The Dragon Sorcerer

by John Gregory Betancourt

Fel Blackmane is a pirate, rogue, and thorough scoundrel. But he also has a sense of adventure second to none, and every year he vows to do one impossible thing. This time he plans to sail his ship to the annual fair, sell ill-gotten booty back to its original owners, and make off with a new fortune. Unfortunately, Blackmane's deeds haven't gone unnoticed. Someone powerful is looking for vengeance . . . and the dreaded Dragon Sorcerer, with an army of unstoppable monsters under his control, is hot on his heels!

Genres: Fantasy

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

John Gregory Betancourt is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and mystery novels as well as short stories. He has worked as an assistant editor at Amazing Stories and editor of Horror: The Newsmagazine of the Horror Field, the revived Weird Tales magazine, the first issue of H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror (which he subsequently hired Marvin Kaye to edit), Cat Tales magazine (which he subsequently hired George H. Scithers to edit), and Adventure Tales magazine. He worked as a Senior Editor for Byron Preiss Visual Publications (1989-1996) and iBooks. He is the writer of four Star Trek novels and the new Chronicles of Amber prequel series, as well as a dozen original novels. His essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in such diverse publications as Writer's Digest and The Washington Post.

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very silly (but readable) pirate story. The dragon felt like an afterthought to move the plot forward rather than a central aspect.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's a rollicking, fun read to pass the time, plus it simultaneously appeals to two linchpin fantasy elements: dragons and pirates. That's why I picked it up at a used bookstore. The plot starts to yaw near the middle after a strong start, which is a bit disappointing, and there are syntax errors (a period where there's supposed to be a comma, a comma where there maybe should've been a period) that stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Overall an entertaining story with interesting characters, though the side characters are more useful to propelling Fel's main gowl than they are free-standing on their own.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't know if the book wanted to be a pirate book, or a dragon book. Somehow the two don't mix well.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, its short and sweet. I often reread it whenever I'm looking for a short, not-too-intense adventure. Fel Blackmane reminds me a whole lot of Jack Sparrow. He is a great character. I love the magic effects as well. Alna Savia is a great character too, she is aging, and refuses to get married, and yet she is still as beautiful as a rose in winter. The dragon is very cool as well. Mediocre imagery by the author and little symbolism and underlying meanings to the work, but overall, as intended, it was purely entertaining. This is a story not meant to flabbergast you with hidden literary tools and symbolism, its just a story to enjoy and immerse yourself in. Awesome book. I adore this.