The Forbidden Forest Series: Book One, The Dragon Holder is a young-adult fantasy novel set in the magical land of Sindergan. Once protected by the now-extinct dragons and their holders, Sindergan is under attack. The evil Decent Brotherhood and their shadow warriors will stop at nothing to destroy the kingdom and all the light within it. Hope for survival lies in the hands of twin witches, Hope and Destiny; a mage warrior, Anaya; an elf, Danche; an ogre; and Liam, the last dragon holder.
Wilson Feliz is a new Young Adult and Adult fictional writer based out of the United States. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Feliz is currently serving his country as a member of the US Army.
While his day job keeps him grounded on whatever post he’s stationed at, Feliz’s work as an author allows him to whisk his readers away to different worlds at the turn of a page.
According to Feliz, writing has always been an outlet. “Even when I was a kid, I’d write poems and short stories as a way to get out of my head and focus on something other than everyday life. My imagination was always a little strange and out there.”
It was his “out there” imagination that led Feliz to craft the world of Sindergan in his first full-length novel, The Forbidden Forest Series: Book One, The Dragon Holder.
It was Feliz’s strong family bonds and sense of loyalty that played heavily on the creation of his characters.
Orphaned farm boy, yes. Dragon, yes. Magic, yes. Ogres, yes. Giants, yes. Kingdom in crisis, yes. A dark relentless force that is intent on killing, yes. The Dragon Holder had all the ingredients for an engaging Young Adult fantasy but was totally let down by the editing, or the lack of it. The errors were many. I was happy to ignore the first few but they kept appearing throughout the whole book, dampening my enjoyment of the story. The language used was excellent to represent an age and realm different to our own. Plus sentences like this made me see that the author has so much potential. ”Their leaves had already begun to transform from silvery-blues to glittery coppers and golds. The occasional shaft of light that penetrated the canopy flashed from the gilded foliage and into Liam’s eyes.”
I felt the killing of the Ogre and Giant were introduced for blood lust only and didn’t advance the story. I didn’t hate the Ogre or the Giant before the killing so didn’t have a feeling of relief. I’m not saying leave it out, just leave the killing and blood lust up to the baddies, it’s what they do best.
I hovered between two or three stars only because of the errors. My e-copy was received in January so maybe these problems have been addressed. All that aside, when I finished the book I was eager to read more and continue Liam and Anaya’s adventure, which is always a good sign.
I am extremely grateful to both Mythos Press and the author, Wilson Feliz for giving me the opportunity to read and review this amazing book!
The Dragon Holder is the first book in the Forbidden Forest series which promises to be a spectacular series judging from this first book. I had so much fun getting lost in the world of The Dragon Holder and I can’t wait for the series to continue. If you hadn’t gleaned from the cover and the synopsis above, this book is a work of fantasy complete with magic, dragons and warriors…all things that I love to encounter in a fantasy story. My most favorite thing about this story was the way in which the author delivered it to us. The story is delivered from the perspective of multiple characters which I loved and made the story feel very well rounded. Wilson Feliz is a superb storyteller, the language was descriptive, the pacing just right and the world building was done perfectly. All of this created a very enchanting, magical and interesting story that I could not help but find myself completely lost in. I loved all of the mystery, the magic and the peril that the characters face as they each find themselves in the middle of prophecy. I really enjoyed seeing a strong female character like Anaya in this book and I love that she’s this completely badass master magician character. I also love Liam’s character and the bond that he and Shade develop as well as seeing Liam grow into his own on this journey.
I think if you know someone who struggles with the fantasy genre or who is just getting into reading fantasy this would be one of the books that should be required reading but longtime fans of the genre will find it just as enjoyable. At 128 pages this book is a super light, super fast read that delivers a great story and fantasy experience. I cannot wait to read more and I expect to read some fantastic works from this author! At this point, I'm a fangirl and not afraid to say it.
Wilson Feliz made sure to set the scene before actually beginning the book and that is certainly an important thing. In fact it almost starts off as an epic, reminiscent of myths. Although there were errors throughout the book, whether just a word or an error in grammar, but it didn't detract too much from the writing and it wasn't riddled with errors.
The book jumps around to different characters, and you might not always understand why they were important but you could still get behind the characters, at least sometimes.
I have to admit that I didn't really enjoy the mages or Anaya as much as Liam. Mostly because they seemed to be arrogant and overly confident. It got to me and annoyed me.
The plot was interesting and keeps rolling, never stopping. It also ends with a good ending to continue into another book.
Overall, The Dragon Holder was a decent read, perfect for those who enjoy tales of dragons and magic.
Loved it! My only complaint is that it is written with a cliffhanger, and I hate having to wait.
A great tale of warriors, mages, and a group called the "Decent Brotherhood". A war is spreading and obliterating a land already plagued by famine. The previously warring mages and elves band together to fight the Brotherhood, but the fate of all lies in the hands of the one and only Dragon Holder.
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
I read this as a kindle book. I am not sure what happened to it on the site. I have high hopes for a second book. It seems it will be an awesome story. I mean you pretty much have ever thing for an awesome story. Magic,elves, orphaned boy, and last but not least a dragon.