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The Clockwork Dragon
Three authors. One legend. One dragon. A Legion of demons. Who will survive and who will lose their soul?
The darkness consumes. We are Legion. Locked in our golden prison. Waiting. Seeking. Tempting. Are you strong enough to resist? Or will you allow us to escape?
The darkness consumes. We are Legion. Locked in our golden prison. Waiting. Seeking. Tempting. Are you strong enough to resist? Or will you allow us to escape?
ebook
First published October 23, 2012
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210 people want to read
About the author
Pauline Creeden
76 books576 followersPauline Creeden is an award-winning author, horse trainer, and overall book ninja. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.
Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been a #1 Bestseller in Christian Fantasy and been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Gold Award for First Place YA Horror Novel.
Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been a #1 Bestseller in Christian Fantasy and been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Gold Award for First Place YA Horror Novel.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 20, 2014
This is a collection of 9 short stories by 3 different writers. The common thread interwoven through the anthology is the presence in each story of a golden statue of a dragon. It's interesting to see how the statue will show up in each story, and how the different protagonists will react to it. The other thing I personally found interesting is that each of the stories is told from a female POV.
Although I enjoyed the anthology, I did find that the stories were too self-sufficient: I would've liked to see how events related to one another (another reviewer on Amazon said the stories are a bit disjointed, which I think is true -- some occur in the real world, with the possessed statue being the only supernatural element, while others happen in fairy-land (where, and I felt this was deserving of explanation, the fairies are familiar with the Gospels). There are also some typos, but nothing major.
With that in mind, this is an enjoyable read and a great way to support three independent female authors.
Although I enjoyed the anthology, I did find that the stories were too self-sufficient: I would've liked to see how events related to one another (another reviewer on Amazon said the stories are a bit disjointed, which I think is true -- some occur in the real world, with the possessed statue being the only supernatural element, while others happen in fairy-land (where, and I felt this was deserving of explanation, the fairies are familiar with the Gospels). There are also some typos, but nothing major.
With that in mind, this is an enjoyable read and a great way to support three independent female authors.
did-not-finish
September 17, 2013This was disgustingly misogynistic. I DNFed it as soon as Christianity was used to justify it.
June 9, 2015
Confusing and senseless
I felt that the theme of the dragon was a bit too simplistic in it's evil portrayal. The stories were too predictable and amateurish.
I felt that the theme of the dragon was a bit too simplistic in it's evil portrayal. The stories were too predictable and amateurish.
January 15, 2016
All I have to say is, what in the world did I just read???
November 17, 2013
The Clockwork Dragon takes us on an imaginative and probing look into the darker regions of the soul where we hide those parts of ourselves that we don’t like to admit are there much less deal with. This collection of allegorical tales shines a bright spotlight on the dark and destructive behaviors that we keep deeply hidden from prying eyes and allows us to see the importance of handing them over to the One who can help us be rid of them forever. No matter who we are or where we are in life, we are not immune from falling into the trap of sin. It is only through the grace and love of our Creator that we can be delivered from the pitfalls of sins in order to try and live life with His peace, love, and joy.
The beautiful and unforgettable imagery will have you reliving each journey over and over. Their messages will burrow their way into your heart where they will become a helpful reminder in times of trouble or doubt. I drank deeply of the heart and passion that were used to write these stunning tales of heartache and joy. On one hand I was sad that they were so short, but on the other hand, they were no less impactful or touching as a longer story would have been. They were perfect.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading, but I was pleasantly surprised at what I discovered along the way. Each tale was a short but poignant example of how easy it is to allow our life and our heart to be plagued by thoughts and behaviors that will ultimately lead to our destruction. Thankfully, the despair was replaced with a hope and love that was given merely by asking for it.
There is no complex process when it comes to asking for forgiveness. The only requirement is that we ask with sincerity and call upon the name of Jesus. It is only by the saving grace of the shed blood of Jesus Christ do we even have the hope of forgiveness. Don’t hesitate to ever call upon the love and grace that is Jesus. There is an unspeakable power in His name that will send the enemy running every time.
Pauline Creeden, Lynn Donovan, and J.L. Mbewe continue to amaze and surprise me with each new dimension that I discover of their incredible talent. They each have such a strong yet quiet voice that both soars and whispers when needed. I very much enjoyed this collection, and I am eager to read more from these amazing authors.
The beautiful and unforgettable imagery will have you reliving each journey over and over. Their messages will burrow their way into your heart where they will become a helpful reminder in times of trouble or doubt. I drank deeply of the heart and passion that were used to write these stunning tales of heartache and joy. On one hand I was sad that they were so short, but on the other hand, they were no less impactful or touching as a longer story would have been. They were perfect.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading, but I was pleasantly surprised at what I discovered along the way. Each tale was a short but poignant example of how easy it is to allow our life and our heart to be plagued by thoughts and behaviors that will ultimately lead to our destruction. Thankfully, the despair was replaced with a hope and love that was given merely by asking for it.
There is no complex process when it comes to asking for forgiveness. The only requirement is that we ask with sincerity and call upon the name of Jesus. It is only by the saving grace of the shed blood of Jesus Christ do we even have the hope of forgiveness. Don’t hesitate to ever call upon the love and grace that is Jesus. There is an unspeakable power in His name that will send the enemy running every time.
Pauline Creeden, Lynn Donovan, and J.L. Mbewe continue to amaze and surprise me with each new dimension that I discover of their incredible talent. They each have such a strong yet quiet voice that both soars and whispers when needed. I very much enjoyed this collection, and I am eager to read more from these amazing authors.
November 26, 2018
I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into with The Clockwork Dragon when I purchased it back in 2014. It was free. The word dragon and clockwork were in the title so I probably thought that it was a young adult steampunk adventure. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Clockwork Dragon is a collection of short stories by three authors that involved one recurring object -- one heavy gold dragon statue with a winding key stuck in its belly. At the start I was intrigued by the stories. They were mysterious and occurred in different parts of the world. And then the stories shifted to more fantastical elements with strong religious overtones this left me confused, as it was a drastic change from the first couple of stories in the collection.
I was hoping by the end of the book I would have a clear explanation as to what the clockwork dragon actually was, how it worked and what its motivations were. Sadly, this never came to fruition and I was left with this weird, disjointed collection of stories that left me feeling befuddled and perplexed.
The Clockwork Dragon is a collection of short stories by three authors that involved one recurring object -- one heavy gold dragon statue with a winding key stuck in its belly. At the start I was intrigued by the stories. They were mysterious and occurred in different parts of the world. And then the stories shifted to more fantastical elements with strong religious overtones this left me confused, as it was a drastic change from the first couple of stories in the collection.
I was hoping by the end of the book I would have a clear explanation as to what the clockwork dragon actually was, how it worked and what its motivations were. Sadly, this never came to fruition and I was left with this weird, disjointed collection of stories that left me feeling befuddled and perplexed.
January 15, 2015
As with any compilation, there were some stories I really liked and some that didn't resonate with me at all. There was a very similar style to a lot of the stories but that made the ones that broke the mold all the better. I think it is best read one or two at a time rather than the whole collection in one sitting.
My only complaint is that some of the worlds felt out of place. I also would've liked to see the stories have more of a connecting thread and maybe a chronology. As standalone stories they don't need it but since they all were in such a similar vein anyway, I think it would have improved the experience.
My only complaint is that some of the worlds felt out of place. I also would've liked to see the stories have more of a connecting thread and maybe a chronology. As standalone stories they don't need it but since they all were in such a similar vein anyway, I think it would have improved the experience.
January 3, 2015
This is a hard one to review. Many short stories by various authors, with the same theme of the clockwork dragon. Some sad, some happy, some humans, some fairies and some mer-people. I loved some, liked some and some were just ok. So I guess is I average them all out, I can give a solid 3 stars. It was a fun read. It gave me taste of the styles of the different authors. I had only read work by one of them before. It's a good place to start, before buying full length books. Can recommend this book for teens and up.
June 10, 2014
These shorts kind of just failed to grab me. The writing wasn't bad, and the central concept is interesting, but each story presented it in such an overbearingly similar way that after the first four, it was really very difficult to continue. But, that being said, the collection is still a very interesting idea.
August 3, 2013
A fascinating concept, presented with some good writing, interesting characters, and solid Biblical understanding. But after reading about half the book, I couldn't help thinking there was a sameness to the stories, certainly theme-wise, and I mean beyond the inclusion of the clockwork dragon.
April 2, 2015
I got this book because I am a fan of Pauline Creeden's work. I would have to say it was interesting to say the least. Quick read with several short stories. This is my least favorite of Creeden's my absolute fav is Sanctuary so don't base Creeden's work on this book.
February 27, 2014
None of these stories was bad, style-wise, and the idea itself was interesting. But it did get a little bit stale, stretched out over so many stories with only very minor changes to the actual events occuring in each. It was free for Kindle, so... that's pretty much what it was worth.
February 15, 2013
Enjoyable short stories about a golden dragon. Although the stories are not connected they were all about the golden dragon. I would have like to see some of these stories expanded.
November 20, 2013
I love all the short stories. Each story gives good advice. I love how it inspiration it has for heaven.
January 3, 2015
Great
Steeoed In suspense tradition fantasy et wc just too good to put down or to miss. Don't miss this book would read again
Steeoed In suspense tradition fantasy et wc just too good to put down or to miss. Don't miss this book would read again
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews