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Dragon: Smuggler Tales
After battling mutants on the other side of the galaxy and saving the young Prince’s life Sillow is rewarded with the rank of palace courtier.
Deciding the dubious honor is more a punishment than a reward he steals back his Dragon ship and escapes off world once again.
Tracking down the Herkulun warrior Brok, he makes his old partner a proposition, six months as smugglers to make the money they both so desperately need. Reluctantly the Herkulun agrees and so begins a whole new series of adventures that sees the ill matched and happless duo trapped in a subterranean hive of giant insects, framed for the theft of a priceless work of art and lost inside a supernatural nebula where angelic creatures dictate reality.
Who knew the pursuit of wealth would be so difficult?
Deciding the dubious honor is more a punishment than a reward he steals back his Dragon ship and escapes off world once again.
Tracking down the Herkulun warrior Brok, he makes his old partner a proposition, six months as smugglers to make the money they both so desperately need. Reluctantly the Herkulun agrees and so begins a whole new series of adventures that sees the ill matched and happless duo trapped in a subterranean hive of giant insects, framed for the theft of a priceless work of art and lost inside a supernatural nebula where angelic creatures dictate reality.
Who knew the pursuit of wealth would be so difficult?
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2014
2 people want to read
About the author
James Austin McCormick
19 books63 followersI'm a college lecturer from England and a fan of all types of speculative fiction, most notably science fiction, horror & sword and sorcery fantasy. Where possible I try to blend these elements together in my own writing.
H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs were my first writing inspirations and more recently Frank Herbert and Clive Barker whose works I never grow tired of re-reading.
I live in the rainy city of Manchester with my wife and two young daughters, the elder of which is something of a budding writer herself.
You can find my Amazon author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/James-McCormick...
H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs were my first writing inspirations and more recently Frank Herbert and Clive Barker whose works I never grow tired of re-reading.
I live in the rainy city of Manchester with my wife and two young daughters, the elder of which is something of a budding writer herself.
You can find my Amazon author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/James-McCormick...
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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July 15, 2015Take a healthy scoop of Star Wars, add a pinch of Lord of the Rings, and then mix in some Firefly and you’ve got an idea about how cool Dragon: Smugglers Tale is. Following our hero Sillow on an adventure, with his warrior mate Brok, we’re treated to three treacherous missions that involve danger, daring, and a Dragon ship, and in my opinion they’re all missions worth taking.
The story is well told, with strong dialogue and action driving the plot rather than sterile narration, which gives this space swashbuckler a fast pace. There’s plenty of joking, fighting, and clear goals so the reader is never bored and keeps moving forward to find out what happens next. I have to say I really liked the characters, Sillow is Han Solo-esque scoundrel through and through and Brok constantly shows his courage and honor, yet despite their differences they work well together and overcome any personality conflicts to achieve their goals. They also both have depth. In a lot of books I’ve read recently the main character has the goal, and everyone else is there to support them, however each of these two is their own man, the hero of their own story, and it adds a lot of flavor to the novel.
One issue I did have was that the story is ***SPOILER ALERT*** it didn’t have a satisfying resolution at the end. I like a self contained tale that stands on its own and don’t particularly enjoy having to wait for the next installment to find out what happens. However this is a small complaint, and I’d still recommend this for any fan of sci-fi because from the Sylvan seas teeming with monsters to the deserts of Herkulun, from the Morok mines full of deadly giant insects to an Aperion/Terran dispute, Mr. McCormick delivers both action and fun.
The story is well told, with strong dialogue and action driving the plot rather than sterile narration, which gives this space swashbuckler a fast pace. There’s plenty of joking, fighting, and clear goals so the reader is never bored and keeps moving forward to find out what happens next. I have to say I really liked the characters, Sillow is Han Solo-esque scoundrel through and through and Brok constantly shows his courage and honor, yet despite their differences they work well together and overcome any personality conflicts to achieve their goals. They also both have depth. In a lot of books I’ve read recently the main character has the goal, and everyone else is there to support them, however each of these two is their own man, the hero of their own story, and it adds a lot of flavor to the novel.
One issue I did have was that the story is ***SPOILER ALERT*** it didn’t have a satisfying resolution at the end. I like a self contained tale that stands on its own and don’t particularly enjoy having to wait for the next installment to find out what happens. However this is a small complaint, and I’d still recommend this for any fan of sci-fi because from the Sylvan seas teeming with monsters to the deserts of Herkulun, from the Morok mines full of deadly giant insects to an Aperion/Terran dispute, Mr. McCormick delivers both action and fun.
August 11, 2015
This is a fun, fast and furious read, like a cross between Han Solo, D&D and Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
The initial scene shows a follow-up to the previous story, which I had not read. The important part is that a Sylvan humanoid has gained the favour of an interplanetary empire and is about to be rewarded with an official court position; instead, his theft of an advanced spacecraft is reported.
Now on with the real story. Sillow is settling in nicely to the spaceship Dragon, hoping to get some private enterprise going and dodging the crafts sent to intercept him. I enjoyed the descriptions and lifelike atmosphere even on a snowball planet, while the characters come across as human-like although they hail from six different space nations and sundry planets besides. With all the potential for border crossings and bureaucracy, there is bound to be scope for smuggling. The green-hued Sillow is not a fighter, preferring to think or pilot his way out of trouble, so he makes sure to connect with a strongman for more physically demanding situations.
I love the smart solutions in this book. Body armour suits take forever to put on, so Dragon's matter transporter has them materialise around the people. Brock, the doughty fighter, has a noble cause - he wishes to amass enough for his wedding tribute. At least this seems wiser than the Sylvan, who for all his smarts, gets taken in by dubious females time and again.
Read, relax, enjoy. This Smuggler's Tales book can stand perfectly well alone and I'm looking forward to reading the further adventures of anyone who survives the chaos.
The initial scene shows a follow-up to the previous story, which I had not read. The important part is that a Sylvan humanoid has gained the favour of an interplanetary empire and is about to be rewarded with an official court position; instead, his theft of an advanced spacecraft is reported.
Now on with the real story. Sillow is settling in nicely to the spaceship Dragon, hoping to get some private enterprise going and dodging the crafts sent to intercept him. I enjoyed the descriptions and lifelike atmosphere even on a snowball planet, while the characters come across as human-like although they hail from six different space nations and sundry planets besides. With all the potential for border crossings and bureaucracy, there is bound to be scope for smuggling. The green-hued Sillow is not a fighter, preferring to think or pilot his way out of trouble, so he makes sure to connect with a strongman for more physically demanding situations.
I love the smart solutions in this book. Body armour suits take forever to put on, so Dragon's matter transporter has them materialise around the people. Brock, the doughty fighter, has a noble cause - he wishes to amass enough for his wedding tribute. At least this seems wiser than the Sylvan, who for all his smarts, gets taken in by dubious females time and again.
Read, relax, enjoy. This Smuggler's Tales book can stand perfectly well alone and I'm looking forward to reading the further adventures of anyone who survives the chaos.
December 11, 2014
This odd couple is once again in a monumental space adventure which begins when Sillow, having been offered a courtier post for saving the Sylvan Crown Prince’s life, decides he’d rather be a smuggler instead. Piloting the gold and red relic-powered vessel Sillow named Dragon (and is a star character in its own right), he recruits a reluctant Brok and the two embark on a series of adventures.
Sillow’s in his element. After all, who’d want to be a courtier when he can battle angels, menacing munchkins, and giant insects?
As for Brok—one can imagine him shaking his head and groaning a la Lurch of The Addams Family or saying in an Oliver Hardy persona, “This is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into!”—as he again draws his trusty lance to extricate both from their current situation.
Sillow may be mercenary but he’s a likable chap in spite of that and he does fight when he has to. Brok’s the strong silent type but his one-liners are gems putting his little companion in his place very nicely. The adventures are Star Trek-like, the escapes hairbreadth and exciting, and the alien creatures monstrous enough to chill but not horrify.
If you like space opera and want some laughs with your adventure, I recommend DRAGON: Smuggler Tales.
This is an excerpt from the complete review posted on my website.
This novel was supplied by the publisher and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
Sillow’s in his element. After all, who’d want to be a courtier when he can battle angels, menacing munchkins, and giant insects?
As for Brok—one can imagine him shaking his head and groaning a la Lurch of The Addams Family or saying in an Oliver Hardy persona, “This is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into!”—as he again draws his trusty lance to extricate both from their current situation.
Sillow may be mercenary but he’s a likable chap in spite of that and he does fight when he has to. Brok’s the strong silent type but his one-liners are gems putting his little companion in his place very nicely. The adventures are Star Trek-like, the escapes hairbreadth and exciting, and the alien creatures monstrous enough to chill but not horrify.
If you like space opera and want some laughs with your adventure, I recommend DRAGON: Smuggler Tales.
This is an excerpt from the complete review posted on my website.
This novel was supplied by the publisher and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
May 7, 2015
Smuggler Tales comes between the first and second Dragon chapters. It's stories of the partnership between Sillow and Brok as they use their purloined ship to raise money by smuggling (and not very successfully). The stories have smaller stakes and run the gamut from very Star Trek like 'save the endangered aliens so we all live happily ever after' to a real whodunnit detective story. As always in adventures with these two, Brok was swinging his blade while Sillow was quaking in his boots. The two characters make an entertaining odd couple pairing.
There's a nice intro so that if you haven't read Dragon, you won't be lost. There's also an ending to these that threads nicely back into the Dragon novel for continuity of the larger story.
There's a nice intro so that if you haven't read Dragon, you won't be lost. There's also an ending to these that threads nicely back into the Dragon novel for continuity of the larger story.
June 30, 2015
James Austin McCormick has quite an imagination, sense of humor, and flair for storytelling. In the sequel to Dragon, Dragon: Smuggler Tales, McCormick tells five adventure stories about his flawed heroes Brok and Sillow and the Dragon space ship that could (do everything) to be continued in the next book. Reading like an animated film, these science fiction stories include tentacles of energy, a gossamer web, a boulder-sized pearl, globs of sticky acid, plasma bolts, and more with hat tips to Star Wars, Peter Pan, Gulliver’s Travels, the Wizard of Oz, and The Reluctant Dragon. The stories sport quite a number of imaginative male and female characters, and cover issues of creation, death, and war. Young and old science fiction fans, pick up your laser whip and enjoy!
August 13, 2016
If you haven’t read the author’s novel, Dragon, yet, this is a great lead in to it. Comprised of short stories featuring the cast and leads of Dragon, you’ll get to fall in love with the characters in these easily digestible shorts that will propel you readily into the larger novel. Or if you have read Dragon, then you’ll delight in these further adventures with the very picaresque, Robert Louis Stevenson-like roguish characters transposed to the venue of sci-fi space opera.
Alien species, interplanetary dramas, legacy civilization technologies, plenty of politics and intrigue and action, all form the foundation of these two books. But the real engine driving the page turning in these short stories is the delightful, fun, and intensely humorous dynamic between the brave, warrior-class Brok and the cowardly Sylvan that is his sidekick. If Brok is bold and noble, what you see is what you get, Sillow is devious, plotting, manipulating; in short they’re the perfect opposites. Seeing their divergent reactions to every ticklish situation and observing how their contrasting strengths and weaknesses work to get them in and out of trouble is where much of the excitement is at.
Adding to the fun and action is the spaceship itself, Dragon, a living legacy technology ship that just so happens to be the most advanced vessel known at this time in the cosmos. As such it emboldens the cowardly Sylvan to get into situations he should know better than to get into. Deciding that he can make a decent living smuggling precious cargo from planet to planet, all the more so considering his warrior-class partner who can do the tedious work of fighting his battles for him, it does seem like the perfect setup. Needless to say, this sweet deal translates into one debacle after another, and one hair-raising, escape-proof, deathtrap of another from one short story to the next.
I must confess that while I write sci-fi myself with a bit more social commentary, I’m also a bit biased to this escapist brand of sci-fi storytelling that’s pure fun, no attempts at profundity intended. Ironically, it’s in just such tales that we find we discover the most about our humanity. Because the characters are so well done, they carry with them a profundity all their own.
Another redeeming quality of this short story collection: the tales are consistently strong, the quality of the writing unwavering; there are no bad apples in the bunch.
Alien species, interplanetary dramas, legacy civilization technologies, plenty of politics and intrigue and action, all form the foundation of these two books. But the real engine driving the page turning in these short stories is the delightful, fun, and intensely humorous dynamic between the brave, warrior-class Brok and the cowardly Sylvan that is his sidekick. If Brok is bold and noble, what you see is what you get, Sillow is devious, plotting, manipulating; in short they’re the perfect opposites. Seeing their divergent reactions to every ticklish situation and observing how their contrasting strengths and weaknesses work to get them in and out of trouble is where much of the excitement is at.
Adding to the fun and action is the spaceship itself, Dragon, a living legacy technology ship that just so happens to be the most advanced vessel known at this time in the cosmos. As such it emboldens the cowardly Sylvan to get into situations he should know better than to get into. Deciding that he can make a decent living smuggling precious cargo from planet to planet, all the more so considering his warrior-class partner who can do the tedious work of fighting his battles for him, it does seem like the perfect setup. Needless to say, this sweet deal translates into one debacle after another, and one hair-raising, escape-proof, deathtrap of another from one short story to the next.
I must confess that while I write sci-fi myself with a bit more social commentary, I’m also a bit biased to this escapist brand of sci-fi storytelling that’s pure fun, no attempts at profundity intended. Ironically, it’s in just such tales that we find we discover the most about our humanity. Because the characters are so well done, they carry with them a profundity all their own.
Another redeeming quality of this short story collection: the tales are consistently strong, the quality of the writing unwavering; there are no bad apples in the bunch.
July 9, 2015
Adventurous Sci Fi Fantasy
I was not sure I will enjoy reading this book but oh boy! I did.
It made me laugh so much, reading through the different smuggler tales of Sillow the Sylvan Elf and his travel buddy Brok the Herkulum.
The book begins with tales from Sillow, borrowing the Dragon ship (A ship like no other) to escape Lord Bahlik and the boring duties he had been given. He wanted to live more adventurously traveling from one planet to the other undetected with the use of the dragon cloak. Meanwhile lord Bahlik regarded his decision to take the Dragon without permission as theft and has made it his mission to see the Sylvan brought in for theft and punished for his crime.
Sillow,often out of luck always had a narrow escape and joined up with his buddy Brok to start the smuggling business. The aim is to make money while they are at it but each time, and each planet they visited was not without its troubles leaving them fighting for their lives and out of pocket especially because Brok the Herkulum needs money for his wedding tribute.
At the beginning of the book, I had thought that Sillow was a brave little solider, oh boy! I got that so wrong. He showed himself to be a funny womanizing poker playing coward with a heart for great things and it seems he never learnt from his mistakes of thinking women were attracted to him. He is lucky though to have his buddy Brok to always help get him out of tight spots.
Each chapter is a different interesting smuggler tale, the only constant being Sillow and Brok still taking on jobs in a bid to make money.
The book ended with the smugglers on a mission to complete their last ever smuggling after battling through so much and still lucky to be alive it was a unanimous decision, to finish the mission and raise the much needed money for Brok’s wedding tribute, whether they make it and get the big pay out is unknown although I suspect given by their track records they didn’t but the author indicates that story continues on the Dragon series part 2 and I personally will like to know what happens next.
I applaud the skilfulness of the story telling and I will recommend this book to anyone that has an interest for science fiction/ fantasy stories, you won’t be disappointed.
I was not sure I will enjoy reading this book but oh boy! I did.
It made me laugh so much, reading through the different smuggler tales of Sillow the Sylvan Elf and his travel buddy Brok the Herkulum.
The book begins with tales from Sillow, borrowing the Dragon ship (A ship like no other) to escape Lord Bahlik and the boring duties he had been given. He wanted to live more adventurously traveling from one planet to the other undetected with the use of the dragon cloak. Meanwhile lord Bahlik regarded his decision to take the Dragon without permission as theft and has made it his mission to see the Sylvan brought in for theft and punished for his crime.
Sillow,often out of luck always had a narrow escape and joined up with his buddy Brok to start the smuggling business. The aim is to make money while they are at it but each time, and each planet they visited was not without its troubles leaving them fighting for their lives and out of pocket especially because Brok the Herkulum needs money for his wedding tribute.
At the beginning of the book, I had thought that Sillow was a brave little solider, oh boy! I got that so wrong. He showed himself to be a funny womanizing poker playing coward with a heart for great things and it seems he never learnt from his mistakes of thinking women were attracted to him. He is lucky though to have his buddy Brok to always help get him out of tight spots.
Each chapter is a different interesting smuggler tale, the only constant being Sillow and Brok still taking on jobs in a bid to make money.
The book ended with the smugglers on a mission to complete their last ever smuggling after battling through so much and still lucky to be alive it was a unanimous decision, to finish the mission and raise the much needed money for Brok’s wedding tribute, whether they make it and get the big pay out is unknown although I suspect given by their track records they didn’t but the author indicates that story continues on the Dragon series part 2 and I personally will like to know what happens next.
I applaud the skilfulness of the story telling and I will recommend this book to anyone that has an interest for science fiction/ fantasy stories, you won’t be disappointed.
June 19, 2015
After saving the Sylvan Prince Tallus’s life by the Suleimen, Sillow has the chance to become a courtier. Not only does this not suit his temperament but with Tallus still recovering and both his parents dead, his devious ambitious Uncle Bahlik is taking advantage of the situation to act as Regent and garner as much power as he can. He is contemptuous of Sylvan whom he regards as a peasant and unworthy of the honor bestowed on him, which just about sums him up as he obviously couldn't care less that his nephew's life was saved. In fact it would have suited him just fine if the Prince had perished along with his parents.
Deciding he prefers the life of a smuggler Sillow borrows the relic craft Dragon, which is the latest in space technology, to embark on his career and Bahlik uses this as an opportunity to accuse him of stealing the craft and treason and sends the heavies after him. That's gratitude for you!
As Sillow remains one step ahead of his pursuers he enlists his Herkulun mate Brok's services for six months, promising he will set them up for life……if they live that long. He admits he is sneaky as well as being a damn good pilot’ which will see them through but lacks Brok's fighting abilities which he relies upon to get them out of one scrape after another that he gets them into.
I love the fantasy characters from James McCormick's fertile imagination the heroes come across in a series of short stories, which are a perfect introduction to his Dragon series. The dynamics between the well rounded dynamic duo make for entertaining reading. The well paced tales are great fun as the two embark on a series of interplanetary dramas that are pure escapism and will make you a loyal fan of the author.
Deciding he prefers the life of a smuggler Sillow borrows the relic craft Dragon, which is the latest in space technology, to embark on his career and Bahlik uses this as an opportunity to accuse him of stealing the craft and treason and sends the heavies after him. That's gratitude for you!
As Sillow remains one step ahead of his pursuers he enlists his Herkulun mate Brok's services for six months, promising he will set them up for life……if they live that long. He admits he is sneaky as well as being a damn good pilot’ which will see them through but lacks Brok's fighting abilities which he relies upon to get them out of one scrape after another that he gets them into.
I love the fantasy characters from James McCormick's fertile imagination the heroes come across in a series of short stories, which are a perfect introduction to his Dragon series. The dynamics between the well rounded dynamic duo make for entertaining reading. The well paced tales are great fun as the two embark on a series of interplanetary dramas that are pure escapism and will make you a loyal fan of the author.
December 3, 2014
I had the privilege of reading the predecessor novel, Dragon, published by the same author, and enjoyed its many battles and narrow escapes.
Here, as the author carefully explains, this is an anthology of short stories based on the same two main characters--Sillow and Brok--and the same organic, sentient ship called Dragon (the namesake of these books). With that in mind, I anticipated some short stories and was rewarded; what the author tells us is what he delivers.
Short story anthologies are tricky. Since they do not have a story arc, there must be a reason to publish them collectively. Maybe the short stories satisfy our desire for "quick" fiction--each story is independent on its own. Or to showcase the talents of different authors without requiring us to spend too much time reading them all. Or each story has a very poignant theme that cannot be covered in depth in a longer story, but is perfectly highlighted by the short story.
Here, I think this description is best: these are the continuing adventures of Sillow and Brok, and their ship Dragon. It's probably meant for those readers who enjoyed Dragon. While each story is interesting, there is not a unique theme--answering a universal question--explored among any of them. Each story is meant to entertain, and the author does this well. His writing style flows easily, and is a joy.
My favourite story was that of Sillow escaping villains on the speeder commanded by a wise and sassy older woman--Agnis. Her personality alone was definitely worth the "price of admission" to go through this chapter.
Good for those who enjoy short, ten-minute space operas!
Here, as the author carefully explains, this is an anthology of short stories based on the same two main characters--Sillow and Brok--and the same organic, sentient ship called Dragon (the namesake of these books). With that in mind, I anticipated some short stories and was rewarded; what the author tells us is what he delivers.
Short story anthologies are tricky. Since they do not have a story arc, there must be a reason to publish them collectively. Maybe the short stories satisfy our desire for "quick" fiction--each story is independent on its own. Or to showcase the talents of different authors without requiring us to spend too much time reading them all. Or each story has a very poignant theme that cannot be covered in depth in a longer story, but is perfectly highlighted by the short story.
Here, I think this description is best: these are the continuing adventures of Sillow and Brok, and their ship Dragon. It's probably meant for those readers who enjoyed Dragon. While each story is interesting, there is not a unique theme--answering a universal question--explored among any of them. Each story is meant to entertain, and the author does this well. His writing style flows easily, and is a joy.
My favourite story was that of Sillow escaping villains on the speeder commanded by a wise and sassy older woman--Agnis. Her personality alone was definitely worth the "price of admission" to go through this chapter.
Good for those who enjoy short, ten-minute space operas!
December 6, 2014
James Austin McCormick has a fertile imagination and quite a few authorial tricks up his sleeve. One of the best qualities of this book for me was the odd-couple nature of the two main characters (reminded me a tiny bit of Han Solo and Chewbacca). The fact that the 'hero' is a chain-smoking, poker-playing coward makes him much more appealing than would be the case if he were a chisel-jawed hunk. Brok (his partner) has a distinctive way of speaking which the author nails perfectly every time.
But it doesn't quite make 5 stars because for me it verged too close to the kind of book where one exciting event occurs closely followed by another exciting event closely followed by another exciting event... You know the kind of movie where the bomb is defused 1 second from detonating, a spaceship squeezes through closing doors with 1 inch to spare, etc. I think sometimes too much fantasy can result in a reduced sense of wonder for the reader. Personally I would have liked a little more 'reality' to keep things grounded.
But this is redeemed in large part by the light-hearted, humorous tone and the richness of McCormick's imagination. McCormick is a skilled storyteller, and there is a lot to enjoy here. A couple of oddball buddies who use a super-advanced spaceship to explore the universe is always going to be a winning concept, and this book will definitely appeal to sci-fi/fantasy fans who are into Star Wars, Red Dwarf, Avatar, that kind of genre.
But it doesn't quite make 5 stars because for me it verged too close to the kind of book where one exciting event occurs closely followed by another exciting event closely followed by another exciting event... You know the kind of movie where the bomb is defused 1 second from detonating, a spaceship squeezes through closing doors with 1 inch to spare, etc. I think sometimes too much fantasy can result in a reduced sense of wonder for the reader. Personally I would have liked a little more 'reality' to keep things grounded.
But this is redeemed in large part by the light-hearted, humorous tone and the richness of McCormick's imagination. McCormick is a skilled storyteller, and there is a lot to enjoy here. A couple of oddball buddies who use a super-advanced spaceship to explore the universe is always going to be a winning concept, and this book will definitely appeal to sci-fi/fantasy fans who are into Star Wars, Red Dwarf, Avatar, that kind of genre.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews