Asteroid Made of Dragons

Spell/Sword #3

by G. Derek Adams

Official Sword & Laser Selection!

When a lone goblin researcher stumbles across an artifact containing a terrifying message—that the world is in grave and immediate peril—she scrambles to find help. A very unusual asteroid (one constructed as a cage for dragons) is headed straight for the planet, and Xenon is the only person in the world who knows. As she clambers across hill and dale with her quill, journal, and dwindling coin purse to untangle the mystery, she’ll need plenty of luck to find the right clues and the right sort of help.

Meanwhile, our heroes have their own problems. They have a bank to rob, a sea to cross, and a kingdom to infiltrate. Luckily, Rime is a wild mage—the laws of reality quiver when she gives them a stern look—and her guardian, Jonas, wields a reasonably sharp sword. But Rime is slipping ever closer to the abyss of madness, and Jonas is wanted for murder at their final port of call. To make matters worse, the mage-killing Hunt and its commander, Linus, follow the duo like a patient shadow, bent on Rime’s destruction.

When the wise are underfunded, the brave are overbooked, and the cruel are unconcerned, can the world be saved from destruction?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Dragons, Science Fiction Fantasy

260 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2016

Reviews

[Lucille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this 5/5, not because it is perfect but because I loved it very much and enjoyed reading it a lot ! This is definitely a book that will stay with me, that I will reread, and one that I will try to draw fanart of !
I'll write a better review as soon as I have some time ! (Going on a 12 days holiday without my computer T^T)
In the meantime, I'm telling you: do not hesitate to pick up this book for a great SFF read <3

(EDIT: Here's the full review! Come to my blog for pics and quotes ! https://adragoninspace.wordpress.com/...)

I first learned about this book on twitter with a list by io9 about april SFF books, the comparison to Terry Pratchett and the seemingly mix of science fiction and fantasy caught my eye instantly! I asked for it for my birthday, got it (Yay!) and started it as soon as I could (as soon as I was finished with "Nice Dragons Finish Last" actually!). I’m writing a review so obviously: yes I loved this book very very much.

How could I not? It has goblins, some dwarves, gnomes and elves, mages, robots, an ancient civilization and technologies not really well understood by the characters of this world but recognisable to us, knights, half-devil… I mean I don’t know what else I could ask from such a book.

We get to follow a number of characters, all really interesting. Sometimes, in books with multiple point of view, there is that one POV that is boring or that I just don’t care about, or in the contrary just that one I can’t wait to get back to. In this book, I was sad to leave a character for another but it only lasted a few lines before I was really invested with the other character. It was a joy to jump from one to the other and never a disappointment, they are very loveable character! There aren’t that many POV in this book, around 5 if I remember correctly, and as some of them are from characters that stick together it didn’t even feel that much like a change.

The first one is Xenon, a green goblin archaeologist/scholar/traveller. I loved her very much and she made me laugh on multiple occasions. Then there was Rime (a really powerful mage, but her power is making her go mad) and Jonas, her squire/guardian/companion too nice for his own good. Linus, a knight brought back from death by his magical sword, and his associate Sideways, a half-devil orange-skinned assassin, he actually is kind of nice.

All these characters are going on with their life and their problems until they are pulled together (not before halfway through the book though) to take care of a BIG problem crashing back to the ground. I wish they would have spent more time all together but Ha! I guess this will be for the sequel!

I can’t help but compare it slightly to the movie Guardians of the Galaxy because every time I thought something cliché was going to happen: BAM it didn’t! Which is really refreshing.

"Asteroid Made of Dragons" is funny, beautifully written, fluid, absurd and silly (in a good way, obviously), has a little steampunk feel to it sometimes, is hard to let go and you can read it in one setting without having to spend the day on it (it wouldn’t bother me but maybe some of you like shorter books!). Sword and sorcery, fantasy, science fiction, it is a bit of all of this and that’s also what I love about it. Tropes are braided together and this is a great pleasure to read! It definitely has become one of my favourite that I cannot wait to reread.

My only criticism? No enough dragons. Since, you know, the word “dragons” is on the title I thought there would be more actual dragons. But it is made clear soon enough in the book why there hasn’t, so it was not really a let-down. Just so you know, I changed my url on tumblr and my @ on twitter and Instagram to something in reference to this book: if that’s not a proof I love this book I don’t know what is!

I didn’t know at first that it was the third book in an ongoing series, the first two of which were self-published. But when reading, I didn’t felt at all that I had “missed” things. We’re thrown into the action with Rime and Jonas and it feels normal. Learning afterward that there were two books before that one actually made me really happy because I can’t have enough of this world and its character. I’ll totally read them and pre-order the sequel when it’s available! For the info, the first one is "Spell/Sword" and the second one "The Riddle Box". The name of the series being "Spell/Sword".

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asteroid Made of Dragons, on its base, is a fun but absurd premise. A goblin community of scientists, with one finding an asteroid headed toward their planet . The asteroid is a planetoid with lots of dragons on it, so, of course...

I mean, it's a silly premise on its face, and that's fine. The book kind of gets bogged down in worldbuilding that doesn't seem to matter before coming to a climax that is solid but doesn't exactly seem to matter, and that's where this book ultimately falls flat. I don't have a lot to say about it because the stakes don't ever feel high and the premise seems to take precedent over the real story, which is what I was looking for with a book from this group and with this title.

Closer to a 2.5, ultimately not quite what I was looking for.

[G. Derek Adams]

Not a review, just a link to a sweet Spotify playlist you can enjoy while reading. If you aren't listening to the Pacific Rim theme during the climax you're missing out on my authorial intent.

https://play.spotify.com/user/1229879...

And here's my blog where I explain all the tracks and how they relate to the novel.

https://spell-sword.com/2016/02/09/mu...

[Lisa the Tech · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have it in for the Fantasy genre. I admit it proudly. It takes something special to hold my interest where this genre is concerned. Derek Adams, with 'Asteroid made of dragons', has crafted something a little special. Strong, fascinating characters, three engrossing plots, and a unique concept - an asteroid full of dragons getting ready to crash land. There's also a mysterious antagonist unrelated to the characters and their plots.
I probably would have rated this book higher had Adams not pulled the 'bad guy isn't dead at the end of the story; just waiting for his chance to strike later' card. Still, this is a good solid story. Is there a sequel? Adams' choice of end twist would make sense if there was in fact a sequel waiting. However, I can't help but feel that a sequel would not make sense.

3.5 stars.

[Lauren Hinkle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel a little weird giving this a non-stellar review because I recognize that the book had two prequels I didn't read and which likely better acquainted the reader with the characters and world. If I found something lacking in this book, it's totally possible that it's because of my own failure to realize this was the third book in the series and to have not read the prior ones. So please keep that in mind when considering my review.

That said, I'm a bit surprised how well this did hold up without any of the background information. I didn't realize I was missing two entire books of story and character development until I was 60% of the way through the book (and only then did I realize because I logged into Goodreads, I suspect I could have finished the book and been none the wiser). There were certainly times when I thought myself that it was weird the author only referred to previous adventures or occasion rather than giving a fuller explanation, but I wrote it off as a technique that made the conversations seem more authentic. After all, two people who know each other rarely talk about previous adventures in detail in a random conversation.

I picked up this book purely because of its title. An asteroid made of dragons? That sounds so cool and interesting! However, I was disappointed by the amount of asteroid and the amount of dragon in the book. The eponymous object does make an appearance, but most of the story is of adventures leading up to its arrival, and I don't think the asteroid really lived up to the awesome moniker.

This book follows several groups of characters whose paths bring them together to try to save the world. These include a wild mage who is slowly losing her mind to her magic and her travel companion and protector who is wanted for murder, a hunter with a sword impervious to magic and his devilkin aid who are hunting the mage, and a goblin scholar who just wants to study and learn and her younger sister. In alternating chapters, the three stories slowly come together as a countdown to the arrival of an artifact from an older society gets in the way of their plans.

I'm pretty confused about the world this takes place in. It seems to have a variety of species living in basic harmony, various types of magic, and a rich but under-explained history with several previous dominant societies having died off. I'm willing to bet some of this is explained in previous books.

Other than that, the story is generally pretty cute. The main characters each get some time to be humanized (goblinized?) and their general interests and motivations are fleshed out. I particularly enjoyed the scholar, Xenon, getting in a fight with her mom who just wants her daughter to have a career that will support her instead of running around the world hoping to discover something transformative. None of the characters grow tremendously, but they all have interesting side tales as they find their way to each other.

What bothered me was the development of the major plot line. A lot of things felt very, extraordinarily coincidental. The last third of the book was a series of events that barely justified continuing the action down a certain route to connect the plot points. A person who we didn't know had visions has a crucial vision at the right moment, a person we didn't know could transfigure themselves suddenly mentions they can when its called for, the passcode just happens to be stuck in someone's head, etc. I know the point of this type of story is that all the characters who matter are drawn together at the right point at the right time to make a difference, but it felt like their powers, abilities, and knowledge should have been better developed in advance.

All and all I found it to be an enjoyable read. I'd give this 2.5 stars if I could.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asteroid Made of Dragons starts off strong with a non-human protagonist that I almost immediately fell in love with. A goblin researcher named Xenon is way, way more invested in getting information and learning about the ancient races than she is in anything else - including her seeming safety. She stumbles upon an artifact that tells of some thing coming, something called Shame and with it Zero will rise.
From there I was hooked on for her story, but the novel also follows a mage on the cusp of being driven mad by her Wild Magic, a squire who does his best to care for her, and the almost immortal being who seems (in my opinion) to have completely lost his mind. We bounce between them, seeing the story as it develops and changes from each's perspective. Which is always, for me, a clever and unique way of telling a story. I love separate narratives that wind up through crazy turns of events locked together. It's something that tickles me so much.
But the story was lacking something too, there was nothing that quite had me wanting to pick it back up after that first chapter. I loved our little goblin character but her chapters seemed few and far between when sprinkled between the rest of our cast that I struggled to connect with. This turns out to be due to the fact that this is a third book in a series, something I hadn't seen or heard in any previous reviews. The previous books look as if they follow our mage and squire, and I can see that if you've read those previous books you'll clearly have more of a connection there. I didn't, so it was very hard for me to care and some of the reactions and actions of these characters seemed a little over the top or childish.
That's ultimately what lost some stars with me, it was a big enough deal through my reading to make it hard to pick up, hard to follow, and hard to finish. I'd say you may want to read the first two books in the series before picking this up. Had it not been for that I would have loved this book for just the characters alone. I may one day pick up copies of those first two and return to this, we'll see. It's a fun, imaginative, and well written read for the most part - just be sure to read those previous novels.

***I was provided a free copy of this book for review from NetGalley by the publishers, thank you! My review is my own thoughts and opinions and not swayed in anyway.***

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a fun premise. It's a meshing of science fiction and fantasy in which a bunch of fantasy races and classes eventually band together to deal with a very science fiction event.

That event is, you guessed it, the asteroid made of dragons.

Because of the title of the book, you know the whole time what is coming. The weird prophecy of Zero? Totally an asteroid that is made of dragons, in fact. There is no question, and that's actually a pretty fun little device. The title basically makes the reader into an omniscient being as they read the narrative.

My major complaint about this fun book was that it was not very tight and there was a bunch of handwaving going on. There were a lot of loose ends and a lot of seemingly convenient resolutions. For instance, when it comes time to fit five people onto a two-seater flying motorcycle, one of the riders suddenly and helpfully reveals that he can turn into a bat. And it's made all cutesy, like it's an embarrassing secret, but it is very convenient to hide some hand-waving about how many people could fit on this object. This comes to a head at the climax of the action, when the scholar must figure out a way to turn the asteroid around, and just basically chooses a bunch of random buttons to push and they work. And the key to unlock the mechanism just happens to be this weird song that has been inserted into the narrative in a bunch of awkward places. This lack of tightness in the narrative and plot basically let a ton of air out of what was otherwise a cool setup and a fun premise.

[Clayton Kindel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ratings are tough. 1 and 5 stars are easy. But this book is somewhere in between. I didn't really know it was a sequel when I started.. my fault. But the story just happens too quickly. One minute people are spread throughout the city and a page turn later they are eating together with little explanation til a bit later. The book does has some genuine moments of greatness but it just feels like the story is on fast forward. Great characters with a weak story and even weaker plot elements... short read even for a slow reader like me.

[Alex Ferro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fun fantasy.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Asteroid Made of Dragons' by G. Derek Adams should clue you in to what kind of book you'll be reading just by the title alone (and the great cover art). It's a kitchen sink full of fantasy tropes that get spun on their heads and it's a fun read.

A goblin researcher finds a strange artifact that may spell out danger if she can figure out what it says. She sets out to find out with her sister and her rocket powered flying motorbike. Meanwhile a seemingly limitless magic user makes friends with a young would-be knight who is accused of killing his mentor. They head to his city to try to sort things out. Team them up with a creakingly old knight with a powerful sword and an odd demon named Sideways, and all you have to add next is the title's asteroid made of dragons. And there is a framing story featuring a troupe of travelling actors telling an outlandish tale.

It's reminiscent of other funny fantasy books I won't name because it is uniquely it's own. It's not perfect and seems to add details that don't seem to advance the story, and the ending felt just a bit anticlimactic to me. But the characters are interesting and feel like the kind of characters I'd like to hang out with.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Inkshares, Sword & Laser, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook

[A.C. Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like JOY or half-ghost pirates or zombie knights or HAPPINESS? Well, hopefully you won't like Jonas because everyone's mean to him even though he's the cutest murderer in the whole book.

(Besides Sideways, maybe.)

Both Xenon and Rime are the kind of interesting, complex female characters we should be demanding from our reading material. Good thing G. Derek Adams gave them to us, otherwise there would have been trouble. My main complaint is that they don't get to spend enough time together--they know each other for maybe two hours, total, in the whole book? At least there's a sequel coming. I will entertain myself in the interim time by reading the previous two books in the series, Spell/Sword and The Riddle Box.

Up is down, left is right, good is evil and asteroids are dragons. This book is hilarious and fun and I highly recommend it!

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reads like a roleplaying campain where every player is slightly drunk and the DM has several aces up his sleeve.
Such a fun read!
And the author assures me that the lack of dragons (only one appears at the end) is a feature not a bug!

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

Вероятността тази книжка да я прочетете на български е толкова минимална, колкото утре да излезете на среща с вече самотния баща Брат Пит, или ако сте с други предпочитания – с отдавна самотната, но доста по-изтрещяла милфка Анджелина, което иде да рече, че не, това няма да ви се случи, освен ако не заспите след като сте преяли със свински пръжки и кисело зеле, плюс осем оки ракия и няколко гумени бири за разкош, и не ги сънувате тез хубавини. Та, обратно в реалността, но само за малко, защото трябва да се покачим на един астероид, пълен със заспали дракони, освен един, който за съжаление не е открил радостта на себеудоволствието в условия на нулева гравитация, и общо взето е с характера на кисела стара мома-рентиерка в центъра на София, която за първи път открива магията на Туин Пийкс, и това не завършва добре. Но господин драконов киселяк дори не е основен герой, а нещо, в което вашите нови книжни приятели ще се целят с магьосани ножки. А ето ги и тях.

Една малка магьосничка с побелели коси и вилнееща дива магия около себе си, известна с чудесния си страничен ефект да подлудява упражняващите я до степен същите да си връзват ноктите на панделки, докато изпепеляват методично разни вонящи селца, с все народа и добитъка залостен в жалките си кошарки. До нея едно рошаво хлапе с рицарско възпитание, бил някога паж на доста странен дърт авантюрист със смущаващи умения и вкусове, които не, не включват задните входове на сгради, палатки и каквото там има входно-изходно структура. Една зеленокожа гномица – гномка, гнома, гномея… нека да е орк… оркка… женска матово зелена странност с бивни и дребосъчест ръст, плюс сестра ѝ, дето е същото, ама в по-бензинова разцветка, и за разлика от кака си, дето е нещо като Индиана Джоунс на расата си, тази е с избухливия характер на разстроена, току-що скъсала с гаджето си, и сложила гадни шини тийнейджърка в цикъл – което ако не знаете е най-най-най-лошата комбинация и всеки родител ще ви го каже, докато хълца задавено в шъпа. И един герой, дето е от официалните добри, но всъщност е еманация на изключителното зло, което представлява догматичното добро на всяка цена, местният вариант на тамплиерите, масоните и онези симпатяги, дето се самобичуваха в златната кокошка на Дан Браун. А, и един социопатичен оранжев дявол с рогца, който се превърща на супер сладко пухаво прилепче с рогца… оранжево.

Всичките тези злополучни образи по един или друг начин ги тегли съдбата към столицата на един объркан и неясен свят, заплашен от огромния астероид, пълен с ужасии, засега обвити в мистична мъгла, ясна на едни други трети лица, които е повече от явно, че някой ден ще създадат сериозни проблеми. Но засега цялата групичка се преследват едни-други, понякога без да знаят, като междувременно се замесват в полу-успешни банкови обири, морски битки с полу-веществени пирати, тежки разговори с майки-орлици-оркици, дето хич не могат да правят мекици, пътешествия на летящи мотопеди, красиви сиви вещици с подчертано агресивни сексуални апетити, и разни други чудесийки, които на пръв поглед се съчетават като белгийски шоколад и пукана люта чорбаджийска чушка, но всъщност крайният резултат никак, ама никак не е зле – забавно, нахилено до драконовските си уши фентъзи, омесило се на живот и смърт със стиймпънк елементи, сай-фай псевдо наука и искрена изтрещялост в стил „Ъъъ, какво?!“, както и наистина удивително запомнящи се герои, в които просто ще се влюбите само за няколко странички време. Да, дори и в лошите. Оранжевият демон се нарича Настрани между другото. И малко квичи като е оранжев прилеп. И си пада по зелената…орка? Хубава палитра, децата им ще са или портокали, или ананаси. Което дава някои идеи откъде са се пръкнали странните ходещи храни в Плодчетата.

Ако това ви звучи като пародия на нещо писано от непрежалимия Дъглас Адамс – вероятно ще се прави. Ако усещате и лек полъх от още по-липсващия на усмивката ми Тери Пратчет – пак удряте бинго. Естествено, нищо не е толкова съвършено изпипано, че със всяка проклета дума в идеална позиция да ви избухне мозъка, и да не можете да говорите за нищо друго с приятелите си в следващите няколко седмици, но е един изключително свеж глас в инди литературата, в която съм заровила нос като особен вид огненокозинеста котка, каквато не съществува, във ванилови трюфели, каквито няма, но пък и мен точно с трюфели няма как да ме впечатлите, както и с хайвер, суши и другите там екзотично – хипстърейски скъпарщини, дето всъщност са си надценена гадост, ако и красива такава. Та, ако случайно и вие сте от смелите изследователи на алтернативни и никому непознати автори – Джи Дерек Адамс само поставя началото на едно престъпно забавно приключение, в което аз се хвърлям като веган на репички. Предполагам за после��ното, аз съм любител на обилно полятите с масло трупове на животинки, хищник гаден книгочетящ съм, мда.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Asteroid Made of Dragons is an enjoyable read, focusing on colorful characters, and framed by a really neat narrative device, there were several issues that made it impossible for me to rate it higher than this.

First off, this is a book that would have benefited greatly from having a map. It can be difficult at times to picture just where each country or far-off land is, in relation to other locations already mentioned. It didn't take me completely out of the story, but the lack of a map certainly didn't help matters any.

The perhaps greater problem is that Asteroid Made of Dragons sometimes feels like it's the sequel to something. As far as I'm able to tell, it isn't, but there are certain plot elements that remain devoid of elaboration by the end. From references to prior events in the characters' lives (the whole bit with the Grey Witch), to side-characters who are introduced but never have any salient impact in the story (Jayden Moore), to one-off details that seem like things we should have known ahead of time (it's not until the last time we see one character, before we learn he's apparently undead(?), and not until halfway through the book that we get a single sentence suggesting humans aren't even native to this world(?!) ). Things like this just make the story feel unpolished, and even now, I'm not 100% convinced I didn't miss another book that preceded this one.

There's also the issue of tonal shifts. It'll go from lighthearted comedy, to surprisingly dark sections, to sequences of fairly serious action. And every time I started to feel comfortable with one of those, one of the others would butt in out of nowhere, and jar me off my proverbial footing.

All in all, Asteroid Made of Dragons is enjoyable, but flawed. The characters are endearing enough, that I'm looking forward to the (hopefully more polished) sequel.

EDIT: So, it turns out there are not one, but TWO books, leading up to this one. Thanks, Goodreads--I wish I'd consulted you before I picked this up from the library. (I seriously hate it, when a book makes absolutely no mention that it's part of a pre-existing series.)

[Tim Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, 3.5
A quick scan suggests that while I might have enjoyed reading #1 and #2 in this series, they aren't necessary - and I am guessing that in fact 3-1-2 might be a workable order.

So ... you got a sword-and-wizard thing with two characters and a bit of a world. You lose a bet, and are forced to pick three concepts at random from your just-read pile. You draw "asteroids," "flycycle," and "dragons." You must write a book with all of the foregoing.

Somehow Adams makes it all hold together, just barely, and perhaps by hinting that the characters are also just holding it together.

Linus was a complete dick there for a while and I just about DNF'd when he did really shitty stuff to hapless villagers just to show he was serious. If I want that kinda stuff I'll go read Joe Abercrombie.

Rime is perhaps going to be a challenge going forward. She has reached the point where a giant black hole approaching at 0.9c just requires her to flick us all into an alternate universe where it missed. There's enough narrativium in this plot to pull it off, too, what with magical skills appearing just as needed, a wild guess giving them just the song they need to unlock an alien console (hello, "Independence Day" where the alien ship ran on Windows 7).

And don't get me started on the asteroid appearing just as the inevitable fatal sword/magic fight is about to start - literally to the second. Ptui. It's so ridiculous that I have to think Adams did it BECAUSE it's ridiculous - or because he had written himself into a corner (speaking of Patrick Rothfuss, how's Kvothe doing these days, beardy guy?)

Sideways is a great character. But why did we need Mercury?

If you're going to use "Sir" for a knight-like character, you must follow the rules. If Michael Pocket is knighted, he becomes Sir Michael or in a pinch Sir Michael Pocket- but he is NEVER Sir Pocket. This is especially egregious when the character is mentioned a zillion times by the wrong title.

This was a stupid, ill-conceived idea that should not be repeated -- but it was kinda fun.

[Mars R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I... I don't even want to know how many times I have checked this book out from the library. At least 7. I had it out for the whole of COVID when due dates weren't a thing. I started checking it out in TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHTEEN and now, in 2022, I have finished it.

I don't know why this took me so long to finish. It's funny, it's fast-paced, the dialogue hits really well. The writing is the same mix of funny imagery and puns that my normal speech is. So. Why???

I mean partially probably because it is the third book in a series, which I didn't find out until I was 100 pages in and COMMITTED. And the library doesn't have physical copies of the first two. Partially because I am 87% sure that this is the novelization of someone's DnD campaign, and novelizations of other forms of media always feel kinda... off...

Anyways, glad to have read it, glad to be done, and I can't even claim that I single-handedly kept the library from sending this bad boy into the stacks because I regularly see other people have put holds on it. Are other people also trying to read their way alphabetically through the sci-fi section? Are they doing better than me at it? Is it just me and one other person with the same dream, bitterly fighting over the same book? (That would explain a lot because the cowboys-in-antarctic-hell book also regularly had someone putting holds on it. Maybe their goal is to read all the books by authors named "Adams"? I will never know.)

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have complicated feelings about this book. First of all I would give it a 3.5 if I could, I did enjoy it, but the issues I had with it made it so I couldn't justify a full 4 star rating.

The basic premise was great, dealing with a science fiction type scenario within a fantasy setting is something I'm instantly engaged in as you get a fresh take on familiar ideas. Plus having a goblin perspective character is something you don't see very often (and I enjoyed her chapters the most)

However I found the pacing/transitions between character chapters to be pretty offputing. I didn't engage much with the non-goblin storyline characters (Maybe because they had 2 extra books of backstory I had no idea about going into the book) and felt myself skimming through their sections to get to some more goblin time.

I though that when the character's paths crossed this would be solved but that transition was quite abrupt, leaving no time to establish a dynamic I could engage in leaving the last section feeling a bit emotionally hollow.

My review might sound a bit rough, probably cause I had pretty high hopes for the book. And sadly the execution didn't quite match what I pictured. Still a decent book though, I would recommend it to anyone who likes to explore sci fi/fantasy crossbreeds

[Collin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading this book, I kept thinking, It feels like I’m reading the second or third book in a series where the world is already somewhat fleshed out and there’s juuust enough information to get through if you skip the earlier books for some godforsaken reason, but so much random stuff Just Happens because of stuff set up in previous books. But there’s no hint of a series or previous works or short story prologues on the cover or in the book itself, so it’s got to be that the author has just been playing in this space so long that he’s forgotten that he knows way more than we do. Right?

WRONG. This is book 3 of a trilogy. I’ve been bamboozled. I’ll blame the publishers for not making it even a little bit apparent that this is a book in a series. So I really have no right to say anything about the story (although I can judge the proofreading, which was… inconsistent). But I did very much like Xenon and Sideways, and I like the concepts presented, so I may just seek out the first two books as well, to see what worldbuilding I missed.

[WarBiscuit · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story.

I picked this up on a whim, then decided to read the other two books first. While it could probably be read alone, I'm so glad I read it third. The cumulative effect of the author's writing evolving, the characters' growth, and the expanded world building, led to everything I liked in the first two feel like they got turned up to 11.

Amazing job feeling both lighthearted, while at the same time having massive events and plot unfold. I always love stories that present antagonists who have their own good reasons for being philosophically opposed to the main characters, and the continued development of Linus' and Sideway's characters in this story was one of my favorite aspects. At the end of one scene, I had to just put the book down, and laugh and curse, then reread it.

While there were certainly some flaws, the book is just too much fun, and the characters to endearing, to not enjoy. I can't wait for the next one.

[Steven Barrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting concept, awkward writing

The idea of an asteroid dragon prison returning from space and a ragtag bunch of fantasy heroes to stop it is fantastic. This book, though, does not pull it off. The writing is awkward, frequently contradicting itself, and the book is overloaded with exposition. For the most part, none of the characters make a choice to take an action or encounter a problem that takes more than a paragraph of exposition to overcome.

I can appreciate the fertile imagination G. Derek Adams must have to dream up this book. I hope his next book executes on his vision better.

[SM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was expecting to have a fun read. Instead I have trouble staying awake and focused on the story. I did finished the book.

Kindle e-book. Heard about it on Sword and Laser podcast.
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In the hilarious and uproarious world of Asteroid Made of Dragons, a lone goblin researcher has stumbled across an artifact of mysterious import that delivers a terrifying message: the world is ending. Soon. And the apocalypse will hail from the skies in the form of an asteroid made of dragons. When it falls, the planet will be plunged into nuclear winter — and there will also be many angry dragons wandering around nursing concussions.

Asteroid Made of Dragons is not your average apocalypse tale. Too bad Our Heroes don't even know it's coming.

[Samuel Lubell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book didn't do much for me. I didn't really find it funny. It was more of a light fantasy than humorous fantasy. I liked how Linus wasn't really an evil villain, but had a valid reason to chase after Rime. I also liked how the background wasn't your typical medieval fantasy and that the scholar was a goblin (but if the goblins are just like humans, why are they goblins). Still the prose was workmanlike and no more and the story wasn't that compelling either. It could have used another round or two of editing. Still, it is too bad that the publisher dropped the book.

[Tessa Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an adventure to read the entire time. I enjoyed myself so much, and I laughed so much. I will definitely reread this book again and I will definitely recommend this book to every single person I meet. It was so much fun to read and the story was so exciting, and stayed so exciting by the help of switching POV each chapter (I really loved that). There's so much I could say about this book, but I'll relax a little so I don't spoil the book. BUT HOW COULD YOU NOT BE INTERESTED AT EVEN THE THOUGHT OF AN ASTEROUD MADE OF DRAGONS?! THAT JUST SOUNDS SO BADASS!

[Andria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was between a 2 and a 3 on this one. Fun premise and characters, I really enjoyed the first half! But the second half rushed by without much to it. The premise is supposed to be absurd (I mean...an asteroid made of dragons, come on 😂), but the second half pushed too far into jokey buddy comedy for me. Seemed to clash with the first part of the story, which still had humor but presented the peril of the main characters as more serious.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a huge chore to get through. On the surface, the writing is better than in the first two novels. However, the slight technical improvement is continually overshadowed by awkward phrasing, annoying "instant" flashbacks (a chapter has one paragraph in the "now" and then merely two paragraphs of "catch-up" plot), and a general lack of knowledge of or interest in the English language. Note to author: "nonplussed" does not mean unperturbed and calm.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little jaunt of a book! There’s nothing anywhere to indicate it’s the third in a series, so I hoped, when I started it, it could work as a stand-alone - and it did. Of course there was backstory alluded to that I didn’t understand, but I never felt too lost. This was a fun romp; I enjoyed the characters, the relationships, and even the truly bizarre moments and asides. I’ll have to find the first two books in this series.

[Giovanni Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge fan of DnD, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. But even if you don't know about Dungeons and Dragons, you're in for a treat! This is the core of DnD. Interesting characters, great story telling, and a fascinating world! (And a couple natural ones ;) Don't be intimidated by the strange Names of locations and people. You'll see them enough times to recognize them. My only gripe I have about book, is that it left me wanting MOAR. I WANT TO SEE THE REST OF THIS CAMPAIGN. 😭

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The big kid brought this home from the library and it was just sitting there looking lonely so I picked it up. This was a fun book, it was different than your usual fantasy book and I quite enjoyed it. I didn't realize that it is the 3rd book in the series until I signed on to do this review. I will have to read the others now.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every second of this book. I enjoyed the writing, world building, the characters and their relationships. The way their paths all lead together. It was wonderful for me and I wish there was a sequel.
edit: I did not realize this is the 3rd book in a series! I'm very excited to find book 1 and 2.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, the premise is cool, the characters a fun and unique, BUT I’m giving it a 3/5 because I was confused 30% of the time. I caught myself thinking that I was missing something quite frequently (as if there was a book before this that would clarify some stuff). It was an interesting read and like nothing I have picked up!