an interesting story line. You will likely read many reviews to that end. I hope you also read some great reviews about how kindness isn't weakness and finding your own identity. This will not be that review.
I will focus on the art of collaborative negotiation as taught by this book. These lessons are important to me because my job entails a fair amount of negotiation. And I am terrible at some forms of negotiation, and middling in others. I do best at collaborative negotiation (negotiations pursing win-win solutions
Negotiation Lesson 1: Not all Negotiations need to be aggressive
When I was 6, I was the MVP of perhaps the worst soccer team ever. We were the Vultures (our cheer was "we're the vultures CAW CAW"). We went our whole season without ever scoring a goal and lost every game. I take some pride in being the best of the worst (really I was the only one who understood that you can't pick up the ball).
Our coach wasn't one of those "as long as everybody is having fun I've done my job" kind of coaches (which frankly, given my interest in sports was the kind of encouragement I needed). Instead he was a rather hot headed coach that would frequently yell at us from the slidelines to "GET AGGRESSIVE!!"
As you may recall, I'm 6 at this time. My vocabulary hadn't yet learned the meaning of the word "aggressive." So I would usually cease pursuing/kicking the ball while I turned to my coach and asked what "Aggressive" meant. He was obviously less than pleased. Other kids knew what aggressive meant and would flock like the vultures we were to pick apart some random kid like a rotting carcass. Well, probably more like a group of wolves attacking a different wolf... because the kid wasn't dead so carrion eats wouldn't really apply yet...
ANYWAY
The charge to be "aggressive" actually hurt our performance in the soccer match. I suspect that if we had actually just focused on having fun and doing our best (as "groovy" as that sounds) I believe we would have done much better. We certainly wouldn't have done worse.
What does this have to do with negotiations? Not much, to be honest. But a little.
Too often negotiations are focused on getting as much as I can at the expense of the other person. We call these win/lose negotiations. There is always a loser in those scenarios. And the winner has likely burned a bridge limiting their options for future negotiations.
You likely have heard of win/win negotiations. I like these kind much better.
During Julius's negotiation with the the power of collaborative negotiation. He was able to . If Justin was the negotiator their ultimate goals would have be thwarted then and there.
Negotiation Lesson 2: Clearly Understand your Best Alternative to Negotiation (BATNA)
BATNA is a term that basically means, if you don't reach a deal through this negotiation, what will you still have. You then compare to that to what you get out of negotiation and determine if the deal makes you better off.
I find we sometimes think of our alternatives too simply. One that I hear often in my environment is "well we will just go get a different supplier" if we aren't getting the pricing we want out of the supplier we have. Well, in my line of work the quality of the service is very important and the learning curve for suppliers to learn how to work with us and our processes is extremely steep. So going to get another supplier is actually a very costly BATNA but isn't' always recognized as such.
Perhaps a better example comes from the book.
Negotiation Lesson 3: Harness interest to grow the pie
This is one of the pieces I am woefully bad at. I'm not always great at discovering what everyone is hoping to get out of the negotiation. See there is a difference between what someone's position is (What they say they want) and their interests (what they actually want). For example, the sister whom I forget her name (Stella maybe) assigned Julius to touch her sister with the amulet. This is her position, but what she really wanted was . Julius was able to recognize these interests and explore alternatives that meet the interest in more mutually beneficial ways.
Negotiation Lesson 4: Harness interest to gain allies
In tandem with the previous lesson, Julius was able to leverage Ian's interests to further open options and close the deal. I'm not always good at recognizing the "Ian's" who have a vested interest in the outcome of my negotiations but aren't directly involved. It requires a much broader analysis of stakeholders and interests than I usually consider.
So, long story short. I wish this was one of my negotiations textbooks
September 30, 2017
Dnf at 50%
This isn’t working for me. Too childish and naïve for my taste. It doesn’t help that author has a habit of stating the obvious and then explaining it just in case you didn’t grasp it the first time, repeatedly. There is just so much groaning and eye rolling I can do. Giving it 2 stars since worldbuilding is passable.
Feels like this is directed towards much younger audience. Could work for adults who enjoy reading children’s books.
This isn’t working for me. Too childish and naïve for my taste. It doesn’t help that author has a habit of stating the obvious and then explaining it just in case you didn’t grasp it the first time, repeatedly. There is just so much groaning and eye rolling I can do. Giving it 2 stars since worldbuilding is passable.
Feels like this is directed towards much younger audience. Could work for adults who enjoy reading children’s books.
May 22, 2018
Julius is a 24 year old dragon, the youngest and smallest in his family. He's been cast out by mom because he basically spends all his time shut away in his room, earning online degrees, playing online games with humans (and not even winning!), and just basically not doing anything dragony enough with his dragon life. Part of me sides with mom on this, even if she's a bit more ruthless about the way she goes about things. All this because, as the title of the book suggests, Julius is more this
and far less this
Now me, personally, I like my dragons to be dragons so it's little surprise that I got a bigger kick out of pretty much all the members of Julius' family that appear in this story. I freaking loved Justin! And Bob, and Chelsea. Even bad mom Bethesda gave me a chuckle or two. In comparison, sweet and super earnest Julius just seems so...boring. He's a veritable boy scout, he is, but where his siblings are like vivid splashes of color Julius is more like a nice work in watercolors.
Anyway, Julius is given a task - locate a runaway dragon from another clan - or else. He has to work under a handicap however because his mother has sealed him away from his true dragon form, so he has to accomplish this task using just his mere human form. He picks up an ally by way oflove interesthuman mage, Marci. She was okay...except for when she was butting heads with one of my Heartstriker dragon boys. Then I wanted to knock her right off the page.
I listened to the audiobook for this. It was a quick listen and the narrator did a great job with differentiating all the voices (except for the Three Sisters dragons, who all sounded the same). There were quite a few chuckle-worthy lines. Overall though, Justin, Chelsea, and Bob were the true standout characters to me. I'd totally be on board to read about the adventures of the Blades of Bethesda - as led by seer Bob (and his pigeon lady love).
and far less this
Now me, personally, I like my dragons to be dragons so it's little surprise that I got a bigger kick out of pretty much all the members of Julius' family that appear in this story. I freaking loved Justin! And Bob, and Chelsea. Even bad mom Bethesda gave me a chuckle or two. In comparison, sweet and super earnest Julius just seems so...boring. He's a veritable boy scout, he is, but where his siblings are like vivid splashes of color Julius is more like a nice work in watercolors.
Anyway, Julius is given a task - locate a runaway dragon from another clan - or else. He has to work under a handicap however because his mother has sealed him away from his true dragon form, so he has to accomplish this task using just his mere human form. He picks up an ally by way of
I listened to the audiobook for this. It was a quick listen and the narrator did a great job with differentiating all the voices (except for the Three Sisters dragons, who all sounded the same). There were quite a few chuckle-worthy lines. Overall though, Justin, Chelsea, and Bob were the true standout characters to me. I'd totally be on board to read about the adventures of the Blades of Bethesda - as led by seer Bob (and his pigeon lady love).
December 16, 2016
[Books 1-3 Review] [4 stars for book #1] Rachel Aaron (who also writes as Rachel Bach) is easily one of my top ten favorite authors – I’ve read everything she’s published so far and have been blown away with every book (check out her Eli Monpress fantasy series and Paradox scifi series if you have a chance – you won’t be disappointed!). Then along came the Heartstrikers series – an urban fantasy about a clan of shapeshifting dragons and one who doesn’t quite fit in – and I was beside myself with excitement!
The coolest thing about Heartstrikers is that it’s a true hybrid of all my favorite genres. The story and presentation is very urban fantasy, but the dragons and other magical elements give it a low-fantasy feel. Also, even though it’s an adult series, it has that same accessibility and fun factor of a young adult novel. Regardless of how you classify it, the most important thing is that it’s a dang good series!
The books have so many interesting dynamics! Especially surrounding the characters. Starting the series, I thought they were all going to be pretty surface level. Fun to read about, but not much depth. Boy, was I wrong! Each book takes you deeper into specific characters and they just get more and more fascinating as time goes on. After finishing book 3, I’m agonizing that it’ll be at least 8 months before I can unravel even more mysteries about these great characters.
I also love the relationship between the two main characters, Julius and Marci. They are enamored with one another, but too uncertain and insecure to act on those feelings. It’s a dynamic I have never seen work well before, but Aaron found a way to make it charming rather than insufferable.
Last but not least, my favorite element of the books are the dragons. They’re every bit as powerful, greedy, and cruel as they are supposed to be, which is why Julius (a nice dragon) has so many problems fitting in. The dragons have strict hierarchy, lots of interfamily dynamics, and plenty of cultural backstory to make the society feel rich and well-rounded. For this reason, the world building gets top points in my book for creativity.
Overall, heartstrikers (particularly book 3) was one of my favorites of the year, and I highly recommend them to anyone wanting a fun series to read!
Other books you might like:
The Legend of Eli Monpress – Rachel Aaron
Fortune's Pawn – Rachel Bach [same person]
Ill Wind – Rachel Caine [different person]
Moon Called – Patricia Briggs
The Book of Jhereg - Steven Brust
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
The coolest thing about Heartstrikers is that it’s a true hybrid of all my favorite genres. The story and presentation is very urban fantasy, but the dragons and other magical elements give it a low-fantasy feel. Also, even though it’s an adult series, it has that same accessibility and fun factor of a young adult novel. Regardless of how you classify it, the most important thing is that it’s a dang good series!
The books have so many interesting dynamics! Especially surrounding the characters. Starting the series, I thought they were all going to be pretty surface level. Fun to read about, but not much depth. Boy, was I wrong! Each book takes you deeper into specific characters and they just get more and more fascinating as time goes on. After finishing book 3, I’m agonizing that it’ll be at least 8 months before I can unravel even more mysteries about these great characters.
I also love the relationship between the two main characters, Julius and Marci. They are enamored with one another, but too uncertain and insecure to act on those feelings. It’s a dynamic I have never seen work well before, but Aaron found a way to make it charming rather than insufferable.
Last but not least, my favorite element of the books are the dragons. They’re every bit as powerful, greedy, and cruel as they are supposed to be, which is why Julius (a nice dragon) has so many problems fitting in. The dragons have strict hierarchy, lots of interfamily dynamics, and plenty of cultural backstory to make the society feel rich and well-rounded. For this reason, the world building gets top points in my book for creativity.
Overall, heartstrikers (particularly book 3) was one of my favorites of the year, and I highly recommend them to anyone wanting a fun series to read!
Other books you might like:
The Legend of Eli Monpress – Rachel Aaron
Fortune's Pawn – Rachel Bach [same person]
Ill Wind – Rachel Caine [different person]
Moon Called – Patricia Briggs
The Book of Jhereg - Steven Brust
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
December 28, 2017
Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: Once Rachel Aaron mentioned this book to me in one of our email correspondence, Ibegged pleaded with her to let me read it in its draft form. To my joy, she agreed and I was able to read it a year ago. To say I was pleased with the book would be an understatement. But first I was curious as to why she was going the self-publishing route and she wonderfully explains this decision in this blogpost over at Civilian Reader. Go take a read or otherwise wait for my interview with her to know more about it.
Now on to the book, from the blurb, one can surmise that this is an urban fantasy, but here's what's slightly different about it. Rachel Aaron brilliantly weaves some post apocalyptic and SF threads into the story while also making sure that it has magic and dragons in it. The plot begins with our protagonist Julius Heartstriker, who is a very undragon-like dragon. Due to his lackadaisical nature & apparent un-interest at dragon activities/ambition, he gets banished by his mother Bethesda into the DFZ (Detroit Free Zone). He's supposed to prove that he's fit to be called a spawn of the Heartstriker clan and has less than a month to prove it or else it's curtains for him. Oh and also he stuck in his human form for his Detroit jaunt and can’t avail of his dragon form or powers as well.
That’s the first hook; secondly we have Marci Novalli, a Thaumaturgic mage who is running away from her past in Las Vegas for reasons revealed later in the story. The main point is what happens when their paths cross and how much drama occurs in the DFZ? There are also a bunch of other characters who will strike the reader’s attention like Bob who is Julius’ elder brother and the Heartstriker clan seer. Not to mention he seems wacky and is a constant source of comedy at Julius’ expense whenever he appears on the page. The other siblings introduced are Ian, Chelsie and Justin and they are terrific and scary in their own way. Another funny thing about the Heartstrikers is that Bethesda names her clutches alphabetically so not only is Julius literally the runt but also in the story everyone does their best to remind him of that.
The world settings are a curious mix of urban fantasy, science fiction and apocalyptic dystopia. Take for example; the world is such because a comet caused magic to return in 2035 and since then spirits have taken over several parts of the world. One such persona is Algonquin, the Lady of the Great Lakes, who unleashed a tidal wave and destroyed Detroit. In its place she has built the Detroit Free Zone (DFZ) that is a unique mix of magic and unbridled capitalism wherein dragons are forbidden to enter and humans find themselves to be quite low on the Lady’s interests. But DFZ has flourished beyond imagination and led the world in the unique combination of magic & business coming together like none other. This situation of a city state within a country is very similar to Hong Kong and China circa pre-1997.
There are many more details that I'm glossing over and I’m hoping the readers discover in their own reading, but suffice to say for all lovers of urban fantasy, this book will be a welcome addition to their shelves. Rachel Aaron brings her charismatic humor and superb characterization to this story while also developing a very unique world (urban fantasy wise). She gives us a story that will have you rooting for Julius and his "friend" within a few pages of their introduction. Beginning with Julius and Marci who are both quite adorable in their interactions with each other. They reminded me a lot of Barry & Felicity from Arrow. Both Julius and Marci are focal points of the story and they carry the plot forward with Julius’ mission to become more dragon-like and Marci’s mystery of running away from Las Vegas.
The things I also loved were the side characters especially Bob and his prophecies and Chelsie with her stoic ways. There's also the world building, which only hints at certain things and as the series progresses, more revelations are sure to arise. I can’t wait to read more about the Dragon clans and the intricacies that surround the Heartstrikers. There’s also the world that has been affected by magic. I would love to see the author explore other world parts like Las Vegas, China, Europe, etc. Another plus point is the wonderful cover which I believe would look fantastic in physical form.
Also the plot twists and pace are neatly done and will have you flipping pages to see how it all ends for Julius, Marci and the other characters introduced. What I absolutely enjoyed was how much fun was infused within the story, similar to the first couple of Eli Monpress titles wherein the story presented us with funny characters and a curious world. And as the story progressed, the world became stranger and wider. I believe there might be something similar brewing here as well. The only drawbacks for me about this story are that the wider world implications of the reappearance of magic haven’t been quite discussed or shown but with the comic angle of the story, they might not quite be clarified entirely.
CONCLUSION: Nice Dragons Finish Last is a hilarious story about a dragon who is locked into his human form and will have to learn to trust his dragon instincts to survive in a world wherein his kind is hated and hunted. Be sure to keep an eye out for this book, as Rachel Aaron is back in prime form with this comedic urban fantasy series.
ANALYSIS: Once Rachel Aaron mentioned this book to me in one of our email correspondence, I
Now on to the book, from the blurb, one can surmise that this is an urban fantasy, but here's what's slightly different about it. Rachel Aaron brilliantly weaves some post apocalyptic and SF threads into the story while also making sure that it has magic and dragons in it. The plot begins with our protagonist Julius Heartstriker, who is a very undragon-like dragon. Due to his lackadaisical nature & apparent un-interest at dragon activities/ambition, he gets banished by his mother Bethesda into the DFZ (Detroit Free Zone). He's supposed to prove that he's fit to be called a spawn of the Heartstriker clan and has less than a month to prove it or else it's curtains for him. Oh and also he stuck in his human form for his Detroit jaunt and can’t avail of his dragon form or powers as well.
That’s the first hook; secondly we have Marci Novalli, a Thaumaturgic mage who is running away from her past in Las Vegas for reasons revealed later in the story. The main point is what happens when their paths cross and how much drama occurs in the DFZ? There are also a bunch of other characters who will strike the reader’s attention like Bob who is Julius’ elder brother and the Heartstriker clan seer. Not to mention he seems wacky and is a constant source of comedy at Julius’ expense whenever he appears on the page. The other siblings introduced are Ian, Chelsie and Justin and they are terrific and scary in their own way. Another funny thing about the Heartstrikers is that Bethesda names her clutches alphabetically so not only is Julius literally the runt but also in the story everyone does their best to remind him of that.
The world settings are a curious mix of urban fantasy, science fiction and apocalyptic dystopia. Take for example; the world is such because a comet caused magic to return in 2035 and since then spirits have taken over several parts of the world. One such persona is Algonquin, the Lady of the Great Lakes, who unleashed a tidal wave and destroyed Detroit. In its place she has built the Detroit Free Zone (DFZ) that is a unique mix of magic and unbridled capitalism wherein dragons are forbidden to enter and humans find themselves to be quite low on the Lady’s interests. But DFZ has flourished beyond imagination and led the world in the unique combination of magic & business coming together like none other. This situation of a city state within a country is very similar to Hong Kong and China circa pre-1997.
There are many more details that I'm glossing over and I’m hoping the readers discover in their own reading, but suffice to say for all lovers of urban fantasy, this book will be a welcome addition to their shelves. Rachel Aaron brings her charismatic humor and superb characterization to this story while also developing a very unique world (urban fantasy wise). She gives us a story that will have you rooting for Julius and his "friend" within a few pages of their introduction. Beginning with Julius and Marci who are both quite adorable in their interactions with each other. They reminded me a lot of Barry & Felicity from Arrow. Both Julius and Marci are focal points of the story and they carry the plot forward with Julius’ mission to become more dragon-like and Marci’s mystery of running away from Las Vegas.
The things I also loved were the side characters especially Bob and his prophecies and Chelsie with her stoic ways. There's also the world building, which only hints at certain things and as the series progresses, more revelations are sure to arise. I can’t wait to read more about the Dragon clans and the intricacies that surround the Heartstrikers. There’s also the world that has been affected by magic. I would love to see the author explore other world parts like Las Vegas, China, Europe, etc. Another plus point is the wonderful cover which I believe would look fantastic in physical form.
Also the plot twists and pace are neatly done and will have you flipping pages to see how it all ends for Julius, Marci and the other characters introduced. What I absolutely enjoyed was how much fun was infused within the story, similar to the first couple of Eli Monpress titles wherein the story presented us with funny characters and a curious world. And as the story progressed, the world became stranger and wider. I believe there might be something similar brewing here as well. The only drawbacks for me about this story are that the wider world implications of the reappearance of magic haven’t been quite discussed or shown but with the comic angle of the story, they might not quite be clarified entirely.
CONCLUSION: Nice Dragons Finish Last is a hilarious story about a dragon who is locked into his human form and will have to learn to trust his dragon instincts to survive in a world wherein his kind is hated and hunted. Be sure to keep an eye out for this book, as Rachel Aaron is back in prime form with this comedic urban fantasy series.
February 23, 2017
This is a slightly silly but highly amusing story about a dragon named Julienwho is the runt of his litter. As he's part of the Heartstrikers this just can't be, they don't show weakness, so Julien has to prove himself somehow.
After a few years when Julien still hasn't proven his dragon skills his mother decides to send him out trapped as a human to complete a quest and prove himself a worthy dragon. This is where the story really begins
What I liked about this urban fantasy is that it's kind of ruthless and bloodthirsty at times. I think having stories where people actually get killed is always good, and there's lots of that in here.
We also meet Justin, Julien's crazy brute brother dragon, abd Bob his eldest who is a seer (and kind of insane). We also meet some gangs, thugs and a mage called Marcy :) All in all its quite the adventure crew!
I think this was a very promising start to a fun series and I look forward to carrying on soon :) - plus the Audiobook was good! 3.5*s
After a few years when Julien still hasn't proven his dragon skills his mother decides to send him out trapped as a human to complete a quest and prove himself a worthy dragon. This is where the story really begins
What I liked about this urban fantasy is that it's kind of ruthless and bloodthirsty at times. I think having stories where people actually get killed is always good, and there's lots of that in here.
We also meet Justin, Julien's crazy brute brother dragon, abd Bob his eldest who is a seer (and kind of insane). We also meet some gangs, thugs and a mage called Marcy :) All in all its quite the adventure crew!
I think this was a very promising start to a fun series and I look forward to carrying on soon :) - plus the Audiobook was good! 3.5*s
March 17, 2017
2.5 Slooooooow starter stars
First, you should know that I have friends that LOVED this book. It was a buddy read for one of my groups but it was scheduled at the same time as Life so I missed it and was incredibly bummed when all of the great reviews began popping up in my feed.
When one of my other reading groups added it to their schedule I knew I had to get in on it because DRAGONS!!!
So anyway, I started reading it. And fell asleep almost immediately.
So then I tried again the next night, and literally the exact same thing happened.
The third night I decided to skip this one in favor of different BR selection, which I finished the same night. All this really proved to me was that, to my brain, this sucker was the equivalent of approximately 3 Benadryl.
On my third attempt of reading I made it about 15% into the book before getting an attack of the sleepies so I again set it aside in favor of a different book, which I finished in two nights. Based on all of the glowing reviews I had read before starting it I was convinced I had gotten either a defective version of the e-book or possibly a cursed one. I was actually leaning towards cursed until I went to the buddy read discussion thread and discovered I was not the only one to uncover this phenomena that I will call IJDGASF.*
*
Also, I should probably mention that this morally questionable leader of murderous sea creatures is the queen of creating lovely acronyms such as this and there is a good chance she has used this one somewhere, so ya, know, credit where credit is due and all that.
BUT, I was extremely encouraged to discover that many in the thread saying "it gets so much better." So I decided right then that no matter how long it took or how far it set me back on my reading schedule I was gonna finish because I needed to know what happened that transformed a rampant case of the IJDGASFs to glowing 4 and 5 star reviews.
I persevered. It took me two and a half weeks, but I DID IT. And, you know what, around the 50% point it does, in fact, "get so much better." The IT specifically in this case is the main character Julius. I am not going to put a bunch of spoiler tags in here to point out what changed, but I will say his character went from one that I was very IJDGASF about, to someone I was actually pleased he survived. This wasn't a case where the character is unlikeable and redeems himself, it's more like he went from a useless undefined blob shape on the page to an actual character so let's not high-five over the transformation.
Bottom line aka:TLDR
This story is good, but if I don't care one way or the other if the main character lives or dies until after halfway through the book (IJDGASF), I can't in good conscience rate it higher than a 3 and that is even with my rounding up because he's a goddamn DRAGON ffs.
First, you should know that I have friends that LOVED this book. It was a buddy read for one of my groups but it was scheduled at the same time as Life so I missed it and was incredibly bummed when all of the great reviews began popping up in my feed.
When one of my other reading groups added it to their schedule I knew I had to get in on it because DRAGONS!!!
So anyway, I started reading it. And fell asleep almost immediately.
So then I tried again the next night, and literally the exact same thing happened.
The third night I decided to skip this one in favor of different BR selection, which I finished the same night. All this really proved to me was that, to my brain, this sucker was the equivalent of approximately 3 Benadryl.
On my third attempt of reading I made it about 15% into the book before getting an attack of the sleepies so I again set it aside in favor of a different book, which I finished in two nights. Based on all of the glowing reviews I had read before starting it I was convinced I had gotten either a defective version of the e-book or possibly a cursed one. I was actually leaning towards cursed until I went to the buddy read discussion thread and discovered I was not the only one to uncover this phenomena that I will call IJDGASF.*
*
Also, I should probably mention that this morally questionable leader of murderous sea creatures is the queen of creating lovely acronyms such as this and there is a good chance she has used this one somewhere, so ya, know, credit where credit is due and all that.
BUT, I was extremely encouraged to discover that many in the thread saying "it gets so much better." So I decided right then that no matter how long it took or how far it set me back on my reading schedule I was gonna finish because I needed to know what happened that transformed a rampant case of the IJDGASFs to glowing 4 and 5 star reviews.
I persevered. It took me two and a half weeks, but I DID IT. And, you know what, around the 50% point it does, in fact, "get so much better." The IT specifically in this case is the main character Julius. I am not going to put a bunch of spoiler tags in here to point out what changed, but I will say his character went from one that I was very IJDGASF about, to someone I was actually pleased he survived. This wasn't a case where the character is unlikeable and redeems himself, it's more like he went from a useless undefined blob shape on the page to an actual character so let's not high-five over the transformation.
Bottom line aka:TLDR
This story is good, but if I don't care one way or the other if the main character lives or dies until after halfway through the book (IJDGASF), I can't in good conscience rate it higher than a 3 and that is even with my rounding up because he's a goddamn DRAGON ffs.
September 30, 2017
Nice Dragons Finish Last was our audio book pick for our summer road trip and happily it lived up to our expectations. I initially thought it was a YA book, but it isn't. However it was still appropriate for my young teen daughter's to listen to. The narrator was great, and that's something that is so important when listening to an audio book. I've enjoyed all of Rachel Aaron's/Bach's books so far. My daughters enjoyed this one just as much as I did. One of them said she would give it 5 stars. We can't wait to listen to the next book in the series.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
June 3, 2023
“You might be a sheep in wolf’s clothing, but never forget that, to the humans you’re just another monster with a bounty on its head. ”
Fui con la idea preconcebida que esta novela iba a ser para mí una lectura ligera. Sin embargo, no fue así, pero ha estado bien.
“Dragons don’t worry about bothering. We demand, Julius, and the world gives. ”
Me ha gustado mucho en general el mundo que nos plantea la autora y los personajes. No deja de ser una primera novela de una saga de fantasía urbana donde hay un caso y hay que resolverlo. Punto.
Ahora, a pesar del hecho que me haya gustado, siento que ha habido cosas en la novela que no me han gustado. Por un lado, ha sido la falta de profundidad en el mundo-personajes y por el otro lado que ha habido pasajes en el argumento-historia que se me han hecho un poco pesado y en otros pasajes, las cosas sucedían demasiado rápido. Es mi opinión, aunque debo admitir que no me lo he leído esta novela en el mejor momento.
“No matter how it may seem, no matter what you do, I always come out on top in the end. But while your arrogance suggest otherwise, hope is not yet lost. ”
Leeré pronto las próximas entregas porque tiene potencial y como he dicho desde un inicio me gusta. Ahora en cuanto al hecho de si las recomiendo o no, mi respuesta es sí.
Fui con la idea preconcebida que esta novela iba a ser para mí una lectura ligera. Sin embargo, no fue así, pero ha estado bien.
“Dragons don’t worry about bothering. We demand, Julius, and the world gives. ”
Me ha gustado mucho en general el mundo que nos plantea la autora y los personajes. No deja de ser una primera novela de una saga de fantasía urbana donde hay un caso y hay que resolverlo. Punto.
Ahora, a pesar del hecho que me haya gustado, siento que ha habido cosas en la novela que no me han gustado. Por un lado, ha sido la falta de profundidad en el mundo-personajes y por el otro lado que ha habido pasajes en el argumento-historia que se me han hecho un poco pesado y en otros pasajes, las cosas sucedían demasiado rápido. Es mi opinión, aunque debo admitir que no me lo he leído esta novela en el mejor momento.
“No matter how it may seem, no matter what you do, I always come out on top in the end. But while your arrogance suggest otherwise, hope is not yet lost. ”
Leeré pronto las próximas entregas porque tiene potencial y como he dicho desde un inicio me gusta. Ahora en cuanto al hecho de si las recomiendo o no, mi respuesta es sí.
February 3, 2018
4.5
For some, there is no more harsh judge than family. Imagine a family of power hungry and ruthless dragons where you are the fail, the shame, the runt and worst ... NICE. Julius Heartstriker is one of the youngest of Bethesda, he is pacifist and accepted that as the runt he better keep out of the way of big predators hiding in his room, being a slacker, playing games and studying online. Well, mommy dearest take the 'swim or die' approach and kick him out of home with no clothes or money, and sealed from his true form to the worst place for a dragon: Detroit Free Zone, governed by Algonquin the spirit of the Lakes (whom hates dragons).
---
“What am I supposed to do?”
“You’re a dragon,” she said flippantly. “Be draconic. Take something over, destroy one of our enemies, win a duel, capture an advantage for our clan. I don’t really care what you do, but you will do something to make me proud to call you my son before the end of the month, or I will do to you what I did to my other under-performing whelps.”
----
This is a sort of dystopia, an asteroid falls in 2035 releasing magic and waking old spirits in the world.
Insert a mage girl scaping from bad guys. A city with magical mutant beasts. Dragon schemes and politics. Did I mention that dragons are forbidden in DFZ? And a dead line. As in better fulfill thequest mission or ... be eaten die.
This is lighfooted fantasy, entertaining, but watch for the girls -- they are ice-cold killers.
And Julius maybe will not react as her mother or older siblings think
“So far as I can tell, ‘good dragon’ is just another name for coldblooded sociopath,” he said. “No friends, no trust, no love. Why would I ever want to live like that? It’s not like any of you good dragons are happy.”
But some sibling at least try to help him , in their own special way. Like a probably insane seer
[Bob] “Don’t get your feathers in a fluff,” he chided. “I’m here to help! I can’t let you have all the fun, can I?”
Julius gaped at him. “What’s fun about almost dying?”
“But that’s the best sort of fun,” Bob replied. “The kind you can look back on centuries later and laugh about. Of course, since I’m always centuries ahead, I can laugh about it right now.”
and a Rambo version of twin: “You might be a sheep in wolf’s clothing, but never forget that, to the humans, you’re just another monster with a bounty on its head. We’re all monsters to them, and they will punish us for it every chance they get if we don’t give them a reason to run away. In this whole world, your clan is the only thing you can trust, so if I were you, I’d worry less about pleasing a bunch of short-lived mortals who will never accept you, and more about pleasing us.”--Justin
But Marci Novalli, the human mage take the credit for being totally ruthless. Oo'
I'd like to read the next one.
For some, there is no more harsh judge than family. Imagine a family of power hungry and ruthless dragons where you are the fail, the shame, the runt and worst ... NICE. Julius Heartstriker is one of the youngest of Bethesda, he is pacifist and accepted that as the runt he better keep out of the way of big predators hiding in his room, being a slacker, playing games and studying online. Well, mommy dearest take the 'swim or die' approach and kick him out of home with no clothes or money, and sealed from his true form to the worst place for a dragon: Detroit Free Zone, governed by Algonquin the spirit of the Lakes (whom hates dragons).
---
“What am I supposed to do?”
“You’re a dragon,” she said flippantly. “Be draconic. Take something over, destroy one of our enemies, win a duel, capture an advantage for our clan. I don’t really care what you do, but you will do something to make me proud to call you my son before the end of the month, or I will do to you what I did to my other under-performing whelps.”
----
This is a sort of dystopia, an asteroid falls in 2035 releasing magic and waking old spirits in the world.
Insert a mage girl scaping from bad guys. A city with magical mutant beasts. Dragon schemes and politics. Did I mention that dragons are forbidden in DFZ? And a dead line. As in better fulfill the
This is lighfooted fantasy, entertaining, but watch for the girls -- they are ice-cold killers.
And Julius maybe will not react as her mother or older siblings think
“So far as I can tell, ‘good dragon’ is just another name for coldblooded sociopath,” he said. “No friends, no trust, no love. Why would I ever want to live like that? It’s not like any of you good dragons are happy.”
But some sibling at least try to help him , in their own special way. Like a probably insane seer
[Bob] “Don’t get your feathers in a fluff,” he chided. “I’m here to help! I can’t let you have all the fun, can I?”
Julius gaped at him. “What’s fun about almost dying?”
“But that’s the best sort of fun,” Bob replied. “The kind you can look back on centuries later and laugh about. Of course, since I’m always centuries ahead, I can laugh about it right now.”
and a Rambo version of twin: “You might be a sheep in wolf’s clothing, but never forget that, to the humans, you’re just another monster with a bounty on its head. We’re all monsters to them, and they will punish us for it every chance they get if we don’t give them a reason to run away. In this whole world, your clan is the only thing you can trust, so if I were you, I’d worry less about pleasing a bunch of short-lived mortals who will never accept you, and more about pleasing us.”--Justin
But Marci Novalli, the human mage take the credit for being totally ruthless. Oo'
I'd like to read the next one.
September 21, 2023
September 2023
I know I know. I did it again!
Re'listen Nov 2022
4th time!!!
Re-listen Dec 2021
Still all the feels!
I love it all!
Re-listen:
I suddenly had the urge to re-listen cos I had no other books lined up.
All the feels!
I still adore Julius, he is the best.
Justin! Bob! Marci! My fav kitty ghost!
They all rock.
And the most important thing, Vikas Adam. He is amazing narrating this. Love him to bits.
This is a must listen. You all need to get it now
First time:
This one was as good as I hoped it to be, yay, I have wanted a good UF series, and hey it was audio so win win. I am really getting into audio.
Julius is a horrible dragon. He likes humans, he is nice and he does not want to rule the world. I mean come on Julius! Shape up and create an empire ;) I really liked him, he was just so not a a "good" dragon. But he is a smart dragon.
Marci is a mage, and human. She was nice, and well...not as nice as Julius. I think she had more dragon in her ;)
In this future magic came back, Detroit was destroyed by a spirit and life goes on. Oh and Detroit is a no no zones for dragons and that's where Julius gets thrown by his mummy dearest.
I liked the siblings we saw, liked and liked, some were cold as ice and then there was Bob, you have to love Bob, I loved Bob.
Off on an adventure he goes. There are monsters, dragons, action, humour and fun times!
Narrator: Vikas Adams
I liked his voices for them all. Though Bob did sound really silly. But he did a great job and I could not put the book down.
I know I know. I did it again!
Re'listen Nov 2022
4th time!!!
Re-listen Dec 2021
Still all the feels!
I love it all!
Re-listen:
I suddenly had the urge to re-listen cos I had no other books lined up.
All the feels!
I still adore Julius, he is the best.
Justin! Bob! Marci! My fav kitty ghost!
They all rock.
And the most important thing, Vikas Adam. He is amazing narrating this. Love him to bits.
This is a must listen. You all need to get it now
First time:
This one was as good as I hoped it to be, yay, I have wanted a good UF series, and hey it was audio so win win. I am really getting into audio.
Julius is a horrible dragon. He likes humans, he is nice and he does not want to rule the world. I mean come on Julius! Shape up and create an empire ;) I really liked him, he was just so not a a "good" dragon. But he is a smart dragon.
Marci is a mage, and human. She was nice, and well...not as nice as Julius. I think she had more dragon in her ;)
In this future magic came back, Detroit was destroyed by a spirit and life goes on. Oh and Detroit is a no no zones for dragons and that's where Julius gets thrown by his mummy dearest.
I liked the siblings we saw, liked and liked, some were cold as ice and then there was Bob, you have to love Bob, I loved Bob.
Off on an adventure he goes. There are monsters, dragons, action, humour and fun times!
Narrator: Vikas Adams
I liked his voices for them all. Though Bob did sound really silly. But he did a great job and I could not put the book down.
February 16, 2015
This was surprisingly good. And NOT just b/c dragons. RTC.
January 26, 2021
Very enjoyable start to a new fantasy trilogy by the author of Fortune's Pawn. This story is full of dangerous magical creatures who returned to the world after a comet strike in 2035. Julius is the black sheep of his family because he refuses to act like a dragon. His mother takes away his power to shift to dragon form and drops him penniless in the middle of the Detroit Free Zone, a place where dragons are killed on sight. He teams up with a mage (Marci) on the run from her father's killer and they work together to stay alive.
The premise of this story struck me as YA and even though the protagonists are in their 20's I still got the impression this was aimed at the YA crowd. Julius is a nice guy and it's a satisfying journey watching him come into his own strengths in surprising ways. He and Marci make a great team. But although I liked him I did find his personality a little... boring, at times. But I guess it's hard to place the straight guy with so many over the top secondary characters vying for attention.
I loved Julius's family. Their supreme arrogance and obliviousness of humans made me think of G.A. Aiken's dragons. Despite their darkness and Machiavellian ways, they were very appealing. Justin and Bob in particular. Julius's family really made this book for me.
The story arc really interested me and I'm looking forward to see what happens in the next installment.
The premise of this story struck me as YA and even though the protagonists are in their 20's I still got the impression this was aimed at the YA crowd. Julius is a nice guy and it's a satisfying journey watching him come into his own strengths in surprising ways. He and Marci make a great team. But although I liked him I did find his personality a little... boring, at times. But I guess it's hard to place the straight guy with so many over the top secondary characters vying for attention.
I loved Julius's family. Their supreme arrogance and obliviousness of humans made me think of G.A. Aiken's dragons. Despite their darkness and Machiavellian ways, they were very appealing. Justin and Bob in particular. Julius's family really made this book for me.
The story arc really interested me and I'm looking forward to see what happens in the next installment.
July 26, 2019
In a future world where a meteor strike in Canada has reawakened magic in the world, dragons exist. And they're not at all nice. Greedy, magical, power-obsessed and dominating, the various dragon clans maneuver against each other for status and control. Individual dragons accumulate power and wealth like breathing, usually by the most ruthless means available, and competition within clans is almost as vicious as competition between them. And the Heartstriker clan is the largest dragon clan there is.
Enter Julius Heartstriker. He's nothing like that. He just wants to be left alone. His mother has other ideas.
Soon Julius is on a do-or-die mission in the Detroit Free Zone, sealed into his human form, and with Marcy, a fugitive human mage in tow. Somehow he's got to survive in the DFZ where no dragons are allowed, avoid the wrath of his family and deal with the fairly dubious "help" that he receives from two of his brothers.
I've been wanting to read these for years, and I'm very glad I did. They're extremely entertaining urban fantasy with a slow-burn romantic subplot and some dire circumstances for our protagonist. Like many urban fantasy series, it lives and dies on the bit players and their involvement in the lives of the protagonists, and in this case we get some great ones in Justin and Bob, two of Julius's brothers and promises of future ones like Julius's sister Chelsea.
Pressing straight on to book two ...
Enter Julius Heartstriker. He's nothing like that. He just wants to be left alone. His mother has other ideas.
Soon Julius is on a do-or-die mission in the Detroit Free Zone, sealed into his human form, and with Marcy, a fugitive human mage in tow. Somehow he's got to survive in the DFZ where no dragons are allowed, avoid the wrath of his family and deal with the fairly dubious "help" that he receives from two of his brothers.
I've been wanting to read these for years, and I'm very glad I did. They're extremely entertaining urban fantasy with a slow-burn romantic subplot and some dire circumstances for our protagonist. Like many urban fantasy series, it lives and dies on the bit players and their involvement in the lives of the protagonists, and in this case we get some great ones in Justin and Bob, two of Julius's brothers and promises of future ones like Julius's sister Chelsea.
Pressing straight on to book two ...
August 3, 2014
When this book first came my way, I didn’t recognize the name Rachel Aaron and was surprised when a friend talked about her like she’s someone I’m supposed to be very familiar with. The joke’s on me though, guys, because Rachel Aaron is Rachel Bach, author of the Paradox trilogy, published by Orbit, which I’m currently enjoying in audio format.
For reasons I can only assume, Aaron/Bach chose to take the self-published route with her new Heartstrikers series, and while I’m sure promoting it will be more difficult, I have a feeling traditional publishers would have tried to tame this book, change it to make it fit into the usual genre confines and definitions. Trying to turn a book like Nice Dragons Finish Last into something less than it actually is would be akin to cold-blooded murder.
Nice Dragons Finish Last has elements of urban fantasy, science fiction and futuristic dystopia, combined in a way that works splendidly. The story takes place in a futuristic version of Detroit called Detroit Free Zone, where magic came back with a bang after a comet strike in 2035. It is the only place where dragons are absolutely illegal and it’s where Julius’s mother decided to dump him, bound in his human form, with merely a month to prove himself as a worthy dragon.
According to his family, Julius is a poor excuse for a dragon. He has very little ambition and no violent tendencies whatsoever. He’s in no hurry to outsmart anyone and he doesn’t much care about collecting treasure. From a dragon’s perspective he is essentially useless and his numerous family members don’t hesitate to tell him so loudly and as often as possible. Even with merely a month to impress them, Julius can’t quite force himself to be the dragon his mother wants him to be. While certainly resourceful, he is soft-hearted and kind, and very reluctant to step on anyone’s toes.
The real fun starts when Julius teams up with a young witch from Nevada. After that, it’s one hilarious adventure after another for the two of them. Aaron did an excellent job with these characters as well as several secondary ones, especially Julius’s brother Bob who is a constant source of amusement.
I hesitate to reveal any plot points since I feel that it's best to go into this blindly. Urban fantasy fans, fans of dragons and especially fans of good humor will find plenty to love about Rachel Aaron’s new series. I certainly did.
For reasons I can only assume, Aaron/Bach chose to take the self-published route with her new Heartstrikers series, and while I’m sure promoting it will be more difficult, I have a feeling traditional publishers would have tried to tame this book, change it to make it fit into the usual genre confines and definitions. Trying to turn a book like Nice Dragons Finish Last into something less than it actually is would be akin to cold-blooded murder.
Nice Dragons Finish Last has elements of urban fantasy, science fiction and futuristic dystopia, combined in a way that works splendidly. The story takes place in a futuristic version of Detroit called Detroit Free Zone, where magic came back with a bang after a comet strike in 2035. It is the only place where dragons are absolutely illegal and it’s where Julius’s mother decided to dump him, bound in his human form, with merely a month to prove himself as a worthy dragon.
According to his family, Julius is a poor excuse for a dragon. He has very little ambition and no violent tendencies whatsoever. He’s in no hurry to outsmart anyone and he doesn’t much care about collecting treasure. From a dragon’s perspective he is essentially useless and his numerous family members don’t hesitate to tell him so loudly and as often as possible. Even with merely a month to impress them, Julius can’t quite force himself to be the dragon his mother wants him to be. While certainly resourceful, he is soft-hearted and kind, and very reluctant to step on anyone’s toes.
The real fun starts when Julius teams up with a young witch from Nevada. After that, it’s one hilarious adventure after another for the two of them. Aaron did an excellent job with these characters as well as several secondary ones, especially Julius’s brother Bob who is a constant source of amusement.
I hesitate to reveal any plot points since I feel that it's best to go into this blindly. Urban fantasy fans, fans of dragons and especially fans of good humor will find plenty to love about Rachel Aaron’s new series. I certainly did.
September 6, 2019
3.5 dragon stars
Dragons, magic, humor, Urban Fantasy ... a great recipe for great entertainment! Throw in an underdog in the mix and a fabulous family of dragons .... I'm sold!!
This one was fun and entertaining from the beginning to the very end and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
Dragons, magic, humor, Urban Fantasy ... a great recipe for great entertainment! Throw in an underdog in the mix and a fabulous family of dragons .... I'm sold!!
This one was fun and entertaining from the beginning to the very end and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
September 6, 2015
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2015/0...
I’ll admit it. I would never have picked up this book if it were not for rave reviews and recommendations from fellow bloggers. I know I really shouldn’t, but I guess I sometimes judge a book by its title. As a reader who tends to prefer darker books a title like “Nice Dragons Finish Last” just leaves me a bit less interested. Not that all the books I read and enjoy are dark, but hearing a title that feels the opposite of dark, a book that sounds like it could be about a “Nice Dragon” just didn’t really appeal to me much. But you know, a title is just a title, and four words are incapable of really giving a potential reader a reliable indication of all the words in the book.
So, lesson learned. I did enjoy this book, and while the protagonist Julius is a “nice dragon”, dragons, particularly his family, are particularly brutal and cut throat. Being “nice” by their standards pretty much just means not being a self entitled bully. But really, Julius is a nice but likable character. He’s not perfect, but he does his best to, well, not be an asshole, and be a nice guy. And really he is. He is also a dragon that liked to spend his free time doing things like play video games, things that us humans can really relate to. Perhaps that is part of the reason he relates better to humans than the rest of the dragons. He sees us individuals instead of disposable cattle.
In his clan, he is the youngest, smallest (and nicest) dragon. For this, his mother has has sealed him in his human form, placed him in a very dragon hostile city and given him an almost impossible task, with an even more unrealistic deadline. Oh, and with no money or means of survival. He is in DFZ (or Detroit Free Zone). A city built on the ruins of Old Detroit, a city that is full of magic with mages and creatures. As long as those creatures are not dragons who are banned.
He quickly pairs up with Marci, who does magical jobs for hire. I really enjoyed her character. She’s just incredibly fun and draws in some interesting plot lines from her own history. I hate to get into that too much, but she does come with a ghost cat. Who doesn’t want to read about a ghost cat? Right? :) Marci brings in an attitude and outlook that helps give Julius a bit more motivation and backbone. You have to love that. There’s also a bit of undeniable chemistry between the two.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I definitely plan to continue the series. The world and magic, not to mention the dragons and the dynamics of the clan relationship are worth reading. Then bring in Marci and all of the mage world. Yes, I will be reading on and can understand all the recommendations as I will add my voice to them.
I’ll admit it. I would never have picked up this book if it were not for rave reviews and recommendations from fellow bloggers. I know I really shouldn’t, but I guess I sometimes judge a book by its title. As a reader who tends to prefer darker books a title like “Nice Dragons Finish Last” just leaves me a bit less interested. Not that all the books I read and enjoy are dark, but hearing a title that feels the opposite of dark, a book that sounds like it could be about a “Nice Dragon” just didn’t really appeal to me much. But you know, a title is just a title, and four words are incapable of really giving a potential reader a reliable indication of all the words in the book.
So, lesson learned. I did enjoy this book, and while the protagonist Julius is a “nice dragon”, dragons, particularly his family, are particularly brutal and cut throat. Being “nice” by their standards pretty much just means not being a self entitled bully. But really, Julius is a nice but likable character. He’s not perfect, but he does his best to, well, not be an asshole, and be a nice guy. And really he is. He is also a dragon that liked to spend his free time doing things like play video games, things that us humans can really relate to. Perhaps that is part of the reason he relates better to humans than the rest of the dragons. He sees us individuals instead of disposable cattle.
In his clan, he is the youngest, smallest (and nicest) dragon. For this, his mother has has sealed him in his human form, placed him in a very dragon hostile city and given him an almost impossible task, with an even more unrealistic deadline. Oh, and with no money or means of survival. He is in DFZ (or Detroit Free Zone). A city built on the ruins of Old Detroit, a city that is full of magic with mages and creatures. As long as those creatures are not dragons who are banned.
He quickly pairs up with Marci, who does magical jobs for hire. I really enjoyed her character. She’s just incredibly fun and draws in some interesting plot lines from her own history. I hate to get into that too much, but she does come with a ghost cat. Who doesn’t want to read about a ghost cat? Right? :) Marci brings in an attitude and outlook that helps give Julius a bit more motivation and backbone. You have to love that. There’s also a bit of undeniable chemistry between the two.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I definitely plan to continue the series. The world and magic, not to mention the dragons and the dynamics of the clan relationship are worth reading. Then bring in Marci and all of the mage world. Yes, I will be reading on and can understand all the recommendations as I will add my voice to them.
August 3, 2021
It's such a breath of fresh air to come across a protagonist who is unapologetically nice. (Interestingly, being nice is the only thing he doesn't apologize for. At least when we first meet him. :D) That alone tipped the balance in favor of 4 "I-really-liked-it" stars. Around the middle, I was wavering, because there was too much violence and too little personal interaction for my current preferences. Given Drake Vato's promise that the series only gets more personal later on, I'm so looking forward to the rest.
A few favorite moments:
https://choveshkata.net/forum/viewtop...
A few favorite moments:
https://choveshkata.net/forum/viewtop...
August 23, 2014
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
I can't recall where I read about this author trying her hand at self--publishing with this book but I thought I'd check it out, mostly because I like dragons, humour, and magic. I am glad I did check it out and will definitely read more by Rachel Aaron.
This book had the feel of a story written for youth but it is not immature or 'bopperish'. The main characters; a young dragon shape-shifter, on the outs with his clan because he's "too nice", and a young mage, on the run from this world's version of the mob, find each other and have a pretty good adventure. I enjoyed the world building and the characters in this book and will be looking for the next Heartstriker story.
I can't recall where I read about this author trying her hand at self--publishing with this book but I thought I'd check it out, mostly because I like dragons, humour, and magic. I am glad I did check it out and will definitely read more by Rachel Aaron.
This book had the feel of a story written for youth but it is not immature or 'bopperish'. The main characters; a young dragon shape-shifter, on the outs with his clan because he's "too nice", and a young mage, on the run from this world's version of the mob, find each other and have a pretty good adventure. I enjoyed the world building and the characters in this book and will be looking for the next Heartstriker story.
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