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Dragon Age #1-3
Bitterwood: The Complete Collection
An epic tale of war between dragons and mankind! When the mysterious dragon slayer Bitterwood murders the son of the Dragon-King, the dragons respond with a campaign of genocide against their human slaves. Amid the chaos of war, a band of rebel humans risk everything to fight for freedom, and an end to the Dragon Age. Read the saga that Orson Scott Card called “a magnificent hero story.” Bitterwood, the Complete Collection gathers together the first four novels of the Bitterwood series, plus the prequel short story “Tornado of Sparks.” The ebook edition also contains three three bonus novellas, Hunted, Haunted, and Hurt, plus a preview chapter from the new novel Devils! The individual Tornado of The dragon Vendevorex demonstrates his magical powers for the dragon-king Albekizan in a test that orphans a human infant. Can Vendevorex reunite the child with her only remaining family? Dragons rule the world and humans serve as their slaves, pets, and prey, with only the mysterious dragon-slayer Bitterwood fighting the dominant dragons from the shadows. But when Bitterwood slays the beloved son of the dragon-king Albekizan, the dragons launch a war of extermination against all humans. Can mankind survive the combined might of the dragons? As a war spreads throughout the dragon kingdom, a band of human rebels take over the armory of the dragon armies, the legendary Dragon Forge. As the dragon armies mass to take back the fortress, Bitterwood finds himself in the fight of his life, facing off against the most dangerous dragon of Blasphet. With the dragon forces in disarray, the humans face their own woes as allies banded together to fight the dragons begin to take up arms against each other. With all of civilization on the verge of anarchy, can Bitterwood save the day by joining forces with his worst enemy—the sun-dragon Hex, the last surviving son of King Albekizan? Dawn of 1000 years before Bitterwood, a man named Alex Pure gets disemboweled by a dragon. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, the apocalypse. The bonus Prelude and Omen novellas included in the ebook The sky-dragons Graxen and Nadala are trying to make a new home in a distant valley. With Nadala too pregnant to fly, Graxen must hunt for them to survive. But as he stalks his prey, something bigger and more dangerous than a dragon is stalking him. Bitterwood has settled into the quiet life of a farmer. Then, dragons raid his henhouse, leading Bitterwood to a confrontation with his most dangerous adversary. On a mission to recover a stolen shotgun, Anza faces off against the earth-dragon boss Bigmouth. But when she winds up shot by the very gun she came to retrieve, can she finish her mission before her injuries finish her? In praise of “For the sake of humanity, join in Bitterwood’s revolt.” – Kirkus Reviews “A grabber from page one, a smart tale of adventure and revenge sprinkled with echoes of our own dangerous times. James Maxey’s world of dragons and humans at war is so solidly and engagingly rendered that I never wanted to leave.” – John Marco “Bitterwood is an unlikely hero in a rich world, with a rich history that holds many surprises. James Maxey tells his story with a sure hand. Enjoy the journey!” – Carrie Vaughn "Fine action and cool world building. Anne McCaffrey through a mirror darkly." – E. E. Knight “A magnificent hero story.
800 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2013
321 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
James Maxey
93 books188 followersI've been an avid reader since I first picked up a book. Luckily, I was within biking distance of three different libraries growing up. I was a skinny kid. If only I had maintained that link between biking and reading, I might be a skinny adult.
I'm also a writer. I wrote my first book as a kid, an adventure about pirates and ghosts. When I was a teenager, I used to write superhero adventures. Then I went to college and was steered toward writing "literature." It took me several years to shake that off, and today I write the sort of books I devoured by the shelf when I was sixteen, fast-paced fantasy, SF, and superhero adventures, which I use to explore deeper questions about life. My goal is to always be thought-provoking and always be fun.
I've had short stories in about a dozen anthologies and magazines. My novels to date are:
Nobody Gets the Girl
The Dragon Age trilogy
Bitterwood
Dragonforge
Dragonseed
Burn Baby Burn
The Dragon Apocalypse
Greatshadow (January 2012) -- A team of superpowered adventurers are recruited by the Church of the Book to extinguish the primal dragon of fire, Greatshadow.
Hush (July 2012) -- An effort to complete a quest for a fallen friend, the warrior woman Infidel stumbles onto a plot to kill Glorious, the primal dragon of the sun, and plunge the world into permanent cold and darkness, the elemental domain of the dragon Hush.
Witchbreaker (January 2013) -- A young witch named Sorrow has lost control of her magic after tapping into the spirit of Rott, the primal dragon of decay. Her desperate quest to save what remains of her humanity leads to an uneasy alliance with an amnesiatic warrior who might be the legendary champion of the church known as the Witchbreaker. But can there combined powers prevail when they trigger the wrath of Tempest, the primal dragon of storms?
I'm also a writer. I wrote my first book as a kid, an adventure about pirates and ghosts. When I was a teenager, I used to write superhero adventures. Then I went to college and was steered toward writing "literature." It took me several years to shake that off, and today I write the sort of books I devoured by the shelf when I was sixteen, fast-paced fantasy, SF, and superhero adventures, which I use to explore deeper questions about life. My goal is to always be thought-provoking and always be fun.
I've had short stories in about a dozen anthologies and magazines. My novels to date are:
Nobody Gets the Girl
The Dragon Age trilogy
Bitterwood
Dragonforge
Dragonseed
Burn Baby Burn
The Dragon Apocalypse
Greatshadow (January 2012) -- A team of superpowered adventurers are recruited by the Church of the Book to extinguish the primal dragon of fire, Greatshadow.
Hush (July 2012) -- An effort to complete a quest for a fallen friend, the warrior woman Infidel stumbles onto a plot to kill Glorious, the primal dragon of the sun, and plunge the world into permanent cold and darkness, the elemental domain of the dragon Hush.
Witchbreaker (January 2013) -- A young witch named Sorrow has lost control of her magic after tapping into the spirit of Rott, the primal dragon of decay. Her desperate quest to save what remains of her humanity leads to an uneasy alliance with an amnesiatic warrior who might be the legendary champion of the church known as the Witchbreaker. But can there combined powers prevail when they trigger the wrath of Tempest, the primal dragon of storms?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 28, 2016
The Bitterwood quartet by James Maxey is a complex speculative fiction tale of bitterness and revenge that at first presents itself as a dark fantasy. The narrative draws back proverbial veils throughout the quartet, in the end revealing a deep history in an expansive post-apocalyptic, SF world. Maxey weaves plot in a way that makes big things happen in an otherwise small and petty world inhabited mostly by small and petty people. Many of the characters present as anti-hero to begin with and change their alliances throughout the series. The combination of high-tech and complex characters makes for a thrilling plot that takes unexpected turns.
Although I was drawn in from the start, it took me longer before I could appreciate the characters. Jandra in particular started as a seemingly flat character – a flatness brought on by her sheltered upbringing – but in time she grew to become a character that I enjoyed. Antagonists such as Blasphet grow alongside the protagonists, a dynamic that, along with the complicated world, allows the story to explore many themes and subplots appropriate to a SF quartet patterned after epic fantasy. The bad guys (and sometimes the good guys) offer up plenty of deception and misuse of religion that go along with the many layers of the history and world of Bitterwood.
Although I was drawn in from the start, it took me longer before I could appreciate the characters. Jandra in particular started as a seemingly flat character – a flatness brought on by her sheltered upbringing – but in time she grew to become a character that I enjoyed. Antagonists such as Blasphet grow alongside the protagonists, a dynamic that, along with the complicated world, allows the story to explore many themes and subplots appropriate to a SF quartet patterned after epic fantasy. The bad guys (and sometimes the good guys) offer up plenty of deception and misuse of religion that go along with the many layers of the history and world of Bitterwood.
Want to read
December 31, 2019Bitterwood sounds wonderful, if you're into epic fantasy with dragons and the like. I can't wait to read it. To pique your interest further, I thought I'd share this interview with the author, James Maxey, courtesy of Fantasy Focus:
http://fantasy-focus.com/2019/12/inte...
November 11, 2021
Well, this collection was quite a wild ride. The premise of a sci-fi/fantasy book series definitely peaked my interest, and oh boy, did this series deliver. Lots and lots of very intriguing world building, that slowly eases you into the fantasy setting of it all, only to then slowly and casually start introducing sci-fi elements, in a way that, surprisingly, wasn't jarring.
The way it was done left me feeling very intrigued and interested, and the best example of this was Hezekiah. A seemingly normal "person" that has abnormal strength, wears a long black coat, with a black tophat, is an excellent fighter and... quotes psalms from the Bible. And has a Biblical name. In a made up fantasy setting, that is full of dragons and castles.
A lot of chapters and book intros being prefaced by psalms from the Bible was also really interesting, and made me even more curious about the world in the book series. I also really liked how the series was anti-trope, in the sense that this is dragons ruling over humans, and not vice-versa, even though I definitely appreciated how it wasn't black and white. Both sides definitely had their ups and downs, and I often found myself cheering and rooting for specific characters from both the human and dragon side.
And speaking of characters, I immensely enjoyed how Jandra developed as a character, and the way she slowly learned to rule over her "powers". Bitterwood was also great, even though he didn't change or grow that much, he was always mostly the same psychopathic dragon killer, made bitter by what the dragons did to him, although the other characters (like Zeeky and her odd quirks) were very much charming and enjoyable.
Books 1-3 were great and nicely followed an overarching storyline. Book 4 (Dawn of Dragons) was... completely and entirely different.... It is, in fact, jarringly different and is definitely not for everyone. It's a prequel to the first three books, even though I did read it after the trilogy, and the reasons why it's so different goes into the territory of how the sci-fi aspect works, and how the general world in the series came to be. However, despite how jarring it was, I ended up absolutely loving the characters in it, especially Alex Pure. Other characters were immensely charming and funny, but he in particular was a joy to witness. Utterly whacky, witty, with a bizarre sense of humor and a completely screwed up personality. I must also point out that Dawn of Dragons had a surprising amount of social commentary/mentions in regards to politics and civil rights and liberties, especially LGBT rights, as well as climate change, economy and morality commentary. How does any of that have anything to do with a book series about a dragon assassin in a fantasy world? Well, it's a long story, but a damn good one.
Finally, the three small novels that came with the eBook version of Bitterwood (Hunted, Haunted and Hurt) were also very enjoyable. Quite thrilling, action packed and intriguing, they continue the story of several characters while acting as a bridge into the Dragonsgate series, which is the sequel to Bitterwood, and it definitely left me feeling very excited to start that series as well.
Overall, a 5/5 from me. Very unique world and setting with elements that would seem out of place at first but were implemented really well.
The way it was done left me feeling very intrigued and interested, and the best example of this was Hezekiah. A seemingly normal "person" that has abnormal strength, wears a long black coat, with a black tophat, is an excellent fighter and... quotes psalms from the Bible. And has a Biblical name. In a made up fantasy setting, that is full of dragons and castles.
A lot of chapters and book intros being prefaced by psalms from the Bible was also really interesting, and made me even more curious about the world in the book series. I also really liked how the series was anti-trope, in the sense that this is dragons ruling over humans, and not vice-versa, even though I definitely appreciated how it wasn't black and white. Both sides definitely had their ups and downs, and I often found myself cheering and rooting for specific characters from both the human and dragon side.
And speaking of characters, I immensely enjoyed how Jandra developed as a character, and the way she slowly learned to rule over her "powers". Bitterwood was also great, even though he didn't change or grow that much, he was always mostly the same psychopathic dragon killer, made bitter by what the dragons did to him, although the other characters (like Zeeky and her odd quirks) were very much charming and enjoyable.
Books 1-3 were great and nicely followed an overarching storyline. Book 4 (Dawn of Dragons) was... completely and entirely different.... It is, in fact, jarringly different and is definitely not for everyone. It's a prequel to the first three books, even though I did read it after the trilogy, and the reasons why it's so different goes into the territory of how the sci-fi aspect works, and how the general world in the series came to be. However, despite how jarring it was, I ended up absolutely loving the characters in it, especially Alex Pure. Other characters were immensely charming and funny, but he in particular was a joy to witness. Utterly whacky, witty, with a bizarre sense of humor and a completely screwed up personality. I must also point out that Dawn of Dragons had a surprising amount of social commentary/mentions in regards to politics and civil rights and liberties, especially LGBT rights, as well as climate change, economy and morality commentary. How does any of that have anything to do with a book series about a dragon assassin in a fantasy world? Well, it's a long story, but a damn good one.
Finally, the three small novels that came with the eBook version of Bitterwood (Hunted, Haunted and Hurt) were also very enjoyable. Quite thrilling, action packed and intriguing, they continue the story of several characters while acting as a bridge into the Dragonsgate series, which is the sequel to Bitterwood, and it definitely left me feeling very excited to start that series as well.
Overall, a 5/5 from me. Very unique world and setting with elements that would seem out of place at first but were implemented really well.
January 15, 2016
Buy and read this book.
It's not often you find a story worth reading, and even rarer a story that leaves you looking for more. This is one of those stories. Not only does Mr Maxey tell an excellent story, he manages to hold it together and pour it out like he loved it himself, like he wanted to tell it and tell it completely right to the very end. If you've ever read a book that it seemed the author tired of writing or was just pumping out another paycheck you'll know what I mean.
I was fortunate enough to have found this bundle at an excellent price so I suggest you pick it up while you can as it's worth much more.
It's not often you find a story worth reading, and even rarer a story that leaves you looking for more. This is one of those stories. Not only does Mr Maxey tell an excellent story, he manages to hold it together and pour it out like he loved it himself, like he wanted to tell it and tell it completely right to the very end. If you've ever read a book that it seemed the author tired of writing or was just pumping out another paycheck you'll know what I mean.
I was fortunate enough to have found this bundle at an excellent price so I suggest you pick it up while you can as it's worth much more.
July 20, 2016
A Great Adventure
This is one of the best stories I've gotten lost in in a long while. The characters are well developed and believable. The story progress smoothly and is well thought out. I would advise getting the complete collection (just to save time), as I'm sure you will want to find out how it all ends. Have fun.
This is one of the best stories I've gotten lost in in a long while. The characters are well developed and believable. The story progress smoothly and is well thought out. I would advise getting the complete collection (just to save time), as I'm sure you will want to find out how it all ends. Have fun.
January 22, 2016
Exceptional Read
I thoroughly enjoyed Bitterwood. Once I started reading I couldn't stop. Characters were real and believable. Plot had many twists and turns. James Maxey's mind is delightful warped, thanks.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bitterwood. Once I started reading I couldn't stop. Characters were real and believable. Plot had many twists and turns. James Maxey's mind is delightful warped, thanks.
May 8, 2018
An enjoyable story well told. This is an original take on post-apocalyptic fantasy with a good mix of the old world added nicely into the tale. Interesting characters carry the story forward with the dragons endowed with as much an interesting blend of personality as the humans.
Bitter wood is obviously the main character, but he doesn't dominate. His motivation is his hatred of all dragons after his wife and children and entire village are brutally murdered when everything is burned to the ground by dragons. With vengeance in his heart he sets forward to kill any dragon that crosses his path. In the process he becomes a sort of folk hero.
The only con I had toward this book was the blatant assumption and faith that evolution and atheism are true and correct. Granted, this is a fantasy story, so adding his belief and faith in that religion is just another element of fantasy, so why not?
Aside from that one con for Christians out there, it's a good, enjoyable read and worth checking the next book in the series.
Bitter wood is obviously the main character, but he doesn't dominate. His motivation is his hatred of all dragons after his wife and children and entire village are brutally murdered when everything is burned to the ground by dragons. With vengeance in his heart he sets forward to kill any dragon that crosses his path. In the process he becomes a sort of folk hero.
The only con I had toward this book was the blatant assumption and faith that evolution and atheism are true and correct. Granted, this is a fantasy story, so adding his belief and faith in that religion is just another element of fantasy, so why not?
Aside from that one con for Christians out there, it's a good, enjoyable read and worth checking the next book in the series.
June 28, 2019
Wow!! What an amazing tale. I don't normally get into Science-Fiction, per say. I'm more of an Epic-Fantasy person. Dragons and magic, and that sort of thing. That's what drew me to this series; Dragon over-lords, and human slaves? Right up my alley. But then, as I was reading, and it started bringing in bits of "high-tech sci-fi", I was already into the story, and wanted to learn more. The Sci-Fi actually fit, and made the story even more interesting. It was sad, happy and cheerful at all the right times, needed.
I do feel the series should have been Bitterwood and Jandra, or something along those lines. They seemed to be the two main characters throughout the series. Lots of background characters, and sub-lead characters, but those were the two in the front. I actually think I was rooting for Jandra than Bitterwood.
Overall, a very well put together story, with characters that you actually feel for, and can root for. I'd definitely recommend it.
I do feel the series should have been Bitterwood and Jandra, or something along those lines. They seemed to be the two main characters throughout the series. Lots of background characters, and sub-lead characters, but those were the two in the front. I actually think I was rooting for Jandra than Bitterwood.
Overall, a very well put together story, with characters that you actually feel for, and can root for. I'd definitely recommend it.
May 1, 2023
Wonderful can't-put-it-down clever fantasy/sci-fi. On the surface, a hero tale about a dragon hunter determined to rid the world of the dragons that oppress their human slaves. But as the tale unfolds, we find nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and the rise of cyborg Atlantis, with plenty of humor, romance, and some of the best world-building I've ever seen. I couldn't wait to find out what came next - and sad when I finished them all!
May 23, 2018
Fun mix of fantasy and sci-fi!
Unlike so many other fantasy novels, this series seems intent on having flawed characters and a link to science. My only complaint is the lack of gravitas later in the book; I would have enjoyed an omelet at the expense of some eggs. Still, fun read and certainly a different approach to a dragon story!
Unlike so many other fantasy novels, this series seems intent on having flawed characters and a link to science. My only complaint is the lack of gravitas later in the book; I would have enjoyed an omelet at the expense of some eggs. Still, fun read and certainly a different approach to a dragon story!
November 18, 2025
A good set of books, I have reviewed them all individually. I particularly enjoyed the last book - a prequel - but explaining quite a bit of the others.
If you like fantasy, but appreciate there being a sci-fi explanation for a fantasy world, then you will enjoy these books.
If you like fantasy, but appreciate there being a sci-fi explanation for a fantasy world, then you will enjoy these books.
March 15, 2017
First four books worth the read.
The fifth book is a prequel that destroys the time line by putting it last. It also does not have enough sort line to stand alone.
The fifth book is a prequel that destroys the time line by putting it last. It also does not have enough sort line to stand alone.
December 18, 2017
Good read
May 4, 2018
This is a quartet and I only made it through the first two books. I realized I was forcing myself to finish and let it go. Didn't work for me.
July 7, 2018
Very enjoyable read. Call it SF with a fantasy twist, or Famtsy with a speculative fiction underpinning. Well built world and fleshed out characters. Would be glad to go back and visit again.
January 31, 2019
I enjoyed the books. I had a hard time imagining the dragons physical characteristics according to the author's description. Otherwise, enjoyed the whole series.
June 5, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed it
Really good read. Can’t wait for the next books. Will definitely recommend to anyone. Hopefully next ones don’t take too long.
Really good read. Can’t wait for the next books. Will definitely recommend to anyone. Hopefully next ones don’t take too long.
August 25, 2019
Interesting Read
This is an interesting story with some good character's and the story gradually draws you in.
Having the complete collection in one book was a great help
This is an interesting story with some good character's and the story gradually draws you in.
Having the complete collection in one book was a great help
September 3, 2019
This was a fascinating series of stories that kept my interest throughout. The convoluted plot was oddly believable! I highly recommend this author and series to anyone interested in sci-fi/fantasy.
Read
September 28, 2019Really well done!
Overall a great.series I was.altogether unimpressed with the last prequel on the complete series bundle. The others were fresh And well developed.
.
Overall a great.series I was.altogether unimpressed with the last prequel on the complete series bundle. The others were fresh And well developed.
.
May 5, 2024
Great collection kept me interested and reading nonstop.
Read
December 18, 2024awesome read!
Didn't know but was fun figuring it out. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. On to the next
Didn't know but was fun figuring it out. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. On to the next
December 24, 2016
Could be better
To disjointed for my taste story line was okay just to hard to get in and main character really not believable
To disjointed for my taste story line was okay just to hard to get in and main character really not believable
December 1, 2016
An epic tale of war between dragons and mankind! When the mysterious dragon slayer Bitterwood murders the son of the Dragon-King, the dragons respond with a campaign of genocide against their human slaves. Amid the chaos of war, a band of rebel humans risk everything to fight for freedom, and an end to the Dragon Age. Read the saga that Orson Scott Card called "a magnificent hero story." Bitterwood, the Complete Collection gathers together all four novels of the Bitterwood series, plus the prequel short story "Tornado of Sparks."
I found this to be unbelievable, and very boring in places. It couldn't hold my interest. To me even a fantasy has to be a little believable, but this is way way out there. It took me 20 days to read, which is a long time for me, I gave it a chance and it was a waist of my time! READ THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
I found this to be unbelievable, and very boring in places. It couldn't hold my interest. To me even a fantasy has to be a little believable, but this is way way out there. It took me 20 days to read, which is a long time for me, I gave it a chance and it was a waist of my time! READ THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
September 10, 2016
Imaginative and insightful.
I thought the author brought originality to his work which must be difficult when so many others are exploring the same genre. I particularly liked the quirky dialogues and characterisations. Bitterwood himself is so full of contradictions and human frailties that you can,t help sympathizing with him. The talking pig was a genius addition to the cast cementing relationships fighting for right and taking on dragons. I would recommend these books to anyone who is looking for hours of entertainment and a good laugh as the characters deal with life and death situations where dragons are , initially , supreme. Good author.
I thought the author brought originality to his work which must be difficult when so many others are exploring the same genre. I particularly liked the quirky dialogues and characterisations. Bitterwood himself is so full of contradictions and human frailties that you can,t help sympathizing with him. The talking pig was a genius addition to the cast cementing relationships fighting for right and taking on dragons. I would recommend these books to anyone who is looking for hours of entertainment and a good laugh as the characters deal with life and death situations where dragons are , initially , supreme. Good author.
December 15, 2016
something to think about
it took me time to get into the story line
but once I realised, i could not put it down
very well written with an amazing twist
and very clever ending , I definitely
recommend as I am sure if this is a genre you
enjoy you will this story
it took me time to get into the story line
but once I realised, i could not put it down
very well written with an amazing twist
and very clever ending , I definitely
recommend as I am sure if this is a genre you
enjoy you will this story
March 14, 2016
This is the whole set so I am grading it on that. The first book is great. Second one had me wishing it was over so I didn't have to quit reading it, but I did anyway. Never got to the third.
The second one got bogged down in trying to set up a government with the dragons and humans working together. The story got lost in the political drama.
The second one got bogged down in trying to set up a government with the dragons and humans working together. The story got lost in the political drama.
November 14, 2016
Overall enjoyed the story. There were way more sci-fi aspects than I had expected in the summary. While there is nothing particularity wrong with that, I dislike it when I'm surprised with it. I was kept interested and wanted to see how it ended. I would have enjoyed more interactions of how dragons and humans could get along, and less alien technology.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2017
I enjoyed this immensely. Kept me captivated until the end except for the last novel. However if the "first novel" that was the end in this omnibus, had been first I would have had a hard time going onto the next. The author's writing had definitely improved after this first attempt at a novel. I am glad he decided to continue the story in the Bitterwood series.
January 23, 2017
It was a nice change of pace to read a fantasy novel with some perspective from the dragons. The series can be a bit dark and the title character is not the most lovable. Bitterwood is pretty much a straight-up fantasy novel, but Dragonforge and Dragonseed start to delve into SciFi. I enjoyed reading Dawn of Dragons at the end, which is a prequel and also the most SciFi oriented of the set.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews