Reign of Dragons

by Jasmine Young (Editor), Robert Zangari (Editor), Tim Akers

REIGN OF DRAGONS features an ensemble of fabulous fantasy authors who excel at writing dragons. It showcases a wide range of brilliant talent by up-and-coming authors to veteran storytellers. The authors included are SPFBO finalists, award winners, as well as USA Today and New York Times bestsellers.
From romances to heart-stopping battles to LitRPG adventures, this anthology provides a range of tales across subgenres told with many beloved tropes dragon-shifters, dragon-riders, dragon companions, etc.
In addition to wondrous stories, this anthology showcases stunning illustration by Ertaç Altınöz (George R.R. Martin's licensed artist), Joe Requeza, Rachel St. Clair, Kerem Beyit (Wizards of the Coast and DayBreak Games) and Robert Zangari.

REIGN OF DRAGONS aims to showcase stunning art with equally fantastic dragon-centric stories

Contents:
1. Of the Wyrm
Tim Akers

2. Day of the Blood Dragon
Melanie Ansley

3. The Broken Oath
Richard Fierce

4. Secret Alliance
Helen Garraway

5. Paid in Salt and Scale
Alexis D. Johnson

6. The Sun Thief
R.M. Krogman

7. Downscaled
Rocco Levitas

8. Into the Ashes
A.L. Lorensen

9. Flying Elephants
Todd McCaffrey

10. Javelina's Dragon
Eileen Mueller

11. Righteous Wyrmicide
Andy Peloquin

12. The Last Flame of Shar'grobor
Corey Ratliff

13. The Dying Heart of Hope
J.D.L. Rosell

14. Dragon-fire Peak
Robert Ryan

15. Severing the Dragon Bond
R.M. Schultz

16. The Minstrel & the Dragon
M. H. Woodscourt

17. A Birth Of Breakers
Jasmine Young

18. The Forgotten Lords of Scale
Dan Zangari & Robert Zangari

Genres: Fantasy

621 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2025

About the author

Receive A Descent of Dragons (Realm Breaker 0.5) by joining Jasmine Young's Dragonfyre Council mailing list at https://www.jasmineyoungauthor.com/su...

Jasmine Young is the nobledark fantasy author of over 15 titles to date.

When she was thirteen, she first dreamed of becoming published after devouring Eragon in a few days on Grandma's couch. As a once painfully anxious introvert, her exposure to fantasy started with hiding out in the library with a great book.

Thirteen years later, her tomboy dreams came true.

Today, she is known worldwide as a part time hermit and a full time rogue. She is also the proud mother of three little birds. The happy family currently lounges in Florida.

With a Masters degree from Columbia University, and experience hosting two podcasts and coaching writers of all ages, she was invited in 2022 to speak on stage to inspire and empower the next generation to achieve their dreams.

When she’s not reminiscing about her gaming days or getting lost in old epics like LOTR, Jasmine writes a blend of epic, romantic, dark, and progression fantasy to entertain and empower, especially the underdogs.

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Reviews

[R.M. Krogman, Dark and Epic Fantasy Author]

"Reign of Dragons" is an incredible anthology of pure dragon goodness. Eighteen dragon stories by indie authors you know and love and the guest of honor Todd McCaffrey. This collection is really special, both in content and artwork.

I think my favorite stories were "The Minstrel and the Dragon" by M. H. Woodscourt, "Secret Alliance" by Helen Garraway, and "The Last Flame of Shar'Grobor" by Corey Ratliff, although I thoroughly enjoyed the entire collection. Each story reflects the author's style and broader world, so you know there is more to read after. There are stories that set an obvious precedent for big, world-changing events later on (for example, "A Birth of Breakers" by Jasmine Young, "The Forgotten Lords of Scale" by Dan and Robert Zangari, "Of the Wyrm" by Tim Akers), and other stories that are close and personal (for example, "Paid in Salt and Scale" by Alexis D. Johnson, Javelina's Dragon by Eileen Mueller). Some stories are serious ("The Sun Thief" by me, R. M. Krogman), and others comedically dark ("Righteous Wyrmicide" by Andy Peloquin, "Flying Elephants" by Todd McCaffrey). I am not kidding when I say you *will* find something you love in this anthology (hopefully multiple somethings)!

Beyond the awesome cast of contributing authors, this anthology features fantasy art. I was blown away with how each art piece came out, with original works from four different professional artists. This is the most beautiful book I own, hands down. HUGE thanks to the editors Jasmine Young and Robert Zangari for making it happen!

[D.M. West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reign of Dragons is a great collection of, you guessed it, dragon stories.
Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE dragon stories so I had to get this stunning hardcover special edition.

There are 18 stories in this collection, all centring on slightly different dragon themes. Like any anthology I liked some stories more than others but all were enjoyable and introduced me to some new authors I’ll be going to suss out what other books they might have.

1. Of the Wrym by Tim Akers
A priest of the crow god is sent on a mission to the dragonland to find power for a king. But who is the enemy here?
Wow talk about dumping you into the action. There is so much world building jammed into such a short story, it makes me wonder if there’s a full novel in this work I need to find. I love the magic - runes carved into skin and utilised with armor is pretty cool. Also what they are doing with the gods (no spoilers 😜) is pretty intense.

2. Day of the Blood Dragon by Melanie Ansley
An emperor and his sorceress travel to face a dragon to get them to aid in his war for peace.
This story has more of an Asian settings/vibes. Our pov character Lu-she’s powers are coo - she can literally boil the blood in someone’s veins. The dragon they go to meet is called the “blood dragon” and I think I missed why she’s called that. Just a link to Lu-sha’s powers, I think it was more than that but yeah, somehow I missed it while I was reading. I also appreciated that the emperor was willing to admit he’s chasing power and to be the ruler of all even if his end goal is for peace, instead of just focusing on the peace of it if that makes sense.

3. The Broken Oath by Richard Fierce
The concept for this one was cool. A dragon wakes up after a very long sleep (like hundreds of years) to find the world has changed completly around him, breaking an oath he had. But I feel like the reason/ what the oath actually was and why it was broken and why he was asleep for so long needed a little more explaining for me. The dragon is so angry and spends a lot of time just watching to see if what was left was “worth saving.” I enjoyed it but think it would have meant more to me with a smidge more explanation.

4. Secret Alliance by Helen Garraway
A dragon rider is hurting from the loss of his dragon, a dragon is grieving the loss of her rider. Can they help each other?
I really liked this one. The emotions felt real and I love the idea of two heartbroken souls helping each other heal. I would have loved it to be a little longer to see both of them just quietly helping each other get through each day before actually bonding. But that’s the curse of a short story I suppose, always wanting it to be longer.

5. Paid in Salt and Scale by Alexis D. Johnson
Excuse me? Pirate dragons! Hells yeah!
We follow Cori and Bastian as they work on a pirate ship to try and save money for something important…
So much happening, dodging underwater snares, rival pirates, high stakes, overcoming past fears and we got different dragon types. I love when there are all sorts of different dragons in a story. The tension was perfect for me.

6. The Sun Thief by R.M Krogman
Our main character returns home after years and becomes aware of the plight of enslaved dragons.
I did enjoy this one but I think I missed something or just didn’t quite get it. I’m not sure how to explain without spoilers so warning here.
.
.
.
.
The sun dragons were made into slaves because they were thought to be animals - not as sentient as their full sized kin and could not speak. But they could speak and are smart the entire time? So why did they not just speak up “hey we’re are clever and not dumb animals.” Right from word go when they were starting to be treated that way? Maybe I’m overthinking it missed an explanation.
Regardless our main character is Elgid is cool and I loved the sun dragons magic.

7. Downscaled by Rocco Levitas
A LitRPG about a dragon protecting the last dragon egg.
I devoured this one. I’m on a real LitRPG kick so was super excited to find this LitRPG short story. No idea how you could pull off a short story in that genre but Rocco Levitas nailed it. I would 100% read a full book of this. Our dragon is tough and awesome, our random gnome friend is a hoot. Also, also the all important dragon egg being looked after by a chicken is just slightly silly genius.

8. Into the Ashes by A.L. Lorensen
A cult is causing destruction across the land. A Paladin(?) type lady goes to investigate a dragon sighting. But is it a dragon or the cultists?
Ruthen our main character is awesome, her voice, toughness and her magic were great to read. I liked the hints of greater politics at play. I’m not sure I understood what happened at the end but I still enjoyed it.

9. Flying Elephants by Todd McCaffrey
A rubbish man cleans up garbage, and other things in an odd way. Only to be confronted by a stranger.
Short and interesting enough. I don’t know if it was, but it felt quiet Discworld inspired to me. The concept of the other worlds was cool and the story as a fun quick read is good. I just kind of expected a little more from this author.

10. Javelina’s Dragon by Eileen Mueller
A woman mourns the death of her friend/lover but the show must go on.
I think I would have known this was a Mueller story without being told. Of course the Blue guard dragons and the places etc are part of her larger series which give it away, but Javelina’s Dragon has the lovely cosy feeling descriptions and emotions I have come to expect from Mueller. Overall I enjoyed this instalment to the world but I guessed the plot/twist right from the start. Not necessarily a bad thing, foreshadowing is a good thing, I just would have loved a little more. I don’t know what “more” exactly I wanted but I think this story is getting fleshed out to a full novel so that “more” will likely be there, yay.

11. Righteous Wyrmicide by Andy Peloquin
A cursed barbarian and his axe get recruited to go slay a dragon.
Oh my gosh I loved this. I just wasn’t expecting the tone of this story to appear at number 11 in the book but I was enthralled by it. Is it a bit silly? yep and it worked so great. When thinking about the curse it’s pretty intense, but also a bit funny. Of all the things to curse someone with! I loved Axe’s foul mouth and the things he shouted. Our poor dragon! Ahhh

12. The Last Flame of Shar’Grobor by Corey Ratliff
I think I must have read this one before bed because for some reason I can’t seem to remember this one well. It has dragon riders and elemental magic, both great things I love in a story. The dragon seems very angry and a little foul mouthed and our villain was one we can love to hate. I might go back and re-read this one I think

13. The Dying Heart of Hope by J.D.L. Rosell
A man from a warrior clan refuses to kill, instead he goes on a quest to save his people a different way.
This was great. The fact that Eshun maintained his core belief was right and good the whole way along, despite the horrible things, was refreshing. The emotions were intense without the need for a crisis of faith. And those emotions were perfectly portrayed. His sister! Omg. The titans are super cool, I love different creatures in books. The “demon” was a great character as well. It was all just cool.

14. Dragon-Fire Peak by Robert Ryan
A Druid and a warrior climb a mountain to kill a dragon.
Despite there only being 2 characters on the quest this one gave me Lord of the Rings vibes. We get dwarven history, dragons, druids, goblins and magical storms - lots happening. I’m not sure how I feel about the dragon rules of the riddle but it’s a fun take.

15. Severing the Dragon Bond by R.M. Schultz
A dragon rider searches for an item that can destroy dragon bonds and send the world back into war.
Love a badass fire sword wielding, dragon riding queen. I’m not sure it was the intent of the story but I found the forest dragons trying to avoid being bonded against their will so sad. In this one dragons have like platform saddles with turrets on them which is a super cool idea.

16. The Minstrel & the Dragon by M.H. Woodscourt
A bard is sacrificed to a dragon, but not all is as it seems.
This was a cute quick read for me. I enjoyed seeing the pretty dragon changing the innocent minstrels pre-conceived notions. I want to know more about this magic gem though. Is it just a magical artefact? Was it part of the dragon? Did I just miss something that explained it?

17. A Birth of Breakers by Jasmine Young
A little critter finds an ancient immortal to ask for help, gets a story instead.
The story does help the critter though so I guess that’s ok. This one feels very much an origin story for the authors main series. I desperately want to read the main series, I feel like this short will mean more once I have? I enjoyed it and love the concept of how the world is created. Might come back and read this one once I start the series.

18. The Forgotten Lords of Scales by Dan and Robert Zangari
A young dragon ventures out into lands forbidden by his people and finds more than he expected.
I love that this collection ended with a story from the pov of the dragon! This is another one that feels like there would be a larger world at play. There is a lot happening in this one for its length and I’m a sucker for a liberation story.

I really enjoyed this collection. It’s a solid instalment for my dragon shelves (yes I have two entire bookshelves dedicated to dragon books). OMG I didn’t even mention the artwork yet! The cover art, the naked hardcover art and the illustrations within are all perfect. I wish every story had an illustration for it they were all that good.
Highly recommend this book.

[Kaitlyn Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of beautifully written stories! Each of them was very unique and well written as they explore the relationships and bonds to their human companions some engaging in battle and some involving romance! Each of the stories held my attention and painted beautiful imagery. This is the first anthology I’ve read and I really enjoyed the concept! Each of these talented authors and illustrator collaborated to create a mystical masterpiece!

[Theo Saur · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the freshly-laid eggs of the dragon renaissance hatches a new collection of 18 dragon stories! Having grown up with Jack Dunn's The Dragon Book, I was ready to be inspired again, and.... well, in short, this is not The Dragon Book, for better or for worse. Firstly, although this is an anthology, all of the stories are essentially very similar. They are set in essentially the same world, a vaguely mediaeval European second-world fantasy reminiscent of the Forgotten Realms; the characters all had exotic but pronounceable names, which all sounded alike by the end ('Razor' Rhaezorynne and 'Brach' Brachendar are from two different stories!), the dragons were broadly the same kind of dragon (large, scaly, powerful), and they kept telling the same stories. In total, there are 7 stories where dragons take on human form, 6 stories about dragon-riders and bonding, and 3 stories about dragon-slayers.

This was obviously an intentional choice on the editors' part, and other reviewers seem to enjoy it, but as someone who was expecting a little more variety I found it disappointing and ultimately very repetitive. All of the stories are competently written with a high degree of polish (occasional copyediting errors aside), but in a crowd of 18 very similar stories it is difficult to stand out, especially given most tropes were played straight or subverted in an obvious way. If you enjoy that sort of thing, of course, this book is for you!

1. Of the Wyrm by Tim Akers
4/5: The first story, and one of the best and most memorable of the lot, a low fantasy story filled with intrigue of both the political and mystical variety. A follower of the Matron of Ravens I mean, Kraksus the Crow embarks on a quest to save the kingdom - but not everything is as it seems. I enjoyed this one a lot, and would have liked to read more in this world.

2. Day of the Blood Dragon by Melanie Ainsley
3/5: One of my favourites, partly on account of being the only non-European setting - a breath of fresh air! Ancient China is at war, and one emperor tries to convince the queen of the dragons to join his cause, and unite China under his rule. The character relationships are strong and interesting, and battles of wits and magic are exciting to read.

3. The Broken Oath by Richard Fierce
1/5: A dragon wakes from a long slumber to find his kingdom in ruins - and proceeds to have the exact same conversation six times. The setting was particularly interesting, but let down by the repetitive character conflict & resolution.

4. Secret Alliance by Helen Garroway
0/5 stars the alliance is not secret. This story has a solid foundation of grief and loss, but I found the character emotionality rushed and inconsistent; one page Ren is punching Brach, the next they're best friends. Most significantly, Arith is missing her rider, and Ren his dragon, but the day after they meet she's ready to bond him, and the story ends . Feels like the characters needed more room to make the big decisions. I really enjoyed Arith's character, though; she wasn't what I expected, and her grief, her rage, and her regret felt genuine. 3/5 stars.

5. Paid in Salt and Scale by Alexis D. Johnson
3/5 Dragons! Riders! Pirates! The dragon mechanics of this one were super cool - breathing netting over the rudder, dodging underwater snares, alternating with a partner, managing breaths and air was exciting to read and very interesting.

6. The Sun Thief by R. M. Krogman
2/5 Dragons! Bonds! Pirates! ... again? The political machinations in this one were lots of fun to read, and I enjoyed exploring the economics of the empire. I was less pleased with the dragon story, however - enslaved, unspeaking, unable to bond...... until they do speak, and bond, and throw off their chains. Why didn't they do that sooner? This is not how slavery works.

7. Downscaled by Rocco Levitas
5/5 my favourite by a wide margin! I've never encountered a story like this before, but I think this is the LitRPG - video game mechanics played straight, the dragon's perspective on egg-smashing heroes, and a fitting meta-comedic ending. This was lots of fun, and quite funny too - I'd read the novel, easy!

8. Into the Ashes by A. L. Lorensen
4/5 I loved our protagonist! Ruthen, Knight and follower of Sister Earth, follows in the wake of a village-burning cult - and carries the story with her. The little insights into the political situation added a nice depth to the world. I wasn't such a fan of the ending, but the journey was great!

9. Elephants Flying by Todd McCaffrey
2/5 incredibly strange. The shortest story in the group, and by the guest author, too? Set on a flat Earth, where some dude is multi-tasking with elephants and exposition. The end is cool though!

10. Javelina's Dragon by Eileen Mueller
2/5 Dragon-riders: Romantasy edition. One of my least favourite stories, and as the third dragon-bonded-riders story, I was getting quite tired of the trope. The emotional beats felt weirdly adolescent; a woman crying in a tree until nightfall is either unrealistic or a teenager, and I was not at all interested in the instant romance, either. Not for me.

11. Righteous Wyrmicide by Andy Peloquin
4/5 hilarious! A barbarian and his talking Axe gear up for a mighty battle with an EEEVIL drag--oh. Hm. Well. About that. This is an ironic and subversive story, and a terribly funny one, as the epic battle keeps getting put off by a dragon tripping into doing good things by accident. The bit goes on for a while, but I loved it, especially the ending.

12. The Last Flame of Shar'grobor by Corey Ratcliffe
1/5 Dragon-riders.... again.... and an eeevil dragonrider betrayed them all. She's a woman, though, so that means she's a BITCH!! Something Owen, our protagonist, will keep reminding us. Wall-to-wall action and high drama falls flat without something calm for contrast.

13. The Dying Heart of Hope by J. D. L. Rosell
5/5 outstanding. A devout pacifist sets out to tame and bond a dragon titan to bring an end to the endless war; a slow build-up ends in action that feels epic and earned. The thematic and emotional beats are meaningful and well-done. I want more!

14. Dragon-fire Peak by Robert Ryan
1/5 A druid and a warrior gear up for a battle with a dragon...... played completely straight, and borrowing heavily from Lord of the Rings. Long ago, a dragon massacred dwarves, stealing their treasure and their mountain home. Now, our characters take a shortcut through a dwarven ruin, and are overrun by... shock! horror! a horde of GOBLINS... and so the druid slams his staff into the ground, collapsing the cave? He doesn't say 'You shall not pass' out loud, but he's definitely doing a Gandalf.

15. Severing the Dragon Bond by R. M. Schultz
3/5 Dragon-riders...... number 6! The art for this is beautiful, but by this point in the anthology I really wanted to read something different. The action was cool, as was the Dragon Queen herself - flaming sword, go! - but I kept expecting there to be a twist, and then there... wasn't. And 'we must find the pearl!' *smash cut to five hundred years later* 'we must find the pearl' was a bit silly.

16. The Minstrel & the Dragon by M. H. Woodscourt
3/5 A ma(ide)n is sacrificed to a dragon, subverted. I liked this; lovely descriptions of nature here, oddly cottagecore. I think I would have preferred it without the action-packed ending, but the story was nice enough.

17. A Birth of Breakers by Jasmine Young
2/5 A retelling of norse mythology, most of which is devoted to a convoluted creation myth. I lost track of who was who - is that guy Loki? King Odin? - so it fell pretty flat, but as this is a prequel I wonder if it works better for a fan of the series.

18. The Forgotten Lords of Scale by Dan Zangari & Robert Zangari
2/5 Dovetails oddly close to Wings of Fire, as a young dragon flies out west and discovers a secret continent dragon prison. Feels like it ended before the shit hit the fan, which was a bit disappointing.

Overall: a mixed bag, as all anthologies are to some extent. Some of the stories were great fun, but eventually the sameyness became a bit of a chore. I enjoyed it more when I was reading one story at a time, so I recommend that.

[Susan May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reign Of Dragons
I found this to be a great collection of stories about a wide variety of dragons. Each story was unique in its own way. I recognized some of the authors and gained a couple new ones, and I enjoy the creativity that fills each of the pages. There were three that I thoroughly enjoyed & read each one twice.
The Broken Oath
By Richard Fierce
When Therakos awoke the mountains shifted and the ground split & shook. He had been the great protector of Ilyros. He had been sleeping for a long time and now as he looked around, he saw things were much different. He stared and searched for the sounds he remembered and the things that had been promised to him but there was nothing. He extended his mind searching for the life that should be at the bottom of his mountain. The silence was to much, so he set off to investigate. He was shocked as he saw the crumbled cities and forest now dead and overgrown. The kingdom banners were now gone & he was upset. As he landed in an abandoned city where he remembered children playing & laughing he smelled a foul magic & he knew what happened. He lifted into the air and flew to the abandoned castle where he found Elana. He demanded an explanation from her and with wobbly legs she told him. As Therakos had slept, the kingdom claimed he had disappeared and the pact was broken. The kingdoms went to war and what he saw was what little had veen left. Therakos was angry and told her that he was promised rest and sworn protection in return for my vigilance! After he learned all he could from her, Elana took him to her village to meet everyone. They asked him for protection once again & he said as he looked at the destruction, that they needed to prove to him that they were worthy of it. He spent days watching the villagers and even helping them at times. Therakos & Elana spent time together upon his hill as he watched over them until one day the raiders came again. Now the time had come to see if they had proved to the dragon that they deserved his protection?
A great story that kept me turning pages.

Secret Alliance
By Helen Garraway
Ren had been a dragon rider but he had lost his dragon & suffered greatly because of it. He now was trying to rebuild his life by running a bar. Sometimes that was a challenge he decided as he stood polishing a glass. He had to listen to the idiot currently spewing subjects he knew nothing about. He really wanted him to shut up but he did not. Ren ended up frustrated and had started busying himself when a voice that spoke made him shudder with recognition. Memories of heartbreak & sorrow crept into his mind as he tried to ignore the voice but it did not work. Brach one of the other riders had come into the bar and Ren wanted nothing to do with him. As Ren tried hard to ignore Brach, he wondered why Brach had tracked him down. He was a little surprised when a voice rumbled in his mind that he was missed. It was Waffle Brach’s dragon. He ended up in a brief scuffle with Brach and nothing got resolved. The next morning Ren went to find Waffle. Once he located him, Waffle told him the sad story. Kullin had been killed over a land dispute and he was the commander of the King’s Flight. He flew Arith the White, the largest queen that had ever hatched in Ulluria. She was now suffering the same loss as Ren. He ended up returning home with Brach and was going to try to help Queen Arith with the emptiness, grief and depression she was experiencing. He was a little afraid of how the other riders would react to seeing him again but he had to endure it for Arith. When he approached he was nervous at first but when he saw her, he knew he had to help her. It was slow going but he sat & talked with her. They grew closer and he was now sleeping in the cave with her. Their friendship grew and she started to return to her normal self. Then it happened, Ren had entered the courtyard when he saw one of Brach’s lieutenants. As soon as the man saw him Ren knew he was in for it and he was right as Urvin stalked towards him. Ren took a deep breath. Urvin was one of the younger riders and at one time Ren had mentored him. This was going to be ugly Ren thought and it surely was. As the argument ended and Urvin’s anger was boiling he started to leave but spun and grabbed Ren’s jacket and spurt out a threat. The fury in Urvin’s eyes made him shudder. They both were caught off guard when a sudden draft caught their attention. Arith landed behind Ren. The Queens white scales glistened and looked radiant after Ren had carefully oiled them for her. She stood proudly as Urvin looked at her. The bond between them had grown in the days they spent together. She then brought her head down and shut Urvin’s threat down instantly which caused his jaw to drop. She asked if he was threatening HER rider?
I simply loved this one.
Righteous Wrymicide
By Andy Peloquin
This was my most favorite of all. I was laughing out loud while reading it.
The main characters are of course Axe and Owen. Now Owen is the wielder of Axe and yes Axe is an actual Axe. He used to be a perfectly mundane steel axe but the head of the axe had become a hideous skull face who is now a sentient and very judgmental weapon. When they find a foe Axe will judge them and then decide their fate. Owen carries out whatever punishment Axe makes. Owen is the only one who could see the skull face with glowing red eyes so he is especially important to Axe. Owen had been cursed by 3 evil witches at the same time Axe had come to be and Owen wondered how it had exactly worked. They were having an argument about Owens entrance into the battle with the dragon. (hilarious)
Owen had been minding his own business sampling the grainy, gritty ale when a desperate shepherd rushed into the Pub and said “Please help me!” as he began to sob & weep. Because of Owen’s curse, he knew he was going to spend five grueling days marching up the harshest peak of a mountain to deal with a troublesome dragon. Over Owen’s long life, he had fought a lot of beasts. They had taken on creatures that came straight from Hell and some from reality. The two of them had defeated demons, undead, flesh golems and he had always his dreamed slaying a dragon. He did not think his entrance word would matter much. As they reached the entrance and looked at the blackness of the stone tunnel the argument ended. Another thing that Axe enjoyed was drinking Ichor. Owen told him he should not drink so much because it made him cranky. The temperature began to drop with every step. They soon came out in the dragon's lair. They were both speechless. The space opened up and had glittering stalactites spread through out the gold. Gems, weapons and many other treasures. The other part was full of dragon. Draghar was his name and he was sleeping. Owen was glad because he had only seen dragons from a distance and this one was huge. Owen was a little nervous. Then axe started an argument and woke the dragon. The next sequence of events was not what Owen expected. They began a disagreement of sorts with the dragon. The dragon felt his time of death drawing near and wanted one final battle with a fierce foe. His death would be glorious indeed. That is whhen the dragon learned that axe had to deem him worthy of death before Owen could kill him. The dragon started listing his crimes and each time axe shot him down.
This one was so funny and had me laughing.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I say anything, I'd like to talk about the limited hardcover edition of this book from dragonfyrebookstore.com real quick, because it is gorgeous! The details, color and artwork is truly a sight to behold, and its clear a lot of heart was put into creating it. It looks and feels special, a work of art in its own right, I almost wish I could put it on display somewhere! I could gush about this edition more, but there's no time for that. Besides, the most important part of a book is the story-or stories-within. Does the anthology itself live up to the canvas holding it together? Well, lets take a look, shall we? (Spoilers ahead, though I'll try keep them as minimal as possible!)

-

1. Of the Wyrm by Tim Akers.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

This first story was epic! It established so much in so little time, I wish I could've stayed in that world a little longer to learn more! Filled with gods, betrayal, an interesting protagonist, and a fun take on dragons, this is definitely one of the best stories in the anthology!

2. Day of the Blood Dragon by Melanie Ansley.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

In the time of the Warring States, a young king and his servant sorceress search for the dragon homeland to end the two hundred year war. Well written with a few twists I didn't expect, as well as a little romance, but not my favorite.

3. The Broken Oath by Richard Fierce.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Told from the perspective of an old dragon searching for answers regarding his ruined kingdom. A bit repetitive, and the theme of hope is beaten over our heads, but its still sweet and well meaning. Part of it even got me a little teary-eyed.

4. Secret Alliance by Helen Garraway.
Rating: 5 out of 5.

A former dragonrider, mourning the loss of his dragon, reluctantly returns home to bring aid to a dragon grieving the loss of her own rider. This one was straight up bittersweet and beautiful! The raw depression, anger and loneliness following the death of a beloved was handled so well, I nearly cried multiple times. In contrast, the friendship between the lamenting dragon and rider made my heart soar! Their wounds may never fully heal, but they are able to soothe each other's pain through presence and understanding. I did not expect this one to hit so hard in the feels, I love it!

5. Paid in Salt & Scale by Alexis D. Johnson.
Rating: 4 out of 5.

Pirates and dragons! Some of the details and characters blurred together, and the way everything was resolved felt a tiny bit off, but the swashbuckling action, and the many different types of dragons and how they're integrated into naval warfare, all made up for it. Also, dragon roulette!

6. The Sun Thief by R. M. Krogman.
Rating: 3 out of 5.

This one was sadly disappointing. Reviews kept hyping this story up due to the Sun Dragons, and while said Sun Dragons were adorable little buggers that must be protected and respected at all costs, the rest of the short didn't do much for me. It means well, tackling themes of equal rights, slavery, and the blind ignorance of the higher ups, but most of the writing felt off, and I swear I caught a few grammar errors.

7. Downscaled by Rocco Levitas.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I'm not a fan of LitRPGs. Everything running on video game rules, to the point of having pop-up menus, levels, stats, etc, takes all the fun out for me. Despite this, this story was a lot of fun! Imaginative, the banter between our main dragon and her gnome friend was great, and there's even some character development, if only a little. My biggest complaint is the ending: there is none.

8. Into the Ashes by A. L. Lorensen.
Rating: 4 out of 5.

A lady knight searches for a way to defeat a death-happy cult while rumors of a dragon spread across the land. This starts out as an all-too familiar story, but multiple plot twists take it down a path I never expected. Very interesting as a whole, though like Downscaled it doesn't really have an ending.

9. Flying Elephants by Todd McCaffery.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The shortest story of the bunch and the strangest. That doesn't make it bad, of course! It's kind of hard to describe this one, so for once, I shall say nothing regarding it, only that you go in blind and make up your own mind about it.

10. Javelina's Dragon by Eileen Mueller.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

A circus performer mourns the loss of her partner, while dragon riders work to solve the mystery behind said partner's murder. This one was much more romance-heavy, and not in a good way. Our main characters get the hots for one another while one of them is still mourning the loss of her lover. It felt awkward and wrong. The mystery was also predictable (though not all of it), and there was a lot of repetition too. At the very least, the dragons, the banter with their riders, and the circus element was fun. Romantasy lovers will get a bigger kick out of this one than me.

11. Righteous Wyrmicide by Andy Peloquin.
Rating: 4 out of 5.

A barbarian and his Axe go off to slay a dragon. Yep, that's it. Or is it? I'll say no more, only that this story was hilarious, and curses have a surprising amount of math and calculation to them.

12. The Last Flame of Shar'grobor by Corey Ratliff.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The last dragon and his rider make way for their final battle at the end of the world. Intense with action-packed, blood-soaked battles, yet it carries an air of sadness as there is nothing left, and it truly is the end of everything. My only complaints are that some of the details were confusing, along with the ending, and while I'm all for cursing and swearing, it was gratuitous here.

13. The Dying Heart of Hope by J. D. L. Rosell.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Another strange and sad one, yet that doesn't mean its bad, and its not without a little hope despite the title. Its hard to describe this short, but I can safely say the world it was set in was amazing! Imaginative and original with themes of war and pacifism, and more mystical beasts beyond dragons. Its so different from the other stories, I need more!

14. Dragon-fire Peak by Robert Ryan.
Rating: 2 out of 5.

A druid and a warrior climb a mountain to slay a dragon. Yeah, that's pretty much it, and unlike Righteous Wyrmicide, there isn't any cheeky humor, or anything really, to make it more interesting. The writing was also weird, with lots of repetition, and a particular overuse of the word 'yet'. To be fair, it has a nice, classic-fantasy feel, including a familiar use of riddles, and there was a neat bit of character development, but overall, there's really nothing to make it stand out, and is the weakest short by far.

15. Severing the Dragon Bond by R. M. Schultz.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Dragon Queen, Sirra, searches for a precious artifact that holds the fate of both humans and dragons alike. I'm a fan of R. M. Schultz's The Forged and the Fallen series, which this short is a part of, so expect some bias here. Yes, I loved it. Sirra is an awesome character, and the world, imagination, magic, and the plot twists is incredible. My only complaint is that some of the details were a bit muddled, and even confusing at times. Other than that, its always good to see more from the world of Cimeren.

16. The Minstrel & The Dragon by M. H. Woodscourt.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

A minstrel is sentenced to death via sacrificed to a dragon, but not all is what it seems. This one was straight up adorable. The writing was fun, the aforementioned minstrel and dragon were great and had wonderful chemistry (as friends), and the theme of finding your self-worth was heartwarming. Definitely one of the best shorts in my book.

17. A Birth of Breakers by Jasmine Young.
Rating: 5 out of 5.

The price of immortality...expect a little more bias again, because I've really enjoyed what I read of Jasmine Young's Realm Breaker series, and that includes this short! The origin of the Realm Breakers brought back fond memories of the Silmarillion and how Melkor/Morgoth came to be, and while a lot of details and phrases were borrowed from Norse mythology, that's not a bad thing. Look how much media is inspired by Norse mythology (including Tolkien's works!). It does make some descriptions a bit confusing-as there are a lot of names and places to remember-but overall, this short was still riveting, and definitely makes you think twice about seeking immortality, though some still misunderstand that message...

18. The Forgotten Lords of Scale by Dan and Robert Zangari.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

A flight across the sea takes a golden dragon to an island where he learns the true history of his kin, and their past sins. This one starts out great, but got a little weird for me towards the end, not to mention quite a few grammar errors. It was still good overall at least, and a story from the perspective of dragons is always welcome.

-

Those are my thoughts on each story in the anthology, I apologize if I went on too long. Overall, while a few stories were mixed bags and/or in desperate need of more editing, I enjoyed and adored most of the others. Which means the anthology itself is flawed, but still a work of art with heart. I hope we'll get more dragon-only anthologies like this down the line, what would the chances of getting a Reign of Dragons 2 be?

[Starfallow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love dragons? Then this is the perfect anthology for you. From tiny sun dragons, to sea dragons, to enormous, this anthology has it all. Every story was deliciously unique. I especially loved “The Sun Thief”. I have fallen in love with the world of Midgate and its magic. The Sun Dragons were adorable. I couldn’t stop rooting for them and was so happy to see them win their freedom.
The world building in every one of these short stories was incredible and I cannot wait to read more from each of these amazing authors. I cannot recommend “Reign of Dragons” enough.

[Brogan Boyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reign of Dragons is a fabulous anthology of short stories about dragons. Each story puts you straight into their world in a new adventure along . I enjoyed reading the different ones, but my favorite was Secret Alliance which shared a story of dragons & dragon rider bonds along with grief. It was absolutely a beautiful story.

Readers who love stories about dragons will absolutely love this anthology, every story is unique! Each story also had an illustration that went with it that were beautiful. I read a digital copy, but the hardcover looks absolutely gorgeous too!!

[Momma T's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's all about dragons. 18 different short stories about dragons. What more could you ask for. It was exhilarating. It was fun. The Sun Dragons were the best. Their tiny bodies packed with the biggest hearts.

It was a great read. If you love dragons don't miss out on this one. It's longer, but the length of each story differs. You can sit down for a quick whimsical read, or go for a longer battle filled read.

[Lisa Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. I absolutely love this collection of Dragon stories from many incredible authors. There were many authors that were new to me, and a few long time favorites, but every story was fast paced with excitement, suspense and Dragons of all kinds. Shifters, bonded to riders and more. Definitely will be a favorite of mine for a long time!

[Sean Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely collection of stories, that has definitely introduced me to some authors that I'm going to have to read more of in the future.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible collection of dragon themed stories of 18 different authors. Each story unique and captivating with incredible word and world building. It's worth your while!

[Steve Flanagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many excellent stories in this book and give you an opportunity to get to know other authors. However, one of my favorite authors, Helen Garroway, had a great story in this book.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such great stories and introductions new more Authors to read!

[Raeleane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed reading this compilation of 18 dragon short stories. Each story is unique and captivating.

Story #1
Of the Wyrm by Tim Akers
The characters were fantastic and engaging. There is a lot of betrayal in the story. The world building was fantastic.

Story #2
Day of the Blood Dragon by Melanie Ansley
This story has strong complex characters and an incredible storyline and vivid world building.

Story #3
The Broken Oath by Richard Fierce
Great characters! Therakos meets Elena who encourages him to protect her Village so they can rebuild. The world building was captivating and brilliant.

Story #4
Secret Alliance by Helen Garaway
Helen Garaway is a master storyteller. I absolutely loved this story of a rider who lost his dragon and a dragon who lost her rider bonding together. The characters were fantastic and well written and the world building incredible.

Story #5
Paid in Salt and Scale by Alexis D. Johnson
A fantastic and unique short story with great characters, lots of action and sea dragons. This story has a different and very unique world building that is incredible.

Story #6
The Sun Thief by R. M. Krogman
An incredible short story about Sun Dragons freed from slavery. The MMC Elgid Denadian is a fantastic character with a lot of growth. R. M. Krogman's brilliant world building is vivid and captivating.

Story #7
Downscaled by Rocco Levitas
A fantastic and unique short story told in game form. The characters Razor and Mariv are well written and fun to get to know. The brilliant game-style world building was incredible and felt like playing a game.

Story #8
Into the Ashes by A. L. Lorensen
An intriguing short story with a well written FMC Renath who feels very real and engaging. The world building in this story is brilliant, vivid and captivating.

Story #9
Fly Elephants by Todd McCaffrey
A very short story about the cruelty that people show towards animals. The dragon comes to talk with the trashman. The characters are great and the world building is fun and vivid.

Story #10
Javelina's Dragon by Eileen Mueller
This is an incredible story about friendship and bonding. Javelina, who is heartbroken, is an incredibly well written character who grows within the story. Eileen's brilliant world building is beautiful, vivid and magically woven through the story.

Story #11
Righteous Wyrmicide by Andie Pelquin
This short story has an interesting and unique approach to slaying a dragon. The MC Owen was well written and the world building was fantastic and unique.

Story #12
The Last Flame of Grobor by Corey Ratliff
Great characterization with Owen and Graelik. The world building was fantastic. I actually found myself wishing for more to the story.

Story #13
The Dying Heart of Hope by J. D. L. Rosell
An incredible short story about a young man wishing for peace instead of war and how he bonds with the titan Ash Dragon. The two mc's Eshun and his sister Adama are fantastically written characters. And the beautiful world the story was written in was brilliant, vivid and magical.

Story #14
Dragon-Fire Peak by Robert Ryan
A very short tale with two fantastic characters, Conihain, a warrior and Rathglen a druid who are trying to end evil. The characters are strong and well written in an incredible brilliant and vivid world.

Story #15
Serving the Dragon Bond by R. M. Schultz
A captivating short story set in a fantastic world. Sirra is a well written MC. She is engaging and easy to get to know.

Story #16
The Minstrel and The Dragon byM. H. Woodscourt
A fantastic short story set in a lush and vivid world. The two MC's Thainen and Rayshara are exceptionally well written characters easy to connect with.

Story #17
A Birth of Breakers by Jasmine Young
An incredible short pre story by the Queen of Dragon Stories Jasmine Young. Her characters were captivating and as always her world building is incredibly flawless.

Story #18
The Forgotten Lords of Scale by Dan & Robert Zangari
An incredible tale set in a brilliant world about one dragon who frees another breed of dragons from imprisonment. The characters were all well written and engaging. I would love to read more of this story.

Although it is long, this is my way of reviewing anthologies. I like to address each story separately. I absolutely loved all these stories and definitely recommend reading this one if you love dragons!

[Chere Gruver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something for everyone!

If you love dragons as much as I do, this anthology is for you. There are several different stories of various lengths, longer and shorter, by several different authors in several different writing styles. That makes this one really wonderful anthology filled with all kinds of stories, all revolving around dragons. One of my favorite stories in this anthology is The Minstrel & the Dragon where the minstrel learns not to believe everything he’s told. I cannot praise this anthology highly enough!

I received an advanced reader’s copy and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a joy to read, so many talented authors coming together to create a masterpiece. I actually donated to this cause (kickstarter) and have my name is in the acknowledgements too which is awesome. I was drawn to this book due to the fact that Helen Garraway had been asked to partake in this project (I'm a huge fan of her work)
Helens story is called the Secret Alliance and like everything she has ever written it's just beautiful. Beautiful stories with some amazing artwork too, a joy to read

[Eleanor-Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎀 Book Review 🎀

I loved this book from the very first chapter I was enthralled, it's amazing how many authors collaborated together to make this amazing collection and I loved reading each author's takes on dragons and reading about the worlds they created each story was so unique to read and as someone who loves books with dragons this book captivated my attention and held it the entire time, this collection of stories is one I didn't want to end. I would very much recommend this book to those who love reading about dragons!

[Adena Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calling all dragon lovers! These amazing authors give us some wonderfully epic (and not so epic) tales featuring our favourite supernatural being. There are big dragons, dragonlings, sea dragons, mountain dragons; there are fearsome predators, accidentally good introverts, guardians and bumblers. As a bonus, there are flying elephants and trapeze artists. This was a pleasure to read and I have re-read it immediately!

I received an ARC from the editors and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elena Shelest · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great anthology for all those who love stories with action, adventure, and dragons! I really liked R.M. Krogan story. A very unique take on dragons, their magical abilities, and integration into nature. The MC was a reluctant hero, and I liked to see him grow through the story. I'm looking forward to more books in that universe.

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love stories about Dragons, this book is for you. In this book you will find noble knights, pirates, elves, circus performers, kings, queens, emperors, mages and elephants. There are dragon slayers and dragon riders. I liked all of the stories but I have a few favorites. Day of the Blood Dragon, The Sun Thief, Flying Elephants and Javelina's Dragon. I highly recommend this book.

[Elena Hect · Rating 2 out of 5]

The printing of this book is the best part - it's a beautiful hardcover. The actual writing, though...