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StormBreathers #1
Firestorm
Dragons were once considered mere legend. . .but some legends live and breathe.
Growing up as a friendless kid bullied for his disfiguring facial birthmark, Caiden Blade always dreamed of becoming a hero. So when he gets an exciting job that promises to protect a small northwestern city from the impending spread of a dangerous, newly discovered species once thought to be mythical, he couldn't be more thrilled. But the illusive mountain creatures he is sent to help capture are not what he expects.
The city of Paikka was struggling in the aftermath of a terrorist attack when Doctor Maverick Blackwood first discovered dragons in the nearby mountains. That discovery transformed Paikka into a booming tourist hotspot. Everything from dragon claw jewelry to dragon fight video games are all the rage as dragon fighting becomes one of the nation's top televised sports.
But there is more to Doctor Blackwood than the droves of tourists and busy souvenir shop owners know. Something more than brutal battles between the dragons in his arena is going on inside the walls of Blackwood Tower, but no one in the flourishing town wants to know what it is. . .except for Caiden Blade.
Growing up as a friendless kid bullied for his disfiguring facial birthmark, Caiden Blade always dreamed of becoming a hero. So when he gets an exciting job that promises to protect a small northwestern city from the impending spread of a dangerous, newly discovered species once thought to be mythical, he couldn't be more thrilled. But the illusive mountain creatures he is sent to help capture are not what he expects.
The city of Paikka was struggling in the aftermath of a terrorist attack when Doctor Maverick Blackwood first discovered dragons in the nearby mountains. That discovery transformed Paikka into a booming tourist hotspot. Everything from dragon claw jewelry to dragon fight video games are all the rage as dragon fighting becomes one of the nation's top televised sports.
But there is more to Doctor Blackwood than the droves of tourists and busy souvenir shop owners know. Something more than brutal battles between the dragons in his arena is going on inside the walls of Blackwood Tower, but no one in the flourishing town wants to know what it is. . .except for Caiden Blade.
Kindle Edition
First published January 13, 2017
15 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Sky
11 books14 followersName - Astrid Janna (‘A.J.’) Sky
Home - It depends on the chapter.
Mission on this planet - Live and write stories of light.
Superpowers - Transforming coffee, ink and paper into people, places and creatures / Shapeshifting into fictional characters.
When I’m not using those mysterious powers, you’re likely to find me trying not to be found (introvert alert) in the great outdoors.
Home - It depends on the chapter.
Mission on this planet - Live and write stories of light.
Superpowers - Transforming coffee, ink and paper into people, places and creatures / Shapeshifting into fictional characters.
When I’m not using those mysterious powers, you’re likely to find me trying not to be found (introvert alert) in the great outdoors.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 30, 2018
Oh. My. Goodness.
I'm not usually a fantasy girl, but dragons in a real-world setting I can do. And unlikely heroes riding dragons to save the world? Umm, yes, please! How about a modern-day world where you can film dragons on your cell phone? Seriously, where do I sign up?
Do I sound like I was excited to discover this series? Maybe just a little bit? Okay, here's the clincher--book #2 was on sale for $.99, and rather than try it first, I went and bought this one at full price. (Okay, I bought both, but I made myself read the first one first.) Me, the forget-the-series-order, get-the-spoilers-in-advance, guarantee-the-happy-ending spoilsport.
So with that much expectation going in, I was pretty much begging for disappointment. Thing is, I didn't get it. This stubborn book insisted on being just as good as I was hoping and then some! The way the dragons were described--okay, I couldn't quite picture exactly what they looked like, but I could totally see their eyes. Read it, and you'll see what I mean. I laughed over the dragons; I cried over the dragons; I seriously felt for the dragons from the moment Caiden first laid eyes on them.
And then the human characters. Caiden was seriously wonderful. Willow was hilarious. Ember broke my heart and took my breath away. And Tyson was just adorable. Their chemistry and especially the banter was so good! Note to authors--if you want to hook me, write good banter. ;)
There are some heavy themes in the story related to human trafficking, and without going too far into details, it's made clear that some of these young girls aren't being sold as factory workers. That part of the subject is confined to one chapter, although the rescue theme plays a prominent part in the rest of the book. There's also a definite Christian perspective to the whole story, even without being a main theme.
I noticed a few instances of grammar errors (mostly misplaced apostrophes or incorrect homophones), but they weren't enough to seriously distract me from the story. I give this one an enthusiastic two thumbs up! Now, where can I get a dragon?
I'm not usually a fantasy girl, but dragons in a real-world setting I can do. And unlikely heroes riding dragons to save the world? Umm, yes, please! How about a modern-day world where you can film dragons on your cell phone? Seriously, where do I sign up?
Do I sound like I was excited to discover this series? Maybe just a little bit? Okay, here's the clincher--book #2 was on sale for $.99, and rather than try it first, I went and bought this one at full price. (Okay, I bought both, but I made myself read the first one first.) Me, the forget-the-series-order, get-the-spoilers-in-advance, guarantee-the-happy-ending spoilsport.
So with that much expectation going in, I was pretty much begging for disappointment. Thing is, I didn't get it. This stubborn book insisted on being just as good as I was hoping and then some! The way the dragons were described--okay, I couldn't quite picture exactly what they looked like, but I could totally see their eyes. Read it, and you'll see what I mean. I laughed over the dragons; I cried over the dragons; I seriously felt for the dragons from the moment Caiden first laid eyes on them.
And then the human characters. Caiden was seriously wonderful. Willow was hilarious. Ember broke my heart and took my breath away. And Tyson was just adorable. Their chemistry and especially the banter was so good! Note to authors--if you want to hook me, write good banter. ;)
There are some heavy themes in the story related to human trafficking, and without going too far into details, it's made clear that some of these young girls aren't being sold as factory workers. That part of the subject is confined to one chapter, although the rescue theme plays a prominent part in the rest of the book. There's also a definite Christian perspective to the whole story, even without being a main theme.
I noticed a few instances of grammar errors (mostly misplaced apostrophes or incorrect homophones), but they weren't enough to seriously distract me from the story. I give this one an enthusiastic two thumbs up! Now, where can I get a dragon?
January 19, 2017
I recently completed all 7 parts of the FIRESTORM serial. The ride was insane!
I now believe it's debatable whether or not I should have waited for the entire book to be released to begin reading. I started while the book was being released in segments because I didn't want to wait for the full version. As a result, I was put through levels of torment approaching what one would experience while waiting for Christmas morning. The wait time in between segments was quite reasonable. Even if it was one day, that would seem like far too much for my patience to handle though. There's almost nothing more exhilaratingly stressful that obsessing over what may or may not happen during the wait.
In a world of entertainment running out of ideas and thus becoming increasingly predictable, work like this truly stands out. I find myself more and more hard to impress every year as my taste gets spoiled... Um, refined :-) Movies and books with heart, values, deep messages, twisting, roller coaster plots and unpredictability are what I enjoy the most, and the hardest to find. I can happily say that FIRESTORM will adorn my favorite shelf in the library forever, and I hope it receives the opportunity to join my movie collection in the future as well!
The blend of adventure, mystery, friendship, sacrifice, action, humor, and surprise in FIRESTORM produces an emotional roller coaster wilder than the Formula Rossa. My heart got ripped out, then shoved back in, then ripped out, then shoved back in again. I was scared, happy, nervous, angry, laughing, almost crying, relieved, surprised by truly unexpected occurrences and getting shaky hands from excitement throughout the entire read. All without one single off color remark, profane word or useless characters thrown in for the sake of a higher age rating. I was thrown from one side of the chair to the other and reality disappeared as I read amazing stuff that I can't tell you without giving away details.
Something that really stands out to me is how vividly the story allows me to imagine it. Somehow, the author has managed to describe the conversations, environments, and settings with impeccable detail, yet without using a lot of extra words. I believe this book would make an incredible film. I've almost been able to watch it as a movie already. The epic scale is on par with the films such as How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2, Rise of The Guardians, Beyond The Mask, and others while being completely unique.
DreamWorks, Disney, Burns Family Studios or others, this is movie material. There's nothing I love more than to see a good book turned into a good movie that stays true to the book. I hope to see that happen someday soon with FIRESTORM.
I now believe it's debatable whether or not I should have waited for the entire book to be released to begin reading. I started while the book was being released in segments because I didn't want to wait for the full version. As a result, I was put through levels of torment approaching what one would experience while waiting for Christmas morning. The wait time in between segments was quite reasonable. Even if it was one day, that would seem like far too much for my patience to handle though. There's almost nothing more exhilaratingly stressful that obsessing over what may or may not happen during the wait.
In a world of entertainment running out of ideas and thus becoming increasingly predictable, work like this truly stands out. I find myself more and more hard to impress every year as my taste gets spoiled... Um, refined :-) Movies and books with heart, values, deep messages, twisting, roller coaster plots and unpredictability are what I enjoy the most, and the hardest to find. I can happily say that FIRESTORM will adorn my favorite shelf in the library forever, and I hope it receives the opportunity to join my movie collection in the future as well!
The blend of adventure, mystery, friendship, sacrifice, action, humor, and surprise in FIRESTORM produces an emotional roller coaster wilder than the Formula Rossa. My heart got ripped out, then shoved back in, then ripped out, then shoved back in again. I was scared, happy, nervous, angry, laughing, almost crying, relieved, surprised by truly unexpected occurrences and getting shaky hands from excitement throughout the entire read. All without one single off color remark, profane word or useless characters thrown in for the sake of a higher age rating. I was thrown from one side of the chair to the other and reality disappeared as I read amazing stuff that I can't tell you without giving away details.
Something that really stands out to me is how vividly the story allows me to imagine it. Somehow, the author has managed to describe the conversations, environments, and settings with impeccable detail, yet without using a lot of extra words. I believe this book would make an incredible film. I've almost been able to watch it as a movie already. The epic scale is on par with the films such as How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2, Rise of The Guardians, Beyond The Mask, and others while being completely unique.
DreamWorks, Disney, Burns Family Studios or others, this is movie material. There's nothing I love more than to see a good book turned into a good movie that stays true to the book. I hope to see that happen someday soon with FIRESTORM.
January 30, 2017
LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover! LOVE the dragons! LOVE the constant action. This book has no boring filler. Have read a lot of great books but do not care for unnecessary filler that many have; I tend to speed read through that. This book doesn't have wasted space. It held my interest all the way through. Had some good surprise twists I didn't expect (and often I'm pretty good at guessing those ahead of time). Clean action and suspense, while thoughtfully addressing some rough, but true, real life issues. Will be watching for the sequel! (First read in the small novelette sized parts, then again as full novel.)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews