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Dragon #1
The Dragon Round
The Count of Monte Cristo with a a dark literary fantasy in which “Power paints his scenes with vivid and meticulous detail, and takes his tale of revenge in unexpected and refreshing directions” (Marie Brennan, author of the Natural History of Dragons series).
Jeryon has been the captain of the Comber for more than a decade. He knows the rules. He likes the rules. But not everyone on his ship agrees. After a monstrous dragon attacks the galley, the surviving crewmembers decide to take the ship for themselves and give Jeryon and his self-righteous apothecary “the captain’s chance”: a small boat with no rudder, no sails, and nothing but the clothes on his back to survive on the open sea.
Fighting for their lives against the elements, Jeryon and his companion land on an island that isn’t as deserted as they originally thought. They find a baby dragon that, if trained, could be their way home. But as Jeryon and the dragon grow closer, the captain begins to realize that even if he makes it off the island, his old life won’t be waiting for him. In order get justice, he’ll have to take it for himself.
From a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet and short story writer, The Dragon Round combines a rich world, desperate characters, and tightly coiled prose into a complex and compelling tale of revenge, perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, and Scott Lynch.
Jeryon has been the captain of the Comber for more than a decade. He knows the rules. He likes the rules. But not everyone on his ship agrees. After a monstrous dragon attacks the galley, the surviving crewmembers decide to take the ship for themselves and give Jeryon and his self-righteous apothecary “the captain’s chance”: a small boat with no rudder, no sails, and nothing but the clothes on his back to survive on the open sea.
Fighting for their lives against the elements, Jeryon and his companion land on an island that isn’t as deserted as they originally thought. They find a baby dragon that, if trained, could be their way home. But as Jeryon and the dragon grow closer, the captain begins to realize that even if he makes it off the island, his old life won’t be waiting for him. In order get justice, he’ll have to take it for himself.
From a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet and short story writer, The Dragon Round combines a rich world, desperate characters, and tightly coiled prose into a complex and compelling tale of revenge, perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, and Scott Lynch.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 2016
9 people are currently reading
1398 people want to read
About the author
Stephen S. Power
20 books59 followersStephen S. Power's first novel, The Dragon Round, was published by S&S. He's published nearly 50 speculative fiction stories, the majority in professional markets, including one given an honorable mention in The Year’s Best Science Fiction. And as a Pushcart-nominated poet I’ve published more than 100 works.
He's been a NYC book editor for more than 30 years. Previously an executive editor at Thomas Dunne Books, where he worked on 6 NY Times bestsellers, including a #1, he's now at Kevin Anderson & Associates, the editorial services firm where he's worked on two more Times bestsellers and five WSJ bestsellers. Books he's commissioned have won an Edgar Award and a Porchlight Award.
He went to Wesleyan for a B.A. in English and the University of Florida for his M.A. in English, doing a thesis on Blake, but concentrating mostly on Gator football.
He tweets at @stephenspower, his site is stephenspower.com, and his home is in Maplewood, NJ.
He's been a NYC book editor for more than 30 years. Previously an executive editor at Thomas Dunne Books, where he worked on 6 NY Times bestsellers, including a #1, he's now at Kevin Anderson & Associates, the editorial services firm where he's worked on two more Times bestsellers and five WSJ bestsellers. Books he's commissioned have won an Edgar Award and a Porchlight Award.
He went to Wesleyan for a B.A. in English and the University of Florida for his M.A. in English, doing a thesis on Blake, but concentrating mostly on Gator football.
He tweets at @stephenspower, his site is stephenspower.com, and his home is in Maplewood, NJ.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
January 3, 2016
There is no innocence, merely degrees of guilt.
Jeryon is a steady and content enough captain in a society of great inequity. But, there are others far less satisfied with their present opportunities and seek more. Mutiny.
Given the captain's choice, they drift with the sea. Making do and suffering the brunt of the elements until they are fortunate enough to make landfall, but not where they expected or planned.
Profit, advancement and self over others and the law make for a bitter dish. With it comes desire for revenge. Land is a haven, but not without its own risks as Jeryon learns quickly. Nature is fierce and here on this lonely island, very fierce.
Finally, the plot for comeuppance is laid and played out. Anti-romanticizing, the story progresses with a stark realism. The cynicism is ever-present in a world that has forsaken beauty for profit. Sometimes bareness spotlights, and sometimes it illuminates that which is absent. In Hanosh, much is absent.
The high body count grows as Jeryon and Gray come to Hanosh. Revenge is brutal and all encompassing. The city with all its corruption and double-crossing is exposed. The ugly and the unfair laid baldly out for all to see. The ending is a promise of more to come as the war drums beat.
Gritty circumstances with curious characters make for an engaging story. A satisfying ending and definitely an opening for future books. Interested enough for me to be nibbling on the hook to see what's in store.
~ARC provided by NETGALLEY~
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A dragon, revenge and sailing--This book was written just for ME!
PLUS! I totally got an ARC I didn't think I'd get--Woot! My 2016 Odyssey is all set to begin.
Jeryon is a steady and content enough captain in a society of great inequity. But, there are others far less satisfied with their present opportunities and seek more. Mutiny.
Given the captain's choice, they drift with the sea. Making do and suffering the brunt of the elements until they are fortunate enough to make landfall, but not where they expected or planned.
Profit, advancement and self over others and the law make for a bitter dish. With it comes desire for revenge. Land is a haven, but not without its own risks as Jeryon learns quickly. Nature is fierce and here on this lonely island, very fierce.
Finally, the plot for comeuppance is laid and played out. Anti-romanticizing, the story progresses with a stark realism. The cynicism is ever-present in a world that has forsaken beauty for profit. Sometimes bareness spotlights, and sometimes it illuminates that which is absent. In Hanosh, much is absent.
The high body count grows as Jeryon and Gray come to Hanosh. Revenge is brutal and all encompassing. The city with all its corruption and double-crossing is exposed. The ugly and the unfair laid baldly out for all to see. The ending is a promise of more to come as the war drums beat.
Gritty circumstances with curious characters make for an engaging story. A satisfying ending and definitely an opening for future books. Interested enough for me to be nibbling on the hook to see what's in store.
~ARC provided by NETGALLEY~
--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--
A dragon, revenge and sailing--This book was written just for ME!
PLUS! I totally got an ARC I didn't think I'd get--Woot! My 2016 Odyssey is all set to begin.
July 9, 2016
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/07/09/...
I’d wanted to read The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power for a long, long time—I’d say pretty much from the moment I first read its description and glimpsed that stunningly gorgeous cover. For one thing, the fact that my love for dragons can only be matched by my love for seafaring fantasy definitely helped turn this book into instant catnip for my senses. Needless to say, my expectations were ultra-high going in. And I just really want to let that be known, in the hopes that maybe my mixed feelings at the end can be better understood.
We begin The Dragon Round with an introduction to the crew of the Comber, a merchant ship captained by Captain Jeryon, one of this story’s main characters. Like most experienced skippers, Jeryon got to be where he is by playing it smart and playing it by the book. His priority is to get his cargo to its destination, avoiding any and all trouble if possible, and so when trouble comes in the form of a dragon in the sky, Jeryon’s first instinct is to leave the creature be, hoping that it will ignore the Comber and go happily on its way. However, some of his crew members disagree, eyeing the dragon for its parts as extra prizes to bring home.
Unsurprisingly, the ensuing encounter with the dragon ends in disaster. Jeryon is overthrown by his mutinous crew and given “the captain’s chance”: to be cast off in a small boat with no rudder, no sails, and no provisions—simply left to the mercy of the seas. For taking Jeryon’s side, the ship’s healer Everlyn also receives the same fate. The two of them end up marooned on a desert island, with no way to escape. Fortunately, the island is abundant with food and water, and can sustain them for a long time, but with the desire for revenge still in his heart, Jeryon is not willing to give up so easily.
One day, Jeryon and Everlyn are exploring when they suddenly come across a dragon nest and witness something no human has ever seen before—a baby dragon hatching from its egg. The two of them decide to raise the tiny female dragonling, which they dub “Gray”, hoping that someday she will eventually grow large enough to carry them off the island. At least, that was the original plan, until Everylyn realizes that Jeryon has a lot more in mind.
To tell the truth, I’m really torn on how to feel about this book. I certainly loved the maritime aspect, and I also have this soft spot for desert island stories—Castaway, Robinson Crusoe, The Blue Lagoon, you name it. I can understand why some people might find them boring, but I’ve always found the survival element of them exciting. I thought the first half of this book was incredibly well done, captivating me with that explosive opening scene featuring the battle between the dragon and the Comber. Then came the on board tensions as Jeryon and Everlyn were sentenced to their cruel fate, their subsequent struggle to stay alive while floating adrift on the open ocean, and finally their arrival to the island where they learned how to build shelter and hunt for food. The two characters carried the story nicely, and I enjoyed their easy relationship and banter as they adjusted to their new reality. Things only got better when they essentially became parents to a baby dragon. Even from the start, Everlyn was the more doting one, treating Gray like a beloved pet. In contrast, Jeryon took to training Gray with a strong hand, because in his mind the dragon is also a deadly weapon.
I also adore revenge stories, and Jeryon is undoubtedly a character deserving of justice. What I found interesting though, is how my perception of him changed over time. I notice that a lot of revenge stories typically work by drumming up sympathy for the aggrieved, so that the reader can connect with their cause and cheer them on. The Dragon Round is different in that respect, showing how a thirst for vengeance can in fact twist a character to the point where they become altogether off-putting and distasteful.
I think this is where things started becoming shaky for me. Thing is, I didn’t actually mind Jeryon’s transformation from an upright captain with sense of honor to a deplorable bloodthirsty vigilante, but I do wish we had been with him for more of that process.
For you see, the second half of the book felt completely different from the first. Just as Jeryon begins his mission to hunt down all his past crew members who betrayed him, the story abruptly switches tack, taking us back on land where the plot also shifts its focus to the power struggles and political conspiracies happening within Hanosh. Not only do we see a change in setting, the narrative also changes a whole new set of character perspectives. Jeryon and Gray are relegated to the background, becoming incidental characters, and poor Everlyn feels almost entirely forgotten.
In a lot of ways, The Dragon Round felt like two books in one because its two halves are just so different. I definitely enjoyed the first half a lot more than the second, and it’s a shame that the excitement and wonder from the beginning didn’t carry through to the end, or I would have enjoyed this novel a lot more. There’s no denying some of the fantastic ideas here, but I just couldn’t embrace the book’s overall structure.
Overall, I had a good time with The Dragon Round, though a part of me also feels it could have been so much more. Still, if nothing else, the first half of the book made everything worth it, with Power proving himself as an excellent wordsmith and talented world-builder. I would be curious to see where his writing takes him next.
I’d wanted to read The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power for a long, long time—I’d say pretty much from the moment I first read its description and glimpsed that stunningly gorgeous cover. For one thing, the fact that my love for dragons can only be matched by my love for seafaring fantasy definitely helped turn this book into instant catnip for my senses. Needless to say, my expectations were ultra-high going in. And I just really want to let that be known, in the hopes that maybe my mixed feelings at the end can be better understood.
We begin The Dragon Round with an introduction to the crew of the Comber, a merchant ship captained by Captain Jeryon, one of this story’s main characters. Like most experienced skippers, Jeryon got to be where he is by playing it smart and playing it by the book. His priority is to get his cargo to its destination, avoiding any and all trouble if possible, and so when trouble comes in the form of a dragon in the sky, Jeryon’s first instinct is to leave the creature be, hoping that it will ignore the Comber and go happily on its way. However, some of his crew members disagree, eyeing the dragon for its parts as extra prizes to bring home.
Unsurprisingly, the ensuing encounter with the dragon ends in disaster. Jeryon is overthrown by his mutinous crew and given “the captain’s chance”: to be cast off in a small boat with no rudder, no sails, and no provisions—simply left to the mercy of the seas. For taking Jeryon’s side, the ship’s healer Everlyn also receives the same fate. The two of them end up marooned on a desert island, with no way to escape. Fortunately, the island is abundant with food and water, and can sustain them for a long time, but with the desire for revenge still in his heart, Jeryon is not willing to give up so easily.
One day, Jeryon and Everlyn are exploring when they suddenly come across a dragon nest and witness something no human has ever seen before—a baby dragon hatching from its egg. The two of them decide to raise the tiny female dragonling, which they dub “Gray”, hoping that someday she will eventually grow large enough to carry them off the island. At least, that was the original plan, until Everylyn realizes that Jeryon has a lot more in mind.
To tell the truth, I’m really torn on how to feel about this book. I certainly loved the maritime aspect, and I also have this soft spot for desert island stories—Castaway, Robinson Crusoe, The Blue Lagoon, you name it. I can understand why some people might find them boring, but I’ve always found the survival element of them exciting. I thought the first half of this book was incredibly well done, captivating me with that explosive opening scene featuring the battle between the dragon and the Comber. Then came the on board tensions as Jeryon and Everlyn were sentenced to their cruel fate, their subsequent struggle to stay alive while floating adrift on the open ocean, and finally their arrival to the island where they learned how to build shelter and hunt for food. The two characters carried the story nicely, and I enjoyed their easy relationship and banter as they adjusted to their new reality. Things only got better when they essentially became parents to a baby dragon. Even from the start, Everlyn was the more doting one, treating Gray like a beloved pet. In contrast, Jeryon took to training Gray with a strong hand, because in his mind the dragon is also a deadly weapon.
I also adore revenge stories, and Jeryon is undoubtedly a character deserving of justice. What I found interesting though, is how my perception of him changed over time. I notice that a lot of revenge stories typically work by drumming up sympathy for the aggrieved, so that the reader can connect with their cause and cheer them on. The Dragon Round is different in that respect, showing how a thirst for vengeance can in fact twist a character to the point where they become altogether off-putting and distasteful.
I think this is where things started becoming shaky for me. Thing is, I didn’t actually mind Jeryon’s transformation from an upright captain with sense of honor to a deplorable bloodthirsty vigilante, but I do wish we had been with him for more of that process.
For you see, the second half of the book felt completely different from the first. Just as Jeryon begins his mission to hunt down all his past crew members who betrayed him, the story abruptly switches tack, taking us back on land where the plot also shifts its focus to the power struggles and political conspiracies happening within Hanosh. Not only do we see a change in setting, the narrative also changes a whole new set of character perspectives. Jeryon and Gray are relegated to the background, becoming incidental characters, and poor Everlyn feels almost entirely forgotten.
In a lot of ways, The Dragon Round felt like two books in one because its two halves are just so different. I definitely enjoyed the first half a lot more than the second, and it’s a shame that the excitement and wonder from the beginning didn’t carry through to the end, or I would have enjoyed this novel a lot more. There’s no denying some of the fantastic ideas here, but I just couldn’t embrace the book’s overall structure.
Overall, I had a good time with The Dragon Round, though a part of me also feels it could have been so much more. Still, if nothing else, the first half of the book made everything worth it, with Power proving himself as an excellent wordsmith and talented world-builder. I would be curious to see where his writing takes him next.
October 27, 2016
Bumping up to 3 stars for the first half of the book, which I really liked: a salty nautical yarn - with dragons! Captain Jeryon is a seasoned merchant - his priority to to get his cargo where it's going, and to avoid the threat of huge dragons which are more than capable of setting ships aflame and sinking them. But dragons are also insanely valuable - everything from their hide to their ichor is a valuable commodity, enough to make a seaman's fortune. So when Jeryon orders his crew to flee from an approaching dragon, rather than trying to battle it and (hopefully) sell its rendered corpse, he has a mutiny on his hands. Soon, he and the ship's medic-for-hire are marooned on an isolated island, and left for dead. Their diminishing hopes for survival only stoke the fire of Jeryon's desire for vengeance.
This beginning, and Jeryon and Everlyn's Robinson-Crusoe-style adventures on the island are highly entertaining and well-crafted.
However, the second half of the book really loses focus. From a tightly circumscribed tale of two people alone on an island, it dizzyingly adjusts the lens, increasing the scope of the novel to encompass a wide-ranging political conflict spanning multiple countries, and a ton of brand-new characters. Jeryon's quest is no longer front-and-center, and Everlyn, who seemed like a main character, drops out of the story altogether (a very peculiar authorial decision). Nothing in the second half was really attention-grabbing or memorable.
The moral of the story? Vengeance can be a dangerous obsession, and trying to domesticate a dangerous wild animal isn't always the best idea?
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster & NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
This beginning, and Jeryon and Everlyn's Robinson-Crusoe-style adventures on the island are highly entertaining and well-crafted.
However, the second half of the book really loses focus. From a tightly circumscribed tale of two people alone on an island, it dizzyingly adjusts the lens, increasing the scope of the novel to encompass a wide-ranging political conflict spanning multiple countries, and a ton of brand-new characters. Jeryon's quest is no longer front-and-center, and Everlyn, who seemed like a main character, drops out of the story altogether (a very peculiar authorial decision). Nothing in the second half was really attention-grabbing or memorable.
The moral of the story? Vengeance can be a dangerous obsession, and trying to domesticate a dangerous wild animal isn't always the best idea?
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster & NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
July 23, 2016
Well, well, well. Loved the cover, loved the premise. Swashbuckling adventures and dragons? YES SIR THANK YOU SIR!! You can probably feel it coming, though; the dreaded ‘but‘…
I’ve been thinking for a couple of days on how to review this one. Eventually, I decided to divide it into three sections: Part One and Part Two in this review correspond to Part One of the book. Part Tree here corresponds with Part Two of the book.
*********
We are introduced to Jeryon, captain of the Comber, and pretty much the rest of his shipmates, plus the rowers of the ship. The point of view shifts between the characters fast (sometimes during each paragraph) and we get to see certain events happen from several of those points of views. For example:
POV 1: “Oh no, it’s a dragon to me left!“
POV 2: “Dear Lord, there’s a dragon to me right!“
POV 3: “Lard Thunderin Jaysus, there’s a dragon right below me!“
(This is obviously not how it went exactly, but you catch my drift eh?)
At one point, I thought it was at least something different and it showed that the author wasn’t afraid to experiment. Sadly, it kind of read like a movie script (especially because everything was written in the present tense as well), quickly turning the whole thing into a snoozefest for me. But then, a dragon attacks! Okay, still a bit of a snoozefest…but then!!
Jeryon and his ladyfriend, the apothecary of the Comber, wash ashore onto a deserted island and try to make a living there. This is where it got interesting because the other creatures on this island are just incredibly creepy! When Jeryon and the poth stumble upon a dragon egg, it gets even better because when the egg hatches, they have their own baby dragon!
They decide to try and train it in the hope it will be able to take them off of the freaking island in the near future. Of course, training a dragon comes with a lot of challenges and it doesn’t go as smoothly as they wish for. Nevertheless, they make it work somehow and this is where the book basically turns into a bit of a grown up version of How to Train Your Dragon. I’m saying grown ups because there’s quite a bit of gory stuff going on when it comes to that dragon, which makes this look adorably cute in comparison:
The writing here is colourful, the story believable (and scary) and I was extremely thankful that the romantic scenes were pretty much non-existent. I mean, you put two people of the opposite sex on a deserted island = sexytime, usually, but not in this one.
The part of the two (or three) of them living on the island could’ve lasted a bit longer if it were up to me, but then, Jeryon rather abruptly decides to finally get his revenge at sea. Adventures ahoy!
This part starts at 63% into the book. It’s narrated from the point of view of a totally unknown character named Isco, in a town we’ve heard of, but haven’t actually visited yet: Hanosh.
And this is where the book goes to shits. There are way too many characters (some with very similar names) in which I could not invest at all. The political plots, the mysteries (which, in the end, are still unresolved to a certain extent); it could’ve been good if it was less drawn out and with way fewer details.
I have to mention there’s a little suspense here and there which made it possible for me to finish the book, yet then, the ending…
*********
If you look at the three parts, it’s like the author couldn’t make up his mind where to go with it. On the other hand, it does form one story (one of exaggerated revenge mostly), which is quite cleverly done, yet still sucks balls at the same time. Savvy?
If the book would’ve existed of just a tiny bit of Part One, Part Two in its entirety, and basically a wholly different Part Three/ending, it would’ve been very cool! Alas, the way it is now was pure torture for me at times. I’m giving it two brownies because Part Two was pretty alright. And also because this scene was sort of in there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiMhu...
I’ve been thinking for a couple of days on how to review this one. Eventually, I decided to divide it into three sections: Part One and Part Two in this review correspond to Part One of the book. Part Tree here corresponds with Part Two of the book.
*********
We are introduced to Jeryon, captain of the Comber, and pretty much the rest of his shipmates, plus the rowers of the ship. The point of view shifts between the characters fast (sometimes during each paragraph) and we get to see certain events happen from several of those points of views. For example:
POV 1: “Oh no, it’s a dragon to me left!“
POV 2: “Dear Lord, there’s a dragon to me right!“
POV 3: “Lard Thunderin Jaysus, there’s a dragon right below me!“
(This is obviously not how it went exactly, but you catch my drift eh?)
At one point, I thought it was at least something different and it showed that the author wasn’t afraid to experiment. Sadly, it kind of read like a movie script (especially because everything was written in the present tense as well), quickly turning the whole thing into a snoozefest for me. But then, a dragon attacks! Okay, still a bit of a snoozefest…but then!!
Jeryon and his ladyfriend, the apothecary of the Comber, wash ashore onto a deserted island and try to make a living there. This is where it got interesting because the other creatures on this island are just incredibly creepy! When Jeryon and the poth stumble upon a dragon egg, it gets even better because when the egg hatches, they have their own baby dragon!
They decide to try and train it in the hope it will be able to take them off of the freaking island in the near future. Of course, training a dragon comes with a lot of challenges and it doesn’t go as smoothly as they wish for. Nevertheless, they make it work somehow and this is where the book basically turns into a bit of a grown up version of How to Train Your Dragon. I’m saying grown ups because there’s quite a bit of gory stuff going on when it comes to that dragon, which makes this look adorably cute in comparison:
The writing here is colourful, the story believable (and scary) and I was extremely thankful that the romantic scenes were pretty much non-existent. I mean, you put two people of the opposite sex on a deserted island = sexytime, usually, but not in this one.
The part of the two (or three) of them living on the island could’ve lasted a bit longer if it were up to me, but then, Jeryon rather abruptly decides to finally get his revenge at sea. Adventures ahoy!
This part starts at 63% into the book. It’s narrated from the point of view of a totally unknown character named Isco, in a town we’ve heard of, but haven’t actually visited yet: Hanosh.
And this is where the book goes to shits. There are way too many characters (some with very similar names) in which I could not invest at all. The political plots, the mysteries (which, in the end, are still unresolved to a certain extent); it could’ve been good if it was less drawn out and with way fewer details.
I have to mention there’s a little suspense here and there which made it possible for me to finish the book, yet then, the ending…
*********
If you look at the three parts, it’s like the author couldn’t make up his mind where to go with it. On the other hand, it does form one story (one of exaggerated revenge mostly), which is quite cleverly done, yet still sucks balls at the same time. Savvy?
If the book would’ve existed of just a tiny bit of Part One, Part Two in its entirety, and basically a wholly different Part Three/ending, it would’ve been very cool! Alas, the way it is now was pure torture for me at times. I’m giving it two brownies because Part Two was pretty alright. And also because this scene was sort of in there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiMhu...
January 7, 2016
The Dragon Round is a fantasy tale in which a honest Captain of a sailing ship was sent out to sea with one other person, without oars, water, food, or sail by a mutinous crew. The two were sent afloat and came upon an island and were able to survive. They found an orphaned dragon hatchling and adopted and cared for her. Jeryon, the Captain, plans to use her in his plans to get revenge on the crew using the dragon. The rest of the book, after the dragon grows up, is revenge based and loses it's attraction for me. Up to this point it was very interesting. I won't give any spoilers but I always hope authors would be true to their characters in their story, which is not the case here. The plot was fair, characters were good. Ending was unexpected and disappointing. Not likely to read sequel. Received this book for honest review.
July 11, 2016
Dragons. Who doesn't like them? I'm a big fan of dragons, in fact, I find these imaginary/mystical creatures exuberant and delightful. But that's just me.
Captain Jeryon had a set of rules aboard the ship Comber and he always insisted on following them. When he and his crew set sail on the high seas to deliver medicine that was supposed to stop a plague, a dragon attacked them and Jeryon's insurgent crew overthrew him along with his apothecary Evelyn. Deserted in an island with only the clothes on their back, on a boat with no sails or oars, Jeryon & Evelyn struggled to survive, with revenge slowly budding in his mind.
Deep in the heart of the island, they found a dragon's egg and they took care of it, until it hatched. They named the dragon, Gray and Evelyn thought it was going to be their ticket of freedom from the island. But Jeryon had other plans.
I thought this book had a nice premise. It started boombastic and thrilling, and I particularly liked the time when the castaways were by themselves in the island, struggling, calculating surviving - with a baby dragon in tow. I also get that most abandoned characters tend to veer in revenge and frankly, I think that's what makes a story exciting. At first, though, Jeryon didn't disappoint me with his ruse. But when I got to the second part of the story, I felt something was ripped off. Soon his revenge was set aside and the focal point now turned to something else, and I eventually, didn't feel the same excitement as before.
I wish the intensity that got me riled up at the beginning continued in the end. I was a little sad this didn't happen. But I still have high praises for the world that Stephen Power has built and created. It was swashbucklingly good!
Captain Jeryon had a set of rules aboard the ship Comber and he always insisted on following them. When he and his crew set sail on the high seas to deliver medicine that was supposed to stop a plague, a dragon attacked them and Jeryon's insurgent crew overthrew him along with his apothecary Evelyn. Deserted in an island with only the clothes on their back, on a boat with no sails or oars, Jeryon & Evelyn struggled to survive, with revenge slowly budding in his mind.
Deep in the heart of the island, they found a dragon's egg and they took care of it, until it hatched. They named the dragon, Gray and Evelyn thought it was going to be their ticket of freedom from the island. But Jeryon had other plans.
I thought this book had a nice premise. It started boombastic and thrilling, and I particularly liked the time when the castaways were by themselves in the island, struggling, calculating surviving - with a baby dragon in tow. I also get that most abandoned characters tend to veer in revenge and frankly, I think that's what makes a story exciting. At first, though, Jeryon didn't disappoint me with his ruse. But when I got to the second part of the story, I felt something was ripped off. Soon his revenge was set aside and the focal point now turned to something else, and I eventually, didn't feel the same excitement as before.
I wish the intensity that got me riled up at the beginning continued in the end. I was a little sad this didn't happen. But I still have high praises for the world that Stephen Power has built and created. It was swashbucklingly good!
July 17, 2016
https://lynns-books.com/2016/06/23/th...
The Dragon Round is a fantasy adventure with plenty going on and a protagonist hellbent on revenge.
At the start of the story we meet Jeryon, Captain of the Comber with plenty of experience under his belt. He’s a fair man but also a company man through and through and one who believes in acting by the book. Unfortunately as Jeryon and his crew are making a headland for home the shadow of a dragon appears on the horizon. The choices are limited. Hope the beast hasn’t spotted them, hope it’s simply not interested or engage in a fight with very little chances of success. Jeryon favours the quietly, quietly approach in the hope that the dragon isn’t interested but it seems that certain members of his crew have different ideas and the temptation of a dragon and the wealth that all it’s component parts rendered down would bring seems too great an opportunity to pass on for some of them. I won’t go into all the detail of what takes place next but the outcome is that Jeryon ends up with a mutinous crew, he’s given the captain’s chance and, accompanied by his apothecary known as Poth (who refused to take part in the mutiny), is set adrift in a dinghy with no drinking water, supplies or oars. A pretty hopeless situation by all accounts.
It’s not a spoiler to say that after a fairly dire time and having drifted massively off any type of course, Jeryon and Poth find themselves on an island where their fortunes begin to change when they find a baby dragon. It seems that dragons can be trained and with this knowledge Jeryon realises that a new escape is possible because when the dragon grows it will be able to carry the two off the island.
I had slightly mixed feelings about this book. There were certain elements that I really enjoyed but certain other things that I wasn’t as keen on.
Firstly the characters. We obviously spend the most time with Jeryon and Poth – or Everlyn. I will start out by saying that this is in no way intended as a romance. The partnership that gradually forms between the two is interesting to read as it develops but is definitely platonic. In fact I would say that things between the two start off rather surly and gradually soften into one of mutual respect that blossoms into almost a family type unit feel when they have the shared care of their dragon. Unfortunately I wouldn’t really say that I connected with Jeryon which was a shame and although I liked what I saw of Everlyn she didn’t really have enough page time – although I suppose that’s set to change in the next book. On top of these two there are a whole host of characters ranging from sailors to ship owners to members of the Council.
The plot. Well, it’s much more than it first appears. There is of course Jeryon’s agenda which starts off as a search for justice but as the realisation dawns that justice will never be served this changes to one of revenge. So, we have a situation whereby Jeryon hunts out those who betrayed him. Parallel to that we have a conspiracy by certain characters of power within Hanosh who plot to start war. Hanosh is a corrupt place where greed and avarice rule and life is cheap.
The world building. I wouldn’t say that I have a really firm grip on what’s going on with respect to the world at the moment and I think that needs a little bit more exploration.
This is definitely a book that gave me mixed thoughts. There’s plenty going on and lots of action, I’m not quite sure the writing style worked for me as it gave some of the action scenes a bit of a running commentary type of feel and that meant it lost a little bit of the excitement. There was also a lot of characters and switches in POV. Personally it felt like there was such a lot going on that the characters and the world building suffered a little.
Now, I don’t want that to sound overly critical. This book definitely has positives. I enjoyed the chapters on the island where Jeryon and Everlyn learnt how to deal with the huge crabs and the training of the dragon, I also thought the final chapters spent in Hanosh were full of intrigue although they do take on a bit of a brutal tone.
I think my main issue was a lack of connection with Jeryon. I struggled to understand how he could be so intelligent for parts of the story but then seemed to rush headlong into things that he should have thought more carefully about at other points plus I didn’t really agree with all the actions he took in the latter chapters. I have to hand it to Powers though for coming up with a very surprising ending that I certainly didn’t foresee.
I didn’t dislike The Dragon Round but it didn’t quite sweep me off my feet as each time I started to feel a connection something knocked me off course. It wasn’t quite the dragon adventure that I was looking for but I think that could be due to my own expectations going into the story.
Review first appears on The Speculative Herald.
I received a copy of The Dragon Round courtesy of the publishers for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
The Dragon Round is a fantasy adventure with plenty going on and a protagonist hellbent on revenge.
At the start of the story we meet Jeryon, Captain of the Comber with plenty of experience under his belt. He’s a fair man but also a company man through and through and one who believes in acting by the book. Unfortunately as Jeryon and his crew are making a headland for home the shadow of a dragon appears on the horizon. The choices are limited. Hope the beast hasn’t spotted them, hope it’s simply not interested or engage in a fight with very little chances of success. Jeryon favours the quietly, quietly approach in the hope that the dragon isn’t interested but it seems that certain members of his crew have different ideas and the temptation of a dragon and the wealth that all it’s component parts rendered down would bring seems too great an opportunity to pass on for some of them. I won’t go into all the detail of what takes place next but the outcome is that Jeryon ends up with a mutinous crew, he’s given the captain’s chance and, accompanied by his apothecary known as Poth (who refused to take part in the mutiny), is set adrift in a dinghy with no drinking water, supplies or oars. A pretty hopeless situation by all accounts.
It’s not a spoiler to say that after a fairly dire time and having drifted massively off any type of course, Jeryon and Poth find themselves on an island where their fortunes begin to change when they find a baby dragon. It seems that dragons can be trained and with this knowledge Jeryon realises that a new escape is possible because when the dragon grows it will be able to carry the two off the island.
I had slightly mixed feelings about this book. There were certain elements that I really enjoyed but certain other things that I wasn’t as keen on.
Firstly the characters. We obviously spend the most time with Jeryon and Poth – or Everlyn. I will start out by saying that this is in no way intended as a romance. The partnership that gradually forms between the two is interesting to read as it develops but is definitely platonic. In fact I would say that things between the two start off rather surly and gradually soften into one of mutual respect that blossoms into almost a family type unit feel when they have the shared care of their dragon. Unfortunately I wouldn’t really say that I connected with Jeryon which was a shame and although I liked what I saw of Everlyn she didn’t really have enough page time – although I suppose that’s set to change in the next book. On top of these two there are a whole host of characters ranging from sailors to ship owners to members of the Council.
The plot. Well, it’s much more than it first appears. There is of course Jeryon’s agenda which starts off as a search for justice but as the realisation dawns that justice will never be served this changes to one of revenge. So, we have a situation whereby Jeryon hunts out those who betrayed him. Parallel to that we have a conspiracy by certain characters of power within Hanosh who plot to start war. Hanosh is a corrupt place where greed and avarice rule and life is cheap.
The world building. I wouldn’t say that I have a really firm grip on what’s going on with respect to the world at the moment and I think that needs a little bit more exploration.
This is definitely a book that gave me mixed thoughts. There’s plenty going on and lots of action, I’m not quite sure the writing style worked for me as it gave some of the action scenes a bit of a running commentary type of feel and that meant it lost a little bit of the excitement. There was also a lot of characters and switches in POV. Personally it felt like there was such a lot going on that the characters and the world building suffered a little.
Now, I don’t want that to sound overly critical. This book definitely has positives. I enjoyed the chapters on the island where Jeryon and Everlyn learnt how to deal with the huge crabs and the training of the dragon, I also thought the final chapters spent in Hanosh were full of intrigue although they do take on a bit of a brutal tone.
I think my main issue was a lack of connection with Jeryon. I struggled to understand how he could be so intelligent for parts of the story but then seemed to rush headlong into things that he should have thought more carefully about at other points plus I didn’t really agree with all the actions he took in the latter chapters. I have to hand it to Powers though for coming up with a very surprising ending that I certainly didn’t foresee.
I didn’t dislike The Dragon Round but it didn’t quite sweep me off my feet as each time I started to feel a connection something knocked me off course. It wasn’t quite the dragon adventure that I was looking for but I think that could be due to my own expectations going into the story.
Review first appears on The Speculative Herald.
I received a copy of The Dragon Round courtesy of the publishers for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
July 7, 2016
2.5 Stars
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
First, I want to say that I completely love the cover. The colours work wonderful and it immediately caught my eye and would certainly also do so in a book store. Yes, I'll even admit I wanted to read this book mainly because I liked the cover so much. At least I'm honest about it.
After an encounter with a dragon a mutiny takes place that leaves Captain Jeryon and his apothecary in a small boat on a very large ocean. Stranded on a small island and obviously frustrated about the situation, he's plotting his revenge. His bloody revenge.
I had high expectations, because besides the cover there was much more to like about the book. Ships, dragons and the like! Unfortunately, however, the main part of the book is not focusing on survival, but on revenge. The Dragon Round follows the revenge he has planned for each and everyone that was on the original ship. Individually. So, the story moves from one to another revenge plot, which in the end, I'm sorry to say, just got boring. And that with the final revenge being on a very, very large scale (one might have even said overreacting).
But if you like to read about revenge (a lot) this is the book for you. The world certainly is interesting.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
First, I want to say that I completely love the cover. The colours work wonderful and it immediately caught my eye and would certainly also do so in a book store. Yes, I'll even admit I wanted to read this book mainly because I liked the cover so much. At least I'm honest about it.
After an encounter with a dragon a mutiny takes place that leaves Captain Jeryon and his apothecary in a small boat on a very large ocean. Stranded on a small island and obviously frustrated about the situation, he's plotting his revenge. His bloody revenge.
I had high expectations, because besides the cover there was much more to like about the book. Ships, dragons and the like! Unfortunately, however, the main part of the book is not focusing on survival, but on revenge. The Dragon Round follows the revenge he has planned for each and everyone that was on the original ship. Individually. So, the story moves from one to another revenge plot, which in the end, I'm sorry to say, just got boring. And that with the final revenge being on a very, very large scale (one might have even said overreacting).
But if you like to read about revenge (a lot) this is the book for you. The world certainly is interesting.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
July 23, 2016
2.5
Nope, this one was not for me. Or rather the second half wasn’t. If it had continued in the same vein as the first half I probably would have liked it. But there is a definite difference between the first and second half and I found the second half excessively long and boring. About a billion characters were introduced out of nowhere, while the original two were basically dropped. One never reemerged until the last couple pages for no purpose but as a set up for a sequel. So there was no satisfying closure between them and the reader.
Even as unhappy as I was with the latter half of the book, I still would have called the book ok (just not to my liking). Then it reached the end and I was most displeased. I mean, the tagline of the book is he only wanted justice. Instead he got revenge. I don’t feel like he got either and the futility of it all left me feeling like I’d wasted my time reading it.
Add to that the fact that major, life altering events happened with so little fan fair that I occasionally had to read them twice just to be sure I should at least assume they held importance. And the fact that the mutiny happened so early in the book that I didn’t yet know or care enough for it to make sense in context of the characters and the town leaders were such Ebenezer Scrooge caricatures that I found them unbelievable. There were a lot of detractors here for me.
I did appreciate that the relationship between the Poth and Jeryon remained platonic and I thought the dragon had a lot of personality—as did the crabs, oddly enough. (Yeah, there are killer crabs, BTW.) But I’m just glad to finally be done with the book. At one point I thought it might go on forever.
Nope, this one was not for me. Or rather the second half wasn’t. If it had continued in the same vein as the first half I probably would have liked it. But there is a definite difference between the first and second half and I found the second half excessively long and boring. About a billion characters were introduced out of nowhere, while the original two were basically dropped. One never reemerged until the last couple pages for no purpose but as a set up for a sequel. So there was no satisfying closure between them and the reader.
Even as unhappy as I was with the latter half of the book, I still would have called the book ok (just not to my liking). Then it reached the end and I was most displeased. I mean, the tagline of the book is he only wanted justice. Instead he got revenge. I don’t feel like he got either and the futility of it all left me feeling like I’d wasted my time reading it.
Add to that the fact that major, life altering events happened with so little fan fair that I occasionally had to read them twice just to be sure I should at least assume they held importance. And the fact that the mutiny happened so early in the book that I didn’t yet know or care enough for it to make sense in context of the characters and the town leaders were such Ebenezer Scrooge caricatures that I found them unbelievable. There were a lot of detractors here for me.
I did appreciate that the relationship between the Poth and Jeryon remained platonic and I thought the dragon had a lot of personality—as did the crabs, oddly enough. (Yeah, there are killer crabs, BTW.) But I’m just glad to finally be done with the book. At one point I thought it might go on forever.
March 27, 2016
Jeryon is the captain of a successful trading ship, plying the sea between the five cities of the League, making a good living for himself and a fine profit for his owners. Unhappy with their captain’s decision to forego harvesting a dragon the crew has managed to kill and wanting to advance their own careers more quickly, Jeryon’s first and second mates lead a mutiny that casts him adrift in a dinghy with no sail, no oars, no tools. The crew also sends away Everlyn, an apothecary who sought passage at the ship’s last port.
Jeryon and Everlyn must find a way to stay alive on the open sea and to navigate hundreds of miles of largely uncharted water to make it to safety. Eventually they make landfall on a large island. Carving out a comfortable existence they also come upon something previously unseen – a dragon hatching from its egg, and Jeryon begins to develop a plan to extract his revenge from the crew who set the two of them adrift.
The second half of the story details Jeryon working to bring to justice the men who orchestrated the mutiny and return himself to respectability in his home city. It’s also about the political machinations of factions pressing for hostilities with another League city, of those attempting to keep war from breaking out, and of several of the city’s military leaders trying to gain more power and influence for themselves.
The ending is tense, surprising, possibly inevitable, and perhaps sets up a sequel. While certainly standing strong on its own and tying up all but one or two plot lines, The Dragon Round leaves enough questions intriguingly unanswered that second book would not be unwarranted. Or unwelcomed.
The Dragon Round reads smoothly and carries the reader at a quick pace. Power’s writing is clear and strong. His poetry skills influence his prose as his descriptions are precise, at times spare but evocative, always enough to illuminate the scene and the characters but never so much as to detract from his weaving of the narrative. Power’s world building is thorough but, again, held nicely in check – enough words, phrases, and practices to give the reader a strong feel for the world being viewed but needless time is not spent in filling in all the corners. As with the best description, he sketches the structure and puts in place strategic details, and the reader’s mind fills in the rest, thereby strengthening the bond to the tale.
If one reads enough books and sees enough movies almost anything new can’t help but bring to mind traces of past characters. So it is here. Wisps of Menolly, Cast Away, Cesar Millan, Mutiny on the Bounty … certainly not traces, just memories. The only thing I felt slighted on in this book was that we lose much of the story of Everlyn, the apothecary, in the second half of the story. After being a strong character to Jaryron’s protagonist in the first half, I felt something was missing in the rest. Then too, perhaps it’s that sequel possibility.
I very much enjoyed The Dragon Round.
>>Support independent bookstores by buying real books from real stores where you can talk with real booksellers.<<
Jeryon and Everlyn must find a way to stay alive on the open sea and to navigate hundreds of miles of largely uncharted water to make it to safety. Eventually they make landfall on a large island. Carving out a comfortable existence they also come upon something previously unseen – a dragon hatching from its egg, and Jeryon begins to develop a plan to extract his revenge from the crew who set the two of them adrift.
The second half of the story details Jeryon working to bring to justice the men who orchestrated the mutiny and return himself to respectability in his home city. It’s also about the political machinations of factions pressing for hostilities with another League city, of those attempting to keep war from breaking out, and of several of the city’s military leaders trying to gain more power and influence for themselves.
The ending is tense, surprising, possibly inevitable, and perhaps sets up a sequel. While certainly standing strong on its own and tying up all but one or two plot lines, The Dragon Round leaves enough questions intriguingly unanswered that second book would not be unwarranted. Or unwelcomed.
The Dragon Round reads smoothly and carries the reader at a quick pace. Power’s writing is clear and strong. His poetry skills influence his prose as his descriptions are precise, at times spare but evocative, always enough to illuminate the scene and the characters but never so much as to detract from his weaving of the narrative. Power’s world building is thorough but, again, held nicely in check – enough words, phrases, and practices to give the reader a strong feel for the world being viewed but needless time is not spent in filling in all the corners. As with the best description, he sketches the structure and puts in place strategic details, and the reader’s mind fills in the rest, thereby strengthening the bond to the tale.
If one reads enough books and sees enough movies almost anything new can’t help but bring to mind traces of past characters. So it is here. Wisps of Menolly, Cast Away, Cesar Millan, Mutiny on the Bounty … certainly not traces, just memories. The only thing I felt slighted on in this book was that we lose much of the story of Everlyn, the apothecary, in the second half of the story. After being a strong character to Jaryron’s protagonist in the first half, I felt something was missing in the rest. Then too, perhaps it’s that sequel possibility.
I very much enjoyed The Dragon Round.
>>Support independent bookstores by buying real books from real stores where you can talk with real booksellers.<<
February 11, 2016
I was really excited to be approved on NetGalley for The Dragon Round. I love dragons. I love piratey kind of behaviour. It sounded great.
Alas, the writing meant that I never got to see any of that. The Dragon Round opens with the captain of the ship overhearing two of his mates talking about him. We're not actually shown what they're talking about, we just get a few paragraphs where we're told what the captain is thinking. Not a great opening.
We're then switched to the conversation between the mates. The conversation is pretty dry and infodumpy. Very hard to follow. Then back to the captain for a brief time where he mentions an apothecary on the ship. Then we jump to the apothecary ... then to some people near the rowers.
This is all in a handful of pages. I couldn't cope with it. Powers is writing in third person omniscient here and he's very ambitious. He introduces ten or so characters within as many pages, hopping from one head to another without ever giving the reader time to get to know any of them. I didn't have time to distinguish one from the other, and without the book in front of me I couldn't tell you a single one of their names.
That's bad. When I'm reading a book specifically for review, I pay attention to this stuff. Yet after 10 pages I can't tell you the defining characteristic of any of the characters.
These problems are all exacerbated by the fact that Powers uses a technique for world building whereby he just throws fantasy words, nationalities, and phrases at you and expects you to pick it up. This can work ok, but you need to do it sparingly and sprinkle it throughout a good coherent scene so that those uncertainties don't entirely unbalance the reader. Well, as mentioned, the POV switching is tough to follow and I had nothing at all to grip onto, so the fantasy terms were just too much.
Honestly I'm not even sure if they were all fantasy terms. They may have been sailing terms. Props to Powers for being familiar with boats, but the average reader is not. You have to use that stuff carefully, and again, use them in solid scenes.
The result is that after just a few pages I put the book down feeling deeply disappointed. I was so confused that I actually hopped onto Goodreads to see if I was missing something, had the wrong copy of the book, or was just really tired. I saw the reviews saying they were bored during the DRAGON ATTACK?? along the same issues I've mentioned, and decided not to bother reading on.
By itself, it's possible I'd pick up the fantasy and sailing stuff after a while. By itself, it's possible I'd get used to the style of writing and thoroughly enjoy the plot. Unfortunately, these two things together mean I don't want to waste my time. There are a lot of great books out there that don't open with serious writing flaws. I'd rather go read one of them.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
Alas, the writing meant that I never got to see any of that. The Dragon Round opens with the captain of the ship overhearing two of his mates talking about him. We're not actually shown what they're talking about, we just get a few paragraphs where we're told what the captain is thinking. Not a great opening.
We're then switched to the conversation between the mates. The conversation is pretty dry and infodumpy. Very hard to follow. Then back to the captain for a brief time where he mentions an apothecary on the ship. Then we jump to the apothecary ... then to some people near the rowers.
This is all in a handful of pages. I couldn't cope with it. Powers is writing in third person omniscient here and he's very ambitious. He introduces ten or so characters within as many pages, hopping from one head to another without ever giving the reader time to get to know any of them. I didn't have time to distinguish one from the other, and without the book in front of me I couldn't tell you a single one of their names.
That's bad. When I'm reading a book specifically for review, I pay attention to this stuff. Yet after 10 pages I can't tell you the defining characteristic of any of the characters.
These problems are all exacerbated by the fact that Powers uses a technique for world building whereby he just throws fantasy words, nationalities, and phrases at you and expects you to pick it up. This can work ok, but you need to do it sparingly and sprinkle it throughout a good coherent scene so that those uncertainties don't entirely unbalance the reader. Well, as mentioned, the POV switching is tough to follow and I had nothing at all to grip onto, so the fantasy terms were just too much.
Honestly I'm not even sure if they were all fantasy terms. They may have been sailing terms. Props to Powers for being familiar with boats, but the average reader is not. You have to use that stuff carefully, and again, use them in solid scenes.
The result is that after just a few pages I put the book down feeling deeply disappointed. I was so confused that I actually hopped onto Goodreads to see if I was missing something, had the wrong copy of the book, or was just really tired. I saw the reviews saying they were bored during the DRAGON ATTACK?? along the same issues I've mentioned, and decided not to bother reading on.
By itself, it's possible I'd pick up the fantasy and sailing stuff after a while. By itself, it's possible I'd get used to the style of writing and thoroughly enjoy the plot. Unfortunately, these two things together mean I don't want to waste my time. There are a lot of great books out there that don't open with serious writing flaws. I'd rather go read one of them.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
February 15, 2016
3.5/5 stars
*I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
The Dragon Round gave me conflicting feelings all the way through. The writing wasn't my favorite too much he did this, he said that, for my tastes. And of course as others have said it was over detailed at times. The underlying story was fascinating though, a bit on the darker side of humanity though. If you're looking for a happy story with nice characters this isn't it. Self-preservation and coin is the name of the game with the Hanoshi, murder and sex with the Ynessi, though I've yet to learn much of the ways of the Aydeni I'm sure it will be a big aspect of book two (assuming there is one).
This book has been getting quite harsh ratings so far but I really think it's worth a look. Of course if you don't like revenge as a motive or dragons in general then this isn't recommended because those are two major aspects of the book. I was going to give the book a three star rating based on the writing style and most of the book. I decided on a 3.5 because of the brave chances Power's took. He did two things that aren't always well-received: The Dragon Round wasn't driven by romance, and there was no overtly happy ending. I applaud both, too many books follow the same basic rules and it gets boring after awhile. This was a refreshingly different story from most of what I read, no love triangles, no invalid reasons for characters to have conflict, and I was actually worried for the fate of main characters.
Overall I'd say if you're a bit of a cynic and love fantasy stories give this one a read. I still don't adore the style in general but it wasn't unreadable just caused me to slow pace a bit. I really hope this one gets a book two because the setup is there and I'm curious to see where Powers plans to take things.
*I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
The Dragon Round gave me conflicting feelings all the way through. The writing wasn't my favorite too much he did this, he said that, for my tastes. And of course as others have said it was over detailed at times. The underlying story was fascinating though, a bit on the darker side of humanity though. If you're looking for a happy story with nice characters this isn't it. Self-preservation and coin is the name of the game with the Hanoshi, murder and sex with the Ynessi, though I've yet to learn much of the ways of the Aydeni I'm sure it will be a big aspect of book two (assuming there is one).
This book has been getting quite harsh ratings so far but I really think it's worth a look. Of course if you don't like revenge as a motive or dragons in general then this isn't recommended because those are two major aspects of the book. I was going to give the book a three star rating based on the writing style and most of the book. I decided on a 3.5 because of the brave chances Power's took. He did two things that aren't always well-received: The Dragon Round wasn't driven by romance, and there was no overtly happy ending. I applaud both, too many books follow the same basic rules and it gets boring after awhile. This was a refreshingly different story from most of what I read, no love triangles, no invalid reasons for characters to have conflict, and I was actually worried for the fate of main characters.
Overall I'd say if you're a bit of a cynic and love fantasy stories give this one a read. I still don't adore the style in general but it wasn't unreadable just caused me to slow pace a bit. I really hope this one gets a book two because the setup is there and I'm curious to see where Powers plans to take things.
February 15, 2016
The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power
This tale is of a rigidly principled sea captain, a equally principled apothecary and an unprincipled dragon.
Jeryon lived by rules. He followed the company rules and set his own rules on the sea. Sadly he discovered that following the rules can have some seriously negative consequences when faced with greed and moral depravity.
Jeryon finds himself supported by an unlikely source, the foreign apothecary who refuses to be a party to his crews rebellion. The resulting events lead to an apparent platonic marooning where they discover a potential savior in the guise of a dragon.
The moral rigidity of Jeryon leads him down the path of justice that eventually turns into revenge.
This is a tough book to review without spoilers. The profit at all costs Trust which morphs into the Shield suppresses the people of Hanosh. The face of capitalism is tarnished by the goal of profits regardless of the impact on the people who are both the basis for the labor force and the customers.
The appetite of the dragon and it's indifference to the sources of it's nourishment provided another glimpse of commentary regarding unbridled appetites.
This was a interesting read with some social commentary on the military industrial complex.
It is also possible that I am reading more social commentary than the author intended.
I recommend it and look forward to the sequel.
Web Site: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/S...
January 27, 2016
*** Recieved an ARC from the publishers via NetGally for an honest review.
This fantasy adventure story titled "The Dragon Round" by Stephen S. Power was filled with battles on the sea, dragons, avarice, and vengeance. Set in a world where wealth is everything.
Where the wealthy only look the get wealthier no matter the cost to others.
Captain Jeryon, who is essentially a good man and rule follower, is trying to return to port on schedule with much needed medicine for a plague that has hit his port city and has to fight with his crew a dragon bigger than his vessel.
When the battle is won and the Captain wants to continue to port as soon as possible with the medicine. His crew mutiny so that they can render the dragon for its parts that would make them all rich.
Placed in a dinghy so the crew can absolve themselves of murder, with only the ship's apothecary who was against the mutiny, they must survive with only the clothes on their backs.
Against the odds they reach an island that will sustain them but is not deserted.
So sets the rest of the tell as Jeryon must extract his own justice that ends in vengeance that goes really wrong.
If you like dragon stories this is a good read. Slow in some parts, but overall well paced.
Setup so there could be further stories to follow, which I would look forward to read.
This fantasy adventure story titled "The Dragon Round" by Stephen S. Power was filled with battles on the sea, dragons, avarice, and vengeance. Set in a world where wealth is everything.
Where the wealthy only look the get wealthier no matter the cost to others.
Captain Jeryon, who is essentially a good man and rule follower, is trying to return to port on schedule with much needed medicine for a plague that has hit his port city and has to fight with his crew a dragon bigger than his vessel.
When the battle is won and the Captain wants to continue to port as soon as possible with the medicine. His crew mutiny so that they can render the dragon for its parts that would make them all rich.
Placed in a dinghy so the crew can absolve themselves of murder, with only the ship's apothecary who was against the mutiny, they must survive with only the clothes on their backs.
Against the odds they reach an island that will sustain them but is not deserted.
So sets the rest of the tell as Jeryon must extract his own justice that ends in vengeance that goes really wrong.
If you like dragon stories this is a good read. Slow in some parts, but overall well paced.
Setup so there could be further stories to follow, which I would look forward to read.
July 7, 2016
This is an interesting adventure with a dreary end. The first half is survival on a tropical island and then learning about dragons. The second half makes me conclude that revenge is not as pleasant of a business as a certain Spaniard would have us think and definitely don't expect a happy ending. I enjoyed reading it, the writing style is fresh and intriguing and there is a strong female character with no real romance to worry about. But yeah, rather dreary.
January 6, 2016
I would like to thank Simon & Schuster as well as NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC to review. Though I received this ebook for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review.
Goodreads Teaser: "For fans of Scott Lynch and Naomi Novik comes a high fantasy epic that blends swashbuckling adventure with a dark tale of vengeance--when a ship captain is stranded on a deserted island by his mutinous crew, he finds a rare dragon egg that just might be the key to his salvation and his revenge.
He only wanted justice. Instead he got revenge.
Jeryon has been the captain of the Comber for over a decade. He knows the rules. He follows the rules. He likes the rules. But not everyone on his ship agrees. When a monstrous dragon attacks the Comber, his surviving crew, vengeful and battle-worn, decide to take the ship for themselves and give Jeryon and his self-righteous apothecary “the captain’s chance:” a small boat with no rudder, no sails, and nothing but the shirts on their backs to survive.
Marooned and fighting for their lives against the elements, Jeryon and his companion discover that the island they’ve landed on isn’t quite as deserted as they originally thought. They find a rare baby dragon that, if trained, just might be their ticket off the island. But as Jeryon and the dragon grow closer, he begins to realize that even if he makes it off the island, his life will never be the same again. In order for justice to be served, he’ll have to take it for himself."
This story began pretty much as expected but turned down a different path than expected somewhere along the way. And I find the direction it went was interesting to say the least, especially the ending, which shocked the heck out of me (and that's not easily done).
Jeryon is a fairly straightforward character, a by the book kind of man. Which sadly doesn't serve him well. Luckily he learns from his mistakes, eventually. He seems to be a traditional sailor, and doesn't think much of women. So imagine his feelings when he ends up with his ship in mutiny; a mutiny that ends with he and the female apothecary surviving "the captain's chance" only to be stranded on an island far outside any shipping lanes. Luckily for him Everlyn, also known as "poth," is a strong woman in every way, maybe to strong for him, especially as he hasn't had any real contact with women in years by choice.
Much of this story revolves around Jeryon and Everlyn during their time on the island. First their initial struggle for basic survival, then discovering the newly hatched dragon. Their shared struggles and training of Gray, their dragon, developers into a strong bond between all three. But all good things must come to an end. And since Gray can only carry one rider at a time, they aren't both getting off the island together. While testing Gray's limits Jeryon is offered the chance he's been dreaming of for years, justice. He sees one of his old crew, now the captain of his own ship. It's at this point the story shifts once again. Justice, or revenge, is never as satisfying in reality as it is in theory. A lesson Jeryon learns in spades.
The pacing of the story is nice and smooth, with everything moving at a solid speed and not getting to hung up in developing heavy backstory or world building. Combine that with well crafted characters and a strong plot and you end up with one compelling read. It left me more than anxious for the next book to be in my hands immediately, if not sooner. So I sure hope you're busy writing the sequel already Mr. Power!
Goodreads Teaser: "For fans of Scott Lynch and Naomi Novik comes a high fantasy epic that blends swashbuckling adventure with a dark tale of vengeance--when a ship captain is stranded on a deserted island by his mutinous crew, he finds a rare dragon egg that just might be the key to his salvation and his revenge.
He only wanted justice. Instead he got revenge.
Jeryon has been the captain of the Comber for over a decade. He knows the rules. He follows the rules. He likes the rules. But not everyone on his ship agrees. When a monstrous dragon attacks the Comber, his surviving crew, vengeful and battle-worn, decide to take the ship for themselves and give Jeryon and his self-righteous apothecary “the captain’s chance:” a small boat with no rudder, no sails, and nothing but the shirts on their backs to survive.
Marooned and fighting for their lives against the elements, Jeryon and his companion discover that the island they’ve landed on isn’t quite as deserted as they originally thought. They find a rare baby dragon that, if trained, just might be their ticket off the island. But as Jeryon and the dragon grow closer, he begins to realize that even if he makes it off the island, his life will never be the same again. In order for justice to be served, he’ll have to take it for himself."
This story began pretty much as expected but turned down a different path than expected somewhere along the way. And I find the direction it went was interesting to say the least, especially the ending, which shocked the heck out of me (and that's not easily done).
Jeryon is a fairly straightforward character, a by the book kind of man. Which sadly doesn't serve him well. Luckily he learns from his mistakes, eventually. He seems to be a traditional sailor, and doesn't think much of women. So imagine his feelings when he ends up with his ship in mutiny; a mutiny that ends with he and the female apothecary surviving "the captain's chance" only to be stranded on an island far outside any shipping lanes. Luckily for him Everlyn, also known as "poth," is a strong woman in every way, maybe to strong for him, especially as he hasn't had any real contact with women in years by choice.
Much of this story revolves around Jeryon and Everlyn during their time on the island. First their initial struggle for basic survival, then discovering the newly hatched dragon. Their shared struggles and training of Gray, their dragon, developers into a strong bond between all three. But all good things must come to an end. And since Gray can only carry one rider at a time, they aren't both getting off the island together. While testing Gray's limits Jeryon is offered the chance he's been dreaming of for years, justice. He sees one of his old crew, now the captain of his own ship. It's at this point the story shifts once again. Justice, or revenge, is never as satisfying in reality as it is in theory. A lesson Jeryon learns in spades.
The pacing of the story is nice and smooth, with everything moving at a solid speed and not getting to hung up in developing heavy backstory or world building. Combine that with well crafted characters and a strong plot and you end up with one compelling read. It left me more than anxious for the next book to be in my hands immediately, if not sooner. So I sure hope you're busy writing the sequel already Mr. Power!
July 12, 2016
You can find this review and others like it at The Nomadic Reader.
This book started out pretty interesting. Tales of swashbuckling adventures, a mutinous crew, and an island where Jeryon and the apothecary from his ship are eventually stranded. The whole first half of the book was about their adventures in survival. Separated at first they find a way to survive and eventually meet up on the island. They create a camp together, and stumble onto a baby dragon hatching. All of these stories I enjoyed a great deal and it reminded me a lot of The Count of Monte Cristo in the way that the first half of the book was about revenge. Jeryon wanted revenge on the ship crew that left him stranded, and he decided to use the baby dragon to seek out that revenge. He starts training it, making plans, plotting his calculated revenge. He gets wrapped up in it.
As much as I enjoyed the first half of the book, the second half left me scratching my head in confusion. Instead of adventures and tales of heroic (and some not so heroic) deeds, it was about politics. Politics of the lands that Jeryon and his apothecary are from. Politics where a war is starting up and people are looking to place blame. The apothecary's story (her name is Everlyn) is pretty much ignored from this point on and we don't hear from her any more until the very end. Gone is the depth and personal connection we feel to any of the previous main characters as the focus suddenly shifts without any warning (and in my opinion, without any need). It was so sudden and jarring that a book I would have gladly given close to four stars to dropped down to a 2.5 (I round them up on goodreads). I almost started to wonder if the second half had been written by someone else, or after a long break where the author suddenly decided to change the story. It's not a smooth transition, and that's a shame because for the first half of the book there was just so much potential. The abrupt ending, especially, felt (to me) like it was rather slapped on.
3/5 stars
This book started out pretty interesting. Tales of swashbuckling adventures, a mutinous crew, and an island where Jeryon and the apothecary from his ship are eventually stranded. The whole first half of the book was about their adventures in survival. Separated at first they find a way to survive and eventually meet up on the island. They create a camp together, and stumble onto a baby dragon hatching. All of these stories I enjoyed a great deal and it reminded me a lot of The Count of Monte Cristo in the way that the first half of the book was about revenge. Jeryon wanted revenge on the ship crew that left him stranded, and he decided to use the baby dragon to seek out that revenge. He starts training it, making plans, plotting his calculated revenge. He gets wrapped up in it.
As much as I enjoyed the first half of the book, the second half left me scratching my head in confusion. Instead of adventures and tales of heroic (and some not so heroic) deeds, it was about politics. Politics of the lands that Jeryon and his apothecary are from. Politics where a war is starting up and people are looking to place blame. The apothecary's story (her name is Everlyn) is pretty much ignored from this point on and we don't hear from her any more until the very end. Gone is the depth and personal connection we feel to any of the previous main characters as the focus suddenly shifts without any warning (and in my opinion, without any need). It was so sudden and jarring that a book I would have gladly given close to four stars to dropped down to a 2.5 (I round them up on goodreads). I almost started to wonder if the second half had been written by someone else, or after a long break where the author suddenly decided to change the story. It's not a smooth transition, and that's a shame because for the first half of the book there was just so much potential. The abrupt ending, especially, felt (to me) like it was rather slapped on.
3/5 stars
April 4, 2016
I received a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley.
There's a lot to like about this book. Dragons, sailing, corrupt regimes, well developed characters. I read most of this book thinking I would give it a 4 star review, or perhaps 5.
But, Mr. Power makes some choices that just don't make sense to me. We spend large parts of the book with Jeryon, mutinied captain of the Comber. Set adrift with him is Everlyn, the ship's apothecary. They eventually wash up on an island, where multiple times Power makes us suspect that Everlyn is dead, when she isn't. This trick is effective once, and annoying there after.
Eventually we lose Jeryon's POV for random guys in Hanosh, his home city state. This mostly had the effect of making it harder to sympathize with Jeryon, and when he reappears in the book, he makes some foolish mistakes that lead to him being killed and his dragon being stolen. Everlyn sees this and vows revenge, leading to a sort of revenge Mobius.
It's not uncommon for author's to kill off their main characters, at least not since George R.R. Martin beheaded Ned Stark at the end of A Game of Thrones. This feels a little less skilled than that, since Power didn't establish Jeryon as the sort of character who might make such tragic mistakes. In fact, he seems extremely competent, destroying multiple ships with just one young dragon.
Probably, I shouldn't complain so much about a book that I actually quite enjoyed. If there's a sequel, there's a good chance I'll read it.
There's a lot to like about this book. Dragons, sailing, corrupt regimes, well developed characters. I read most of this book thinking I would give it a 4 star review, or perhaps 5.
But, Mr. Power makes some choices that just don't make sense to me. We spend large parts of the book with Jeryon, mutinied captain of the Comber. Set adrift with him is Everlyn, the ship's apothecary. They eventually wash up on an island, where multiple times Power makes us suspect that Everlyn is dead, when she isn't. This trick is effective once, and annoying there after.
Eventually we lose Jeryon's POV for random guys in Hanosh, his home city state. This mostly had the effect of making it harder to sympathize with Jeryon, and when he reappears in the book, he makes some foolish mistakes that lead to him being killed and his dragon being stolen. Everlyn sees this and vows revenge, leading to a sort of revenge Mobius.
It's not uncommon for author's to kill off their main characters, at least not since George R.R. Martin beheaded Ned Stark at the end of A Game of Thrones. This feels a little less skilled than that, since Power didn't establish Jeryon as the sort of character who might make such tragic mistakes. In fact, he seems extremely competent, destroying multiple ships with just one young dragon.
Probably, I shouldn't complain so much about a book that I actually quite enjoyed. If there's a sequel, there's a good chance I'll read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2016
I wanted to give the book a higher rating but I didn't love the ending. Pros - Powers creates a vivid world through tight writing and interesting characters. Well placed details drew me into this world of merchant ships and dragons. The plot reads like a blend of His Majesty's Dragons and Count of Monte Cristo . Set in a pretty brutal society (made me think of the merchant houses of the Republic of Venice) a loyal (to the company) captain is betrayed by his men. The rest of the books is about his revenge ... and a dragon he finds along the way. Cons - The plot flow is a little disjointed and I felt like the author was a little too Tom Clancy'esk in the large number of characters he tried to keeps intertwined.
February 24, 2016
Wow, Robinson Crusoe meets fantasy in this excellent new book by Stephen S. Powers. All the court intrigue you could want as well as high seas adventure. This book seems to have it all and dose it well. I recommend this to all lover of fantasy and adventure fiction. I look forward to treading his next book.
September 13, 2021
I have been slowly plugging away at this book for a couple months now, page here and a page there, but now the long rough journey has ended. The Dragon Round has an interesting premise for a book, boasting to be The Count of Monte Cristo with Dragons. Now this sounds like it could be interesting, but like Count it left me wanting so much more. The author has a great knowledge of the terminology needed for their setting, but the clunky prose and some times boring writing definitely hurt the story. Like Count of Monte Cristo we are given a bunch of characters to learn, how ever none of these characters really grabbed me. It’s hard to love a story when you can barely remember a character’s name when you put the book down.
I don’t want to drag on (heh. Pun intended) about all the negatives, but I can’t really think of any positives other then the author seems to have the knowledge needed to craft a cool world. I can see this being a book for some people new to reading, but it was definitely not for me. That is truly a shame since I went out of my way to get the book thinking I would enjoy it. All in all I’d give it 2-2.5 stars. Not horrible but still below an average book.
I don’t want to drag on (heh. Pun intended) about all the negatives, but I can’t really think of any positives other then the author seems to have the knowledge needed to craft a cool world. I can see this being a book for some people new to reading, but it was definitely not for me. That is truly a shame since I went out of my way to get the book thinking I would enjoy it. All in all I’d give it 2-2.5 stars. Not horrible but still below an average book.
October 29, 2016
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here are me honest musings . . .
the dragon round (Stephen S. Power)
Title: the dragon round
Author: Stephen S. Power
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: currently July 19, 2016
ISBN: 9781501133206
Source: NetGalley
This book contains dragons and a sea captain out for revenge. That was enough to pique me interest. Two of me favorite things. The novel started out with a bang. I love the Captain, Jeryon. I loved the apothecary. There are dragons and mutiny and fighting. Jeryon ends up on a deserted island, struggling to survive. And finds a baby dragon. I was very happy from the entire beginning of the book all the way through the training of the dragon.
Then the revenge part happens. Sigh. I have to admit: the book got choppy from there. The book has been compared to three things: 1) the game of thrones series; 2) the temeraire series; and 3) the count of monte cristo. I have read all three of these things (ye should too!). Ummm, this novel can’t compare and here is why:
1) I believe this novel is compared to the game of thrones series because of the change of perspective chapters and the politics. The novel is split into two parts with five chapters in each part. Of course each chapter has subsections. Part One is mostly from Jeryon’s perspective. Part Two begins with the perspectives of the mates and what has happened to them since the mutiny. Part One – loved it. Part Two is where the plot begins to decline. The politics are just not that interesting and involve disputes within branches of the military and, of course, money. The characters are not as well developed and overall just plain unlikable. George R. R. Martin’s character perspectives are rich and varied and help showcase the political wrangling. Even with the multiple points of view in this novel, the politics were at the best boring and at the worst, unclear.
2) I believe this novel is compared to the temeraire series because of the dragons (duh!) and the style of fighting when dragons are involved. I will admit that I enjoyed the dragon fights in the beginning of the novel. They are certainly not extremely fancy but were very fun. However when it comes to Jeryon and the dragon is where this novel is lacking. Now don’t get me wrong. I love both Jeryon and the dragon. But the relationship between the two is more like master and pet, not partners. I wasn’t expecting the dragons in the book to be as knowledgeable and intelligent as Naomi Novik’s Temeraire (whose are?), it seemed like the dragon in the story was more of an intelligent dog. Also once we get into Part Two, the dragon fighting fizzles and becomes more lackluster. How can that be?
3) I believe this novel is compared to the count of monte cristo because it is a sailor who life’s plan is ruined by other crew members and he wants revenge. I would agree with that comparison very loosely. The difference is in the details. Dumas’ Count is crafty, intelligent, and fabulous at plotting. Ye get to watch and savor the downfall of the Count’s enemies. In this novel, the revenge begins and ye get to see none of the real plotting. And what little ye do see is lackluster. In Part Two, ye see none of the plotting for revenge and very little of Jeryon’s story. Ye find out about things as the mates find out and it is just sad. The hows and whys of Jeryon’s choices are avoided. I wanted that story and didn’t get it.
These things aside, the novel was enjoyable and I did finish it. Part One was lovely. Part Two, not so much. I certainly didn’t hate it but when comparing it to other works, the flaws are noticeable. The ending was a doozy, though, and had two crazy plot twists. I will give the sequel a try to find out what happens in that regard.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Simon & Schuster!
If you liked this review then see others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
the dragon round (Stephen S. Power)
Title: the dragon round
Author: Stephen S. Power
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: currently July 19, 2016
ISBN: 9781501133206
Source: NetGalley
This book contains dragons and a sea captain out for revenge. That was enough to pique me interest. Two of me favorite things. The novel started out with a bang. I love the Captain, Jeryon. I loved the apothecary. There are dragons and mutiny and fighting. Jeryon ends up on a deserted island, struggling to survive. And finds a baby dragon. I was very happy from the entire beginning of the book all the way through the training of the dragon.
Then the revenge part happens. Sigh. I have to admit: the book got choppy from there. The book has been compared to three things: 1) the game of thrones series; 2) the temeraire series; and 3) the count of monte cristo. I have read all three of these things (ye should too!). Ummm, this novel can’t compare and here is why:
1) I believe this novel is compared to the game of thrones series because of the change of perspective chapters and the politics. The novel is split into two parts with five chapters in each part. Of course each chapter has subsections. Part One is mostly from Jeryon’s perspective. Part Two begins with the perspectives of the mates and what has happened to them since the mutiny. Part One – loved it. Part Two is where the plot begins to decline. The politics are just not that interesting and involve disputes within branches of the military and, of course, money. The characters are not as well developed and overall just plain unlikable. George R. R. Martin’s character perspectives are rich and varied and help showcase the political wrangling. Even with the multiple points of view in this novel, the politics were at the best boring and at the worst, unclear.
2) I believe this novel is compared to the temeraire series because of the dragons (duh!) and the style of fighting when dragons are involved. I will admit that I enjoyed the dragon fights in the beginning of the novel. They are certainly not extremely fancy but were very fun. However when it comes to Jeryon and the dragon is where this novel is lacking. Now don’t get me wrong. I love both Jeryon and the dragon. But the relationship between the two is more like master and pet, not partners. I wasn’t expecting the dragons in the book to be as knowledgeable and intelligent as Naomi Novik’s Temeraire (whose are?), it seemed like the dragon in the story was more of an intelligent dog. Also once we get into Part Two, the dragon fighting fizzles and becomes more lackluster. How can that be?
3) I believe this novel is compared to the count of monte cristo because it is a sailor who life’s plan is ruined by other crew members and he wants revenge. I would agree with that comparison very loosely. The difference is in the details. Dumas’ Count is crafty, intelligent, and fabulous at plotting. Ye get to watch and savor the downfall of the Count’s enemies. In this novel, the revenge begins and ye get to see none of the real plotting. And what little ye do see is lackluster. In Part Two, ye see none of the plotting for revenge and very little of Jeryon’s story. Ye find out about things as the mates find out and it is just sad. The hows and whys of Jeryon’s choices are avoided. I wanted that story and didn’t get it.
These things aside, the novel was enjoyable and I did finish it. Part One was lovely. Part Two, not so much. I certainly didn’t hate it but when comparing it to other works, the flaws are noticeable. The ending was a doozy, though, and had two crazy plot twists. I will give the sequel a try to find out what happens in that regard.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Simon & Schuster!
If you liked this review then see others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
February 23, 2016
I started Dragon Round eagerly. It is being promoted as a book for fans of Naomi Novik, which I am, and also of dragons. A ship’s captain makes a decision the crew disagrees with, and they mutiny. The captain and the poth (the ship’s female apothecary) are given “the captain’s chance” – they are set adrift in a small boat.
I thought the tale was very slow starting, but really picked up once the captain and the poth make it to a small island where they find enough food and shelter to survive. The captain dreams of vengeance, and it seems he has his chance when he finds a dragon egg. No one has trained or ridden a dragon, but the captain is skilled and determined.
Everything was fine up until this point. There wasn’t a lot of character development, but both the captain and the poth were strong, resourceful, and interesting. I kind of zoned out on some of the detailed explanations of things (like the making of oars from the dinghy) because I either could not follow them or stay interested. There was a lot of early world-building language I didn’t understand that kept me from getting fully immersed in the story. There was some triteness (“Tastes like chicken,” p. 41 of the advance reader copy). But still, the story kept me going. The plot intrigued me.
About half way through I would have rated the book three stars. I thought there was much promise, but at a certain point it just became plot, plot, plot. And things got more and more violent. I did not enjoy the detailed descriptions of slowly killing a crab and of one dragon hatchling devouring and killing another. The story devolved into politics and vengeance involving characters I had a hard time keeping straight.
I can’t recommend this to lovers of dragons or the Temeraire series, unless (HUGE HUGE spoiler) . While I might pick up the author’s next book to see how his writing has grown, this one needed a few more editing rounds.
I read a digital advance reader copy of The Dragon Round that I got from netgalley.com.
I thought the tale was very slow starting, but really picked up once the captain and the poth make it to a small island where they find enough food and shelter to survive. The captain dreams of vengeance, and it seems he has his chance when he finds a dragon egg. No one has trained or ridden a dragon, but the captain is skilled and determined.
Everything was fine up until this point. There wasn’t a lot of character development, but both the captain and the poth were strong, resourceful, and interesting. I kind of zoned out on some of the detailed explanations of things (like the making of oars from the dinghy) because I either could not follow them or stay interested. There was a lot of early world-building language I didn’t understand that kept me from getting fully immersed in the story. There was some triteness (“Tastes like chicken,” p. 41 of the advance reader copy). But still, the story kept me going. The plot intrigued me.
About half way through I would have rated the book three stars. I thought there was much promise, but at a certain point it just became plot, plot, plot. And things got more and more violent. I did not enjoy the detailed descriptions of slowly killing a crab and of one dragon hatchling devouring and killing another. The story devolved into politics and vengeance involving characters I had a hard time keeping straight.
I can’t recommend this to lovers of dragons or the Temeraire series, unless (HUGE HUGE spoiler) . While I might pick up the author’s next book to see how his writing has grown, this one needed a few more editing rounds.
I read a digital advance reader copy of The Dragon Round that I got from netgalley.com.
February 11, 2016
Comber
Interesting, When I read a book, I like to delve into to story deep enough that I become the lead player or character and then as the adventure unfolds, the world becomes mine and all around me is my life and times as I see fit. I liked this book from the start as i slipped into the lead and let myself fight on through all the ups and downs, to finally win my battles against those who ruined me, got my revenge on the world. and feel satisfied that I could rescue the maiden and all would be well. So the moral is, never try to second guess a good writer, there are things underfoot that they already knew and paths I never foresaw and I, in my ignorance, followed the wrong path. The story and life in general, will go on for someone, but for whom will the bell toll. This book could be the first part of a series if it wanted to be and I hope it will be!
Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting, When I read a book, I like to delve into to story deep enough that I become the lead player or character and then as the adventure unfolds, the world becomes mine and all around me is my life and times as I see fit. I liked this book from the start as i slipped into the lead and let myself fight on through all the ups and downs, to finally win my battles against those who ruined me, got my revenge on the world. and feel satisfied that I could rescue the maiden and all would be well. So the moral is, never try to second guess a good writer, there are things underfoot that they already knew and paths I never foresaw and I, in my ignorance, followed the wrong path. The story and life in general, will go on for someone, but for whom will the bell toll. This book could be the first part of a series if it wanted to be and I hope it will be!
Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2016
The first scene, in which the dragon attacks the Comber, was my favorite. Everything was described in great detail, and you could tell that the scene wad well thought out. Stephen Power was then able to create a plausible reason for which the crew could preform mutiny.
Power was also able to create believable characters and an involving storyline. As one review on the back says, "Think you know where the story is going? Think again."
This was an excellent first novel, and I am exited to read book two.
Power was also able to create believable characters and an involving storyline. As one review on the back says, "Think you know where the story is going? Think again."
This was an excellent first novel, and I am exited to read book two.
May 11, 2016
I was NOT expecting that ending. Like holy whoa. Path to revenge is never a clean one.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
June 11, 2017
The eyes of the dragon go round and round, round and round, round and round. The eyes of the dragon go round and round all through the town... That was the first reaction from my budding reader, when he finally discerned the words on the cover of the book we got in the mail. And that was about the most funny thing about this book too.
The beginning gave me a feeling of something like His Majesty's Dragon, with its very proper and likable captain. Only it's styled as play more than a novel. We get to see the action from many different "perspectives" at once (one scene we read four times through the eyes of four different characters), but it's hard to shake off the feeling those not perspectives really, but remarks in a play: this person says this, while doing that surrounded by this setting and needs to make sure the audience knows that he feels that. Still. it was interesting and enjoyable right till the moment the action moves to a city.
In the city the author switches to a different kind of writing. All we get are snippets and pieces through the eyes of way too many actors, with an exceptions of the ones readers are used to. Now it's more like a movie script rather than a play. I wonder if the author wants a Dragon Round movie all that much. What's disconcerting is that it's not at all like The Count of Monte Cristo with a dragon, all the revenge wasn't carefully planned, it all just sort of happened. Almost everything in this book is just sort of happens, except for a few things we are not properly shown (meaning a character did a lot to make something happen, we are shown the results and hinted that he did it, without any details on how).
The setting is quite interesting though. It's a very grotesque and exaggerated parody on a society. It's not shown very well how it all came to be, but I guess there will be a sequel, so there is a chance of developing those interesting ideas. What surprised me most in the setting is the number of impossibly naive characters. Actually, all the characters in this book are either naive or mentally unstable. which is an interesting view of the world of course.
Now to a disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway and, for once, managed to read and review it before the publication date of the paper edition.
The beginning gave me a feeling of something like His Majesty's Dragon, with its very proper and likable captain. Only it's styled as play more than a novel. We get to see the action from many different "perspectives" at once (one scene we read four times through the eyes of four different characters), but it's hard to shake off the feeling those not perspectives really, but remarks in a play: this person says this, while doing that surrounded by this setting and needs to make sure the audience knows that he feels that. Still. it was interesting and enjoyable right till the moment the action moves to a city.
In the city the author switches to a different kind of writing. All we get are snippets and pieces through the eyes of way too many actors, with an exceptions of the ones readers are used to. Now it's more like a movie script rather than a play. I wonder if the author wants a Dragon Round movie all that much. What's disconcerting is that it's not at all like The Count of Monte Cristo with a dragon, all the revenge wasn't carefully planned, it all just sort of happened. Almost everything in this book is just sort of happens, except for a few things we are not properly shown (meaning a character did a lot to make something happen, we are shown the results and hinted that he did it, without any details on how).
The setting is quite interesting though. It's a very grotesque and exaggerated parody on a society. It's not shown very well how it all came to be, but I guess there will be a sequel, so there is a chance of developing those interesting ideas. What surprised me most in the setting is the number of impossibly naive characters. Actually, all the characters in this book are either naive or mentally unstable. which is an interesting view of the world of course.
Now to a disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway and, for once, managed to read and review it before the publication date of the paper edition.
June 12, 2017
In “The Dragon Round” by Stephen S Power Captain Jeryon and apothecary Evelyn are placed over board during the crew mutiny aboard The Comber. Miraculously landing on a desert island where they find a dragon hatchling. They raise the dragon in the hopes of using her to escape the island, but Jeryon plans to use her to get revenge on the crew. I loved the beginning of the book, but once the goal was only revenge, I no longer eagerly turned the pages. Such a strong first half made the second half of the book such a disappointment.
May 22, 2021
Read a few sentences of the story and just couldn't get the feel for it
October 12, 2024
”This book is weirdly written, not in a good way. I really wanted to stick a fork in my eye”
Dragon Round should be great, the story is there for something, that could be original, sadly the authors writing ability kills it dead from the outset.
As for the story, it begins with ship pilot and Merchant Captain Jeryon aboard the Comber who are bringing back medical supplies across the sea, which could help prevent the spread of plague which has hit his city Hanosh. While navigating their way home, Jeryon decides to engage a dragon which appears all of a sudden. Following on a disastrous encounter, the crew mutiny where Jeyron and Evelyn the ships healer is marooned on a secluded island and abandoned there. With the mutinous crew giving them what they call ‘the captain’s chance’ both characters find the island has plenty of food and water.
One day, Jeryon and Evelyn are exploring when they come across a dragon nest, and witness a baby dragon hatching from its egg. They decide to raise the dragonling, which they name ‘Gray’. This to me, doesn’t make sense why they would take the dragon. There’s no way for them to escape the island at the time and there’s no sign the dragons’ nest has been abandoned. So, after getting their butts kicked by the dragon previously, they end up stealing a baby dragon on the island. Hmm.
The problem with writing here is character development from the outset was handled fairly badly. The weird thing I found was the lack of personalised emotions coming from the characters, that being there was none, no; fear, love, hate etc. Most of the time I felt I was reading words spilling from unthinking and unfeeling robots. Like a really bad actor had picked up the lines and begin drooling through them in a monotone voice, absent that he was devoid of any emotions. The feel is same towards the characters of the book, lifeless and just going through the emotions telling the story (which as I keep saying could have been brilliant).
The writing in general is wonky as best. It’s all over the place. Descriptive narrative is rather weak and a lot of hyperbole is used which confused me at times, as it felt out of place with what the writer was trying to describe.
What did I enjoy. Well, the feeling of being marooned on the deserted island was interesting. You’ve the battle between the Comber and the dragon which was well written, you felt the on-board tension between the crew and Jeryon and Evelyn. The book feels like it’s been written apart in two sections. You’ve the opening which I’ve mentioned. Then the raising of Gray and Jeryon’s change from being an honourable officer to an angry vigilante. We’re then pushing into heavy political conspiracies and a power struggle once they return home to Hanosh. The three characters I’ve mention all take a backseat to this political guff and un-intriguing paff. They are literally forgotten too about.
I don’t like ripping writers and their stories, but I did struggle with this one more than any book I’ve read for a very long time. I feel the book has been written by two separate people. Book one is interesting and has some good idea. Book two is essentially like reading the histories and politics of the various houses involved in some ancient war. I’ve tried to be clear about my criticisms, but at time it’s difficult to explain as I’ve not really come across a book like this before. Hopefully you shall fair better. Adiós hasta la próxima ^^
Dragon Round should be great, the story is there for something, that could be original, sadly the authors writing ability kills it dead from the outset.
As for the story, it begins with ship pilot and Merchant Captain Jeryon aboard the Comber who are bringing back medical supplies across the sea, which could help prevent the spread of plague which has hit his city Hanosh. While navigating their way home, Jeryon decides to engage a dragon which appears all of a sudden. Following on a disastrous encounter, the crew mutiny where Jeyron and Evelyn the ships healer is marooned on a secluded island and abandoned there. With the mutinous crew giving them what they call ‘the captain’s chance’ both characters find the island has plenty of food and water.
One day, Jeryon and Evelyn are exploring when they come across a dragon nest, and witness a baby dragon hatching from its egg. They decide to raise the dragonling, which they name ‘Gray’. This to me, doesn’t make sense why they would take the dragon. There’s no way for them to escape the island at the time and there’s no sign the dragons’ nest has been abandoned. So, after getting their butts kicked by the dragon previously, they end up stealing a baby dragon on the island. Hmm.
The problem with writing here is character development from the outset was handled fairly badly. The weird thing I found was the lack of personalised emotions coming from the characters, that being there was none, no; fear, love, hate etc. Most of the time I felt I was reading words spilling from unthinking and unfeeling robots. Like a really bad actor had picked up the lines and begin drooling through them in a monotone voice, absent that he was devoid of any emotions. The feel is same towards the characters of the book, lifeless and just going through the emotions telling the story (which as I keep saying could have been brilliant).
The writing in general is wonky as best. It’s all over the place. Descriptive narrative is rather weak and a lot of hyperbole is used which confused me at times, as it felt out of place with what the writer was trying to describe.
What did I enjoy. Well, the feeling of being marooned on the deserted island was interesting. You’ve the battle between the Comber and the dragon which was well written, you felt the on-board tension between the crew and Jeryon and Evelyn. The book feels like it’s been written apart in two sections. You’ve the opening which I’ve mentioned. Then the raising of Gray and Jeryon’s change from being an honourable officer to an angry vigilante. We’re then pushing into heavy political conspiracies and a power struggle once they return home to Hanosh. The three characters I’ve mention all take a backseat to this political guff and un-intriguing paff. They are literally forgotten too about.
I don’t like ripping writers and their stories, but I did struggle with this one more than any book I’ve read for a very long time. I feel the book has been written by two separate people. Book one is interesting and has some good idea. Book two is essentially like reading the histories and politics of the various houses involved in some ancient war. I’ve tried to be clear about my criticisms, but at time it’s difficult to explain as I’ve not really come across a book like this before. Hopefully you shall fair better. Adiós hasta la próxima ^^
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