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The Dragon Inside #1
Becoming the Dragon
From now on he’s got two hearts beating in his scale-clad chest, and two mighty wings on his back. In the faraway planet of two moons, he was born again as a dragon… but would it make him any less human?
The Dragon Inside, a bestselling series by Alex Sapegin, is comprised of a total of four books:
– Becoming the Dragon
– Taking Wing
– A Tale of Violence
– Three Wars
It is a saga of portal traveling, bodily transformations, reincarnation and epic combat, but first and foremost a story of discovering and reclaiming one’s true self.
Having unwittingly stumbled into the site of a scientific experiment, Andy gets teleported to the faraway planet of Ilanta, inhabited by both human and supernatural beings. In this new world, he will encounter all kinds of exciting adventures and grim challenges, mastering his newly developed magic skills, befriending orcs, elves, and dragons, fighting the good fight, and eventually continuing on his quest for justice reincarnated as a dragon.
It was obvious right from the get-go that destiny has something unique in store for Andy Kerimov, a small-town teenager who survives a direct strike from lightning which leaves him with immunity to electronic devices and extraordinary magic powers just waiting to be released.
Teleported to the fairytale world of Ilanta, Andy gets no cordial welcome: he is captured, chained up and sold into slavery — but not before he accidentally activates an ancient artifact and sets Karegar the Dragon free, who would later become his mentor and foster father. When fatally wounded, Andy chooses to undergo an ancient ritual to be reborn as a dragon, a.k.a. a Master of Heaven.
He will have to go a long way before settling into his new body and mastering his newly acquired powers. On his way, he will make loyal friends and bitter enemies, going through fire and ice, defending the right and taking the weak under his wing. Little does he know that he is destined to play a central part in an epic conflict soon to break out where the future of the two planets, as well as his now-faraway homeland, would be at stake…
The Dragon Inside, a bestselling series by Alex Sapegin, is comprised of a total of four books:
– Becoming the Dragon
– Taking Wing
– A Tale of Violence
– Three Wars
It is a saga of portal traveling, bodily transformations, reincarnation and epic combat, but first and foremost a story of discovering and reclaiming one’s true self.
Having unwittingly stumbled into the site of a scientific experiment, Andy gets teleported to the faraway planet of Ilanta, inhabited by both human and supernatural beings. In this new world, he will encounter all kinds of exciting adventures and grim challenges, mastering his newly developed magic skills, befriending orcs, elves, and dragons, fighting the good fight, and eventually continuing on his quest for justice reincarnated as a dragon.
It was obvious right from the get-go that destiny has something unique in store for Andy Kerimov, a small-town teenager who survives a direct strike from lightning which leaves him with immunity to electronic devices and extraordinary magic powers just waiting to be released.
Teleported to the fairytale world of Ilanta, Andy gets no cordial welcome: he is captured, chained up and sold into slavery — but not before he accidentally activates an ancient artifact and sets Karegar the Dragon free, who would later become his mentor and foster father. When fatally wounded, Andy chooses to undergo an ancient ritual to be reborn as a dragon, a.k.a. a Master of Heaven.
He will have to go a long way before settling into his new body and mastering his newly acquired powers. On his way, he will make loyal friends and bitter enemies, going through fire and ice, defending the right and taking the weak under his wing. Little does he know that he is destined to play a central part in an epic conflict soon to break out where the future of the two planets, as well as his now-faraway homeland, would be at stake…
178 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
1562 people are currently reading
1493 people want to read
About the author
Alex Sapegin
10 books46 followersALEX SAPEGIN
Alex Sapegin is a sci-fi and fantasy author who lives in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk in Russia with his wife, two kids, a pet parakeet and an overly confident tomcat.
An electrical engineer by education, Alex Sapegin has had an interesting life with an extensive career in the railway industry and tunnel construction while, at the same time, making time to follow his joy crafting stories.
Alex had a special flair for storytelling from as early as his high-school days, when his peers would eagerly listen to his action-packed stories with their many twists and turns. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before his friends and family persuaded him to put pen to paper, which proved to be a life-changing decision.
His first epic fantasy novel, Becoming the Dragon, now available in English, was originally released in 2010 and instantly became a bestseller all over Russia, the post-Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, shortly followed by three more books of the series: Taking Wing, A Tale of Violence, and Three Wars.
Alex Sapegin is also the author of The Clash, The Pet Story and Diaries of the Morph translated into several languages and soon forthcoming in English. When Alex is not crafting his wonderful stories, he enjoys spending time with his children, skating or fishing.
Bibliography:
‘The Dragon Inside’ Series:
‘Becoming the Dragon’
‘Taking Wing’
‘A Tale of Violence’
‘Three Wars’
‘The Clash’ Series:
‘The Clash. Book 1’
‘The Clash. Cont’d. Book 2’
Novels:
‘People of Tunnels’
‘The Pet Story’
‘Diaries of the Morph’
Alex Sapegin is a sci-fi and fantasy author who lives in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk in Russia with his wife, two kids, a pet parakeet and an overly confident tomcat.
An electrical engineer by education, Alex Sapegin has had an interesting life with an extensive career in the railway industry and tunnel construction while, at the same time, making time to follow his joy crafting stories.
Alex had a special flair for storytelling from as early as his high-school days, when his peers would eagerly listen to his action-packed stories with their many twists and turns. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before his friends and family persuaded him to put pen to paper, which proved to be a life-changing decision.
His first epic fantasy novel, Becoming the Dragon, now available in English, was originally released in 2010 and instantly became a bestseller all over Russia, the post-Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, shortly followed by three more books of the series: Taking Wing, A Tale of Violence, and Three Wars.
Alex Sapegin is also the author of The Clash, The Pet Story and Diaries of the Morph translated into several languages and soon forthcoming in English. When Alex is not crafting his wonderful stories, he enjoys spending time with his children, skating or fishing.
Bibliography:
‘The Dragon Inside’ Series:
‘Becoming the Dragon’
‘Taking Wing’
‘A Tale of Violence’
‘Three Wars’
‘The Clash’ Series:
‘The Clash. Book 1’
‘The Clash. Cont’d. Book 2’
Novels:
‘People of Tunnels’
‘The Pet Story’
‘Diaries of the Morph’
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
July 21, 2019
Yeesh! DNF
I can't go on..........this is:
- hackneyed, trite and banal
- predictable
- poorly written
- fails to make me care about our protagonist's predicament
Bye now.
I can't go on..........this is:
- hackneyed, trite and banal
- predictable
- poorly written
- fails to make me care about our protagonist's predicament
Bye now.
March 7, 2018
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Andy, a small town teen, survived being hit by lightning when he was younger, which makes electronics act up around him and gives him dormant magical powers. After accidentally walking into a lab experiment, Andy suddenly finds himself teleported to another planet which is inhabited by both human and supernatural beings. As soon as he arrives he accidentally frees Karegar the Dragon, then gets captured and enslaved. When fatally wounded, he undergoes a ritual to become reborn as a dragon, a.k.a. a Master of Heaven. He has a long way to go if he wants to master his new powers, not to mention his new body. Whether Andy knows it or not, he's destined to play a major part in a war for the future of two planets, as well as his home-planet, Earth.
Becoming the Dragon by Alex Sapegin is the first book in The Dragon Inside and I had a difficult time rating this story. I liked the portal fantasy (and sci-fi) aspect of the novel, the worlds, and magic system created by the author, but it took me a little while to really become interested in the storyline. The pacing is kind of all over the place throughout, especially in the beginning. Some of the early scenes with Andy on Earth actually feel tacked on instead of augmenting his character. They're like subplots that strictly speaking aren't necessary, no matter of how fun they are at the time. On a similar note the writing style is uneven - I'm not sure if that's due to the translation into English to Russian. I also found it difficult to keep on top of the wide cast - it's a good thing there's a who's who section. I'm not sure if this is an effect of the translation, or if it's just a sign that I had a difficult time connecting with the cast.
Overall, Alex Sapegin's series opener Becoming the Dragon is a decent portal fantasy/ sci-fi novel. The book is a fun read but there are some issues that stood out to me. It could use some work in regards to pacing and connecting with everyone in story.
Thanks again to the publisher!
Andy, a small town teen, survived being hit by lightning when he was younger, which makes electronics act up around him and gives him dormant magical powers. After accidentally walking into a lab experiment, Andy suddenly finds himself teleported to another planet which is inhabited by both human and supernatural beings. As soon as he arrives he accidentally frees Karegar the Dragon, then gets captured and enslaved. When fatally wounded, he undergoes a ritual to become reborn as a dragon, a.k.a. a Master of Heaven. He has a long way to go if he wants to master his new powers, not to mention his new body. Whether Andy knows it or not, he's destined to play a major part in a war for the future of two planets, as well as his home-planet, Earth.
Becoming the Dragon by Alex Sapegin is the first book in The Dragon Inside and I had a difficult time rating this story. I liked the portal fantasy (and sci-fi) aspect of the novel, the worlds, and magic system created by the author, but it took me a little while to really become interested in the storyline. The pacing is kind of all over the place throughout, especially in the beginning. Some of the early scenes with Andy on Earth actually feel tacked on instead of augmenting his character. They're like subplots that strictly speaking aren't necessary, no matter of how fun they are at the time. On a similar note the writing style is uneven - I'm not sure if that's due to the translation into English to Russian. I also found it difficult to keep on top of the wide cast - it's a good thing there's a who's who section. I'm not sure if this is an effect of the translation, or if it's just a sign that I had a difficult time connecting with the cast.
Overall, Alex Sapegin's series opener Becoming the Dragon is a decent portal fantasy/ sci-fi novel. The book is a fun read but there are some issues that stood out to me. It could use some work in regards to pacing and connecting with everyone in story.
Thanks again to the publisher!
February 4, 2018
I don't think it is that good. I debated whether to give this a 2 or a 3 and settled on two. While it has some great points, it just feels poorly structured, poorly paced and poorly created in general.
Now, what I think is great in this book, it is the ideas. It collects a lot of tropes that I really liked. I love dragons, I love portal fantasy, I love fantasy races, I also kinda like some wish fulfillment. It gathers lots and lots of ideas in one.
However, the problem with collecting ideas like this is that you will end up with ideas that you really hate included as well. I hate hormone-addled Teenagers. Why does when it comes to sex and love, teens are always portrayed as idiots? Well... What better way to move the plot forward? Have the protagonist's dick lead him into trouble! What else?
I hate idiot plots. Well, there are time and place for idiot plots but not here, the author keeps making the protagonist make stupid decisions to forward the plot.
I hate multiple POVs. It can be done well, but not here, they often just superfluous, like with this hag, she appears in a short scene and then died in the end... Okay... Well, that POV was used to tell how stupid the protagonist was, so it is not useless right?
It just feels like these various POVs are put in to stretch the story to fill the book.
I hate contrived coincidences. There are times when it works and makes for an exciting read, but this book uses these coincidences to move the plot and solve things for the protagonist. This is especially egregious with the protagonist's escape from captivity. Coincidence after coincidence abounds just so the protagonists could escape.
Okay, there are a lot of things I don't like with this story and I mean a lot. But one thing that bothers me most is the structure. Many might be familiar with the three act structure, the first act is where everything is introduced... And you know what? This whole book is just the first act. It is all just setup. There are lots of inciting events, like the protagonist being a horny idiot, and we are introduced to loads of characters and what not. It then ends at the first plot point where the protagonist go to the adventure world to have adventure... You know! Where the story actually becomes action packed and interesting?
And the pacing... the story is so full of padding. Hey Andy has training in archery! Let me tell you about it even if I don't need to. Hey look Andy has a dog! Here is a "mini story" for that lovely canine. We are never going to it meet again though! But it doesn't matter, the author needs to fill the book somehow! Hey look, there is this character who has been tortured. He died later. He was just a plot device you know, but let's put a lot of space for him even if he would not matter much and be forgotten in the end!
As I said, lots of POVs to stretch out the story. There isn't much story, after all the whole book is the first act, so the author can do nothing but use loads fillers.
And the characters... are flat. They are not that interesting to be honest. The protagonist is very inconsistent. His character changes all the time depending on the demand of the story. Well, except for being horny, that remains constant. The other characters are bland. The only one I find interesting is Karegar and not because he is an interesting character, but because he is a dragon. If it is a dragon, it is instantly interesting to me no matter how terrible it is as a character so me liking Karegar isn't saying much.
*****
This is just a poorly written book. The only thing it has are these neat ideas, even if it is not all unique, but everything around it is so poorly done. I would not even call it a "book" since it only contains the first act.
I guess people might like it for the ideas it contains. In fact I really like a lot of the ideas in it too. I really want to like this. It just that, I can't really ignore the poor execution of it all. It is really sloppy and screams "amateur" to me.
Now, what I think is great in this book, it is the ideas. It collects a lot of tropes that I really liked. I love dragons, I love portal fantasy, I love fantasy races, I also kinda like some wish fulfillment. It gathers lots and lots of ideas in one.
However, the problem with collecting ideas like this is that you will end up with ideas that you really hate included as well. I hate hormone-addled Teenagers. Why does when it comes to sex and love, teens are always portrayed as idiots? Well... What better way to move the plot forward? Have the protagonist's dick lead him into trouble! What else?
I hate idiot plots. Well, there are time and place for idiot plots but not here, the author keeps making the protagonist make stupid decisions to forward the plot.
I hate multiple POVs. It can be done well, but not here, they often just superfluous, like with this hag, she appears in a short scene and then died in the end... Okay... Well, that POV was used to tell how stupid the protagonist was, so it is not useless right?
It just feels like these various POVs are put in to stretch the story to fill the book.
I hate contrived coincidences. There are times when it works and makes for an exciting read, but this book uses these coincidences to move the plot and solve things for the protagonist. This is especially egregious with the protagonist's escape from captivity. Coincidence after coincidence abounds just so the protagonists could escape.
Okay, there are a lot of things I don't like with this story and I mean a lot. But one thing that bothers me most is the structure. Many might be familiar with the three act structure, the first act is where everything is introduced... And you know what? This whole book is just the first act. It is all just setup. There are lots of inciting events, like the protagonist being a horny idiot, and we are introduced to loads of characters and what not. It then ends at the first plot point where the protagonist go to the adventure world to have adventure... You know! Where the story actually becomes action packed and interesting?
And the pacing... the story is so full of padding. Hey Andy has training in archery! Let me tell you about it even if I don't need to. Hey look Andy has a dog! Here is a "mini story" for that lovely canine. We are never going to it meet again though! But it doesn't matter, the author needs to fill the book somehow! Hey look, there is this character who has been tortured. He died later. He was just a plot device you know, but let's put a lot of space for him even if he would not matter much and be forgotten in the end!
As I said, lots of POVs to stretch out the story. There isn't much story, after all the whole book is the first act, so the author can do nothing but use loads fillers.
And the characters... are flat. They are not that interesting to be honest. The protagonist is very inconsistent. His character changes all the time depending on the demand of the story. Well, except for being horny, that remains constant. The other characters are bland. The only one I find interesting is Karegar and not because he is an interesting character, but because he is a dragon. If it is a dragon, it is instantly interesting to me no matter how terrible it is as a character so me liking Karegar isn't saying much.
*****
This is just a poorly written book. The only thing it has are these neat ideas, even if it is not all unique, but everything around it is so poorly done. I would not even call it a "book" since it only contains the first act.
I guess people might like it for the ideas it contains. In fact I really like a lot of the ideas in it too. I really want to like this. It just that, I can't really ignore the poor execution of it all. It is really sloppy and screams "amateur" to me.
July 18, 2018
In this novel, a boy named Andy is going on a journey where he transforms from boy to dragon. It should have been amazing, but the execution of the novel was flawed. I could not understand what was going on for the first 60 % of the novel. It was from multiple points of view for some reason even though Andy was supposed to be the main character. Andy did not even start to change into a dragon until the novel was 60% over, and only then did the novel start to come together. Then, a new side plot is added in the last 10% of the novel, and all of the previous work is thrown to the dust. Even though there was worldbuilding, it was more like a random information dump after a particular scene rather than being done smoothly. There was little to no character development and the characters just began to meld together. I would not be able to recommend this book to anyone in the current state that it is in.
If you would like to read my full review on this book, please click the following link! https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
If you would like to read my full review on this book, please click the following link! https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
December 4, 2017
This will prove to be a great series.
After being teleported to another world, Andy must fight to survive.
I was given an advanced copy by the publisher. I have to admit for me the story is well worth reading until the end. It is an exciting story and the other world is a real adventure. Now, in all honesty, the first part of the book was really just building the character up and at times I found I was waiting for the action to begin. When it did it really kicked off and for me, it felt like an original idea. Rather than the usual story of a boy making friends with a dragon, here the boy becomes a dragon.
This story in itself is a good read, but I believe this will show the rest of the series will be great. So I would say read this book and enjoy it.
I think it is aimed at Young Adults but it can appeal to any age.
After being teleported to another world, Andy must fight to survive.
I was given an advanced copy by the publisher. I have to admit for me the story is well worth reading until the end. It is an exciting story and the other world is a real adventure. Now, in all honesty, the first part of the book was really just building the character up and at times I found I was waiting for the action to begin. When it did it really kicked off and for me, it felt like an original idea. Rather than the usual story of a boy making friends with a dragon, here the boy becomes a dragon.
This story in itself is a good read, but I believe this will show the rest of the series will be great. So I would say read this book and enjoy it.
I think it is aimed at Young Adults but it can appeal to any age.
April 18, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Lithunters, Alex Sapegin, and Elizabeth Kulikov (translator) for the opportunity to read Becoming the Dragon in exchange for an honest review.
*A note on the text: The English version is a translation from the original Russian language. With the way writing works, a translation can never be quite as eloquent as something in its original language. The premise of this novel is right up my alley, but I feel that some of the pacing and elements to the writing were lost in translation, bringing the enjoyment down just a bit for me in areas that felt a bit clunkier.
The first in The Dragon Inside series, Becoming the Dragon follows Andy. He basically gets teleported through a portal into a world of fantasy: castles, elves, orcs, and dragons. No spoilers here, as it's a key aspect of the book blurb, but Andy obtains an injury sure to kill him, but instead of succumbing to the moral wound, he undertakes an ancient ritual to become a dragon.
As Andy's mind works on figuring out his new body, he must learn the history behind his new dwelling and determine the best way to take action to save those he cares about, and exact revenge on those who have brought him despair. Dragons too can be changed to humans, but the success rate is low. Imagine a world full of intelligent dragons, where you, too, could become one!
I love the idea of being able to become a dragon and start a new life as one while still harboring the memories from my human life. The premise of this novel is very intriguing and excellent for lovers of high fantasy. The Dragon Inside is a complete five book series, and for those seeking a high fantasy adventure reminiscent of something like The Lord of the Rings or Eragon (just reminiscent, though my comparison choices may be a bit too strong), you don't have to wait to devour the whole story! Great for young adult readers who love fantasy or seek that book that exacts their dream of dragon transformation!
*A note on the text: The English version is a translation from the original Russian language. With the way writing works, a translation can never be quite as eloquent as something in its original language. The premise of this novel is right up my alley, but I feel that some of the pacing and elements to the writing were lost in translation, bringing the enjoyment down just a bit for me in areas that felt a bit clunkier.
The first in The Dragon Inside series, Becoming the Dragon follows Andy. He basically gets teleported through a portal into a world of fantasy: castles, elves, orcs, and dragons. No spoilers here, as it's a key aspect of the book blurb, but Andy obtains an injury sure to kill him, but instead of succumbing to the moral wound, he undertakes an ancient ritual to become a dragon.
As Andy's mind works on figuring out his new body, he must learn the history behind his new dwelling and determine the best way to take action to save those he cares about, and exact revenge on those who have brought him despair. Dragons too can be changed to humans, but the success rate is low. Imagine a world full of intelligent dragons, where you, too, could become one!
I love the idea of being able to become a dragon and start a new life as one while still harboring the memories from my human life. The premise of this novel is very intriguing and excellent for lovers of high fantasy. The Dragon Inside is a complete five book series, and for those seeking a high fantasy adventure reminiscent of something like The Lord of the Rings or Eragon (just reminiscent, though my comparison choices may be a bit too strong), you don't have to wait to devour the whole story! Great for young adult readers who love fantasy or seek that book that exacts their dream of dragon transformation!
April 20, 2018
I'm not very interested in fantasy, but Becoming the Dragon was an intriguing tale that I was surprised I enjoyed so much. Even in translation, the colorful language wasn't lost, and I think it's a great foreign read. A wonderful alternative to the Brimstone Chronicles, this book takes everything that Victor Rose did wrong and rights it well. Overall, I would recommend this book to people who don't read fantasy often, but who are looking to branch out genre-wise.
It ended up with a strong three and a half for me, because it felt a little disjointed as world-switching occurred. It definitely could be clearer. What was clear, reading between the lines, was the influence of The Lord of the Rings on the author's writing style and worldbuilding. Fortunately, I didn't feel that huge chunks of Becoming the Dragon were lifted straight out of one of Tolkien's classics. As far as beta-reading goes, this one would earn a full four stars out of four with company x, because it's ready for publishing and an easy read for young adult audiences to enjoy.
*Edit: When thinking about how this story compared to some of the others I had read, I had to take away a star from its original four. I wanted to give it a good rating, because the most of the other manuscripts I've been given were just awful overall, but I truly don't believe it is on par with something like The Luminaries, which was absolutely brilliant while ignoring a huge chunk of the plot. I've been a bit soft on the texts I've been given, honestly, on goodreads at least.
It ended up with a strong three and a half for me, because it felt a little disjointed as world-switching occurred. It definitely could be clearer. What was clear, reading between the lines, was the influence of The Lord of the Rings on the author's writing style and worldbuilding. Fortunately, I didn't feel that huge chunks of Becoming the Dragon were lifted straight out of one of Tolkien's classics. As far as beta-reading goes, this one would earn a full four stars out of four with company x, because it's ready for publishing and an easy read for young adult audiences to enjoy.
*Edit: When thinking about how this story compared to some of the others I had read, I had to take away a star from its original four. I wanted to give it a good rating, because the most of the other manuscripts I've been given were just awful overall, but I truly don't believe it is on par with something like The Luminaries, which was absolutely brilliant while ignoring a huge chunk of the plot. I've been a bit soft on the texts I've been given, honestly, on goodreads at least.
March 29, 2018
I didn't finish this. I couldn't get into the story something was missing but can't put my finger on it. It was not meant for me. Something for someone out there. Based on the reviews it ranged from 3 to 5 stars so someone out there is loving it!
August 12, 2018
The concept of the story is good, but it confused me a lot with the jumping all over the time line and events.
August 26, 2019
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story has many problems. I was completely lost on the plot and what was happening moment to moment. The magic system was hardly explained. There was a constant switching of perspectives. There were time skips and flash backs that were confusing to follow.
Additionally, the grammar was terrible. At one point a whole paragraph was repeated with slightly different wording. There were also typos and lack of spaces between words.
I don’t recommend this book. I read the book but I can’t even really explain at all what transpired within it pages. I’ll just chalk it up to a poor translation and call it a day.
This story has many problems. I was completely lost on the plot and what was happening moment to moment. The magic system was hardly explained. There was a constant switching of perspectives. There were time skips and flash backs that were confusing to follow.
Additionally, the grammar was terrible. At one point a whole paragraph was repeated with slightly different wording. There were also typos and lack of spaces between words.
I don’t recommend this book. I read the book but I can’t even really explain at all what transpired within it pages. I’ll just chalk it up to a poor translation and call it a day.
December 7, 2017
I want the second one!
I read constantly and its hard to find a book that I'm willing to buy the second one right after the first. Very good book and with buying
I read constantly and its hard to find a book that I'm willing to buy the second one right after the first. Very good book and with buying
November 2, 2025
This is less of a review and more of a reflection on this particular story, as it was written way back when I first read it in Russian, so it does not account for any changes made during the translation process or the quality of the translation itself.
All things considered, The Dragon Inside is a pretty typical (sans the dragon) iseakai, or rather, popadanets(the name for the concept in Russian that developed independently from the Japanese trends) story. After being accidentally shunted into a fantasy world, our protagonist endures some trials and tribulations, ultimately becoming extremely powerful to the point of being a key figure in a large-scale conflict. Not only that, but he even takes a victory lap by showing up back in our world, destroying some Islamic terrorists that just so happened to hold his sister hostage in a hospital, and then shaking hands with the Russian prime minister, while having everyone marvel at how cool and badass he is.
So yes, this story is more than a little self-indulgent, but I can’t deny that there is a part of me that finds this inherently appealing. The appeal is further strengthened by the fact that Andy had to work to get there, even though it’s pretty obvious that the mantle of a protagonist also did some heavy lifting.
I would also like to note that the story has some pretty interesting concepts, like the twin planets with one having a distinctly lower magic level, or the whole secret plot of a certain group of individuals that I won't name to avoid spoilers. But despite that, it’s pretty clear that the author was at least in part making the story up on the go, which is not super surprising, as the story was published chapter by chapter on samizdat – a Russian predecessor to websites like RoyalRoad. Because of that, the story has our Andy ping-ponging about like a pinball, with a clearly defined conflict only deigning to show up in the second half of the series.
In all honesty, the protagonist really doesn’t do much to earn the reader’s sympathies for a good chunk of the story, which the author compensates for by giving Andy a certain charisma expressed both through dialogue and his narration of the story (as it’s being told from a first-person perspective). Now, mind you, this charisma is definitely not that of a young lad, but rather of a 30-something man. This conclusion is further strengthened by the fact that Andy’s inner monologue and ways of speaking really do not change all that much over the course of the story. Nonetheless, the protagonist is never in want of a witty remark or a clever observation, which makes it pretty easy to like him. However, it seems that this part of the book has taken a hit during translation, which would explain people struggling to connect with the protagonist.
Personally, I probably wouldn’t have read the story if not for the titular dragon being present there. But, with the experience of reading other dragon xenofiction in general, and shifter stories like Scaleshifter or The Princess's Feathers in particular, I can say that the story doesn’t necessarily present the boldest take on it either. While our protagonist is a dragon, he can easily shift into his human form, which he spends most of the story in.
All in all, I found the story to be a bit of a mixed bag – some of its elements were good, while others were either not presented well or trite, sometimes character interactions were compelling and nuanced, and once our protagonist managed to start a romantic relationship by dropping a “nice ass” compliment…
Despite that, The Dragon Inside had just enough dragons to keep me interested, and the prose was working overtime to smooth out some of the rough edges. With that latter part gone (as seems to be the case with the translated version), I can’t confidently recommend the story, especially since there are many more interesting options available, even though I have to admit that my original reading experience was fairly pleasant.
All things considered, The Dragon Inside is a pretty typical (sans the dragon) iseakai, or rather, popadanets(the name for the concept in Russian that developed independently from the Japanese trends) story. After being accidentally shunted into a fantasy world, our protagonist endures some trials and tribulations, ultimately becoming extremely powerful to the point of being a key figure in a large-scale conflict. Not only that, but he even takes a victory lap by showing up back in our world, destroying some Islamic terrorists that just so happened to hold his sister hostage in a hospital, and then shaking hands with the Russian prime minister, while having everyone marvel at how cool and badass he is.
So yes, this story is more than a little self-indulgent, but I can’t deny that there is a part of me that finds this inherently appealing. The appeal is further strengthened by the fact that Andy had to work to get there, even though it’s pretty obvious that the mantle of a protagonist also did some heavy lifting.
I would also like to note that the story has some pretty interesting concepts, like the twin planets with one having a distinctly lower magic level, or the whole secret plot of a certain group of individuals that I won't name to avoid spoilers. But despite that, it’s pretty clear that the author was at least in part making the story up on the go, which is not super surprising, as the story was published chapter by chapter on samizdat – a Russian predecessor to websites like RoyalRoad. Because of that, the story has our Andy ping-ponging about like a pinball, with a clearly defined conflict only deigning to show up in the second half of the series.
In all honesty, the protagonist really doesn’t do much to earn the reader’s sympathies for a good chunk of the story, which the author compensates for by giving Andy a certain charisma expressed both through dialogue and his narration of the story (as it’s being told from a first-person perspective). Now, mind you, this charisma is definitely not that of a young lad, but rather of a 30-something man. This conclusion is further strengthened by the fact that Andy’s inner monologue and ways of speaking really do not change all that much over the course of the story. Nonetheless, the protagonist is never in want of a witty remark or a clever observation, which makes it pretty easy to like him. However, it seems that this part of the book has taken a hit during translation, which would explain people struggling to connect with the protagonist.
Personally, I probably wouldn’t have read the story if not for the titular dragon being present there. But, with the experience of reading other dragon xenofiction in general, and shifter stories like Scaleshifter or The Princess's Feathers in particular, I can say that the story doesn’t necessarily present the boldest take on it either. While our protagonist is a dragon, he can easily shift into his human form, which he spends most of the story in.
All in all, I found the story to be a bit of a mixed bag – some of its elements were good, while others were either not presented well or trite, sometimes character interactions were compelling and nuanced, and once our protagonist managed to start a romantic relationship by dropping a “nice ass” compliment…
Despite that, The Dragon Inside had just enough dragons to keep me interested, and the prose was working overtime to smooth out some of the rough edges. With that latter part gone (as seems to be the case with the translated version), I can’t confidently recommend the story, especially since there are many more interesting options available, even though I have to admit that my original reading experience was fairly pleasant.
September 28, 2019
I ended up reading this entire 5 book series, so I've decided to post my overall series "review" here. I made some notes about the books as I went, so here they are:
Raw Notes on the 5 book series (**Major spoilers obviously):
Raw Notes on the 5 book series (**Major spoilers obviously):
August 30, 2018
* I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Andy Kerimov has always lived a normal life. Up until he was struck by lightning at a young age and could no longer go near technology without it going haywire. But as it turns out, that’s the least of his worries as he has also been left with extraordinary magical abilities just waiting to burst forth. In an unfortunate accident while visiting his father at work, Andy finds himself transported to Ilanta, a planet littered with magic, elves, gnomes, and dragons. However, this magical world is not as beautiful as it seems. Upon his arrival, Andy is thrust into this chaotic world, finding himself being captured, tortured, and accidentally activating a magical artifact which frees the ancient dragon, Karegar. Throughout his journey, Andy is tossed into a whirlwind of new friends, bitter enemies, and even a foster family, desperate to help him master his new powers and scaly skin. But his new powers end up being not so innocent as is turns out, he is destined to play a vital role in what may be the end of the world.
Throughout the entirety of Becoming the Dragon, I was thrown in all sorts of directions when it came to what was going to happen next. One moment, everything seemed happy-go-lucky, but with the flip of the next page, everything had gone to the dogs once more. In reading this book, I was enthralled with the world, characters, and plot, always desperate to read when I had the opportunity.
One of my favorite things about this book was the clear dedication the author had to this world development. Details that nobody would normally think to include were packed in all the crevices of the story. For example, within the first chapter of the book, I learned so much about bows and arrows that I doubt I could have learned elsewhere in such an intriguing fashion. The author clearly worked hard in his developing of the story and back story. There was one section of the book where the main character, Andy, is learning all about the history of Ilanta and the small village he has lived in. I could have written another novel using all the information the author brilliantly thought up to bring this story to life. I knew so much about the world Andy was living in by the end of the book that I am positive I could live in that world today without too much fault.
One thing that irked me a bit about this book however were the characters. They were great characters at the beginning, however, there was no character development. I saw Andy at the beginning as a pretty chill guy who was determined to get done what he wanted to do. Then, at the end of the book, I saw a guy who was more in tune with the real world, but relatively the same. In the beginning of the book, I was happy to see all the relatable characters that were Andy’s sister’s friends. I immediately connected to them in a way I didn’t connect to the main character. Also, Andy’s becoming a magical being never seemed too challenging for him. Only once, very briefly, did I see some struggling from Andy when he was finding himself in a new world with creatures only found in fairytales.
While reading this book, I only wished the beginning had gone by faster. I wanted to see where Andy ended up and didn’t find it necessary to learn all about griffins and Andy’s desperate situation where he stayed on a rock as a “safety house” for a few days. That detail wasn’t important and all I wanted to read was the part of the book that the synopsis was gushing about.
Overall, I enjoyed Becoming the Dragon and rated it 3 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to someone looking for a quick read or to escape to another world. I think this book was well written and the series definitely has potential in total. I feel I will find myself picking up the second book to see where this world takes me next.
Andy Kerimov has always lived a normal life. Up until he was struck by lightning at a young age and could no longer go near technology without it going haywire. But as it turns out, that’s the least of his worries as he has also been left with extraordinary magical abilities just waiting to burst forth. In an unfortunate accident while visiting his father at work, Andy finds himself transported to Ilanta, a planet littered with magic, elves, gnomes, and dragons. However, this magical world is not as beautiful as it seems. Upon his arrival, Andy is thrust into this chaotic world, finding himself being captured, tortured, and accidentally activating a magical artifact which frees the ancient dragon, Karegar. Throughout his journey, Andy is tossed into a whirlwind of new friends, bitter enemies, and even a foster family, desperate to help him master his new powers and scaly skin. But his new powers end up being not so innocent as is turns out, he is destined to play a vital role in what may be the end of the world.
Throughout the entirety of Becoming the Dragon, I was thrown in all sorts of directions when it came to what was going to happen next. One moment, everything seemed happy-go-lucky, but with the flip of the next page, everything had gone to the dogs once more. In reading this book, I was enthralled with the world, characters, and plot, always desperate to read when I had the opportunity.
One of my favorite things about this book was the clear dedication the author had to this world development. Details that nobody would normally think to include were packed in all the crevices of the story. For example, within the first chapter of the book, I learned so much about bows and arrows that I doubt I could have learned elsewhere in such an intriguing fashion. The author clearly worked hard in his developing of the story and back story. There was one section of the book where the main character, Andy, is learning all about the history of Ilanta and the small village he has lived in. I could have written another novel using all the information the author brilliantly thought up to bring this story to life. I knew so much about the world Andy was living in by the end of the book that I am positive I could live in that world today without too much fault.
One thing that irked me a bit about this book however were the characters. They were great characters at the beginning, however, there was no character development. I saw Andy at the beginning as a pretty chill guy who was determined to get done what he wanted to do. Then, at the end of the book, I saw a guy who was more in tune with the real world, but relatively the same. In the beginning of the book, I was happy to see all the relatable characters that were Andy’s sister’s friends. I immediately connected to them in a way I didn’t connect to the main character. Also, Andy’s becoming a magical being never seemed too challenging for him. Only once, very briefly, did I see some struggling from Andy when he was finding himself in a new world with creatures only found in fairytales.
While reading this book, I only wished the beginning had gone by faster. I wanted to see where Andy ended up and didn’t find it necessary to learn all about griffins and Andy’s desperate situation where he stayed on a rock as a “safety house” for a few days. That detail wasn’t important and all I wanted to read was the part of the book that the synopsis was gushing about.
Overall, I enjoyed Becoming the Dragon and rated it 3 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to someone looking for a quick read or to escape to another world. I think this book was well written and the series definitely has potential in total. I feel I will find myself picking up the second book to see where this world takes me next.
June 5, 2018
Becoming the Dragon is the first book in a series by Alex Sapegin. The author takes us on an adventure with Andy, the main character. Andy is a teenage boy who was struck by lightning while out on a camping trip. He miraculously lives to tell the tale, but with a curious side effect. After the incident electronics go haywire when he is near them. Andy lives a normal life, as normal as he can without electronics in his life, until he gets teleported to a different world. He enters an experimental field in which his father is experimenting with teleportation. In this new world, where dragons, orcs, mages, elves, gnomes, and humans co-exist, Andy must use his knowledge, courage, and wit to adapt quickly and survive or die trying.
“Once broken, people don’t become normal people again. Fear remains in their eyes to the end of their lives. Once they let themselves go there, there was no coming back; the human person was gone.”
In the beginning the author gives us Andy’s backstory and a glimpse of his life on Earth with his family. The introduction was a bit slow, and I found myself wondering how this would all lead to a tale of adventure with dragons. I admit, I was a bit impatient to start the adventure. Nevertheless, the story picks up its pace quickly after Andy is teleported into this new and dangerous world. Luckily for Andy, he has some survival skills under his belt and an undying determination to survive, despite the odds. Andy shows that his maturity and skills are beyond his years, especially when under stress.
Along his journey to survive and return to Earth he makes unlikely friends and even gains a strange but loving adoptive family. While escaping his captors and torturers Andy suffers from deathly wounds and decides to undergo a ritual to become a dragon, since it is his only hope to survive. I enjoyed this new take on the human and dragon story. Not only does Sapegin have the boy become friends with a dragon, but he also has the boy turn into a dragon. This is a new experience that I am excited to read about. As the reader, I get to experience the human side of the boy as well as the dragon side of him and it is fascinating.
Since this is a book that has been translated, I was expecting to have a hard time reading the book. I thought there were going to be spelling and grammar errors that would hinder my reading, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was translated. I only had to reread a couple of passages to understand what was happening, but overall my reading experience went well. There were a few plot holes, but since it is the first book in the series I am hoping that they will be explained later on.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed the world building and the new take on the human and dragon story. I am hooked and cannot wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens to these wonderful and interesting characters. I recommend this book to those who enjoy YA fantasy.
“Once broken, people don’t become normal people again. Fear remains in their eyes to the end of their lives. Once they let themselves go there, there was no coming back; the human person was gone.”
In the beginning the author gives us Andy’s backstory and a glimpse of his life on Earth with his family. The introduction was a bit slow, and I found myself wondering how this would all lead to a tale of adventure with dragons. I admit, I was a bit impatient to start the adventure. Nevertheless, the story picks up its pace quickly after Andy is teleported into this new and dangerous world. Luckily for Andy, he has some survival skills under his belt and an undying determination to survive, despite the odds. Andy shows that his maturity and skills are beyond his years, especially when under stress.
Along his journey to survive and return to Earth he makes unlikely friends and even gains a strange but loving adoptive family. While escaping his captors and torturers Andy suffers from deathly wounds and decides to undergo a ritual to become a dragon, since it is his only hope to survive. I enjoyed this new take on the human and dragon story. Not only does Sapegin have the boy become friends with a dragon, but he also has the boy turn into a dragon. This is a new experience that I am excited to read about. As the reader, I get to experience the human side of the boy as well as the dragon side of him and it is fascinating.
Since this is a book that has been translated, I was expecting to have a hard time reading the book. I thought there were going to be spelling and grammar errors that would hinder my reading, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was translated. I only had to reread a couple of passages to understand what was happening, but overall my reading experience went well. There were a few plot holes, but since it is the first book in the series I am hoping that they will be explained later on.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed the world building and the new take on the human and dragon story. I am hooked and cannot wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens to these wonderful and interesting characters. I recommend this book to those who enjoy YA fantasy.
May 26, 2018
Official review for “The Dragon inside: Becoming a Dragon” by A. Sapegin
An Epic tale of: mystical creature, of a time forgotten; coming to life, and changing their life forms. Whimsical creatures, with magical talents; that are said to only the be in a creative person’s imagination. A mixture of fantasy, reality, that is intertwined with the mixture of beliefs.
It is said, that there were once mystical creatures, that ruled the earth; a long time ago. But, now they are only the creatures that live in our own imaginations. History shows us that thousands of years ago, the creatures were enormous, with wings that can soar thru the sky. This tale tells us of a life form that was on the edge of his existence, due of a tragedy; and who others had taught him that he could, alter who he was. Transform in to a beautiful majestic, mystical creature; to stay alive. His time was not over; he had abilities, strengths, and knowledge way beyond his age. He had the ability and knowledge necessary: to transform faster, learning quicker, and was bigger than life.
A fantasy tale involving: mythical creatures, magic, other dimensions of this world, another galaxy, the past, and dealing with the impossible; the impossible that is bigger than life. A tale that bending one’s imagination to such lengths; that it makes it seem real. Twisting the perspective of reality, with desires of one’s mind of what could be, of a longing for something that is out of reach in real life. Creating a place that has pleasures or wishes of what could be. Role-playing with traditional creature with twists of their real form.
One creator for all creatures; human or not, is the truth, no matter how one looks at it. Being able to mix that facts and fantasy, in to a story that makes it work; is a true creative mind. Not everyone thinks the same or feels the same, about things that happen in the everyday world, we live in. But, there is a point that everyone does come together; and that is in the belief of the one true creator. We are talking about religion, of a religious servant of the One God, analyzing ancient faith, the question of faith, of historical events, and the largest kingdom of all. Life and death, order over chaos, struggles and unity, of ancient legends that neutralize and maintain a sacred balance. Currently; ancient belief is that the soul will have a judgement awaiting. A judgement of either: eternal suffering or light afterlife or may be even reincarnated.
The Author A. Sapegin, of the book titled, “Becoming a Dragon” truly deserve a rating score of 3 out of 4 stars. His story, gets your imagination flowing, making to where you are not wanting to put the book down; until you have finished. Giving you the craving more, to keep reading; turning the pages, to see what happens next, following the twists, turn, and find a mixture of different realms, and beliefs.
An Epic tale of: mystical creature, of a time forgotten; coming to life, and changing their life forms. Whimsical creatures, with magical talents; that are said to only the be in a creative person’s imagination. A mixture of fantasy, reality, that is intertwined with the mixture of beliefs.
It is said, that there were once mystical creatures, that ruled the earth; a long time ago. But, now they are only the creatures that live in our own imaginations. History shows us that thousands of years ago, the creatures were enormous, with wings that can soar thru the sky. This tale tells us of a life form that was on the edge of his existence, due of a tragedy; and who others had taught him that he could, alter who he was. Transform in to a beautiful majestic, mystical creature; to stay alive. His time was not over; he had abilities, strengths, and knowledge way beyond his age. He had the ability and knowledge necessary: to transform faster, learning quicker, and was bigger than life.
A fantasy tale involving: mythical creatures, magic, other dimensions of this world, another galaxy, the past, and dealing with the impossible; the impossible that is bigger than life. A tale that bending one’s imagination to such lengths; that it makes it seem real. Twisting the perspective of reality, with desires of one’s mind of what could be, of a longing for something that is out of reach in real life. Creating a place that has pleasures or wishes of what could be. Role-playing with traditional creature with twists of their real form.
One creator for all creatures; human or not, is the truth, no matter how one looks at it. Being able to mix that facts and fantasy, in to a story that makes it work; is a true creative mind. Not everyone thinks the same or feels the same, about things that happen in the everyday world, we live in. But, there is a point that everyone does come together; and that is in the belief of the one true creator. We are talking about religion, of a religious servant of the One God, analyzing ancient faith, the question of faith, of historical events, and the largest kingdom of all. Life and death, order over chaos, struggles and unity, of ancient legends that neutralize and maintain a sacred balance. Currently; ancient belief is that the soul will have a judgement awaiting. A judgement of either: eternal suffering or light afterlife or may be even reincarnated.
The Author A. Sapegin, of the book titled, “Becoming a Dragon” truly deserve a rating score of 3 out of 4 stars. His story, gets your imagination flowing, making to where you are not wanting to put the book down; until you have finished. Giving you the craving more, to keep reading; turning the pages, to see what happens next, following the twists, turn, and find a mixture of different realms, and beliefs.
June 11, 2018
Becoming the Dragon by Alex Sapegin is the saga of a young man named Andy Kerimov, a sixteen-year-old boy in small town Russia whose life changed drastically when he was struck by lightning. He no longer had the ability to use most electrical items and emits a constant electric charge. One day, he stumbled upon a scientific testing site where he was suddenly transported to a foreign planet known as Ilanta.
The fantastical planet is home to many magical beings, such as elves, orcs, gnomes and dragons. Andy is quickly captured and sold as a slave, tortured and beaten. While enslaved he befriends Karegar the Dragon who, after escaping, takes Andy under his wing. When he is fatally wounded, Andy chooses to undertake the Incarnation, a ritual that could transform him into a dragon.
I rated this book 3 out of 4 stars. There were a couple of lines where it didn’t translate well from Russian to English, but you can understand what the intent was. In the beginning it seemed to be a bit chaotic, it goes into quite a bit of backstory with characters that you may not see much if at all after a couple of pages and then you get an influx of information seemingly thrown at you within a short amount of time. It slowly started to all make sense and mixed cohesively and when it did, the storyline was well done.
Andy is acting like a sixteen-year-old would in this kind of situation. He behaved a bit fool hearty, but he had some survival training which he used. I found his character to be realistic in the way that he handled the situation given to him and slowly he matured, but still reacted the way teenagers would. The characters that you meet, allies and enemies to Andy, all gave you a sense of humanity to them. You get to see flaws of theirs, as well as the good side to them, even if it is miniscule to the bad that they do. The magic system is fascinating, because it certainly is easy to follow for the basics, but there is more detail to delve into. Because this is the first of a series, it obviously ends on a cliffhanger. I found the twists in it well done, not entirely predictable but not too far fetched. Some adult themes, such as sex, male arousal and the concept of Virginity, are included. However, they do not describe the scenes in detail nor do they have many scenes that involve these adult themes.
In conclusion, I find this book to be well written as a whole. The storyline was enjoyable, felt a connection with the characters and would enjoy picking up the next book in the series. I do recommend this to those who love a good high fantasy, and it has an easy language to understand without an extensive vocabulary.
The fantastical planet is home to many magical beings, such as elves, orcs, gnomes and dragons. Andy is quickly captured and sold as a slave, tortured and beaten. While enslaved he befriends Karegar the Dragon who, after escaping, takes Andy under his wing. When he is fatally wounded, Andy chooses to undertake the Incarnation, a ritual that could transform him into a dragon.
I rated this book 3 out of 4 stars. There were a couple of lines where it didn’t translate well from Russian to English, but you can understand what the intent was. In the beginning it seemed to be a bit chaotic, it goes into quite a bit of backstory with characters that you may not see much if at all after a couple of pages and then you get an influx of information seemingly thrown at you within a short amount of time. It slowly started to all make sense and mixed cohesively and when it did, the storyline was well done.
Andy is acting like a sixteen-year-old would in this kind of situation. He behaved a bit fool hearty, but he had some survival training which he used. I found his character to be realistic in the way that he handled the situation given to him and slowly he matured, but still reacted the way teenagers would. The characters that you meet, allies and enemies to Andy, all gave you a sense of humanity to them. You get to see flaws of theirs, as well as the good side to them, even if it is miniscule to the bad that they do. The magic system is fascinating, because it certainly is easy to follow for the basics, but there is more detail to delve into. Because this is the first of a series, it obviously ends on a cliffhanger. I found the twists in it well done, not entirely predictable but not too far fetched. Some adult themes, such as sex, male arousal and the concept of Virginity, are included. However, they do not describe the scenes in detail nor do they have many scenes that involve these adult themes.
In conclusion, I find this book to be well written as a whole. The storyline was enjoyable, felt a connection with the characters and would enjoy picking up the next book in the series. I do recommend this to those who love a good high fantasy, and it has an easy language to understand without an extensive vocabulary.
September 6, 2018
This is a fantasy novel aimed at a young adult audience, following a young boy named Andy on a bizarre, out-of-this-world adventure. I received my copy via the Online Book Club.
From the start of the novel, it is clear that Andy is a bit different. After being struck by lightning on a school trip, Andy has a strange effect on electrical appliances. When Andy's father left some important documents at home, Andy is responsible for delivering them to his workplace. However, Iliya (Andy's father) is working on a sort of portal. Of course, Andy's 'condition' has an odd effect on this teleportation device, and suddenly Andy finds himself in the middle of some strange woods. At first, he thinks he may be in South America. But South America doesn't have GIANT ants, or another planet visible in the sky, or... dragons?!
So Andy finds himself being used as 'prey' for a royal hunting party, alongside several other intriguing characters. He accidentally attacks the princess, though, and ends up being held prisoner. He is tortured and ridiculed, displayed alongside a dragon. Together, they eventually escape, but Andy is badly injured. The only cure is to undertake a transformation - The Ritual - and become a dragon himself. However, this carries a lot of risks, especially for an older boy who is mostly grown.
While the premise of this story sounds exciting and unique, I found it quite dull when I was actually reading it. I was not really able to follow everything that happened. However, I must say that there was a great amount of detail when discussing the magical processes and the history of the people, which was very good. But when the history was being told, it felt a bit like a lecture. It wasn't exciting or interesting, sadly.
The story takes a sudden turning toward the end of the book, involving a girl Andy meets. This all happens very, very quickly, but was possibly one of the most interesting parts of the book.
As for the writing, I did notice a fair few issues. There were inconsistencies in the tense being used, as well as the perspective. There was also a lot of language used that was never actually defined; while some terms are mentioned in a glossary at the end of the book, I do believe several were not. This left me feeling a little bit clueless and unsure of what was happening at times, which was a shame.
I also did not feel any emotion in this book. The characters were not particularly well-developed, nor did they display any emotion or relationships with one another. Andy rarely expresses any longing for his own family, nor does he make any attempts to return to Earth. His 'love' for the girl, Polana, comes extremely suddenly, without much development at all. The speech was all very artificial, lacking the fluidity of natural speech.
Overall, it was interesting and unique, but not particularly well written or exciting. 2 out of 5 stars.
From the start of the novel, it is clear that Andy is a bit different. After being struck by lightning on a school trip, Andy has a strange effect on electrical appliances. When Andy's father left some important documents at home, Andy is responsible for delivering them to his workplace. However, Iliya (Andy's father) is working on a sort of portal. Of course, Andy's 'condition' has an odd effect on this teleportation device, and suddenly Andy finds himself in the middle of some strange woods. At first, he thinks he may be in South America. But South America doesn't have GIANT ants, or another planet visible in the sky, or... dragons?!
So Andy finds himself being used as 'prey' for a royal hunting party, alongside several other intriguing characters. He accidentally attacks the princess, though, and ends up being held prisoner. He is tortured and ridiculed, displayed alongside a dragon. Together, they eventually escape, but Andy is badly injured. The only cure is to undertake a transformation - The Ritual - and become a dragon himself. However, this carries a lot of risks, especially for an older boy who is mostly grown.
While the premise of this story sounds exciting and unique, I found it quite dull when I was actually reading it. I was not really able to follow everything that happened. However, I must say that there was a great amount of detail when discussing the magical processes and the history of the people, which was very good. But when the history was being told, it felt a bit like a lecture. It wasn't exciting or interesting, sadly.
The story takes a sudden turning toward the end of the book, involving a girl Andy meets. This all happens very, very quickly, but was possibly one of the most interesting parts of the book.
As for the writing, I did notice a fair few issues. There were inconsistencies in the tense being used, as well as the perspective. There was also a lot of language used that was never actually defined; while some terms are mentioned in a glossary at the end of the book, I do believe several were not. This left me feeling a little bit clueless and unsure of what was happening at times, which was a shame.
I also did not feel any emotion in this book. The characters were not particularly well-developed, nor did they display any emotion or relationships with one another. Andy rarely expresses any longing for his own family, nor does he make any attempts to return to Earth. His 'love' for the girl, Polana, comes extremely suddenly, without much development at all. The speech was all very artificial, lacking the fluidity of natural speech.
Overall, it was interesting and unique, but not particularly well written or exciting. 2 out of 5 stars.
April 20, 2018
Andy, a russian teenager survived being hit by lightning in his younger years. This gave him latent magical powers and causes computers to mess up around him. While trying to get some papers to his father he walks into a lab experiment and finds himself transported into a completely different world full of magical creatures and humans alike.
While there he accidentally frees a dragon named Karegar then gets captured and enslaved. When he becomes fatally wounded he goes through a ritual to become a dragon himself. Now he must learn to master both his new powers and this new body. Also he’s about to become a major player in a war between two planets that might even effect his home planet Earth as well.
Becoming the Dragon is the first in a series. Honestly I don’t think I am going to continue reading these books by Alex Sapegin. It was a struggle to get through this one, which is sad. It has all the things I love, and some things i’ve never read before. It's both Sci Fi and Fantasy but it has a lot of long winded moments. When it’s not dragging its heels with info dumps the plot is messy and jumpy with too many characters and places to keep track of. I honestly had a headache when I finished this. The juicy parts of the book don’t pick up until about ⅔ of the way so you really have to hang it there.
I give this book 2 out of 5 stars because 1 star just feels unfair, it was kinda bad but not My Immortal bad. However I don’t think it deserved 3 stars because it's just so all over the place. It’s kind of dry despite having a really fantastic idea behind it. It might be your cup of tea but personally I really disliked this a lot. I kept finding myself on edge waiting for something cool to happen. Especially in the beginning where we get a side story of him getting hit by lightning and then another anecdote about him learning to use a bow from his neighbor. These things end up being relevant but they just constipated the story and kept me from falling into it. I also had a hard time connecting to the MC Andy. Honestly I think I liked Karegar more.
So yeah, good concept bad execution but maybe you can overlook that. I however don’t care to pick up any more of Alex Sapegin’s books. Your mileage may vary.
While there he accidentally frees a dragon named Karegar then gets captured and enslaved. When he becomes fatally wounded he goes through a ritual to become a dragon himself. Now he must learn to master both his new powers and this new body. Also he’s about to become a major player in a war between two planets that might even effect his home planet Earth as well.
Becoming the Dragon is the first in a series. Honestly I don’t think I am going to continue reading these books by Alex Sapegin. It was a struggle to get through this one, which is sad. It has all the things I love, and some things i’ve never read before. It's both Sci Fi and Fantasy but it has a lot of long winded moments. When it’s not dragging its heels with info dumps the plot is messy and jumpy with too many characters and places to keep track of. I honestly had a headache when I finished this. The juicy parts of the book don’t pick up until about ⅔ of the way so you really have to hang it there.
I give this book 2 out of 5 stars because 1 star just feels unfair, it was kinda bad but not My Immortal bad. However I don’t think it deserved 3 stars because it's just so all over the place. It’s kind of dry despite having a really fantastic idea behind it. It might be your cup of tea but personally I really disliked this a lot. I kept finding myself on edge waiting for something cool to happen. Especially in the beginning where we get a side story of him getting hit by lightning and then another anecdote about him learning to use a bow from his neighbor. These things end up being relevant but they just constipated the story and kept me from falling into it. I also had a hard time connecting to the MC Andy. Honestly I think I liked Karegar more.
So yeah, good concept bad execution but maybe you can overlook that. I however don’t care to pick up any more of Alex Sapegin’s books. Your mileage may vary.
October 19, 2018
Becoming The Dragon by A. Sapegin is about a young man who crosses boundaries between worlds. In this process, he becomes a dragon while learning the culture and language of the new world he now resides in.
This book is the first book in a series that has five books in total. The storyline and plot line was very interesting. However, the deliverance of that storyline fell rather short for me. It promised action and adventure when, in truth, the whole tone was rather passive. In other books, there have been moments that made me cry or brought me to the edge of my seat. I never experienced that with this book.
Which is truly a shame because I liked the story the author was telling. It just wasn’t enough for me to want to continue reading the series. The main character, Andy, was sarcastic and funny, at times, making him a joy to read at times. The development was interesting in this character. He experienced loss and extreme change. It made him eager to learn in a way. He was trying to, I think, compensate for his missing family. Which becomes very evident in the third and fourth parts.
The rest of the characters were interesting. But not enough time was spent on them. They were mentioned and events were played out with said characters but it was not very focused. The author spent a lot of time world building and introducing characters but not a lot of time developing the relationships between the characters from the first page.
The book was decent. It was somewhat enjoyable but the tone threw everything off. The whole book was destroyed with its passive and lackluster tone. It grew distracting as the book went on. The whole premise that someone can not only cross worlds via a Stargate type system, but can also become a whole different species once in that world seemed exciting and captivating but the author just wasn’t able to pull it off in the first book.
Becoming The Dragon was interesting at the beginning but soon became lackluster. Alex Sapegin seems to have gotten better with the other books, I read ahead, but as the lead in for the series, it failed to capture my attention and keep it. I just couldn’t finish the read of the series. The first book should grip the reader and not let them go. This one just couldn’t do that for me.
This book is the first book in a series that has five books in total. The storyline and plot line was very interesting. However, the deliverance of that storyline fell rather short for me. It promised action and adventure when, in truth, the whole tone was rather passive. In other books, there have been moments that made me cry or brought me to the edge of my seat. I never experienced that with this book.
Which is truly a shame because I liked the story the author was telling. It just wasn’t enough for me to want to continue reading the series. The main character, Andy, was sarcastic and funny, at times, making him a joy to read at times. The development was interesting in this character. He experienced loss and extreme change. It made him eager to learn in a way. He was trying to, I think, compensate for his missing family. Which becomes very evident in the third and fourth parts.
The rest of the characters were interesting. But not enough time was spent on them. They were mentioned and events were played out with said characters but it was not very focused. The author spent a lot of time world building and introducing characters but not a lot of time developing the relationships between the characters from the first page.
The book was decent. It was somewhat enjoyable but the tone threw everything off. The whole book was destroyed with its passive and lackluster tone. It grew distracting as the book went on. The whole premise that someone can not only cross worlds via a Stargate type system, but can also become a whole different species once in that world seemed exciting and captivating but the author just wasn’t able to pull it off in the first book.
Becoming The Dragon was interesting at the beginning but soon became lackluster. Alex Sapegin seems to have gotten better with the other books, I read ahead, but as the lead in for the series, it failed to capture my attention and keep it. I just couldn’t finish the read of the series. The first book should grip the reader and not let them go. This one just couldn’t do that for me.
March 26, 2018
First in a series of five that originated in Russia, The Dragon Inside: Becoming the Dragon is debut Young Adult fiction from Alex Sapegin with a complicated sci-fi/fantasy plot.
Dragons and other fantasy creatures make this a sought after story for the YA crowd, especially for young adult boys, but it should be noted that (perhaps due to translation from the original Russian text) details seem rough and there are definite storyline gaps. In short, while it’s an exceptionally imaginative plot, full of action and adventure, it can be very hard to follow. Perhaps some of these questions will be answered in successive books, but there is regrettably little exposition to set the stage.
The gist of the storyline is that the main character, Alex, is struck by lightening on a school field trip years earlier, but thought the only effects of the incident were a nasty scar and a lingering strange effect on electronics that he came near. Without video games to fill his time, he found (or developed) other pastimes and skills, like cooking and archery. His constant sidekick is his pet dog, Bon. But one day while running an errand for his Father, who works at a private discovery lab aiming to master teleportation, Alex passed through the lab’s Experimental Field and was sent via portal to the fairytale world of Ilanta.
Humans, orcs, elves and dragons live in Ilanta. (Some of the best parts about the world here are that some creatures are borrowed from common lore and others are entirely new.) Alex, a teenager, takes his sudden appearance here surprisingly in stride, even as he meets danger almost immediately, and the dangers continue at every turn - though he does meet some unlikely friends and allies along the way as well.
It seems to survive in this world he may need to lose his humanity.
Becoming the Dragon, this first book in The Dragon Inside series, is a complicated, but interesting read. I found it to lack some critical plot devices, but young males may enjoy it and other books in the series if the story continues to develop in a comprehensive way.
Dragons and other fantasy creatures make this a sought after story for the YA crowd, especially for young adult boys, but it should be noted that (perhaps due to translation from the original Russian text) details seem rough and there are definite storyline gaps. In short, while it’s an exceptionally imaginative plot, full of action and adventure, it can be very hard to follow. Perhaps some of these questions will be answered in successive books, but there is regrettably little exposition to set the stage.
The gist of the storyline is that the main character, Alex, is struck by lightening on a school field trip years earlier, but thought the only effects of the incident were a nasty scar and a lingering strange effect on electronics that he came near. Without video games to fill his time, he found (or developed) other pastimes and skills, like cooking and archery. His constant sidekick is his pet dog, Bon. But one day while running an errand for his Father, who works at a private discovery lab aiming to master teleportation, Alex passed through the lab’s Experimental Field and was sent via portal to the fairytale world of Ilanta.
Humans, orcs, elves and dragons live in Ilanta. (Some of the best parts about the world here are that some creatures are borrowed from common lore and others are entirely new.) Alex, a teenager, takes his sudden appearance here surprisingly in stride, even as he meets danger almost immediately, and the dangers continue at every turn - though he does meet some unlikely friends and allies along the way as well.
It seems to survive in this world he may need to lose his humanity.
Becoming the Dragon, this first book in The Dragon Inside series, is a complicated, but interesting read. I found it to lack some critical plot devices, but young males may enjoy it and other books in the series if the story continues to develop in a comprehensive way.
August 22, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
*deep inhale*
Look. I don't like trashing something that someone has put their all into creating. This book is something the author has worked on for a long time and I get that a lot went into it's creation. I always try to find the good in the books I read, even if I didn't enjoy them. With that said, we're gonna talk about the bad things first and end with the good, so as to end on a positive note.
The Bad:
- Why did we need a description of every woman's cleavage? Seriously, at one point, I had to read this in regards to the king's youngest daughter: "The younger one, Namita, as thin as a reed, with a barely visible chest..." Why do I need to know about this *child's* chest size?! Why is this at all relevant?
-The fact that there aren't any well-written female characters in this is less shocking when you take point one into consideration.
- But the fact that *all* of the characters where about as exciting as dishwater was a bit disappointing. Especially in a book about a boy who turns into a literal dragon!
- And can we talk about Andy? How does a kid from our world who doesn't even read fantasy books tap into his insanely overpowered magical abilities so easily?! Make it make sense.
- Though that may be due to the fact that the timeline is a jumbled mess. There's so much jumping back in forth in such a short book that I found myself completely lost. And let's not get started on the overburdened paragraphs that attempted to explain the science and magic of this world. All those accomplished were making my eyelids droop.
...*sigh* Okay. Let's move on, shall we?
The Good:
- The premise is such a great one! It's unique and has a lot of potential.
- I did love the author's depictions of the new world Andy arrives in. They were vivid and made it easy to imagine the land.
- It was short, so it was a pretty fast read... *shrug*
And, in the spirit of ending on a good note, I will leave it at that! I will not be continuing this series, but I do wish the author all the best in his future endeavors!
*deep inhale*
Look. I don't like trashing something that someone has put their all into creating. This book is something the author has worked on for a long time and I get that a lot went into it's creation. I always try to find the good in the books I read, even if I didn't enjoy them. With that said, we're gonna talk about the bad things first and end with the good, so as to end on a positive note.
The Bad:
- Why did we need a description of every woman's cleavage? Seriously, at one point, I had to read this in regards to the king's youngest daughter: "The younger one, Namita, as thin as a reed, with a barely visible chest..." Why do I need to know about this *child's* chest size?! Why is this at all relevant?
-The fact that there aren't any well-written female characters in this is less shocking when you take point one into consideration.
- But the fact that *all* of the characters where about as exciting as dishwater was a bit disappointing. Especially in a book about a boy who turns into a literal dragon!
- And can we talk about Andy? How does a kid from our world who doesn't even read fantasy books tap into his insanely overpowered magical abilities so easily?! Make it make sense.
- Though that may be due to the fact that the timeline is a jumbled mess. There's so much jumping back in forth in such a short book that I found myself completely lost. And let's not get started on the overburdened paragraphs that attempted to explain the science and magic of this world. All those accomplished were making my eyelids droop.
...*sigh* Okay. Let's move on, shall we?
The Good:
- The premise is such a great one! It's unique and has a lot of potential.
- I did love the author's depictions of the new world Andy arrives in. They were vivid and made it easy to imagine the land.
- It was short, so it was a pretty fast read... *shrug*
And, in the spirit of ending on a good note, I will leave it at that! I will not be continuing this series, but I do wish the author all the best in his future endeavors!
April 29, 2018
Becoming the dragon by Alex Sapegin is a YA sci-fi/fantasy originally published in Russian. It fits very well with the genre.
The story of Andy starts when he was struck by lightning on a school trip and his life takes unexpected turns from there. Being transported through a portal in a world full of magical creatures and danger, he needs to make a choice between becoming a dragon and losing his humanity or simply losing his life.
What I loved about this book was the storytelling. It felt like I was a child and a grandparent was telling me a story of magical worlds. The author has a wonderful talent to gently lure you into his world. The beginning of the book has interesting information about history through Andy’s lesson on archery that I found very pleasing. Later in the book , it felt, at times, like there was too much detail on some things but not enough of others. It didn’t take away from the plot too much even with all the subplots that seemed popping up constantly. That’s to be expected with a first book in the series and I’m hoping a lot of questions will be answered in the rest of the books.
Reading this book I can see it might be difficult for western readers to connect with it. The author describes family life, mind-set, as well as general situations in Central Europe that are realistic. The interaction between Andy and his family and neighbors as well as his internal reasoning was what gave that reality aspect in the book for me. I’m a fast reader but it took me some time to finish this book since for some reason the author kept losing my interest with too much description.
The jumps between the narrative and situations could’ve been done more smoothly and there was entirely too much detail on unimportant things. It felt like the author was trying to write a movie rather than a book. That’s the reason I didn’t give this book a higher rating. The characters are well developed, the plot is intriguing and there is a lot of action. It’s definitely something that will call to those that love YA fantasy, especially younger men.
The story of Andy starts when he was struck by lightning on a school trip and his life takes unexpected turns from there. Being transported through a portal in a world full of magical creatures and danger, he needs to make a choice between becoming a dragon and losing his humanity or simply losing his life.
What I loved about this book was the storytelling. It felt like I was a child and a grandparent was telling me a story of magical worlds. The author has a wonderful talent to gently lure you into his world. The beginning of the book has interesting information about history through Andy’s lesson on archery that I found very pleasing. Later in the book , it felt, at times, like there was too much detail on some things but not enough of others. It didn’t take away from the plot too much even with all the subplots that seemed popping up constantly. That’s to be expected with a first book in the series and I’m hoping a lot of questions will be answered in the rest of the books.
Reading this book I can see it might be difficult for western readers to connect with it. The author describes family life, mind-set, as well as general situations in Central Europe that are realistic. The interaction between Andy and his family and neighbors as well as his internal reasoning was what gave that reality aspect in the book for me. I’m a fast reader but it took me some time to finish this book since for some reason the author kept losing my interest with too much description.
The jumps between the narrative and situations could’ve been done more smoothly and there was entirely too much detail on unimportant things. It felt like the author was trying to write a movie rather than a book. That’s the reason I didn’t give this book a higher rating. The characters are well developed, the plot is intriguing and there is a lot of action. It’s definitely something that will call to those that love YA fantasy, especially younger men.
May 15, 2018
WARNING: I would say this book is more proper for mature 8th graders and anyone above, particularly those being introduced to high fantasy, die-hard lovers of dragons and magic, those with slower reading pace or reading ability, or just someone who wants a somewhat lighter fantasy read. Due to the references to sex I would not let anyone younger read it.
I felt it was a bit obvious that the story was translated. While the sentence structure seems somewhat simple, there are parts of the story that are awkward to read and lack a bit of flow. While I paused occasionally, it did not really disrupt my reading experience to where I could not continue.
The story itself is not bad. Although, it was easy to realize who the “important” characters were. The protagonist, Andy, is a relatable character and I can see his development but many of the supporting characters were lacking around him. I wish the character relationships had been more established; the physical aspect of many characters were okay but relationships lacked depth.
While the beginning of the plot is somewhat predictable in the series of events, the middle of the book gave me a feeling of tension as Sapegin began to create a new feeling of unpredictability and urgency. I really, really enjoyed the author blending of high fantasy with science fiction in theory but it never went into the depth I was wishing for.
There was a lack on consistency in the descriptions during some scenes and the world building. I wish the environments had been described a little more colorfully, as they sometimes became flat due to what felt like a rush in writing. However, since this is only the first book I have a hope that the writing will gain better detail and action scenes will not be glossed over. With a cliffhanger and surprising revelation, I feel hope about the future of this series.
Overall, I enjoyed but it was not the greatest fantasy work that I have read. It is a fast and light read that has potential.
3 out of 5 stars.
I felt it was a bit obvious that the story was translated. While the sentence structure seems somewhat simple, there are parts of the story that are awkward to read and lack a bit of flow. While I paused occasionally, it did not really disrupt my reading experience to where I could not continue.
The story itself is not bad. Although, it was easy to realize who the “important” characters were. The protagonist, Andy, is a relatable character and I can see his development but many of the supporting characters were lacking around him. I wish the character relationships had been more established; the physical aspect of many characters were okay but relationships lacked depth.
While the beginning of the plot is somewhat predictable in the series of events, the middle of the book gave me a feeling of tension as Sapegin began to create a new feeling of unpredictability and urgency. I really, really enjoyed the author blending of high fantasy with science fiction in theory but it never went into the depth I was wishing for.
There was a lack on consistency in the descriptions during some scenes and the world building. I wish the environments had been described a little more colorfully, as they sometimes became flat due to what felt like a rush in writing. However, since this is only the first book I have a hope that the writing will gain better detail and action scenes will not be glossed over. With a cliffhanger and surprising revelation, I feel hope about the future of this series.
Overall, I enjoyed but it was not the greatest fantasy work that I have read. It is a fast and light read that has potential.
3 out of 5 stars.
January 22, 2018
Becoming a Dragon is a well written book by Alex Sapegin. This book is rather unique and the author does a good job creating a new world that does have semblance with ours, borrowing quite a few creatures from our known mythology and paranormal genre, but also creates a few of his own. His plot is imaginative and follows a great pace. I never felt like the story was dragging out although there were a couple of slower spots to allow some character development. The story never felt rushed though and did surprise me a few times with the direction it took.
Andy is an interesting character and it sure impresses me that a teenager his age is taking everything that happens to him with such ease. Thankfully he finds some very good friends along his difficult journey.
All in all this is a fun read. My interest is peaked but since I have a longer reading list finding out what will happen next to Andy will have to wait.
Voluntary review of Advance Reader Copy. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.
Andy is an interesting character and it sure impresses me that a teenager his age is taking everything that happens to him with such ease. Thankfully he finds some very good friends along his difficult journey.
All in all this is a fun read. My interest is peaked but since I have a longer reading list finding out what will happen next to Andy will have to wait.
Voluntary review of Advance Reader Copy. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.
February 28, 2018
Step into a world of orc, elves, gnomes, and dragons with Alex Sapegin’s Becoming the Dragon. Andrew is a normal sixteen-year-old who isn’t so normal after his electrifying accident two years prior. Suddenly, technology doesn’t really like his presence. He hasn’t really felt himself. And fate is about to make that even worse as he is suddenly thrown into an entirely different world. Even in this new world, he’s unique.
While I enjoyed Sapegin’s storytelling, I had a difficult time being pulled into this book until the very end. The writing was very choppy and had little flow. Among the choppiness, I was distracted by the many repetitive sentences as well as some misspellings. However, I’m chalking this up to the translation process. Becoming the Dragon was first published in Russian and has since been brought over to the U.S. in order to allow American readers to enjoy some modern Russian literature. Fantasy lovers will thoroughly fall in love with this story, if they can overlook some of the technical problems.
I received this book from Smith Publicity, Inc. for review.
While I enjoyed Sapegin’s storytelling, I had a difficult time being pulled into this book until the very end. The writing was very choppy and had little flow. Among the choppiness, I was distracted by the many repetitive sentences as well as some misspellings. However, I’m chalking this up to the translation process. Becoming the Dragon was first published in Russian and has since been brought over to the U.S. in order to allow American readers to enjoy some modern Russian literature. Fantasy lovers will thoroughly fall in love with this story, if they can overlook some of the technical problems.
I received this book from Smith Publicity, Inc. for review.
March 22, 2018
“Becoming the Dagon” is a great start to “The Dragon Inside” series where Sapegin brings the classic elements of mysticism and folklore to modern YA readers. Sapegin’s world of Ilanta is weaved with the features of a quintessential fairytale narration, not in the ‘happily ever after’ sense, rather in a style similar to Hans Christian Anderson’s writings.
I enjoyed seeing how Andy’s contemporary persona blended in with the new world of Ilanta and easily became a part of Sapegin’s narration. “Becoming the Dragon” had many gripping elements such as the newfound relationship between Andy and Karegar, the awakening of hidden powers, and the unknown future of Ilanta.
I found “Becoming the Dragon” a fresh, original work of fantasy with a great plot that promises to develop throughout the series, and it holds enough action, adventure, and unpredictable twists to have readers yearning for more pages.
Highly recommend if you are a fan of Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle" or Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" series.
I enjoyed seeing how Andy’s contemporary persona blended in with the new world of Ilanta and easily became a part of Sapegin’s narration. “Becoming the Dragon” had many gripping elements such as the newfound relationship between Andy and Karegar, the awakening of hidden powers, and the unknown future of Ilanta.
I found “Becoming the Dragon” a fresh, original work of fantasy with a great plot that promises to develop throughout the series, and it holds enough action, adventure, and unpredictable twists to have readers yearning for more pages.
Highly recommend if you are a fan of Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle" or Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" series.
May 25, 2018
{I received this book free as an Advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.}
Book blurb:
From now on he’s got two hearts beating in his scale-clad chest, and two mighty wings on his back. In the faraway planet of two moons, he was born again as a dragon… but would it make him any less human?
The Dragon Inside, a bestselling series by Alex Sapegin, is comprised of a total of four books:
– Becoming the Dragon
– Taking Wing
– A Tale of Violence
– Three Wars
It is a saga of portal traveling, bodily transformations, reincarnation and epic combat ... (see expanded blurb on the books Goodreads page)
Book Review of Becoming The Dragon by A. Sapegin ...
I love a good sci-fi/fantasy book and in the end this book was good. The characters come alive and the world is well constructed ... but it is a slow start. The pacing just wasn't what I am used too and it took me way longer to read this book than normal because it took too long for the pace to pick up.
It is a good story and well done just know going in that the pace of the book is slow at times.
Book blurb:
From now on he’s got two hearts beating in his scale-clad chest, and two mighty wings on his back. In the faraway planet of two moons, he was born again as a dragon… but would it make him any less human?
The Dragon Inside, a bestselling series by Alex Sapegin, is comprised of a total of four books:
– Becoming the Dragon
– Taking Wing
– A Tale of Violence
– Three Wars
It is a saga of portal traveling, bodily transformations, reincarnation and epic combat ... (see expanded blurb on the books Goodreads page)
Book Review of Becoming The Dragon by A. Sapegin ...
I love a good sci-fi/fantasy book and in the end this book was good. The characters come alive and the world is well constructed ... but it is a slow start. The pacing just wasn't what I am used too and it took me way longer to read this book than normal because it took too long for the pace to pick up.
It is a good story and well done just know going in that the pace of the book is slow at times.
April 6, 2018
This book was officially reviewed for OnlineBookClub.org. Check out my full review: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
The Good:
- Has several magical creatures – elves, gnomes, dragons, etc.
- Themes are portrayed well
The Not-So Good:
- Secondary characters are forgettable with no distinguishable traits
- Plot is choppy and jumps around quite a bit
- Dragon transformation, though part of the title, doesn’t happen until about two-thirds into the book
- Uncommon and inventive names/words were frustrating and hard to keep track of (i.e. -names: Grok, Grchok, Gmar, Glik, etc.; inventive words: bozl, settage, mrowns, troglomp, etc.
Perhaps those who don’t mind plot jumpiness and inventive language would enjoy this one.
https://bookloverblogs.com/2018/04/06...
The Good:
- Has several magical creatures – elves, gnomes, dragons, etc.
- Themes are portrayed well
The Not-So Good:
- Secondary characters are forgettable with no distinguishable traits
- Plot is choppy and jumps around quite a bit
- Dragon transformation, though part of the title, doesn’t happen until about two-thirds into the book
- Uncommon and inventive names/words were frustrating and hard to keep track of (i.e. -names: Grok, Grchok, Gmar, Glik, etc.; inventive words: bozl, settage, mrowns, troglomp, etc.
Perhaps those who don’t mind plot jumpiness and inventive language would enjoy this one.
https://bookloverblogs.com/2018/04/06...
June 4, 2018
While I was going through a bunch of books to choose from this one caught my eye. The book cover is awesome if this had been a graphic design rating I'd definitely give it a 5/5 star. The blurb was also telling that there was a lot happening inside the book and indeed it was a lot.
It is a fairly long read, my kindle showed 6hrs + approx while reading and it took almost the same for me being a fast paced reader. Since its a first book in the series it was more about the plot buildup. There was a lot of base building up in a first few chapters about the series. It was interesting and overwhelming at the same time since there was TMI at times. I wish there was a smooth flow in story and information giving out.
Read the full review on www.dhawaljoshi.in
It is a fairly long read, my kindle showed 6hrs + approx while reading and it took almost the same for me being a fast paced reader. Since its a first book in the series it was more about the plot buildup. There was a lot of base building up in a first few chapters about the series. It was interesting and overwhelming at the same time since there was TMI at times. I wish there was a smooth flow in story and information giving out.
Read the full review on www.dhawaljoshi.in
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews