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Dragon's Dawn #1
Fires Above, Heroes Below
When all seems lost, a young man discovers the untapped power within himself. The Dragon's Dawn series begins.
Laric Mason has long evaded the grand expectations set before him by his grandmother. Engaged in the rudimentary spellslips and basics of mage magic at his local school, he intentionally conceals his true abilities. Public recognition would only bring unwanted responsibility and the threat of a transfer to the prestigious Mage Academy.
When a devastating dragon assault from the neighboring realm of Korthal lays waste to his village, Laric's world is turned upside down. With his home in ruins and his loved ones lost, he and his friends are all that stand against further invasions.
Faced with the need for a hero, Laric must decide if he will embrace the power he has shied away from all his life. To defend his remaining world and challenge the dragon threat, Laric must do the one thing he has always avoided.
He must try.
Dragon's Dawn begins an exciting dragon rider fantasy series by bestsellers D.K. Holmberg and Dan Michaelson.
Laric Mason has long evaded the grand expectations set before him by his grandmother. Engaged in the rudimentary spellslips and basics of mage magic at his local school, he intentionally conceals his true abilities. Public recognition would only bring unwanted responsibility and the threat of a transfer to the prestigious Mage Academy.
When a devastating dragon assault from the neighboring realm of Korthal lays waste to his village, Laric's world is turned upside down. With his home in ruins and his loved ones lost, he and his friends are all that stand against further invasions.
Faced with the need for a hero, Laric must decide if he will embrace the power he has shied away from all his life. To defend his remaining world and challenge the dragon threat, Laric must do the one thing he has always avoided.
He must try.
Dragon's Dawn begins an exciting dragon rider fantasy series by bestsellers D.K. Holmberg and Dan Michaelson.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 10, 2024
A D.K. Holmberg novel
And how do you know it is a D..K. novel? It's easy, all you have to do is look for his signature line, He felt like he was close to understanding, but still didn't know what was going on. Or something similar to that it will appear consistently throughout each book. Each of his main characters don't have a clue about how they aquire their power (most times) - they don't know how to use their power, but they learn how to use it throughout the book. But they don't understand how they are gaining that knowledge. It's like that in every one of his books. That's why I quit reading anything written by him. I will not be finishing this series.
And how do you know it is a D..K. novel? It's easy, all you have to do is look for his signature line, He felt like he was close to understanding, but still didn't know what was going on. Or something similar to that it will appear consistently throughout each book. Each of his main characters don't have a clue about how they aquire their power (most times) - they don't know how to use their power, but they learn how to use it throughout the book. But they don't understand how they are gaining that knowledge. It's like that in every one of his books. That's why I quit reading anything written by him. I will not be finishing this series.
August 27, 2024
very confusing
I am not sure if the Kindle version I read was bad or if the actual book is truly disjointed. For example, going from chapter 24 to 25 you have no idea what the spell really did, what fight took place or anything. It just skipped to chapter”it’s all over”. There are also too many side comments and discussions to keep the reader interested or seem believable. There will be fighting for their lives but have time to make sarcastic comments to each other for a paragraph or 2. I did t finish the book. I made it to chapter 25 and quit.
I am not sure if the Kindle version I read was bad or if the actual book is truly disjointed. For example, going from chapter 24 to 25 you have no idea what the spell really did, what fight took place or anything. It just skipped to chapter”it’s all over”. There are also too many side comments and discussions to keep the reader interested or seem believable. There will be fighting for their lives but have time to make sarcastic comments to each other for a paragraph or 2. I did t finish the book. I made it to chapter 25 and quit.
September 7, 2024
ok I changed my mind
I thought it was a descent 1st book so at first I gave it a 3 star. The plot was a little scattered and it repeated a little more than I liked but nothing a couldn’t get over. Then I started on the 2nd book and nothing had changed. The characters hadn’t grown, they still were indecisive, nothing was connected smoothly at all and I had to come back and change my stars because I don’t think anything is going to change for this series.
I thought it was a descent 1st book so at first I gave it a 3 star. The plot was a little scattered and it repeated a little more than I liked but nothing a couldn’t get over. Then I started on the 2nd book and nothing had changed. The characters hadn’t grown, they still were indecisive, nothing was connected smoothly at all and I had to come back and change my stars because I don’t think anything is going to change for this series.
October 22, 2024
Disappointed. Very convoluted magic system, incessive over explained, repeated character plots.
This book is for young adults and it feels like it. The main characters are a group of young people who constantly, through inner dialogue and conversational dialogue repeated over, and over, and over, the same problems and situational awareness to the point that the dialogue becomes insufferable. Constantly in the dialogue the characters would rehash problems and concepts of already talked about and thought about, but every chapter it seemed like they had to revisit each one. The magical system was convoluted without any real solid foundation except for something called slip spells but could never be defined clearly. One main character apparently had a natural grasp of these, but is constant repeating thoughts on the same subject over and over became tiresome and boring. Very simple story and plot, with very convoluted dialogue and overused tropes. Very over explained to the point it stopped making sense. Maybe a very young reader at the age of 10... might like this?
This book is for young adults and it feels like it. The main characters are a group of young people who constantly, through inner dialogue and conversational dialogue repeated over, and over, and over, the same problems and situational awareness to the point that the dialogue becomes insufferable. Constantly in the dialogue the characters would rehash problems and concepts of already talked about and thought about, but every chapter it seemed like they had to revisit each one. The magical system was convoluted without any real solid foundation except for something called slip spells but could never be defined clearly. One main character apparently had a natural grasp of these, but is constant repeating thoughts on the same subject over and over became tiresome and boring. Very simple story and plot, with very convoluted dialogue and overused tropes. Very over explained to the point it stopped making sense. Maybe a very young reader at the age of 10... might like this?
November 3, 2024
“Laric had always dreamt of dragons.” He drew them. He longed for them, but when they arrived with an invading army, it was nothing like what he’d imagined!
This is a coming-of-age book, in which a reluctant, bored student has to rise up and overcome powerful, elusive enemies. Shielding his friends, a couple of fellow students of beginning magic, he ends up fighting to save his entire village, uncertain of who his enemies might actually be.
The book started off slowly, exploring the inner world of young Laric, then moving on to the bigger situation of the Academy he attended. I liked some of the character arcs, but there were others that were flat, predictable and undeveloped. The authors’ world, plot twists and hint of more dramatic interactions with dragons stirs me to reach for book 2.
This is a coming-of-age book, in which a reluctant, bored student has to rise up and overcome powerful, elusive enemies. Shielding his friends, a couple of fellow students of beginning magic, he ends up fighting to save his entire village, uncertain of who his enemies might actually be.
The book started off slowly, exploring the inner world of young Laric, then moving on to the bigger situation of the Academy he attended. I liked some of the character arcs, but there were others that were flat, predictable and undeveloped. The authors’ world, plot twists and hint of more dramatic interactions with dragons stirs me to reach for book 2.
Did Not Finish
June 1, 2026This is, so far, a story about the shittiest teenager ever lol
I'm hard on the fence about finishing this book. Laric is a big ole jerk to literally everyone and he's also the most painfully incurious person to ever live somewhere magic was real. Along with having no sense of wonder. He just takes everything anyone tells him at face value and doesn't ask questions or make connections. He's also stupid and impulsive and fickle. "oh I don't need to learn magic at school, it's lesser magic" but then the Inciting Event happens and suddenly he can't stop using magic and attacking every bad guy around.
There's a certain clunkiness to the dialogue that's annoying me. It's kind of sus.
Yeah I'm out of patience for the dialogue. It's weirdly clonky in a way that's hard to pin down, and all the characters are super evasive and jerk-y for reasons that don't seem to exist.
I'm hard on the fence about finishing this book. Laric is a big ole jerk to literally everyone and he's also the most painfully incurious person to ever live somewhere magic was real. Along with having no sense of wonder. He just takes everything anyone tells him at face value and doesn't ask questions or make connections. He's also stupid and impulsive and fickle. "oh I don't need to learn magic at school, it's lesser magic" but then the Inciting Event happens and suddenly he can't stop using magic and attacking every bad guy around.
There's a certain clunkiness to the dialogue that's annoying me. It's kind of sus.
Yeah I'm out of patience for the dialogue. It's weirdly clonky in a way that's hard to pin down, and all the characters are super evasive and jerk-y for reasons that don't seem to exist.
August 13, 2025
The story was like a mix of BBC's Merlin and Harry Potter!
A young boy acts as a troublemaker at school to hide both his boredom and talent at magic. Then he and his friend notice the one thing they have only heard about but never seen. A Dragon! Soon his family, friends, and the rest of the village all depend on him and his hidden talents to find out why this dragon and soldiers are attacking them and how to stop them.
It was well-written and easy enough to follow. I'm interested to see what the sequel is like. Solid 4/5 stars.
A young boy acts as a troublemaker at school to hide both his boredom and talent at magic. Then he and his friend notice the one thing they have only heard about but never seen. A Dragon! Soon his family, friends, and the rest of the village all depend on him and his hidden talents to find out why this dragon and soldiers are attacking them and how to stop them.
It was well-written and easy enough to follow. I'm interested to see what the sequel is like. Solid 4/5 stars.
August 23, 2024
Here there be Dragons!
Boys live dragons. I have a hoodie with dragons in it and I'm in my late 60's. Laric doesn't want to be anything but a joker. Not a mage for heavens sake! But his grandmother saw it in him and started preparing him for that eventuality. Then she went away, leaving him to wonder. But he has potential. Potential to be a powerful mage, if he lives long enough to make it happen.
Come along on this wild ride and help him.
Boys live dragons. I have a hoodie with dragons in it and I'm in my late 60's. Laric doesn't want to be anything but a joker. Not a mage for heavens sake! But his grandmother saw it in him and started preparing him for that eventuality. Then she went away, leaving him to wonder. But he has potential. Potential to be a powerful mage, if he lives long enough to make it happen.
Come along on this wild ride and help him.
June 17, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fires Above, Heroes Below by Dan Michaelson is a gripping and emotional journey through a richly imagined world. The characters are well-developed, especially the central heroes who balance vulnerability and strength in compelling ways. The pacing is strong, with enough twists to keep you hooked, though a few plot threads felt slightly rushed or underexplored. Still, the blend of action, heart, and meaningful stakes makes this a standout read. A solid 4 stars!
Fires Above, Heroes Below by Dan Michaelson is a gripping and emotional journey through a richly imagined world. The characters are well-developed, especially the central heroes who balance vulnerability and strength in compelling ways. The pacing is strong, with enough twists to keep you hooked, though a few plot threads felt slightly rushed or underexplored. Still, the blend of action, heart, and meaningful stakes makes this a standout read. A solid 4 stars!
July 18, 2024
Magic and mayhem
This is stacking up to be an exciting series, with a group of mere students going up against truly powerful magical beings, and dragons fighting against... something. I'm excited to start the next book.
This is stacking up to be an exciting series, with a group of mere students going up against truly powerful magical beings, and dragons fighting against... something. I'm excited to start the next book.
June 17, 2025
Book 1
Book 1 was meh. Not one of his best books, as it became repetitive and a bit annoying in the telling. The characters are okay, but whine about everything and the plot is vague in almost everything and predictable throughout.
Book 1 was meh. Not one of his best books, as it became repetitive and a bit annoying in the telling. The characters are okay, but whine about everything and the plot is vague in almost everything and predictable throughout.
May 9, 2026
Decent book
It's a little slow in the beginning but it speeds up. So stick through the first 15 chapters. I wish there was a little more of the magic system built out, but its not too bad.
It's a little slow in the beginning but it speeds up. So stick through the first 15 chapters. I wish there was a little more of the magic system built out, but its not too bad.
July 4, 2024
Frustrating. If you’ve read the synopsis congratulations, you know as much about the world and plot as I do and I read most of this damn book. None of the plot threads go anywhere and we never learn anything.
July 13, 2024
Deep Dragon Tale
This is a deep physiological tale. It will be interesting to see how the author weaves this story. Very well thought out, so far!
This is a deep physiological tale. It will be interesting to see how the author weaves this story. Very well thought out, so far!
August 12, 2024
Totally enjoyed it! This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!
September 20, 2024
Magic, dragons and students? Ok this could be fun!
What a great beginning to a series with kids and magic and dragons! But even more will be the adventure.
What a great beginning to a series with kids and magic and dragons! But even more will be the adventure.
October 3, 2024
Fire Above
It started out very slow. Sorry but boring. But I didn’t put it down and it did get very exciting. So push through the beginning and it gets really good.
It started out very slow. Sorry but boring. But I didn’t put it down and it did get very exciting. So push through the beginning and it gets really good.
May 30, 2025
Well written!
I enjoyed this book. Mystery and magecraft and dragons… How can you go wrong? The next should be even better!
I enjoyed this book. Mystery and magecraft and dragons… How can you go wrong? The next should be even better!
June 4, 2024
Pass on this one folks 🤦
I don't think these guys had a plan. They just started writing. There is no real plot. There is an entire book of angst and indecision and self doubt on the part of ALL the protagonists. Might I mention that none of them are particularly likeable. You kinda hope they all get eaten by the dragon. This feels like an exercise in arrogance and ego run amok.
I don't think these guys had a plan. They just started writing. There is no real plot. There is an entire book of angst and indecision and self doubt on the part of ALL the protagonists. Might I mention that none of them are particularly likeable. You kinda hope they all get eaten by the dragon. This feels like an exercise in arrogance and ego run amok.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews