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Grounded: A Dragon's Tale
Her wings are smashed, her groombug gone. No dragon can live without a groombug, so Rumplewing must leave her clan and die.
Instead, she reclaims life when she stumbles upon Balofur, a lone groombug, hideously scarred.
No groombug can live without his dragon, so they join together. However their relationship turns uneasy when Rumplewing learns Balofur is only borrowing her until he can rescue his very much alive dragon from outworlders who are capturing and killing dragons. Rumplewing and Balofur are caught up in the struggle to preserve themselves and save their species. The first clue to their salvation lies with two outworlders, an unstable boy and his mother who is married to the enemy.
Welcome to Rumplewing's planet.
Instead, she reclaims life when she stumbles upon Balofur, a lone groombug, hideously scarred.
No groombug can live without his dragon, so they join together. However their relationship turns uneasy when Rumplewing learns Balofur is only borrowing her until he can rescue his very much alive dragon from outworlders who are capturing and killing dragons. Rumplewing and Balofur are caught up in the struggle to preserve themselves and save their species. The first clue to their salvation lies with two outworlders, an unstable boy and his mother who is married to the enemy.
Welcome to Rumplewing's planet.
298 pages, Paperback
Published November 25, 2016
66 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Piper
8 books38 followersWhen working in biology, I missed art. When working in art, I missed biology. It took a bout of multiple chemical sensitivities to limit me to writing. At last here was a niche in which I felt old-clothes comfortable. At last I could indulge all my interests, from art and science to nature and spirituality, from reality to fantasy. My most recent awards range from honorable mention to editor's choice for my science fiction and fantasy writing, which include Where the Sky Ends, Long Pig, and Train to Nowhere.
I grew up in the country and attended a country school. After high school, I car-pooled with my mother, older brother, and a kid from a neighboring farm to college. We were all students, and in those days, tuition cost less than $30 a semester.
More interested in freedom and adventure than an early marriage, I piled on the experiences, from teaching, doing farm work, directing a Christian ministry, working in Army research and development, care taking, and teaching martial arts.
Over the years, I discovered that aging is an interesting process. Your whole body heads south, and time either speeds up or you slow down. Features that were once unfinished are now full of character. More than youth, I value the wisdom gained, and the ability to say, "I know because I was there."
Presently I live in Northern California. Recently widowed, I treasure the memories of my husband of late years who thought I was the most beautiful lady he'd ever met and told me a hundred times a day in a hundred ways how much he loved me. Added to that love is a three-legged English Labrador.
Like my fb at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gloria...
I grew up in the country and attended a country school. After high school, I car-pooled with my mother, older brother, and a kid from a neighboring farm to college. We were all students, and in those days, tuition cost less than $30 a semester.
More interested in freedom and adventure than an early marriage, I piled on the experiences, from teaching, doing farm work, directing a Christian ministry, working in Army research and development, care taking, and teaching martial arts.
Over the years, I discovered that aging is an interesting process. Your whole body heads south, and time either speeds up or you slow down. Features that were once unfinished are now full of character. More than youth, I value the wisdom gained, and the ability to say, "I know because I was there."
Presently I live in Northern California. Recently widowed, I treasure the memories of my husband of late years who thought I was the most beautiful lady he'd ever met and told me a hundred times a day in a hundred ways how much he loved me. Added to that love is a three-legged English Labrador.
Like my fb at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gloria...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 11, 2017
The writer Gloria Piper took me into the world of dragons, but not in the way I expected. Honestly, I thought it was this fantasy books, with dragons and heroes, but her world of dragons is something completely different. In the end, this is a great science fiction novel about a planet with dragons. The story begins with a young dragon Manycolors and its groombugs Tweekie. With unfortunate circumstances, dragon Manycolors while trying to teach flying a young dragon Brightwing, Manycolors fall to the ground and fracture his wings, and killed groombugs Tweekie. The tribe she gets a new name Rumplewing. Although it is not rejected from the tribe, she is aware that since can no longer fly, she knows that no longer belongs to the tribe. Since she cannot get his traveling companion groombugs, she decides to leave. At the same time, the station of the Watcher to his mother arrived boy Hote. Watcher from their hidden station, preserve and study the entire planet eco-system. With particular attention to studying the population of dragons because it is unique in the universe. Although Watcher wants to preserve the planet, dragons and the whole world will soon be found in mortal danger. Boy Hote and dragon Rumplewing are the only one who can save the planet from destruction. The writer elegant style draws us into the story and the world of dragons, the premise is full of surprises and events. The writer writing takes us into the world in which every detail is slowly unraveling transforming into an interstate story about dragons. The book I would recommend to all fans of fantasy and science fiction.
"I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review."
"I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review."
October 1, 2017
I've had great fun reading Grounded. As an ecologist I love it when someone plays around with alternative ecologies and creates credible life-forms. This is a book for curious YA readers or adults who enjoy SF&F. At first we think it's a fantasy, about a young dragon whose fluffy groombug gets killed in an accident. With no bug to groom her scales, the dragon will sicken and die, and the normal order of life is for one pairing only. Other bugs don't want to groom Rumplewing, who has a double blow when her wings are broken and she can't fly. She tries to be useful by cutting trails on the forest floor, but other dragons don't need to use them.
The observant will notice that these are redwood forests. We now meet a party of Watchers, humans who are studying the life forms on this terraformed planet, where the idyll includes no predators, just scavengers (which ecologists call detritivores) and the dragons eat a kind of sap. Of course human nature means that some folks want to take dragons and other creatures for their own purposes.
We can take the tale as allegory to a degree, and personally I liked the dragon parts better, because the humans include a slightly confused young man - explained by the end - who doesn't help us sympathise with the Watchers. I also love the descriptions of symbiont dragon and bug life, flying and communicating. As a whole it works well and like Lyra and Pan in Northern Lights, you'll want to ensure all dragons have their groombug.
I availed of a free download offer. This is an unbiased review.
The observant will notice that these are redwood forests. We now meet a party of Watchers, humans who are studying the life forms on this terraformed planet, where the idyll includes no predators, just scavengers (which ecologists call detritivores) and the dragons eat a kind of sap. Of course human nature means that some folks want to take dragons and other creatures for their own purposes.
We can take the tale as allegory to a degree, and personally I liked the dragon parts better, because the humans include a slightly confused young man - explained by the end - who doesn't help us sympathise with the Watchers. I also love the descriptions of symbiont dragon and bug life, flying and communicating. As a whole it works well and like Lyra and Pan in Northern Lights, you'll want to ensure all dragons have their groombug.
I availed of a free download offer. This is an unbiased review.
June 26, 2018
Review of Grounded: a Dragon’s Tale
When I started to read this book I thought it was a little piece of Juv-Lit fluff. There is an adolescent dragon struggling with responsibilities and a teenage boy who has earned a reputation for being weird. Then the story gets a lot more complicated with a broken family, disability and slave trade. Not to mention alien possession. The characters develop nicely as the story unfolds.
Without being a spoiler, the main characters at the end need to show compassion to the ‘bad guys’.
All in all, this is an engrossing read for any age.
When I started to read this book I thought it was a little piece of Juv-Lit fluff. There is an adolescent dragon struggling with responsibilities and a teenage boy who has earned a reputation for being weird. Then the story gets a lot more complicated with a broken family, disability and slave trade. Not to mention alien possession. The characters develop nicely as the story unfolds.
Without being a spoiler, the main characters at the end need to show compassion to the ‘bad guys’.
All in all, this is an engrossing read for any age.
January 4, 2017
This is a great book, and a lasting work of art. To me, great art must satisfy three criteria:
1. It must be inherently interesting, educational, or entertaining.
2. It must be skillfully wrought.
3. It must deal deftly with real issues.
This book satisfies all three criteria. Above all, it is interesting. It is an interesting world. It tells interesting stories filled with interesting characters. There are interesting relationships and interesting plot points. At no point did I feel that I was just wasting time reading about boring things. Piper shows a biologist's interest in the ecology and physiology of the fauna on her planet, which made it of particular interest to me, since I'm more of a nonfiction guy than a fiction guy. This is not to say it's a "hard science fiction" book. It's just to say that it put's more care into plausibly explaining biology than I think many fantasy books and even many sci-fi books do.
It is skillfully wrought. I don't think the prose is perfect here. Cliches pop up from time to time, as does awkward phrasing, but for the most part, the writing is good. The storytelling and world building is also good.
I hope I don't do a disservice to the book by calling it "great art" or giving away the fact that it deals with "real issues." I don't mean to say that it's really an essay, or that it's preachy or didactic. I merely mean to say that one of the reasons the book is interesting is that the struggles and stories of the main characters are highly relatable and meaningful. For example, a central part of the story is how Rumplewing the dragon's dreams are smashed and she becomes an outcast and is nearly killed. She literally goes from the archetype of majesty and power--a dragon, soaring gleefully high above the earth--to being broken and nearly dead, scraping across the earth to find food and shelter. It's one of the most powerful metaphors I could imagine. It's only after Piper brings it up that I realize that a fallen dragon can serve as such a powerful metaphor.
So this book is simultaneously interesting, beautiful, well-written, and meaningful. I definitely recommend it.
1. It must be inherently interesting, educational, or entertaining.
2. It must be skillfully wrought.
3. It must deal deftly with real issues.
This book satisfies all three criteria. Above all, it is interesting. It is an interesting world. It tells interesting stories filled with interesting characters. There are interesting relationships and interesting plot points. At no point did I feel that I was just wasting time reading about boring things. Piper shows a biologist's interest in the ecology and physiology of the fauna on her planet, which made it of particular interest to me, since I'm more of a nonfiction guy than a fiction guy. This is not to say it's a "hard science fiction" book. It's just to say that it put's more care into plausibly explaining biology than I think many fantasy books and even many sci-fi books do.
It is skillfully wrought. I don't think the prose is perfect here. Cliches pop up from time to time, as does awkward phrasing, but for the most part, the writing is good. The storytelling and world building is also good.
I hope I don't do a disservice to the book by calling it "great art" or giving away the fact that it deals with "real issues." I don't mean to say that it's really an essay, or that it's preachy or didactic. I merely mean to say that one of the reasons the book is interesting is that the struggles and stories of the main characters are highly relatable and meaningful. For example, a central part of the story is how Rumplewing the dragon's dreams are smashed and she becomes an outcast and is nearly killed. She literally goes from the archetype of majesty and power--a dragon, soaring gleefully high above the earth--to being broken and nearly dead, scraping across the earth to find food and shelter. It's one of the most powerful metaphors I could imagine. It's only after Piper brings it up that I realize that a fallen dragon can serve as such a powerful metaphor.
So this book is simultaneously interesting, beautiful, well-written, and meaningful. I definitely recommend it.
February 12, 2018
I loved this story. It's a multi faceted yarn told from many different angles. The dragon scenes are told in the first person and the rest of the story, in third person, which makes it quite unique. I'll be honest, in the beginning I thought it was for a younger audience, but after the first chapter it seemed to change direction. Story line wise, it was a bit of a mixed bag...a little bit of fantasy, scifi all rolled in to a surprising read. Very imaginative, and I highly recommend it.
May 28, 2018
Better Than Dragonriders of Pern!
Grounded: A Dragon’s Tale follows a young dragon named Manycolors who has been burdened with the care of a flightless sibling. The narrative takes short breaks to focus on a human youth named Hote, who battles a mysterious illness as he works with the Watchers studying the dragons’ planet.
With its themes of misfit youngsters, youthful rebellion, and the looming threat of greedy poachers, I quickly formed suspicions regarding how the story might turn out. I’m thrilled to report that the author broke out of those tropes to create something unique, intriguing and unusual.
Manycolors’ burden robs her of everything she holds dear: her beloved companion groombug, Tweekie, and her ability to fly. Even after she is renamed Rumplewing in honor of her broken limbs and written off as a cripple by her clan, the young dragon refuses to give up. Her quest to regain her wings unites her with a scarred groombug who lost his dragon, and pulls her into contact with the planet’s human Watchers–and the poachers they oppose.
Meanwhile, Hote’s troubled relationship with his fellow researchers, and his estranged and abusive father, present an intriguing mystery.
There is a box, like a kit. It has a doll that must be assembled. I can’t assemble it. It belongs to Radiant.
These are the thoughts that plague Hote, and they became stuck in my head as well. What did the box symbolize? Did it actually exist, or was Hote as unbalanced as the other Watchers believed?
What at first glance appears to be an idyllic fantasy turns out to be solid science fiction as the author gradually reveals how the world and its creatures work. The plight of Rumplewing and her planet, and the mystery of Hote and his box, come to a neat and satisfactory resolution as the story concludes.
This is a poignant tale that will pull you in and keep you turning pages all the way to the end. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, I highly recommend you do so!
Grounded: A Dragon’s Tale follows a young dragon named Manycolors who has been burdened with the care of a flightless sibling. The narrative takes short breaks to focus on a human youth named Hote, who battles a mysterious illness as he works with the Watchers studying the dragons’ planet.
With its themes of misfit youngsters, youthful rebellion, and the looming threat of greedy poachers, I quickly formed suspicions regarding how the story might turn out. I’m thrilled to report that the author broke out of those tropes to create something unique, intriguing and unusual.
Manycolors’ burden robs her of everything she holds dear: her beloved companion groombug, Tweekie, and her ability to fly. Even after she is renamed Rumplewing in honor of her broken limbs and written off as a cripple by her clan, the young dragon refuses to give up. Her quest to regain her wings unites her with a scarred groombug who lost his dragon, and pulls her into contact with the planet’s human Watchers–and the poachers they oppose.
Meanwhile, Hote’s troubled relationship with his fellow researchers, and his estranged and abusive father, present an intriguing mystery.
There is a box, like a kit. It has a doll that must be assembled. I can’t assemble it. It belongs to Radiant.
These are the thoughts that plague Hote, and they became stuck in my head as well. What did the box symbolize? Did it actually exist, or was Hote as unbalanced as the other Watchers believed?
What at first glance appears to be an idyllic fantasy turns out to be solid science fiction as the author gradually reveals how the world and its creatures work. The plight of Rumplewing and her planet, and the mystery of Hote and his box, come to a neat and satisfactory resolution as the story concludes.
This is a poignant tale that will pull you in and keep you turning pages all the way to the end. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, I highly recommend you do so!
December 12, 2016
What a wondrous read!
At first blush, Grounded: A Dragon's Tale is "science fiction," but to relegate it simply as such is to diminish it. By turns, Grounded is a bioscientist's creative writing, a consideration of technologies (possibly) to come, and a social commentary on challenges of current days.
With a commanding hand, Piper draws a world populated by creatures ranging from those (putatively) mystical to those (putatively) fully human. Delightfully, she imbues her many precisely drawn characters with what we humans (egocentrically) associate as emotional, intellectual, and philosophical dimensions of our sole province.
In so doing, the reader's mind is opened to the vast possibilities of what could come about if every known-to-us living being (from the tiniest little bug up)–as well as those only considered the stuff of fantasy (a wee dragon) came to life–coexisting, simultaneously, without rancorous, warring division based strictly upon categorical "type."
I felt transported to a place without artificial delineations of capacities–one in which the ESSENCE of BEING trumps the FORM of BEING, specifically one in which "BEING HUMAN" does not confer de facto superiority.
Indeed, in Grounded, some of the human beings pose the greatest threat to Piper's magical "ecosystem" - on intrapersonal levels, and from rival population-camp levels, not at all unlike our "real world." And some of those with the strongest values, including the willingness to learn (not to mention the greatest wisdom to impart) are not human at all, or even "living" as we believe.
I was struck with the care Piper took with Grounded. (I will not elaborate on my musings, but notice how she names the various characters. One day I look forward to hearing her interviewed on this point alone!) The detail is exceptional without ever slowing the narrative drive. Piper weaves contemporary story elements well-known to us with those we've never conceived (or I had not).
I thoroughly enjoyed Grounded, highly recommend it, and feel much better about being best friends with my parrot.
At first blush, Grounded: A Dragon's Tale is "science fiction," but to relegate it simply as such is to diminish it. By turns, Grounded is a bioscientist's creative writing, a consideration of technologies (possibly) to come, and a social commentary on challenges of current days.
With a commanding hand, Piper draws a world populated by creatures ranging from those (putatively) mystical to those (putatively) fully human. Delightfully, she imbues her many precisely drawn characters with what we humans (egocentrically) associate as emotional, intellectual, and philosophical dimensions of our sole province.
In so doing, the reader's mind is opened to the vast possibilities of what could come about if every known-to-us living being (from the tiniest little bug up)–as well as those only considered the stuff of fantasy (a wee dragon) came to life–coexisting, simultaneously, without rancorous, warring division based strictly upon categorical "type."
I felt transported to a place without artificial delineations of capacities–one in which the ESSENCE of BEING trumps the FORM of BEING, specifically one in which "BEING HUMAN" does not confer de facto superiority.
Indeed, in Grounded, some of the human beings pose the greatest threat to Piper's magical "ecosystem" - on intrapersonal levels, and from rival population-camp levels, not at all unlike our "real world." And some of those with the strongest values, including the willingness to learn (not to mention the greatest wisdom to impart) are not human at all, or even "living" as we believe.
I was struck with the care Piper took with Grounded. (I will not elaborate on my musings, but notice how she names the various characters. One day I look forward to hearing her interviewed on this point alone!) The detail is exceptional without ever slowing the narrative drive. Piper weaves contemporary story elements well-known to us with those we've never conceived (or I had not).
I thoroughly enjoyed Grounded, highly recommend it, and feel much better about being best friends with my parrot.
December 12, 2016
What a wondrous read!
At first blush, Grounded: A Dragon's Tale is "science fiction," but to relegate it simply as such is to diminish it. By turns, Grounded is a bioscientist's creative writing, a consideration of technologies (possibly) to come, and a social commentary on challenges of current days.
With a commanding hand, Piper draws a world populated by creatures ranging from those (putatively) mystical to those (putatively) fully human. Delightfully, she imbues her many precisely drawn characters with what we humans (egocentrically) associate as emotional, intellectual, and philosophical dimensions of our sole province.
In so doing, the reader's mind is opened to the vast possibilities of what could come about if every known-to-us living being (from the tiniest little bug up)–as well as those only considered the stuff of fantasy (a wee dragon) came to life–coexisting, simultaneously, without rancorous, warring division based strictly upon categorical "type."
I felt transported to a place without artificial delineations of capacities–one in which the ESSENCE of BEING trumps the FORM of BEING, specifically one in which "BEING HUMAN" does not confer de facto superiority.
Indeed, in Grounded, some of the human beings pose the greatest threat to Piper's magical "ecosystem" - on intrapersonal levels, and from rival population-camp levels, not at all unlike our "real world." And some of those with the strongest values, including the willingness to learn (not to mention the greatest wisdom to impart) are not human at all, or even "living" as we believe.
I was struck with the care Piper took with Grounded. (I will not elaborate on my musings, but notice how she names the various characters. One day I look forward to hearing her interviewed on this point alone!) The detail is exceptional without ever slowing the narrative drive. Piper weaves contemporary story elements well-known to us with those we've never conceived (or I had not).
I thoroughly enjoyed Grounded, highly recommend it, and feel much better about being best friends with my parrot.
At first blush, Grounded: A Dragon's Tale is "science fiction," but to relegate it simply as such is to diminish it. By turns, Grounded is a bioscientist's creative writing, a consideration of technologies (possibly) to come, and a social commentary on challenges of current days.
With a commanding hand, Piper draws a world populated by creatures ranging from those (putatively) mystical to those (putatively) fully human. Delightfully, she imbues her many precisely drawn characters with what we humans (egocentrically) associate as emotional, intellectual, and philosophical dimensions of our sole province.
In so doing, the reader's mind is opened to the vast possibilities of what could come about if every known-to-us living being (from the tiniest little bug up)–as well as those only considered the stuff of fantasy (a wee dragon) came to life–coexisting, simultaneously, without rancorous, warring division based strictly upon categorical "type."
I felt transported to a place without artificial delineations of capacities–one in which the ESSENCE of BEING trumps the FORM of BEING, specifically one in which "BEING HUMAN" does not confer de facto superiority.
Indeed, in Grounded, some of the human beings pose the greatest threat to Piper's magical "ecosystem" - on intrapersonal levels, and from rival population-camp levels, not at all unlike our "real world." And some of those with the strongest values, including the willingness to learn (not to mention the greatest wisdom to impart) are not human at all, or even "living" as we believe.
I was struck with the care Piper took with Grounded. (I will not elaborate on my musings, but notice how she names the various characters. One day I look forward to hearing her interviewed on this point alone!) The detail is exceptional without ever slowing the narrative drive. Piper weaves contemporary story elements well-known to us with those we've never conceived (or I had not).
I thoroughly enjoyed Grounded, highly recommend it, and feel much better about being best friends with my parrot.
October 15, 2017
I haven't read a book this good in a while.
Grounded: A Dragon's Tale follows the adventures of a young dragon as she comes to terms with a debilitating injury in her wings, deals with the loss of her beloved groombug, and ventures outside her clan, uncovering a smuggling network that threatens her entire planet.
This is a novel filled with adventure, thoughtfully developed relationships, mysteries and, of course, dragons. The author does an awesome job of portraying the unique society of the dragons and revealing the details of this society and how it works seamlessly throughout the novel. She also does something that is rare to find in fantasy novels. Even as fantasy authors obsess over the most random details of their world-building, they often don't pay much attention to ecology, but Gloria Piper manages to not just pay attention to it, but feature it centrally in her world-building so that it makes the planet and its ecosystem feel very real. The high school science teacher in me was just as excited by the world-building in this story as the fantasy and dragon-lover :)
The story doesn't restrict itself to the point of view of the lead dragon, we get to hear from many others including groombugs, Watchers(humans on a scientific survey of the planet) and occasionally the not so wholesome collectors threatening the world. The problems and struggles of one of the humans also weave nicely in with the story of the dragons.
I could probably go on for ages, but I won't. I think it's enough to say that this is a top notch fantasy and science fiction tale. Skilfully written with flawless world-building and well-developed characters and a great story keeping it all together. It can hold up against the greats in both fantasy and science fiction. In fact, it's better than quite a few of those, in my opinion.
A must-read for fantasy lovers, sci-fi lovers, and, especially, dragon lovers. I rarely give a book five stars, but I think this one deserves it!
Grounded: A Dragon's Tale follows the adventures of a young dragon as she comes to terms with a debilitating injury in her wings, deals with the loss of her beloved groombug, and ventures outside her clan, uncovering a smuggling network that threatens her entire planet.
This is a novel filled with adventure, thoughtfully developed relationships, mysteries and, of course, dragons. The author does an awesome job of portraying the unique society of the dragons and revealing the details of this society and how it works seamlessly throughout the novel. She also does something that is rare to find in fantasy novels. Even as fantasy authors obsess over the most random details of their world-building, they often don't pay much attention to ecology, but Gloria Piper manages to not just pay attention to it, but feature it centrally in her world-building so that it makes the planet and its ecosystem feel very real. The high school science teacher in me was just as excited by the world-building in this story as the fantasy and dragon-lover :)
The story doesn't restrict itself to the point of view of the lead dragon, we get to hear from many others including groombugs, Watchers(humans on a scientific survey of the planet) and occasionally the not so wholesome collectors threatening the world. The problems and struggles of one of the humans also weave nicely in with the story of the dragons.
I could probably go on for ages, but I won't. I think it's enough to say that this is a top notch fantasy and science fiction tale. Skilfully written with flawless world-building and well-developed characters and a great story keeping it all together. It can hold up against the greats in both fantasy and science fiction. In fact, it's better than quite a few of those, in my opinion.
A must-read for fantasy lovers, sci-fi lovers, and, especially, dragon lovers. I rarely give a book five stars, but I think this one deserves it!
December 3, 2016
This is a thoughtful look at a terraformed world populated with non-predatory life forms. There's plenty of description to immerse the reader in this fascinating setting, but not so much that it drags the pace of the story down.
Rumplewing is a young dragon who shows courage and determination in the face of what should be a death sentence. As the story progresses, she learns that there is more to life than following the old ways. Balofur, an older groombug who possess the knowledge and secrets of the ancients, acts as Rumplewing's mentor and partner. He faces a challenge getting the youthful Rumplewing to listen to his advice. I enjoyed the tension between these two characters while they worked their way toward an uncertain future.
The humans in the story are divided into two camps: those who wish to preserve the dragon planet, and those who want to exploit it. The author has been careful to paint both of these groups in shades of grays. Amber and her son Hote want to study the dragons. Amber's ex-husband, 2Ray, wants to pillage the environment for the entertainment industry. Hote's missing twin sister, Radiant, brings an edge of mystery to the tale and throws Hote's sanity into question.
The writing is strong and the editing good. The author knows her way around a story. If you enjoy genuine science fiction, you'll want to give this work a try.
Rumplewing is a young dragon who shows courage and determination in the face of what should be a death sentence. As the story progresses, she learns that there is more to life than following the old ways. Balofur, an older groombug who possess the knowledge and secrets of the ancients, acts as Rumplewing's mentor and partner. He faces a challenge getting the youthful Rumplewing to listen to his advice. I enjoyed the tension between these two characters while they worked their way toward an uncertain future.
The humans in the story are divided into two camps: those who wish to preserve the dragon planet, and those who want to exploit it. The author has been careful to paint both of these groups in shades of grays. Amber and her son Hote want to study the dragons. Amber's ex-husband, 2Ray, wants to pillage the environment for the entertainment industry. Hote's missing twin sister, Radiant, brings an edge of mystery to the tale and throws Hote's sanity into question.
The writing is strong and the editing good. The author knows her way around a story. If you enjoy genuine science fiction, you'll want to give this work a try.
March 28, 2017
Grounded: A Dragon's Tale is a great fantasy book for, in my opinion, all ages. I enjoyed it until the last page. It was refreshing to read something that was easy, well thought out, and -dare I say it- simple in the best way. I really enjoyed reading all of the different names for dragons and such that the author came up with. The story was easy to follow, which in my opinion is hard to do when creating a fantasy world. The emotion, the story line, the fact that I related to a mythical creature, is all proof that Gloria put her heart into writing this book.
The only thing that I didn't like was the formatting. The chapters didn't have a clean break, and the numbering in between made it a little difficult to get a feeling of where I was in the book.
Otherwise, great job to the author! I recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a good dose of dragons!
The only thing that I didn't like was the formatting. The chapters didn't have a clean break, and the numbering in between made it a little difficult to get a feeling of where I was in the book.
Otherwise, great job to the author! I recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a good dose of dragons!
June 21, 2017
A SciFi / Fantasy told in split perspectives - and one of them a dragon? Surely, you jest. Grounded: A Dragon's Tale does just that - and does it well. I had my doubts at first, but author Gloria Piper delicately treads the line of the dreaded head-hopping stigma of tale telling, and manages
to keep the reader from losing immersion. A very interesting tale of a dragon who loses his groombug, which is responsible for the upkeep of a dragon's health, and said dragon's path of redemption.
to keep the reader from losing immersion. A very interesting tale of a dragon who loses his groombug, which is responsible for the upkeep of a dragon's health, and said dragon's path of redemption.
February 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this story. It’s well-written: good clear prose, strong story and well structured. The theme is similar to that of Avatar, with off-worlders exploiting a planet’s natural resources for financial gain, destroying its ecology and denying the rights of the indigenous to self-determination or any kind of protection, rights or voice. So of course it is also a fine analogy with the problems of our own world, both in the past, with overt colonialism, and the present where such exploitation carries on mostly unabated but now under the cloak of free enterprise.
There are many interesting idiosyncracies and quirks to give this planet a solid reality. It is a terraformed world: because it was created, in a past so distant its creators are now forgotten, it is filled with collections of extinct or semi-mythical beasts. Gryphons, dinosaurs, dragons and unicorns exist side by side. There is no predation, only scavenging by the gryphon and others, plus the main sustenance source is a kind of nectar-like manna that forms in belts in the sky and drops to earth, but can be harvested at its best by creatures such as the dragons in flight.
There are scientist/watcher, and exploiter/collector humans or humanoids, the two groups possessing profoundly different and irreconcilable approaches to the life on this planet. Two scientists are a mother and son, Amber and Hote, and they have problems of their own to do with the Commander of the collectors, and a missing sister, and a fusion in interspace that has left Holt half-invisible and invaded.
Then another main character we follow is Rumplewing, a young dragon with problems in her clan. After an horrific accident, she breaks her wings and loses her groombug. The groombug is a symbiot/tiny male dragon, who lives in each dragon’s third ear and grooms her scales. Without her groombug, who is bonded with her from birth to death, dragons die.
Cast out from her clan, Rumplewing is desperately lonely without her groombug, terribly damaged and unlikely to last long; but her meeting with another groombug, Balofur, an elder as opposed to a youngling like herself, means her path changes and takes on great purpose. Together, Rumplewing and Balofur discover more about the horrific dragon trade the collectors are secretly carrying on: they must save the dragons, and expose the illegal trade by proving to a High Arbiter judge-like person that dragons are sentient.
The pace is well-maintained, the main characters well-realized and very relatable. Amber is sweet and approachable and well-loved; Hote is perceived as weird and half-crazy and feels uncertain, anxious and excluded. Giving a dragon a voice as a main character was brilliant, because we get to learn the dragon’s customs and way of life from the inside.
If I were going to be picky, I would say that the ecology by which each dragon only lays one egg at the end of her life, ie replaces her self so there is no population explosion, so no natural selection which relies on vying for scarce resources (which would almost certainly lead to the evolution of predators) is not really sustainable in perpetuity. Even if there is no predation or sickness, accidents will happen: it is mentioned that damaged dragons, or ones who have lost their groombugs due to injury etc, separate from their clan, shut down and die. This would over time inexorably lead to a constantly diminishing population.
It is quite interesting, actually; I suspect that the author has chosen the 1:1 replacement method of reproduction as a mechanism for maintaining a planet in perfect balance, but it wouldn’t really work. Living systems’ balance comes from opposing forces always in a state of flux, and it’s difficult to imagine a system which is completely stable.
Anyway, that’s all very boring and doesn’t affect enjoyment of the story at all, is just interesting as it gets you thinking…
I would have quite liked a clearer idea of Holt in the sense that I was never quite sure exactly how he looked. At first I thought the invisibility might be metaphorical, for his exclusion. Then I realized it was literal, but he clearly wasn’t completely invisible, as people always seemed to know he was there… only he doesn’t always feel fully present. It’s a minor point, but I would have liked a bit more clarity on how exactly he appeared to others.
And the story was a bit too forgiving for me. Quite a lot of bad guys were allowed to reform in some way (not all, trying to avoid spoilers here). I wanted harsher retributions after all the terrible things that had been done. Plus I was a bit puzzled that the Shining Ones Clan were so harsh towards Rumplewing, tasking her with lugging the disgusting Batwing around – and then, when Batwing caused the accident which ruined Rumplewing’s wings, she’s not blamed at all. It seemed the justice and judgments were extremely one-sided.
They’re my quibbles, and they are only quibbles.
Great read, carrying its important message lightly: give it a go.
For more of Brin's reviews go to:
http://www.brinmurray.com/
There are many interesting idiosyncracies and quirks to give this planet a solid reality. It is a terraformed world: because it was created, in a past so distant its creators are now forgotten, it is filled with collections of extinct or semi-mythical beasts. Gryphons, dinosaurs, dragons and unicorns exist side by side. There is no predation, only scavenging by the gryphon and others, plus the main sustenance source is a kind of nectar-like manna that forms in belts in the sky and drops to earth, but can be harvested at its best by creatures such as the dragons in flight.
There are scientist/watcher, and exploiter/collector humans or humanoids, the two groups possessing profoundly different and irreconcilable approaches to the life on this planet. Two scientists are a mother and son, Amber and Hote, and they have problems of their own to do with the Commander of the collectors, and a missing sister, and a fusion in interspace that has left Holt half-invisible and invaded.
Then another main character we follow is Rumplewing, a young dragon with problems in her clan. After an horrific accident, she breaks her wings and loses her groombug. The groombug is a symbiot/tiny male dragon, who lives in each dragon’s third ear and grooms her scales. Without her groombug, who is bonded with her from birth to death, dragons die.
Cast out from her clan, Rumplewing is desperately lonely without her groombug, terribly damaged and unlikely to last long; but her meeting with another groombug, Balofur, an elder as opposed to a youngling like herself, means her path changes and takes on great purpose. Together, Rumplewing and Balofur discover more about the horrific dragon trade the collectors are secretly carrying on: they must save the dragons, and expose the illegal trade by proving to a High Arbiter judge-like person that dragons are sentient.
The pace is well-maintained, the main characters well-realized and very relatable. Amber is sweet and approachable and well-loved; Hote is perceived as weird and half-crazy and feels uncertain, anxious and excluded. Giving a dragon a voice as a main character was brilliant, because we get to learn the dragon’s customs and way of life from the inside.
If I were going to be picky, I would say that the ecology by which each dragon only lays one egg at the end of her life, ie replaces her self so there is no population explosion, so no natural selection which relies on vying for scarce resources (which would almost certainly lead to the evolution of predators) is not really sustainable in perpetuity. Even if there is no predation or sickness, accidents will happen: it is mentioned that damaged dragons, or ones who have lost their groombugs due to injury etc, separate from their clan, shut down and die. This would over time inexorably lead to a constantly diminishing population.
It is quite interesting, actually; I suspect that the author has chosen the 1:1 replacement method of reproduction as a mechanism for maintaining a planet in perfect balance, but it wouldn’t really work. Living systems’ balance comes from opposing forces always in a state of flux, and it’s difficult to imagine a system which is completely stable.
Anyway, that’s all very boring and doesn’t affect enjoyment of the story at all, is just interesting as it gets you thinking…
I would have quite liked a clearer idea of Holt in the sense that I was never quite sure exactly how he looked. At first I thought the invisibility might be metaphorical, for his exclusion. Then I realized it was literal, but he clearly wasn’t completely invisible, as people always seemed to know he was there… only he doesn’t always feel fully present. It’s a minor point, but I would have liked a bit more clarity on how exactly he appeared to others.
And the story was a bit too forgiving for me. Quite a lot of bad guys were allowed to reform in some way (not all, trying to avoid spoilers here). I wanted harsher retributions after all the terrible things that had been done. Plus I was a bit puzzled that the Shining Ones Clan were so harsh towards Rumplewing, tasking her with lugging the disgusting Batwing around – and then, when Batwing caused the accident which ruined Rumplewing’s wings, she’s not blamed at all. It seemed the justice and judgments were extremely one-sided.
They’re my quibbles, and they are only quibbles.
Great read, carrying its important message lightly: give it a go.
For more of Brin's reviews go to:
http://www.brinmurray.com/
March 18, 2018
I loved Gloria Piper's Grounded: A Dragon's Tale. It is a great story set on a unique and well thought through story world.
The story inter-leaves the narrative from the dragon Many Colours (Rumplewing) in first person and sections from the Watchers and Baaden in third person. Through Many Colours, we are introduced to dragon society and to their terraformed planet with a multitude of different wildlife, including unicorns and griffons. The dragons (the Shining ones) form clans and feed on the Manna fields in the skies. Each dragon is bonded for life to groombug that keeps them alive.
Yet all is not well in this Edenic planet - Many Colours and her groombug Tweekie resent having to carry the lazy and flightless Batwing but soon have much more serious problems to deal with.
The dragons and other creatures are observed by 'The Watchers' including young 16 year Hote who is not taken seriously by the other watchers because of his conviction of an alien inside of him after an alleged transporter accident. And the group given the contract to supply the Watchers, I D Express with their commander 2Ray1, are harvesting the planet in collusion with Star Circus - for the arena, for meat and skins - including the dragons. Soon Many Colours (Rumplewing) is thrust into a desperate race to save the dragons and herself, with the help of the elder groombug, Balofur and Hote and his mother Amber.
While Many Colours comes across as a bit whiny at first, I grew to love her stubborn determination and growing wisdom. Hote provided an enigma and I found him a sympathetic character. Balofur, Amber and Fetidbreath were also interesting. The other Watchers and the villains were a little more two-dimensional and elements of the plot too neatly wrapped up (especially Baaden and Batwing, but even the timing of some events with respect to the Arbiter).
Yet, the uniqueness of the dragons, their society and the planet as well as the intricate and intriguing plot, the issues raised, and the suspense over the ultimate fate of the dragons - would they be saved from destruction, would their sentience be acknowledged - kept me engaged to a satisfying ending.
I'd recommend Grounded: A Dragon's Tale to lovers of dragons, unique worlds, and entertaining tales that raise issues of sentience, ecology, exploitation, and dynamics of power.
The story inter-leaves the narrative from the dragon Many Colours (Rumplewing) in first person and sections from the Watchers and Baaden in third person. Through Many Colours, we are introduced to dragon society and to their terraformed planet with a multitude of different wildlife, including unicorns and griffons. The dragons (the Shining ones) form clans and feed on the Manna fields in the skies. Each dragon is bonded for life to groombug that keeps them alive.
Yet all is not well in this Edenic planet - Many Colours and her groombug Tweekie resent having to carry the lazy and flightless Batwing but soon have much more serious problems to deal with.
The dragons and other creatures are observed by 'The Watchers' including young 16 year Hote who is not taken seriously by the other watchers because of his conviction of an alien inside of him after an alleged transporter accident. And the group given the contract to supply the Watchers, I D Express with their commander 2Ray1, are harvesting the planet in collusion with Star Circus - for the arena, for meat and skins - including the dragons. Soon Many Colours (Rumplewing) is thrust into a desperate race to save the dragons and herself, with the help of the elder groombug, Balofur and Hote and his mother Amber.
While Many Colours comes across as a bit whiny at first, I grew to love her stubborn determination and growing wisdom. Hote provided an enigma and I found him a sympathetic character. Balofur, Amber and Fetidbreath were also interesting. The other Watchers and the villains were a little more two-dimensional and elements of the plot too neatly wrapped up (especially Baaden and Batwing, but even the timing of some events with respect to the Arbiter).
Yet, the uniqueness of the dragons, their society and the planet as well as the intricate and intriguing plot, the issues raised, and the suspense over the ultimate fate of the dragons - would they be saved from destruction, would their sentience be acknowledged - kept me engaged to a satisfying ending.
I'd recommend Grounded: A Dragon's Tale to lovers of dragons, unique worlds, and entertaining tales that raise issues of sentience, ecology, exploitation, and dynamics of power.
June 30, 2017
Dragons are a staple of fantasy; in Grounded: A Dragon’s Tale, we’re definitely in sci-fi, and I wasn't expecting it.
The pace was good, an excellent mix of action set pieces and lulls where we could learn more about the world, its inhabitants while keeping us interested in what would come next.
The world building is perhaps the only place where the novel is shallower. I feel like it could use more details as the whole universe seems limited to a single planet, a single ship two off-world government-type organisations and a single company. Nor do we get full-fledged descriptions of what the races of this universe are, how they interact, etc. That being said, knowing those details are not essential to enjoying the story as it is one mainly of self-discovery and character growth through challenges and hardships.
Despite taking familiar beats (which I won’t spoil), the story got me invested as the characters are conflicted and made from shades of grey which makes them all the more relatable. I diverge on the characters when I should be talking about the story because the characters and their journey are the story. The tale itself uses the events which are a standard, but accurate, perception of how humans disregard the long term impacts in favor of short term profit when they exploit something. Where some novels/stories using that same backdrop descend into preaching, Grounded doesn’t, and that’s a plus. You can be confident in what you think without exaggerating or browbeating someone about it and I feel as if the novel achieved that.
As mentioned, the characters are fully believable (the main ones in particular), each with their flaws and aptitudes setting them apart. We accompany one who has gone through trauma, and another who goes through it during the course of the novel. We see petty bickering, doubt, challenges and failures. There aren’t any Mary sue or Gary Stu there (except perhaps a minor character which comes across as a hand of god, but then, within the world’s setting, at least it made sense). Neither does conflict appear forced. When someone does something “stupid”, it comes across as a realistic reaction, and that’s something I really like when I read.
So, for great characters, a nice, varied pace, and a serviceable story made better by the characters in it, I rate “Grounded: A Dragon’s Tale” four (4) stars. I recommend it.
The pace was good, an excellent mix of action set pieces and lulls where we could learn more about the world, its inhabitants while keeping us interested in what would come next.
The world building is perhaps the only place where the novel is shallower. I feel like it could use more details as the whole universe seems limited to a single planet, a single ship two off-world government-type organisations and a single company. Nor do we get full-fledged descriptions of what the races of this universe are, how they interact, etc. That being said, knowing those details are not essential to enjoying the story as it is one mainly of self-discovery and character growth through challenges and hardships.
Despite taking familiar beats (which I won’t spoil), the story got me invested as the characters are conflicted and made from shades of grey which makes them all the more relatable. I diverge on the characters when I should be talking about the story because the characters and their journey are the story. The tale itself uses the events which are a standard, but accurate, perception of how humans disregard the long term impacts in favor of short term profit when they exploit something. Where some novels/stories using that same backdrop descend into preaching, Grounded doesn’t, and that’s a plus. You can be confident in what you think without exaggerating or browbeating someone about it and I feel as if the novel achieved that.
As mentioned, the characters are fully believable (the main ones in particular), each with their flaws and aptitudes setting them apart. We accompany one who has gone through trauma, and another who goes through it during the course of the novel. We see petty bickering, doubt, challenges and failures. There aren’t any Mary sue or Gary Stu there (except perhaps a minor character which comes across as a hand of god, but then, within the world’s setting, at least it made sense). Neither does conflict appear forced. When someone does something “stupid”, it comes across as a realistic reaction, and that’s something I really like when I read.
So, for great characters, a nice, varied pace, and a serviceable story made better by the characters in it, I rate “Grounded: A Dragon’s Tale” four (4) stars. I recommend it.
April 8, 2017
Another solid book by Gloria Piper
There is a lot of ideas and themes running through this novel, but it hard to notice, in a good way. It is easy for a writer to get bogged down in layers of ideas and themes piled on ideas and themes until the reader has to use a machete to find the plot. Phillip K Dick and Herman Melville managed it successfully but I can't think of any others who did it well, but lots of writers have tried and failed.
In GROUNDED, Piper always keeps Rumplewing's feelings and emotions in the foreground. Even though the background is filled with ideas, the book remains (I have to say it) grounded to Rumplewing's character.
Through the novel Rumplewing grows in to a mature dragon, with an open mind who rejects the Conventional Wisdom of the older dragons in order to save all of the dragons. This theme of someone maturing and using an open mind is hard enough to pull off with human characters, with an alien species the challenge is much harder. Piper manages to pull it off.
The only criticism I do have is in the end, when it is up to Rumplewing to plea the dragon's case, the odds weren't completely against her. By that time she had a mature and thoughtful mind, she could have faced a tougher court and won. I'm not sure if Piper planned on holding back to avoid being preachy, or just couldn't put poor Rumplewing through any more torture. Either way, the scene worked but had the opportunity to be more dramatic.
Overall, it is a good story in a dynamic world with an eye set firmly on the character's feeling and emotions.
There is a lot of ideas and themes running through this novel, but it hard to notice, in a good way. It is easy for a writer to get bogged down in layers of ideas and themes piled on ideas and themes until the reader has to use a machete to find the plot. Phillip K Dick and Herman Melville managed it successfully but I can't think of any others who did it well, but lots of writers have tried and failed.
In GROUNDED, Piper always keeps Rumplewing's feelings and emotions in the foreground. Even though the background is filled with ideas, the book remains (I have to say it) grounded to Rumplewing's character.
Through the novel Rumplewing grows in to a mature dragon, with an open mind who rejects the Conventional Wisdom of the older dragons in order to save all of the dragons. This theme of someone maturing and using an open mind is hard enough to pull off with human characters, with an alien species the challenge is much harder. Piper manages to pull it off.
The only criticism I do have is in the end, when it is up to Rumplewing to plea the dragon's case, the odds weren't completely against her. By that time she had a mature and thoughtful mind, she could have faced a tougher court and won. I'm not sure if Piper planned on holding back to avoid being preachy, or just couldn't put poor Rumplewing through any more torture. Either way, the scene worked but had the opportunity to be more dramatic.
Overall, it is a good story in a dynamic world with an eye set firmly on the character's feeling and emotions.
June 16, 2018
I appreciate authors who take us in unexpected directions. I thought this was going to be a standard YA dragon story, but it’s not at all. It’s a fusion of fantasy and sci-fi, and I have to say, it is a very refreshing and interesting angle to take on the genre(s).
The relationship of the dragon’s to their groomers is especially interesting, and is often endearing. The rules of the dragon society are a little forced at times, and I wasn’t always satisfied with the character’s motivations, but the narrative turns were engaging enough. The protagonist undergoes an unexpected transformation that really sets the story on an interesting path. (I’m being a bit oblique here as to avoid spoilers.)
I did have issue with some awkward wording and sentence structure that disrupted the narrative flow at times.
The characters seemed to be well developed for the most part (especially the protagonist and former groombug), but I think some opportunities were missed in terms of truly connecting with the characters. At pivotal moments, there seemed to be a lack of emotional expression, which left the characters feeling a bit distant.
The themes resonated well enough – loss, survival, renewal, etc. – and although there were some similarities to other popular books and movies out there, the author does a decent job making the story compelling and unique.
The final resolution wasn’t quite as satisfying as I’d hoped, mostly because it’s not enough the direct result of the main character’s actions.
Overall, this was an impressive work of imagination with interesting narrative turns.
The relationship of the dragon’s to their groomers is especially interesting, and is often endearing. The rules of the dragon society are a little forced at times, and I wasn’t always satisfied with the character’s motivations, but the narrative turns were engaging enough. The protagonist undergoes an unexpected transformation that really sets the story on an interesting path. (I’m being a bit oblique here as to avoid spoilers.)
I did have issue with some awkward wording and sentence structure that disrupted the narrative flow at times.
The characters seemed to be well developed for the most part (especially the protagonist and former groombug), but I think some opportunities were missed in terms of truly connecting with the characters. At pivotal moments, there seemed to be a lack of emotional expression, which left the characters feeling a bit distant.
The themes resonated well enough – loss, survival, renewal, etc. – and although there were some similarities to other popular books and movies out there, the author does a decent job making the story compelling and unique.
The final resolution wasn’t quite as satisfying as I’d hoped, mostly because it’s not enough the direct result of the main character’s actions.
Overall, this was an impressive work of imagination with interesting narrative turns.
March 29, 2017
I was uncertain what to think of "Grounded: A Dragon's Tale" after the first few pages, not sure whether or not the narration of the story would hold my attention. But only a few pages in, I was hooked. This blurb for this book outlines the story well, but what it doesn't tell is how thoroughly developed and original the dragons' world is, or how you'll find characters in the story that mirror people you know, or how the reader's emotions become so tied to Rumplewing's that they'll find themselves equally frustrated, despaired, or hopeful as a dragon. "Grounded: A Dragon's Tale" is a solid fantasy that anyone who appreciates a good story will enjoy.
June 11, 2017
This is a well crafted dream. An Eden without Adam. A Garden without Eve. A planet without predators populated by dragons and their groombug symbiotes.
The two main characters are a damaged dragon called Rumplewing and a damaged boy called Hote.
The two live parallel lives, untouched by the other until a political situation well outside their control takes over their lives.
I enjoyed this coming-of-age tale set in a dual sci-fi fantasy world. The world building is very good, pitting environmental scientist at loggerheads with vested corporate greed.
Those who loved Anne McCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern series will enjoy this book.
The two main characters are a damaged dragon called Rumplewing and a damaged boy called Hote.
The two live parallel lives, untouched by the other until a political situation well outside their control takes over their lives.
I enjoyed this coming-of-age tale set in a dual sci-fi fantasy world. The world building is very good, pitting environmental scientist at loggerheads with vested corporate greed.
Those who loved Anne McCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern series will enjoy this book.
June 25, 2017
Grounded is a really interesting read! I tend to really enjoy anything about dragons, but I found my favorite character in this book was actually Balofur, a groombug, which is sort of like a dragon companion. The interactions between dragons and their groombugs was a very important part of this story and the author did a good job explaining out their importance and bond. This story is told in a couple different perspectives and I enjoyed all of them. The reading was fairly fast paced and the characters were all well-developed! I think the hero of the story, Rumplewing, was really endearing and I enjoyed watching her grow up and developing into an adult. I would highly recommend this book to any fan of the fantasy genre, it was an unusual fantasy but a good one!
February 27, 2017
I thought this might be a children's book when I first started it, but it's just that a few chapters are told from the perspective of a young dragon as they go through trials and tribulations.
Rumplewing loses her groombug, which she cannot survive without, due to a younger dragon. She also loses use of her wings due to the same. Normally, the dragons in this book give up and die, but the dragon mother tells her to live. That's where the journey starts to get interesting.
The book is told from various perspectives, both in first person with Rumplewing and then third person from several other characters. I was a little confused that most of the various voices appeared to be told in past tense, but when we are seeing things from the point of view of Balafour, the groombug, it switched to present tense. It was a little jarring at first, but I got used to it.
This book is a mixture of both fantasy and sci-fi and the author weaves the two well. I also think this would be a good book for all ages to read
Rumplewing loses her groombug, which she cannot survive without, due to a younger dragon. She also loses use of her wings due to the same. Normally, the dragons in this book give up and die, but the dragon mother tells her to live. That's where the journey starts to get interesting.
The book is told from various perspectives, both in first person with Rumplewing and then third person from several other characters. I was a little confused that most of the various voices appeared to be told in past tense, but when we are seeing things from the point of view of Balafour, the groombug, it switched to present tense. It was a little jarring at first, but I got used to it.
This book is a mixture of both fantasy and sci-fi and the author weaves the two well. I also think this would be a good book for all ages to read
December 1, 2017
4.5 Stars
What an absolutely delightful and adorable book!
I loved that we followed the adventures of a younger dragon on her home planet, with the humans being the one’s on the side lines. That was a great twist in storytelling that I really enjoyed.
The change of view points from the dragons, the dragons groombug and Hote, a human boy, made for easy ready and a steady flow throughout the story. I never felt myself lost as to who was talking or needing more information then what was given.
It felt like a coming of age story that honestly would be a great read for anyone. I plan on passing the book down to my preteen for him to read.
Thank you for the lovely story and for the change of pace from the typical story of dragons being something to be feared.
What an absolutely delightful and adorable book!
I loved that we followed the adventures of a younger dragon on her home planet, with the humans being the one’s on the side lines. That was a great twist in storytelling that I really enjoyed.
The change of view points from the dragons, the dragons groombug and Hote, a human boy, made for easy ready and a steady flow throughout the story. I never felt myself lost as to who was talking or needing more information then what was given.
It felt like a coming of age story that honestly would be a great read for anyone. I plan on passing the book down to my preteen for him to read.
Thank you for the lovely story and for the change of pace from the typical story of dragons being something to be feared.
February 17, 2017
First I want to acknowledge what a great honor it is that my stepmother Gloria wrote this and dedicated it to me. This is a fascinating, highly creative and beautiful story of a young dragon who goes through a series of difficulties after his necessary for life groom bug is accidentally killed. He finds a new lease on life when he finds an injured groom bug and the two of them must deal with humans, good and bad while working to save captive dragons on a space ship and perhaps all the dragons on their planet.
May 11, 2017
There is a lot to like here, an interesting premise, likeable characters, a well written story. The world imagined by the author has the makings of a fairy-tale story, but this isn't a fairy-tale.
We start out with dragons. Who doesn't love dragons? We enter this world through the story of one particular young dragon, and through her we learn some of the guiding principles of the world in which she lives.
Just when you're pretty sure how the story will progress, we switch point of view and are introduced to a human character, Hote. It becomes clear he is a part of a group that observes the fantastical life on this planet (besides dragons, we have griffons and unicorns and other fun creatures).
I found the story a little slow to start, but it did eventually draw me in. I enjoyed these two points of view the best. The author littered the story with various other points of view at odd times, usually in extremely short snippets that I found off putting. Other than that, I found the writing mostly sound. It took me a bit to adjust to the dragon's narrative being in 1st person, while Hote's and all of the other humans' narratives were in 3rd person, but once I was adjusted, I didn't really notice.
All in all, a good read.
We start out with dragons. Who doesn't love dragons? We enter this world through the story of one particular young dragon, and through her we learn some of the guiding principles of the world in which she lives.
Just when you're pretty sure how the story will progress, we switch point of view and are introduced to a human character, Hote. It becomes clear he is a part of a group that observes the fantastical life on this planet (besides dragons, we have griffons and unicorns and other fun creatures).
I found the story a little slow to start, but it did eventually draw me in. I enjoyed these two points of view the best. The author littered the story with various other points of view at odd times, usually in extremely short snippets that I found off putting. Other than that, I found the writing mostly sound. It took me a bit to adjust to the dragon's narrative being in 1st person, while Hote's and all of the other humans' narratives were in 3rd person, but once I was adjusted, I didn't really notice.
All in all, a good read.
March 1, 2017
I've enjoyed Grounded: a dragon's tale. I can't fault it. I was looking for something, but if its good it's good. It is well written, and, it was refreshingly interesting to read a book/story about something other than what some people would call our mundane human existence. I found it flowed well, the tempo was good. I felt I read faster when the writing called for it and I read slower when necessary too. All in all a great piece of work. Great job.
November 7, 2017
I have love/hate relationship with this book.
This book shares some elements with H. Beam Piper’s Little Fuzzy, McCaffrey’s Dragons of Pern, and a little bit of Avatar (the movie.) The book is about a pristine planet with some very cool and well thought-out species that’s more or less defiled when greedy men figure out a way to make a profit off of it.
Like Little Fuzzy, one of the primary focuses is on how to tell if a species is sentient, and how to assign a grade to that sentience.
The dragons themselves are fascinating with very well-developed biological adaptations. I loved that part.
But the humans weren’t as well developed as the dragons. The human corporations all seemed like they’d been made up on the fly, and their “contracts” didn’t seem to have a lot of validity or forethought. The human culture was less thought out than the dragon culture, and that didn’t work for me.
The human civilization in this book should have a lot of experience with interacting with many and varied intelligent species, and yet, their experience with the dragons almost makes it look like a first contact where they have no idea the variety of forms sentience might take.
There are several ideas and subplots in this book that never felt fully developed or realized, and in many cases, felt to me like a series of coincidences. The story could have been more powerful and more focused with these things removed and possibly used as the bases for later novels.
The ending for me was unsatisfying, almost a deus ex machina sort of thing that should have been better developed with a more thorough rendering of the political and cultural structures the humans were living within.
Another problem with this book could be packaging. I just glanced at the cover and the book description, thought it seemed interesting, and dove in. From the cover, I was expecting something a lot more fantasy oriented, even though the description had brought up outworlders and the possibility of science fiction.
This book shares some elements with H. Beam Piper’s Little Fuzzy, McCaffrey’s Dragons of Pern, and a little bit of Avatar (the movie.) The book is about a pristine planet with some very cool and well thought-out species that’s more or less defiled when greedy men figure out a way to make a profit off of it.
Like Little Fuzzy, one of the primary focuses is on how to tell if a species is sentient, and how to assign a grade to that sentience.
The dragons themselves are fascinating with very well-developed biological adaptations. I loved that part.
But the humans weren’t as well developed as the dragons. The human corporations all seemed like they’d been made up on the fly, and their “contracts” didn’t seem to have a lot of validity or forethought. The human culture was less thought out than the dragon culture, and that didn’t work for me.
The human civilization in this book should have a lot of experience with interacting with many and varied intelligent species, and yet, their experience with the dragons almost makes it look like a first contact where they have no idea the variety of forms sentience might take.
There are several ideas and subplots in this book that never felt fully developed or realized, and in many cases, felt to me like a series of coincidences. The story could have been more powerful and more focused with these things removed and possibly used as the bases for later novels.
The ending for me was unsatisfying, almost a deus ex machina sort of thing that should have been better developed with a more thorough rendering of the political and cultural structures the humans were living within.
Another problem with this book could be packaging. I just glanced at the cover and the book description, thought it seemed interesting, and dove in. From the cover, I was expecting something a lot more fantasy oriented, even though the description had brought up outworlders and the possibility of science fiction.
May 10, 2017
Grounded: A Dragon's Tale draws a wonderfully imaginative world that seamlessly blends elements of fantasy into an interesting science fiction story.
I particularly enjoy the author's take on dragons and dragon society, which combines traditional elements (pride comes to mind) with unexpected ones.
There are multiple themes - pride (because... dragons), belonging, loss, disability, self-determination - that blend smoothly into a complete whole.
The work would benefit from an editing pass that asks the question "is this decision or action plausible from the point of view of the character making it?" Too often, actions are impulsive and seem for the sake of plot rather than a natural outcome of character and circumstance.
The inability to understand some of the female protagonist's key decisions make it difficult to fully empathize with her. Harsh emotional reactions that didn't seem well rooted amplify this issue.
In some cases, knowledge is available because the plot demands it rather than through a plausible (or sufficiently explained) mechanism.
The final resolution relies on an all-powerful character that needed to be convinced rather than through direct action on the part of the protagonists. It would feel more satisfying if the wile and determination of the protagonists played a larger part in the outcome.
While not without flaws, Grounded: A Dragon's Tale is an enjoyable read and worthy addition to a science fiction bookshelf.
I particularly enjoy the author's take on dragons and dragon society, which combines traditional elements (pride comes to mind) with unexpected ones.
There are multiple themes - pride (because... dragons), belonging, loss, disability, self-determination - that blend smoothly into a complete whole.
The work would benefit from an editing pass that asks the question "is this decision or action plausible from the point of view of the character making it?" Too often, actions are impulsive and seem for the sake of plot rather than a natural outcome of character and circumstance.
The inability to understand some of the female protagonist's key decisions make it difficult to fully empathize with her. Harsh emotional reactions that didn't seem well rooted amplify this issue.
In some cases, knowledge is available because the plot demands it rather than through a plausible (or sufficiently explained) mechanism.
The final resolution relies on an all-powerful character that needed to be convinced rather than through direct action on the part of the protagonists. It would feel more satisfying if the wile and determination of the protagonists played a larger part in the outcome.
While not without flaws, Grounded: A Dragon's Tale is an enjoyable read and worthy addition to a science fiction bookshelf.
June 20, 2017
There are journeys we all make that enhance our understanding of the world. Apparently, Dragons must make them too. This story is told from several points of view. The main one being a fairly, self-centered, adolescent coming of age. The humbling of this young dragon is a long process. There are several moving pieces of this book and it is a strange story. Add to that an odd number system to the formating in the chapters and a dizzing number of points of view, complete with name changes of characters. All of which make this difficult to read if you needed to do it over several days instead of all at once. I, also, struggled with the dialogue. It seemed very choppy even when the dragons were conversing with each other. It also wraps up rather quickly. There is a plot twist at the end that doesn't seem to go anywhere so, it is unclear why the author added it. I guess it leaves room for a sequel but, it was a tad awkward. I think younger readers may enjoy this although it covers a few tough subjects so I wouldn't go too young.
March 21, 2018
The book was interesting without being fabulous. It was a fun play on genres (one that seemed a little anime influenced to me, but probably wasn’t) that was different from the usual fare.
I wasn’t personally a fan – for many different reasons – but the bones were there.
PERSONALLY, I’d give this one a pass – that being said, I can see how there would be quite a few people who would enjoy this one, so don’t necessarily be afraid to give it a try, if the mood strikes.
I wasn’t personally a fan – for many different reasons – but the bones were there.
PERSONALLY, I’d give this one a pass – that being said, I can see how there would be quite a few people who would enjoy this one, so don’t necessarily be afraid to give it a try, if the mood strikes.
April 18, 2017
An adolescent dragon has an accident which results in her losing the ability to fly, and having to leave her clan and go out and make her own way in the world. This book details her adventures as she discovers the truth about the outworlders visiting her planet and their motives. Ultimately, she must use her intellect to save the dragons.
There is a second principal character who gets a large proportion of point-of-view scene, Hote, a human teenager, one of the outworlders. He longs to learn more of dragons, but also has some strange family issues in his past that need resolving with his father, who incidentally happens to be the man behind the main threat to the dragons.
The Editing: There are no major typos, and on the whole the book has no errors. However, some of the writing feels a little cumbersome and clunky, and I think another few rounds of editing could have smoothed these issues and made for an easier read.
The World: The world and world-building were the stars of the show for me. There's some lovely touches, such as the background behind dragons, and their symbiotic groombugs, and the tight relationship between the two. The strength of these relationships from birth to death are the cornerstone of the dragon society, and the explanations of how and why are well though out.
The Characters: I found I didn't really warm to the characters, as they could get a little annoying, and often jumped to unreasonable conclusions, or were persuaded of things a little too easily. The petulance of youth, and the growing of the characters to become more responsible is the overarching theme of the character development, but even when in their newly acquired mature state some of their ideas just seemed a bit odd to me.
The Plot: There is a wonderful imaginative plot in here. The combination of a fantasy dragon society coming into contact with a more sci-fi outworlders plot is intriguing, and I was keen to see how it panned out. It is a little like a first-contact plot, with dragons as the indigenous species, and a dragon-centric view of how they react to first contact with humans, learning to communicate, and understanding the different factions of the outworlders, and that not everyone has the same motives for being on the planet.
The Spark: This is related to the writing style, as touched on in the editing section, but at times I felt the wonderful world and plot were in danger of being lost under the writing. What do I mean by that? Well, at times I felt things were over told, and that there were more elegant ways that characters emotions could be expressed, maybe in a line of dialogue rather than a lengthy description of a facial expression. These issues just jarred a little for me as a reader, and so kept jolting me out of the story and the world, partially extinguishing the sparkiness of the story.
So, overall I have mixed feelings on this book. Some aspects were great, and the author's imagination is wonderful and can transport you to a wonderful world. With a little polishing of the writing style I feel this could be superb. For me, in its present form, I'd give it 3 stars.
There is a second principal character who gets a large proportion of point-of-view scene, Hote, a human teenager, one of the outworlders. He longs to learn more of dragons, but also has some strange family issues in his past that need resolving with his father, who incidentally happens to be the man behind the main threat to the dragons.
The Editing: There are no major typos, and on the whole the book has no errors. However, some of the writing feels a little cumbersome and clunky, and I think another few rounds of editing could have smoothed these issues and made for an easier read.
The World: The world and world-building were the stars of the show for me. There's some lovely touches, such as the background behind dragons, and their symbiotic groombugs, and the tight relationship between the two. The strength of these relationships from birth to death are the cornerstone of the dragon society, and the explanations of how and why are well though out.
The Characters: I found I didn't really warm to the characters, as they could get a little annoying, and often jumped to unreasonable conclusions, or were persuaded of things a little too easily. The petulance of youth, and the growing of the characters to become more responsible is the overarching theme of the character development, but even when in their newly acquired mature state some of their ideas just seemed a bit odd to me.
The Plot: There is a wonderful imaginative plot in here. The combination of a fantasy dragon society coming into contact with a more sci-fi outworlders plot is intriguing, and I was keen to see how it panned out. It is a little like a first-contact plot, with dragons as the indigenous species, and a dragon-centric view of how they react to first contact with humans, learning to communicate, and understanding the different factions of the outworlders, and that not everyone has the same motives for being on the planet.
The Spark: This is related to the writing style, as touched on in the editing section, but at times I felt the wonderful world and plot were in danger of being lost under the writing. What do I mean by that? Well, at times I felt things were over told, and that there were more elegant ways that characters emotions could be expressed, maybe in a line of dialogue rather than a lengthy description of a facial expression. These issues just jarred a little for me as a reader, and so kept jolting me out of the story and the world, partially extinguishing the sparkiness of the story.
So, overall I have mixed feelings on this book. Some aspects were great, and the author's imagination is wonderful and can transport you to a wonderful world. With a little polishing of the writing style I feel this could be superb. For me, in its present form, I'd give it 3 stars.
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