Dragon Born: Chronicles of Dragon Aerie

Plague Born #1

by Travis Simmons

See inside for a free gift offer! Dragons have returned to the lowlands of the Dar Desert, and the lands burn before their fury.

When Wylan Atwater was born, people thought her dragon eyes marked her as a monster. The fact that dragons returned the very eve of her birth, marked her as an outcast. Adopted by loving farmers, she dreams of adventure beyond her home and the natural springs she farms. She longs to travel to the imperial city of Darubai to become a soldier in the dragon guard and protect the lands from dragon fire. But when her adventure comes, it comes with a price she'd never have gambled. Filled with dangerous dragons, magic, elves, and a kingdom in peril, The Chronicles of Dragon Aerie is a non-stop fantasy ride!

˃˃˃ How did you get into fantasy?

I didn’t always love reading dragon quest books. My favorite book growing up (and to this day) is A Wrinkle in Time, but I didn’t have a love for reading at all. When I reached the seventh grade we had to read books. She didn’t care what books we read, they could be dark fantasy novels, they could be horror, they could even be about towns burning in dragon fire. She didn’t care. My passion for reading is what made me offer my free dragon shifter books to share that love.

˃˃˃ Who should read this book?

Anyone who likes free dragon shifter books. I know a lot of adults read young adult, and that’s awesome. There’s nothing too graphic in my book, and while there’s a tiny bit of swearing, I’ve read much worse. The real audience I was going for are those women out there who dragon quest books and those looking for awesome heroes, monsters, and lots of dragon fire. I find I have a lot in common with women my age, and my characters are typically of the female variety and just starting out in life, so that works. Honestly, these books could work for anyone.

˃˃˃ Are there any authors who've shaped your writing?

Oh yea, those high fantasy series I mentioned? They were David Eddings, Mercedes Lackey, and an awesome dragon quest series called Dragonlance. I got lost in those pages, reading of wizards, and dragon fire as well as all the magic and monsters! Mercedes Lackey really helped me through my teen years, struggling to accept myself as a young gay man. If it wasn’t for her works, things might have been very different for me. I found her just when I needed to. I also had a friend who loved fantasy so, kind of as homage to my past, here's free dragon shifter books!

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Genres: Dragons, Fantasy, Young Adult, Adult, Shapeshifters, Magic, Fiction

43 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2016

About the author

Travis Simmons was kicked out of magic school because he enjoyed mundane habits like canning and cooking instead of using spells. Forced to travel the world selling his sword and (often defunct) sorcery, he stumbled upon a pack of normal dogs that he mistook for magical animals and imagined he could communicate with them. Still, they enjoyed the pizza he would toss their way, and they adopted him as one of their own. When a roving horde of zombies attacked his new family, Travis used all of his abilities to call upon aid from some witch friends who helped him fight the undead horde. But, always the introvert, the witches realized Travis was rather boring, so after the excitement of battle was over, they went back to their magical ponderings elsewhere. But alas, Travis Simmons was bitten by a zombie, and in order to save himself from turning, he became an apprentice to a necromancer who promised to teach him necromancy and cure his impending undead affliction for a hefty sum. Deciding the life of adventure wasn’t for him, and worried that winter was coming, Travis settled down with his dark master and started writing weird tales of fantasy and science fiction. While his master much preferred Travis spend his time learning the esoteric ways of the occult, Travis dreamed of things like aliens, and life on other planets. His master didn’t like when Travis started pondering steampunk, and instead made his life a horror with magical studies. Now he spends his time chasing his dreams, while trying to save himself from the demon virus in his blood.

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Standing in the darkness of the eerie night, Millie Bixby couldn’t have known the serpent eyed baby she’d midwifed moments ago was a sign that dragons had returned to the long desert.

She shivered at the ominous feel of the dark night. The purple swirl of stars that lit the Dar Desert were shrouded in a veil of thunderous clouds. But it felt to Millie as if the stars were hiding from something. She couldn’t deny the chill that crept up her spine and made her hair stand on end. If her mother were still alive, she would insist that tonight was a night to pray to the spirits above that demons didn’t leak out of the Dark Below.

[Bill Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice tale, very brief but author has found the nack for keeping readers engaged. Following both Millie who goes to the desert kingdom's largest city and Wylan the golden eyed baby into adulthood gives life to this short prequel.

[Denae Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reader thoughts: As a story, this book is lacking, incomplete. As a preview/ teaser, it is successful.

It has conflict but no resolution. It leaves the reader with many loose ends and questions, but I am full of curiosity. I expect that is all the 40 pages were supposed to accomplish.

Readers learn that humans were hit with a plague that gives them magic to shape shift into wyverns . . . or it kills them.

Who is Wylan really? Can humans, even wyverns, fight off dragons?

I probably won't read more, despite my curiosity. I didn't feel connected to the characters enough.

Writer thoughts: Putting out a free, 40-page teaser could be a really good idea. It gives readers a taste of your writing style, introduces them to the world, and could make them hungry for more. It's certainly more cost-effective than making a full-length novel free at the beginning of the series like a lot of indie authors do.

[Kevis Hendrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, fun read that held my interest all the way through. If the full-length sequel's as good, I may have to check it out. With that said, I nearly took off a star for the editing mistakes. But the story was so good that I let it slide (this time).

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Dragon Born: Chronicles of Dragon Aerie
Author: Travis Simmons
Publisher: Wyrding Ways Press
ISBN: B01F7ZH9TC
Buy Link: http://travissimmons.net/books/chroni...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Plague Born 1
She craves adventure, but it comes with a price she's unwilling to pay.
Wylan craves an escape from her simple life as a water farmer. The thought of dragons and faraway places fuels her fantasies, and her need for adventure. Despite evidence of the destructive power of dragons all around her, Wylan can’t help but feel dragons are beautiful, misunderstood creatures. They can’t all be bad, can they?
But they are, and when dragons come calling, Wylan’s dragged into an adventure with a price so steep, she wishes she’d never heard of dragons.
Total Score: 5/5

Summary:
Wylan's life changed right after she was born with the arrival of the dragons. Her yellow slit-like eyes turned her mother and the other people of her town against and if it wasn't for the traveling couple who took her in as their own. The dragons seemed determined to destroy every town they encounter leaving Wylan's family to scavenge for everything they needed from the remains of the towns left after most people died form either the plague or the dragon attacks. Wylan wished to see the world and find adventure, but you should be careful what you wish for. The dragons finally found them destroying killing her parents leaving her alone in the world until she meets up with Millie, a woman form her town who had vowed to protect those who needed her after her fear caused her to dessert Wylan and Josef, a soldier dedicated to protecting their city Darubai. There are many surprises in store for Wylan as her determination to kill the dragon that killed her father.

From magical dragons, the people who survived the plague changing them into something different than just human, magical creatures with their own adgenda, and a world that is on the brink of destruction. Will they find a way to survive in spite of the odds. Wylan and her friends have their work cut out for them as they struggle to return home picking up friends along the way.

This was a fast paced and intricate story and I for one will be waiting to see what happens next.

[John M Slusser II · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Story That Has You In It's Grip

I felt like one of the dragons had pinned me to the ground by a talon so interested I was about this story. Once in a while the misspelling and sentence structure out me off only to be carried along again, unable to put this story down - and greedily jumping right back in when I was able to pick it up again. Thank you for a great read!

[Myra Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found these stories good, but some smaller parts are a bit boring to me. I would not mind to read more.

[JWinter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a good and intriguing short story, although it could definitely be fleshed out into a novel.

[Chasity Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragon Born by Travis Simmons was absolutely amazing, and I was quite sad when I realized the next one hasn't been released yet. I enjoyed that much that I wanted to continue on to the next, only to realize a next didn't exist. I found myself on the edge of my seat as I turned every page yearning for more of the story. The world created by Simmons here is amazing and so vivid that it's hard not to get lost in what he portrays.

One minute your a young girl running for your life as dragons pillage your town. The next you watch as your friend goes up in smoke, literally. Then you transform into a dragon- which is beyond awesome. I'd never thought the way he has them transform from people to dragons as a possibility, and I definitely didn't see the twist coming until the friend went up in smoke and it all started to make sense. And for the young girl it all happened so fast because for her dragons didn't exist one minute, the next they destroyed her town, then she turns into one.

I have a lot of unanswered questions at this point, so I'll be anxiously awaiting the next installment of this series. Because I want to know if they find the rainbow-haired girl, and what happens to the baby that is born at the beginning of the novel?

I highly recommend this novel and this author because he has quite a way with words and paints a vivid picture that pulls you quickly into the story.

[Kathleen Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I was given an ARC for a true and honest review***

This was a fast and interesting read. I actually can't wait for the next book in the series. I only wish there had been a little more lore about the dragons in the beginning of the book.

This world appears desolate with everyone living in a place know as the Dar Desert. A serpent eyed little girl is born and rejected by her mother just minutes before the return of the dragons of old. The world has grown forgetful and complacent to the idea of dragons roaming the skies again.

This is an interesting tale of a young girl with serpent eyes beginning a new life after the dragons kill her adoptive parents. It's also a tale of numerous children and adults who after being attacked by dragons and withstanding their plague that they find that they now carry the souls of a wyvern inside of them. Their transformation into these lesser dragons and finding that the wyvern souls have a mission that they must accomplish.

I look forward to finding out what the wyverns mission is and seeing the lives of the serpent eyed girl and those numerous individuals whose lives after transformation will never be the same. The world has changed and everyone has to find their place in it. Will the new dragons succeed and how many will it take.

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting yet unusual book to read and yet I enjoyed reading it. The story covers a baby (Wylan) that was born just before dragons attacked the village and how she was found by a childless couple (Kithill and Cuthburt) who took the baby for their own and looked after her. What you will find in this story is, drama, suspense, a baby born, rejection by the mother, dragon coming to village, burning, killing, a young woman infected, a midwife infected, running, blemishes appearing, a couple saving a baby, keeping the baby, a young woman burning and turning to ash, a baby grown up, changing into a dragon/wyvern, finding a necklace, plague, a town of people changing into wyverns, a calling and going to search for whoever is calling. The plot is well thought out and written with a intriguing and vivid story-line. The characters are fairly well developed with personalities suited to the situations they find themselves in. Overall this is a good fantasy book and I look forward to reading the next book in this series, although it does have a cliffhanger I would recommend it.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great fantasy read by Travis Simmons this time dragons and boy what a read. I was pleased when the author asked me to review this.

In this first book:-
Dragons have returned to the lowlands of the Dar Desert, and plague spreads. Most of the population has perished those who survive changed to be of two spirits – one human and one dragon.

The character Wylan Atwater – obsessed with dragons and kinda has a slight appearance too goes on an adventure but this comes at a price.

The author is renounced for his fantasy books and his interesting stories if you like dragon quest series -Dragonlance. The reader will undoubtedly enjoy this book 1 of a great series

[Patricia A.Bunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

Great Book and I think you will have to go and see what you think about the book and I think you will find out you will like the author and the book
Thank you for letting me read the book I could not put it down

[David Turnblom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done, though not my usual fare.

Well written and it shows a good deal of careful world building. The story given here will likely please those for whom this was written, and I have no objection to the quality of the writing.

[J.E. Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting

A riveting short story full of evil dragons, chaos, wyverns, and death. Loved every minute of reading this. The only issue I had were some spelling errors that pulled me out of the story a few times.

[Brittany Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great prologue

This was a short introduction to the series. From a strange baby to a dragon attack to strange transformations that set the stage for the series.
I received this book free from one of the book subscription emails.

[Kevin]

I could not get into this.

[unknown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting dragon world....

Interesting dragon world and a plague that changes humans to wyverns.
Different than other stories but captivating and very intriguing.

[Kellyann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short. Not much detail, which is the best part of a story, but still a good story.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lead in

Well written, but just a lead in or prologue for book 1. Make sure you have the next book. You get a see on talented writing but it is not a finished prelude.

[Angelique McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love dragons!

What a delightful short story! The story moved at a good pace and was very believable! I look forward to the ,next book!

[Ugochi Akwiwu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a great storyline. Can't wait for the next book. Received FREE for an honest review

[Aelvana · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the night a slit-eyed baby was born, the dragons returned. Ravaging towns with their breath and their claws, slaughtering the people---and cursing many of the survivors with a disease that, if not fatal, might grant some the abilities of dragons themselves.

Wylan knows the events that surrounded her birth, but she's still curious about dragons. She and her adoptive parents make a living scavenging, a life grown harder because the dragons are driving everything to ruin. But when she finally sees a dragon up close, it isn't the encounter she imagined having . . .

This would have worked a lot better as a part 1 to some longer book, although even then there were pieces that would puzzle me.

The story opens---not with Wylan, who the summary would have you believe is the main character---but with the midwife who births her. Millie Bixby is as much a main character as Wylan is in this short piece, and the initial return of the dragons (along with their wreckage) gets a lot of detail. I thought the story went a little far here trying to humiliate Millie, mostly with the description of her pissing herself. I have no problem with the reaction, but the way it was described felt off, like the text was delighting in the fact rather than sympathizing with her. And Millie returns later on, to give a view of what's been going on in the last remaining human towns while Wylan grows up.

I don't really buy the way the wyverns have integrated into the town's defense system. Unless I misread something and they are the majority of the town, in which case the setup makes a lot more sense. Millie's drastic timeskip means the story loses a lot of interesting things, like how she determined she could shapeshift/had powers/was connected more to dragons, and how she reacted to that. Or how ordinary humans reacted to this. And are there other countries beyond the desert that people could run to, or is there some reason they're stuck where they are? The story didn't have time to introduce enough of the world, but even what's here left me puzzled about certain bits.

Wylan's story is fine until we get to the pivotal event, which goes by too quickly. I could write off her reactions as shock but her story basically ends right there, so there's no sense of actually dealing with the event. Boom, it happens, and the next instant she's vowing revenge, and then we swap back to Millie until the story finishes.

Speaking of, there isn't much of a sense of cohesion to this. We have Millie's story, which is basically entirely different from Wylan's story, and there isn't any kind of thread tying them together beyond the overall world and the fact that Millie happened to be there for Wylan's birth. The end just stops---it doesn't feel like an ending, just a chapter break. We don't really get rising action, or any kind of payoff for reading just this segment. Again, this wouldn't be an issue if this was just the first part of something else, but the fact that it's treated like its own book makes me want something that feels like a cohesive story.

Overall, although I really like the idea of wyvern shapeshifters in a world with dragons, I'm not sure what to do with this. There's a lot of solid writing on the bits that do work, but this feels more like bonus material than a story by itself. Wylan didn't grab me with her personality, her story, or her decision, so that leaves reading a sequel solely based on enjoying her abilities . . . and I'm not sure I want to do that. I rate this book Neutral.

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