Draigon Weather

The Legacies of Arnan #1

by Paige L. Christie

The brutal, drought-bringing heat that arises from the colossal, near-mythical Draigon, is a fell portent, heralding the doom of a woman.

When Leiel’s mother is Sacrificed to the Draigon to relieve the terrible drought, Leiel is marked by the shame brought to her family. She must leave school, relegated to a new life of servitude.

Cleod, the woodcutter’s son, is Leiel’s closest friend. To avenge Leiel’s mother, he vows to rise above his station and join the Ehlewer Enclave, an elite society famed for training men to kill Draigon.

The friends’ lives take different paths. Cleod struggles with divided loyalties as he learns he cannot be a Draigon hunter while remaining a friend to a tainted woman. Leiel seeks forbidden knowledge and old secrets, placing herself in danger of sharing her mother’s fate.

When Draigon Weather returns to the land, Cleod has the chance to fulfill all his promises—both to Leiel and to his new masters, the Ehlewer. But as the rivers choke on their own silt and heat soaks the ground, the choices the two friends have made begin to catch up with them — for what plagues Arnan is more than just a monster.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Magic, Epic Fantasy

326 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2017

About the author

Paige L. Christie is author of The Legacies of Arnan Fantasy series. The first novel Draigon Weather, published in 2017, has received praise from Janny Wurts and Lucy Holland. With the series complete, Paige is working on a couple stand-alone novels and trying to remember how to write effective short stories!

Paige was raised in Maine, and lives the NC mountains, writing speculative fiction, walking her dogs, and being ignored by her 3-legged cat. She is a a proud founding member of the Blazing Lioness Writers.

Always a nerd, obsessive about hobbies like photography, Ghawazee Dance, and listening to the characters in her head, Paige can be found slightly left of center.

Reviews

[Janny]

A splendid debut from a talent to watch. Opens with a mature, somewhat beat up hero presented with defending a caravan under threatening circumstances. The setting and the writing and the characters are deftly realized, and the prose, sharp and straight to the point. Alternating flashback chapters slowly reveal the background, with a heroine given equal billing and plenty of 'mind of her own' contrary complexity. She does not exist just to put a shine on the protagonist - anything but, which is refreshing. Unlike most 'split time' novels, this one kept me riveted through both timelines. As the backstory converges with the present, the suspense tightens down beautifully. I found this book tough to put down, unique enough to be unforgettable, and left me raving crazy to get my hands on the sequel. For readers who love character AND plot driven books, give this quick little read a try.

[Lynn K : Grimmedian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you have a penchant for books that turn tropes upside down? It’s utterly refreshing and Draigon Weather does just that and so much more.

This is a story is about the lives of a man and woman who met and became friends as young children. This is the story of their families, their town, and the land in which they live. It is a story of truth and lies. It is a story of true friendship and oppression, and not just an oppression of their land by devastating forces, but the oppression of women by men who hold power, because they seek to destroy what they fear most.

There is a strong component of feminism within the pages of this novel. Men of the council and priests of the Enclave fear an ancient knowledge that could rob them of the power and wealth they wield and covet. For generations they have carefully suppressed any and all things which could threaten their way of life. They will do whatever is necessary to appease the Draigon Weather and so they choose women to sacrifice to the dread beasts to keep it at bay whenever it threatens. The councilmen of each part of Arnan send these women to their deaths under the guise of punishing them for defying social norms of behavior. They are too intelligent, too outspoken. Transgressions that may be real or imagined, as to be an enemy of the council is to risk becoming a Sacrifice to the Draigon. Those women that shine brightly with intelligence, who are just a bit quicker than others, a bit too strong willed, who flaunt the laws, and who boldly seek knowledge are risking the wrath of the men in power. A Sacrifice takes not only the lives of the woman chosen, it brands their children for life as well. Especially their daughters, who are forever Draigfen. A Sacrifice has but one chance to survive, and each is accompanied to their confrontation by one Draighil, sent to challenge the monster and either kill it or die in the attempt.

The peoples of Arnan, under the thumb of these powerful councilmen and priests, are strictly ruled with laws made to keep women from gaining what they consider dangerous knowledge. Laws to feed a falsehood of the true history of Arnan to all of its people, men and women alike, which they do not wish revealed.

Even the teachers of the mighty Draighil, the Enclave, those which train for no other purpose but to become slayers of the Draigon, are hiding the truth from those they have spent generations training. The Enclave is feared by all, with a power twisted to their own purpose, they teach the Gweld to their recruits. The power of Gweld holds deep secrets. The heart of Gweld being the power of the mighty Draigon themselves.

The war waged here is not only with a deadly drought on the land. A scourge of weather, and the fear of the return of this killing phenomenon, the Draigon Weather, that rules all here in a land periodically ravaged by heat, thirst, hunger, and death brought by the Draigon Weather. Brought by the Draigons themselves. The astounding truth makes a climatic and powerful end to Draigon Weather and opens possibilities that will either destroy Arnan or save it.

Paige Christie has a great deal of heart and feeling poured into the pages of Draigon Weather. The prose and dialogue are engrossing. You will not want to put it down. Classic fantasy with an easy flow and tight focus of her narrative of the tale as seen through the eyes of the main characters, Leiel and Cleod. Through their experiences, their friendship and their losses, the truth turns out to be a bitter and painful journey. Leiel and Cleod are parted for life when Cleod enters the Enclave to become a Draigon killer. A vow Cleod made as a child when his best friend, Leiel had her world shattered by a Sacrifice.

All is not what it appears to be and that is the true beauty of this story. With Leiel and Cleod we move through naivete, to childish hopes and dreams, love unrequited, courage, fierce determination, tragic losses, and brutally painful consequences, wrapped in sacrifices neither expected the other to have to make.

[Lucy Hounsom · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're sick of the same old grimdark fantasy, which offers nothing new, then you're going to love Draigon Weather, which takes the tired old dragonslayer and damsel in distress tropes and turns them on their head. It's a well paced tale of two young people struggling against the roles they're expected to adopt in a backward-thinking society. Refreshingly feminist, Christie's novel is an uplifting homage to the ties of sisterhood and the power of stories. Both Leiel and Cleod are hugely sympathetic characters and their painfully parallel journeys are told through a series of short alternating chapters which span their whole childhoods. While the end of the book is satisfying, there's still so much more to explore and many questions I want answering. I can't wait for Book Two.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that's what I call a keeper!
Fabulous book!!
RTC

[Blaise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to the land of Arnan, where the desert sun shines strong and the people are trying to live their lives as best they can. This would all go according to plan if not for one thing, Draigons. The terrible weather conditions that arise when these mythical creatures descend upon Arnan can lead to hardships and even death among the citizens. The only way to appease the Draigons is with a sacrifice and this event will shape our story and what secrets may be hidden behind this ancient ritual.

Draigon Weather is Paige L. Christie’s take on a weird western if you throw in the Draigons and generations of lost history, stories, and maybe something more. Also worth mentioning that Draigon Weather is her debut novel as well. The novel is constantly asking you to challenge the stories you have learned and grown up on and maybe the full story may not be what you anticipated. Troupes will be flipped on their heads and nothing will be predictable in the slightest as that is a testament to the write that Paige Christie is. Oh, and did I mention that this book deals with multiple timelines!?!?! Yes, indeed as they are handled brilliantly from start to finish.

We follow two main POV characters in the novel Leiel and Cleod. Both of these characters start out as friends until one horrible day arises. Leiel is just a simple girl working with her family and going to school with Cleod. It should be mentioned that girls in this novel are rarely educated unless they practice medicine. The teachings say that educated women anger the Draigons and the fear among the citizens for the Draigon weather to return. The horrible day comes when Leiel’s mother is chosen by the leaders of Arnan as a sacrifice and Leiel is shattered beyond belief at the loss of her mother. She will go back to the stories she learned in school and with help from a mysterious stranger uncover some secrets that can shack the foundation of Arnan forever.

Cleod upon seeing Leiel’s mother being put forth as a sacrifice, devotes his life to become a Draigon hunter and to join Ehlewer Enclave. He will not rest until he has killed this ancient beast and we go through his training and the demons Cleod has to face both external but also internal as well. The Enclave also have a cool ability to have the soul leave the body and it makes for some great action scenes. No one will prepare Cleod for what is to come as he and Leiel’s journeys will connect once again.

The writing style and pacing of the story is very reader friendly with quick chapters making for a fast read. You could finish this story in a few days as I have with ease. I just want to mention two quick things before wrapping up. The time lines were a little jarring at first as it seemed each chapter moved to different points in time for no reason. After a few chapters, I got use to it and the timelines will converge towards the end and it is definitely the highlight for this story. Also worth mentioning is the ending felt abrupt and it seems to just stop. After talking with the author, Paige mentioned that books one and two were supposed to be published in one volume and that was the best place to split the story. Just something to keep in mind.

Weird westerns are a fantastic when done correctly and the author nailed this one. Although not a perfect story, the world has so much more to offer and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Cheers!

My podcast interview with the author is linked below

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/...

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Draigon Weather (The Legacies of Arnan Book 1) by Paige L. Christie is a refreshing fantasy story that is both unique and original and very well thought out. The story is told from a dual POVs which I love because it gives us greater insight into the characters and what was happening with the story. It flows easily and her narrative is well written. The experiences of the main characters are told back and forth through time allowing us to experience each and every loss, their friendships and their painful journeys. They learn truths and lies and dreams that can never be. Paige has woven a complex tale that encompasses a world of righteous men and special women who are so much more than they seem.

Leiel and Cleod as thick as thieves and when Leiels world is torn apart, Cleod makes a promise to her that neither of them ever dreamed would affect them as it does. It is a sacrifice so great that it leaves them on opposite sides of their reality. Consequences that neither of them as children would ever have seen. There is so much pain and suffering that it is palpable with each turning page.

I am really looking forward to reading the other books in this series. This is a great debut to the series.

[Kivrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read. The story is good. The characters are people that I care about. A long period of time elapses (the story telling is not linear if that matters to you), and the people grow and change for better and for worse. Leiel is a girl in a small town who loses her mother in a horrendous fashion. Her world is turned upside down, and her only friend is Cleod, a boy younger than her who vows to seek vengeance on her behalf. As they age, their worlds and their views change drastically until they are reunited with shattering results.

The writing and editing are excellent. I'm intrigued by the world and the take on how history (and folklore) is written by the victors. My only quibble is that the book ended on a quieter note than I was anticipating. I wanted a huge reveal/cliffhanger that didn't come. Still, I'm ready for that next book!

[Richard Ford Burley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Draigon Weather traces the intertwining stories of its main characters, Cleod and Leiel, as they navigate their way through a deeply patriarchal and classist society. In addition to being an engaging character drama, it's also an extended and well-wrought parable of the dangers of ignorance: knowledge is reserved for the select few and—as is in many ways the case today—those in power often mistake their own ignorance for truth born out of tradition. The book also has more than a little to say about the narcissism of uneducated allyship that's worth the price of admission alone. I'm looking forward to book two!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read! Fast-paced with many layers of insights and incredible weaving of myth and archetypes - I couldn't put the book down. Can't wait for the 2nd book to find out what happens next. This is a book to treasure and re-read many times. Give it to your friends and teens - both genders- it's a really important disruption of stereotypes and human empowerment. And who doesn't love dragons?!!!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. One of the few books that manages to work with different timelines without confusing the reader. The characters are poignant, believable and mature. I look forward to continuing the series!

[Steven Poore · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Adfen, men fear the coming of Draigon Weather – the oppressive heat, the lasting droughts, the slow death of everything that can only be appeased by sacrifice. And women fear the coming of the Draigon – because it is always a woman who is sacrificed. Only nine-years-old, Leiel Sower has already lost her mother to the Draigon, and her future has been burned to the roots. Only the friendship of Cleod Woodcutter, and his promise to avenge her mother’s death and slay the Draigon Shaa can give her any strength at all. Until, that is, Cleod departs to begin his training as a devoted dragonkiller, and Leiel meets an outcast woman who knows the truth behind the stories, and the stories behind the truth, and the Draigon Weather returns to Adfen.

The fact that Draigon Weather carries endorsements from both Lucy Hounsom and Janny Wurts is telling. These are both authors who revel in slow builds, in patient development of characters, the examination and subversion of standard storytelling (and specifically fantasy storytelling) tropes, and in drawing strong women who don’t have to rely on a hero to save them. Paige L. Christie echoes all of these in her debut, weaving a history from threads of friendship, ignorance, institutionalised misogyny, and the self-belief of the two leads, to create a story that only frustrates right at the very end. But we’ll come to that in a bit.

Cleod’s worn, scarred middle-aged failure frames the rest of the story. Hired as a caravan guard, a recovering alcoholic, he sees signs that Shaa has returned again, and thinks back to his childhood. From here Christie alternates between Cleod and Leiel as viewpoint characters, deftly managing the slow unravelling of their friendship against the immovable blocks of a society that sees no good in any woman that can speak an opinion of her own. Cleod’s journey into the ranks of the Draighil, the knights pledged to slay dragons, drives his wits in service to his anger, making him part of the system, and over time he comes to disapprove of Leiel’s more wilful nature.

Meanwhile, Christie sets Leiel the task of surviving in a male-dominated society that sees her only as trouble. The stories that her mother told her keep her going. Christie uses the stories to give depth and colour to her world, but is never scared to use them to pull the wool over the reader’s eyes and mislead them. It’s the work of a virtuoso storyteller, revealing layers one at a time, always leaving hints that there’s more to come.

That disappointment at the end? Without spoilers, let’s just say that Christie makes a brave decision to leave the reader hanging, without resolution to the question posed in the final couple of chapters. A reminder that not everything is neat, that not all endings are happy, true, but I found I wanted more.

2021 edit: The Author's Cut edition, which I've re-read on my way to Wing Wind, restores the original ending - and turns that cliffhanger on its head. The expected resolution makes an appearance, certainly, but it definitely doesn't go the way the reader might have expected.

Readers used to sprays of gore and immense body counts will be disappointed. But this is an epic in the real sense of the word, in the same way that the best Westerns focused on a few fully fleshed out characters in a brilliant widescreen landscape, highlighting personal triumphs and tragedies far more than massed battles. Draigon Weather is a thoughtful and clever retooling of the concept of sacrifice.

[auricle · Rating 5 out of 5]

[There are no explicit plot spoilers in this review.]

The story takes place in a land where rare visits from giant Draigons can cause droughts, fires, and unpredictable weather. The fearful populace have learned that the sacrifice of a woman will appease a Draigon for at least a generation. This setup allows the author to expertly turn the "damsel in distress" trope on its ear.

While the plot spans decades, the heart of the story centers on two childhood friends, Leiel and Cleod, and how a singular traumatic event sets them on very different paths. The two points-of-view are equally enjoyable and serve to develop the characters towards a reunion that I found very powerful and rewarding. This is much more than a simple coming-of-age story: it features strong, competent characters that truly grow over the course of the book, which I found refreshing after so many books where immature characters only grow up by leaving a string of failures and mistakes in their wakes.

"There are no beginnings. There are only starting places in the middle of longer tales."

The book bounces back and forth in time rather violently upfront, but soon settles into a rhythm where several consecutive chapters stay in the same period. I was surprised by how effective the splintered timeline was. Generally, techniques like this fail to excite because too much emphasis is on concealing or overhyping the key event that separates past from future (see almost any J.J. Abrams-directed show that jumps back 24 hours). Here, the time jumps succeed not because of cheap tricks or late-game reveals, but because I was wholly invested in the characters and wanted to explore every inch of their stories, even when already telegraphed several chapters earlier.

I enjoyed the generally uplifting tone of the story and its themes. The characters struggle and face tragic circumstances, but there is always a maudlin thread of hope running through the proceedings. Relationships with supporting characters (like Kilras and Torrin) aren’t given a short shrift -- if anything, they left me wanting to read more about them. Even minor characters who behave despicably are developed enough to have a reason for their depravity.

All of these aspects serve to make Draigon Weather a very strong start to the series (I immediately purchased Book 2, Wing Wind, after finishing). Read this for its well-developed characters worth rooting for, its direct, powerful prose, and its ability to erase the line between history, backstory, and the parts of the story you’re "supposed" to care about.

[Tala Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book so I am leaving a review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and very thought provoking. As Leiel begins to understand the reasons and truths of her mother’s sacrifice to the Draigon, she sees this as her purpose as well. Her friend and comforter after the death of her mother, Cleod, had one desire and that was to become a Draighil and kill all the Draigon, especially Shaa the King of the Draigon who was the one who took Leiel’s mother. As the story unfolds, more truth is revealed to Leiel concerning who she truly is and she knows what she is to do.

This story is a story within a story and epic in proportion and I couldn’t put it down. As it kind of ends on a cliffhanger, guess I’ll get the next book in the series and see where it takes Cleod on his quest to know the truth and know it in full.

[Marla BorkBork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! The pace of this book is exactly right. I was hooked on the story from page one and could not put it down. 36 hours later I finished and cannot wait for the next installment. There are few books out there that have fully engulfed me to the point where I am in the story. This is one of a handfull in my almost 50 years of breathing on this planet. Fabulous!

[Jay Brantner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot to like about this book, but also a couple things that didn’t work for me.

Starting with the good. First of all, it held my interest and made me want to find out more. That’s not a given, and it’s always a positive. Second, the subversion of the noble warrior was really interesting. We start with the perspective of a washed up former Draigon-fighter (I think they’re just dragons but with an “i” for some reason?) and slowly peel back layers of how he got to be the way he was. He was an interesting character in the present, his flashback character arc was quality, and I’m interested to see where he goes in the future.

The negative is that many of the other characters felt a little shallow. We have a girl living in a sexist society who (1) seems to do everything right (even when she’s acting snotty, it’s brushed off because everyone around her is worse), and (2) elucidates the problems with her society with startling clarity from a pretty young age. She’s pretty much the archetype “clever girl in sexist society,” and there are some points where it feels like that works, and sometimes it feels like it doesn’t. The latter comes more commonly when dealing with those around her—the stereotypical wise-but-cryptic mentor, the baldly evil family members, etc.

It actually got me wondering a bit about the intended audience. The characters are in their late 30s to start, but a significant portion of the book is flashback, following the two leads from age 6 until the mid-20s. There’s not a lot of sex, language, or gore, and there is some coming of age, so perhaps this is aimed at a younger audience? If so, some of the less subtle characters become a little bit more understandable. If it’s aimed at adults, it feels a little clumsier—I need more convincing as to why the mentor has to be cryptic or why the family members are so evil, etc.

Overall, I think the good in this outweighs the bad. It’s a good page-turner with one really good character arc, and an ending that appears to be leaving many of the shallower characters in the past (after the time jump). There aren’t a lot of storylines that resolve, rather just serving as setup for future books. But the direction of the future books looks interesting, and I would definitely be up for reading more.

Definitely check it out if you like (1) subversion of the heroic warrior trope, (2) fighting the patriarchy, (3) growing up with characters from childhood to adulthood.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Draigon Weather is the first book in The Legacies of Arnan Series by Paige L. Christie. This was her debut novel, although she has released several more since. Draigon Weather is my first read from Ms. Christie, so I really didn’t know what to expect when I dove in. I knew by having read the blurb, that it held a lot of promise and hoped that it would satisfy all of my expectations. I am pleasantly surprised by what I found inside the covers of this book and am happy that I stumbled on the book in my recommended book feed. I love finding a new series, and author, to follow- and am excited to see where the rest of the series leads us, and what else Ms. Christie can create.
This is an epic and very original fantasy- with action, adventure, sci-fi and western elements, danger, intrigue, draigons, oppression, shame, secrets, lies, drama, friendship, families, truth, tragedy, courage, determination, and sacrifice. The story has depth, heart, and soul. It is entirely believable, as Ms. Christie created a complex world, and characters, who were so realistic- they were fully realised places, and individuals- brought to life by some clever word-smithing. And they continued to develop and grow as the story progressed.
The story is told from a duel (alternating) POV- which really gave me a great perspective of what was happening- and I really appreciated ‘hearing from both MC’s and getting to know them better.
I am really looking forward to book two and reading what comes next!
If you love a really great Sci-fi/fantasy- with wonderful originality, interesting characters, and enough intrigue to hold your attention……. then this is definitely the book for you!

Thank you, Paige L. Christie!

[Laura Furuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Draigon Weather (The Legacies of Arnan Book 1)
By: Paige L. Christie
5 out of 5 stars

The story Draigon Weather (The Legacies of Arnan Book 1) by Paige L. Christie is a coming of age/fantasy book. It is a story that takes you on a journey that you will not want to put down until the final page. I enjoyed reading about the characters of Leiel and Cleod. Leiel is a young woman who lost her mother when she was sacrificed to the Draigon to relieve a drought. This touched Leiel and her life was never the same after. Cleaod is Leiel’s friend. He has vowed that he will avenge her mother and will keep Leiel safe. Read this book and find out how both of their lives take different paths. This is a story that is exciting to read. The story is vivid and has such detail that at times I felt like I was right there with the characters. The story was also an emotional one. I grew to care about Leiel and Cleod with each chapter that I read, and you can’t help but want their lives to be happy ones. There are other additional characters that are introduced, and I enjoyed reading about many of them. There is fantastic world-building and I found myself turning pages to find out what was going to happen next. This is a book I would highly recommend reading.

[Erica Fish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Draigon Weather is the first book in The Legacies of Arnan series by Paige L Christie. This story took my mind to a different plane. This story is about Leiel and Cleod. Leiel is a marked woman and according to the town she is a tainted woman. She will be marked when Draigon Weather returns. Cleod is a friend of Leiel. Cleod is in a higher class and was able to join the Ehlewer Enclave. Cleod and Leiel are from different paths of society. Cleod vowed to avenge Leiel’s mother but will he be able to keep is vow to Leiel and the Ehlewer Enclave? Leiel is seeking knowledge that could have killed her mother. Will Leiel share the same fate?

Paige Christie is a mastermind story teller. This story is a coming of age story which fits in with the YA genre. The plot is magical and keeps going in directions that threw around a bend I did not see coming. This story is also told in two different POVs. Christie does this effortlessly and was able to follow along with the characters and their stories. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves fantasy stories. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give Draigon Weather (The Legacies of Arnan Book 1) by Paige L. Christie, 4 stars.

This a fantasy story focusing around Cleod and Leiel. It starts out in Cleod's life in his present day, but goes back and forth to their childhoods, starting around the time they first met. It slowly shows in great detail how each one of them grows and the paths they chose throughout their lives. There are many hardships and sad times, they become people they never imagined. The story is very moving. You feel Cleod's determination to keep his promise while is young, and his guilt as an older adult. Leiel's story is heartwrenching. The ones who are supposed to love her instead hate her. She could give up and let it break her, but instead she hides her time. Then things become clear that she never imagined.

The places and events are described so well, you feel like you are part of the story. While I have read stories involving dragons, I have not read one quite like this. The concept is unique and interesting, another reason I could not put the book down.

If you enjoy fantasy stories showcasing two people who strive to do one thing, but end up destined for something else, this book is for you.

[Stacey Markle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exceptional start to a series.
It's a brutal world for women and the threat of the Draigon is always looming. The Draigon brings drought and death with it and only a woman chosen from the town will appease it. For when the beast comes, a sacrifice must be made. The only thing standing in the way of the Draigon is the mighty warriors Draighil. Our main characters are young friends but life takes them in different directions when Cleod vows to avenge Leiel's mothers sacrificial loss to the Draigon by becoming a Draighil. He leaves and Leiel is left alone to suffer at the hands of her family. The years go by and she meets a stranger who changes everything.
The writing is wonderful and the way the story twists is magic. I really enjoyed that the story is told from both Leiel and Cleod's POV's and it's done in a way that goes back and forth in time so at the end everything comes together. The brutal losses and growth the both go through is such a big part of the story. I'm so invested in the next chapter of the series.
My rating is 4.5 rounded for GR

[Htoomik · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is probably a decent story here, but I gave up halfway and won't be finishing this book.

The author is trying to write in a lyrical style that doesn't come naturally to her and ends up feeling clunky. Sentences don't flow, phrasing is awkward. And there are too many cases where she has clearly turned to a thesaurus to "fancy it up" without understanding the finer nuances of each near-synonym. No, you can't call a caravan guard "sentinel" because sentinels stand still so they may guard a gate but not a caravan. No, referring to the door of an ordinary tavern as "portal" really doesn't work. No, you can't just replace "shake" with "shudder" when the verb is used transitively. No, "deteriorate" is not a transitive verb either.

Also I was annoyed by the 10-year-olds who talk like miniature wise philosophers. Perhaps age works differently in this world, but it just didn't work for me.

[Wendy S. Delmater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Draigon Weather follows the woven lives of its main characters, Cleod and Leiel, and you have to keep track of when you are in each of their timelines: an effort not all readers will be willing to make, but it’s worth the work. This is not the first book decrying a deeply patriarchal and classist society I’ve read—indeed, they’ve almost become a staple in the field. If it were the first such book I’d read I’d have been mesmerized by the overturning of tropes. Nevertheless, it’s still a very good tale of the dangers of ignorance: knowledge in this book is reserved for very few and therefore ignorance gets its way and tradition trumps practicality. I could see the smashup that was telegraphed for Master Cleod and Mistress Leiel coming but the book still did manage to surprise me at times. Worth reading.

[Jonell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just off the top of my head I have to say this has been the best book I have read in quite a while. If I could give it ten stars I would. In Draigon Weather, Paige L. Christie has given us a marvelous cast of characters. The main characters, Leiel Sower and Cleod Woodcutter, were so carefully crafted that you know them. You know what motivates them and what they aspire to. They quickly grab your imagination. All the supporting characters in this excellent story are just as well crafted. The world that Christie has created for her characters is so well suited for them and has been so well described you feel like you are almost there. You can feel the heat drifting across the land. This is a book that will quickly grab your imagination and keep you reading long after the moon has crossed the sky. A new direction in Dragonlore. This is a book you will not regret reading.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy that I chose to give this new book and new author a read! This book takes what you normally expect from a fantasy, dystopian type novel and throws it out the window, only to be replaced with an epic journey that is so unexpected. This book has a bit of everything in it for everyone so if you normally don’t pick up fantasy don’t let that deter you from this novel. I was fascinated with the theme of feminism and the way the author wrote this into the story was so well done that I can’t help but fawn over it. We find a set of people in Draigon Weather, that have slowly built a life amid a world they feel they don’t belong in. Leiel and Cleod will make you rethink everything you ever expected from a dragon fantasy novel. I can't wait to find out what will happen in the next book!

[Kerry Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Draigon Weather by Paige L. Christie is the first book in the Legacies of Arnan series. This book is an absolutely fantastic story that is not only imaginative but original.
This is the first book I have read by this author and what an introduction it was. The story was amazing. It was completely different to books of this genre that I have read before. It was exciting and captivating. I had barely started it before I was hooked.
I loved the journeys that the characters went on and how different they were to each other. It really set the tone for the story and added such a depth to it. I loved reading about them both. This is definitely a strong book and one that I would highly recommend reading. I will definitely be going straight out to buy book 2!

[Madilynn Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Draigon Weather (The Legacies of Arnan Book 1) by Paige L. Christie

5-stars

Draigon Weather (The Legacies of Arnan Book 1) by Paige L. Christie was exciting and adventurous. Cleod and Leiel were excellent main characters in this story. I loved every bit of it. Both characters were developed well and the author provided excellent detail spanning their younger years to the current day. Leiel was smarter than most girls of her time and more brave.

The storyline had an easy flow and each chapter was labeled to aid in the books organization. It is told from two different points of view but not once was I confused. The author made it very easy to keep track of time in accordance to what was occurring in the story. This book was well written and I highly recommend it.

[Dawn Daughenbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star
Draigon Weather (The Legacies of Arnan Book 1) by Paige L. Christie is a wonderfully written fantasy/ coming of age Book that once I started reading I had a hard time putting it down. I had to know what happens next. This is not my first read by this Author although this is her Debut and definitely not my last. Leiel and Cleod she’s a young woman who lost her mom when she was sacrificed to the Draigon to relieve the drought. Cleod has vowed he will avenge her mother and keep her safe. I truly enjoyed this book.Fin out what happens next in this must read. I can’t wait to read the next Book in this series.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author I have read, I enjoyed it from beginning. It is a fantasy book that is creative and engaging. The characters are well developed and connectable. The author’s details of the story made me feel as if I was right there with the characters. This story is told in the POV of two different characters at two different times, this was done nicely, easy flowing. As not to say too much but I will be looking for part two of this story. I highly recommend this book.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Draigon Weather by Paige L. Christie is the first of The Legacies of Arnon book series. I was sucked into the story very quickly and did not want to put it down. There are great characters and story developments that left me wanting more. I really enjoyed the development of Cleod and Leiel. The friendship they share and how their lives are changed beyond their control is well done. I became invested in knowing what would happen to them next. I do not want to go into any plot points in the fear of giving something away. I look forward to the next book in this series.

[Cindy Rushin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love novels about dragons, but when I first started this book, I was a little lost. But, as I persevered, I found my way. The story of Leiel and Cleod was epic and I am glad I persevered. I love a good adventure with heroes and heroines, which Draigon Weather had. As you read you enjoy the duel, but separate path Leiel and Cleod take. These paths place them exactly where they need to be. The story was intriguing and fun to read. I look forward to the next installment to follow Leiel’s and Cleod’s journey and how it plays out.