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The Crimson Torch
The Crimson Torch loves entertaining children and adults with brilliant bursts of flame and dazzling aerial acrobatics. But when growing pressure from dragon rights activists threatens to bankrupt the circus where he's performed since his hatching, Torch's owners have no choice but to sell him. Torch embarks on a harrowing odyssey through a world where dragons serve humans as beasts of burden, pampered pets, and everything in between. From an elite messenger corps to a seedy racing circuit, from the luxury of an aristocrat's estate to the brutal harness of an airship team, Torch struggles to survive and find somewhere he can call home. Far across the sea, the dragons' ancestral homeland beckons. But conflicting accounts from both humans and dragons leave Torch confused and torn. Is Dragana a savage wilderness where vicious, barbaric dragons battle to the death, or is it a peaceful haven where dragons govern themselves according to ancient wisdom? In the end, Torch faces a wrenching resign himself to captivity, or risk everything for a slim and dangerous chance of freedom.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2018
4 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 29, 2022
This is one of those books which you stumble upon by accident, you have no expectations and then you are happy you picked it up.
Story is from dragon point of view set in victorian age ish fictional world on the verge of industrial revolution. There are no magic or supernatural elements in the story (apart from intelligent dragons of course). Dragons although intelligent are kept as a slaves/beasts of burden because they are raised in captivity and kept obedient by being addicted on drug like substance provided by humans. Also, most humans do not regard them as an intelligent due to language barrier. Main character struggles through this word with various success. I think most similar book is Dragon of Ash and Stars (but with more intelligent dragons).
Book is stand alone, but world, characters and story had potential to be deepened and expanded and made into series (especially last third of the book). Alas that did not happen unfortunately. Nevertheless, highly recommended book in dragon pov subgenre.
Story is from dragon point of view set in victorian age ish fictional world on the verge of industrial revolution. There are no magic or supernatural elements in the story (apart from intelligent dragons of course). Dragons although intelligent are kept as a slaves/beasts of burden because they are raised in captivity and kept obedient by being addicted on drug like substance provided by humans. Also, most humans do not regard them as an intelligent due to language barrier. Main character struggles through this word with various success. I think most similar book is Dragon of Ash and Stars (but with more intelligent dragons).
Book is stand alone, but world, characters and story had potential to be deepened and expanded and made into series (especially last third of the book). Alas that did not happen unfortunately. Nevertheless, highly recommended book in dragon pov subgenre.
May 8, 2025
A thrilling story of an enslaved dragon, being sold from place to place and learning the hard way how most humans consider his kind, until he manages to set himself free only to discover that his own kind is not necessarily better.
All along the way, he must fight for his life and freedom, even and foremost against his own weaknesses that human handlers have been keen to use.
It ultimately ends well, even if it does after many trials (the story spans over decades of the MC's life). Despite this encumbered path the book is neither dark or grim, for even during hardships redeeming moments happen, and a motion forward remains visible.
All along the way, he must fight for his life and freedom, even and foremost against his own weaknesses that human handlers have been keen to use.
It ultimately ends well, even if it does after many trials (the story spans over decades of the MC's life). Despite this encumbered path the book is neither dark or grim, for even during hardships redeeming moments happen, and a motion forward remains visible.
April 29, 2023
This book was a very pleasant surprise. I had no expectations going into it, and yet, it managed to do many things that had me hooked, and evoked certain emotions that I wasn't expecting.
The biggest standout for me was the tone and the general theme of the world. It's about a society of humans that uses dragons for many purposes, like entertainment performances, messenger duty, labor, war, etc. The main character, Torch, is a part of a circus as a performer. However, Torch, just like all of the other dragons, is a slave to the humans, but in a way that leaves you with conflicting emotions. Torch loves humans, and humans love him. He doesn't realize that he's basically a slave (caged, collared, and meant to perform) because nobody is cruel to him, the humans love him, and he's been raised from his hatching with that mentality.
However, right at the start, the whole circus life falls apart and Torch is sold into ownership of an earl who loves and respects Torch, but at the same time, Torch is basically kept as a show pony, collared and chained to a small building and meant for viewing and showing off. Very quickly, he realizes that his new life is truly that of a slave, and one that is miserable to be a part of.
Drugging is also a massive part of the society, and dragons are fed dragonleaf to keep them drugged and calm and peaceful, basically turning them into addicts. And this is where the book really shined for me. The way it depicts the slavery and the horrible drugging of the dragons is done in such a matter-of-factly way, without ever being on the nose or trying to send some sort of message. As a reader, I was constantly appalled and even disturbed by many of the scenes (especially involving Torch's addiction to dragonleaf, and how eating just a tiny bit less daily would result in him being anxious, or sleeping worse, or similar), but there was nothing violent, brutal or physically disturbing about them. Despite the dragons loving the treatment and being drugged to love it (and even opposing those who wished to make dragons free), I could tell that it was very morally wrong, just from reading about it. At no point did the book say "slavery bad, drugging dragons is bad, dragons should be free!", the way it presented was more than enough to make me come to a natural realization that the world the dragons find themselves in is terrible, even if the dragons don't realize it yet.
I honestly wish the whole book was about the struggles of dragons trying to integrate themselves into the human society as intelligent creatures. The plot takes many turns and progresses through many stages of Torch's life. The plot is sometimes advanced by timeskips, some of which are huge, 10 years or so, which didn't detract from the story, but the sudden advancement in timeline felt a little bit jarring at times. I was definitely more interested in the first 1/3rd of the book compared to the rest, but the pacing and plot were really well done and kept me interested throughout.
Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this book, and the bleak and rather depressing world that it presented. I found Torch to be a great character who developed really nicely throughout the book, through the many, many hardships that he endured and very difficult realizations that he had to face. I felt truly sorry for him at many points and also equally happy for when, once in a blue moon, something would go right for him. His life was so full of hardships and events that would downright lead anyone into depression, or even worse (and these emotional effects on him were written very well) that I found myself feeling very proud of him, how far he has come and what he has achieved by the end of the book.
The ending, while being complete, definitely leaves it in a place where future sequels could be written, and the world further expanded upon, and I'm hoping the author does just that. I would love to read more about Torch and the world he is a part of.
I would absolutely recommend this book to dragon lovers, especially those who love a more serious, bleak and darker story.
The biggest standout for me was the tone and the general theme of the world. It's about a society of humans that uses dragons for many purposes, like entertainment performances, messenger duty, labor, war, etc. The main character, Torch, is a part of a circus as a performer. However, Torch, just like all of the other dragons, is a slave to the humans, but in a way that leaves you with conflicting emotions. Torch loves humans, and humans love him. He doesn't realize that he's basically a slave (caged, collared, and meant to perform) because nobody is cruel to him, the humans love him, and he's been raised from his hatching with that mentality.
However, right at the start, the whole circus life falls apart and Torch is sold into ownership of an earl who loves and respects Torch, but at the same time, Torch is basically kept as a show pony, collared and chained to a small building and meant for viewing and showing off. Very quickly, he realizes that his new life is truly that of a slave, and one that is miserable to be a part of.
Drugging is also a massive part of the society, and dragons are fed dragonleaf to keep them drugged and calm and peaceful, basically turning them into addicts. And this is where the book really shined for me. The way it depicts the slavery and the horrible drugging of the dragons is done in such a matter-of-factly way, without ever being on the nose or trying to send some sort of message. As a reader, I was constantly appalled and even disturbed by many of the scenes (especially involving Torch's addiction to dragonleaf, and how eating just a tiny bit less daily would result in him being anxious, or sleeping worse, or similar), but there was nothing violent, brutal or physically disturbing about them. Despite the dragons loving the treatment and being drugged to love it (and even opposing those who wished to make dragons free), I could tell that it was very morally wrong, just from reading about it. At no point did the book say "slavery bad, drugging dragons is bad, dragons should be free!", the way it presented was more than enough to make me come to a natural realization that the world the dragons find themselves in is terrible, even if the dragons don't realize it yet.
I honestly wish the whole book was about the struggles of dragons trying to integrate themselves into the human society as intelligent creatures. The plot takes many turns and progresses through many stages of Torch's life. The plot is sometimes advanced by timeskips, some of which are huge, 10 years or so, which didn't detract from the story, but the sudden advancement in timeline felt a little bit jarring at times. I was definitely more interested in the first 1/3rd of the book compared to the rest, but the pacing and plot were really well done and kept me interested throughout.
Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this book, and the bleak and rather depressing world that it presented. I found Torch to be a great character who developed really nicely throughout the book, through the many, many hardships that he endured and very difficult realizations that he had to face. I felt truly sorry for him at many points and also equally happy for when, once in a blue moon, something would go right for him. His life was so full of hardships and events that would downright lead anyone into depression, or even worse (and these emotional effects on him were written very well) that I found myself feeling very proud of him, how far he has come and what he has achieved by the end of the book.
The ending, while being complete, definitely leaves it in a place where future sequels could be written, and the world further expanded upon, and I'm hoping the author does just that. I would love to read more about Torch and the world he is a part of.
I would absolutely recommend this book to dragon lovers, especially those who love a more serious, bleak and darker story.
October 19, 2023
The Crimson Torch follows the life of the titular character, an enslaved dragon, as he goes from job to job without say in the matter (Partly because he can’t speak the human language). At the beginning of the story he is working in a circus and is treated fairly well. He actually likes the job he has. This positive experience will cloud his view throughout the stories as he gets to experience the actual cruelty his kind faces.
Torch truly is the heart of this book. His journey is just amazing. He is so naïve at the beginning of the story. All of his experiences in the book, good and bad, are viewed through this skewed lens. This makes for one of the most fascinating and frustrating character growths I’ve ever read. He faces abuse, cruelty and so much awful stuff and yet he constantly makes excuses for, or chooses to inadvertently prolong his suffering, all while you’re internally screaming at him to just break free. But at the same time the reasoning provided of why he makes these choices is solid and just leaves me feeling an immense amount of sympathy for Torch. Of course his viewpoint shifts with each experience he has and this slow burn character growth was handled amazingly well.
The best parts of this book for me are at the very end. The way Torch handles himself at the end, utilizing his experiences throughout the book makes for a truly stunning last act. A lot of the time books lose me towards the end, due to it being rushed, the novelty of concepts having worn of or just not being satisfying conclusion, but nothing is further from that here.
I feel the more mature aspects of this book, Being slavery and addiction, was handled in a very well. Importantly for the slavery aspect, it was handled in a nuanced way. Torch will meet humans and dragons who are terrible to him, good to him, some who are just terribly misguided and everything in between. Broad black and white statements or messaging is absent here.
The strongest aspect of this book for me is the addiction aspect. Dragons of this world are fed dragonleaf. This tiny leaf makes the dragons docile, drugging them into a state that they are easily controlled. The enslaved dragons become addicted to dragonleaf and even just lowering the dose they are fed can lead to serious withdrawal. This makes the battle with addiction one of the main struggles for Torch and all the other enslaved dragons around him. Most don’t want to stop and actually resent those who try to get them to quit. I have personally never struggled with addiction, but I have had people around me who have. When describing this book to them they said it actually was a pretty accurate description of their battles and feelings at the time. This gave me a new insight into s subject which I previously just shrugged off.
Overall this book is amazing, though can be really dark and depressing at times. I highly recommend this book for everyone who is even slightly interested. This review does not do the majesty of this book justice.
Torch truly is the heart of this book. His journey is just amazing. He is so naïve at the beginning of the story. All of his experiences in the book, good and bad, are viewed through this skewed lens. This makes for one of the most fascinating and frustrating character growths I’ve ever read. He faces abuse, cruelty and so much awful stuff and yet he constantly makes excuses for, or chooses to inadvertently prolong his suffering, all while you’re internally screaming at him to just break free. But at the same time the reasoning provided of why he makes these choices is solid and just leaves me feeling an immense amount of sympathy for Torch. Of course his viewpoint shifts with each experience he has and this slow burn character growth was handled amazingly well.
The best parts of this book for me are at the very end. The way Torch handles himself at the end, utilizing his experiences throughout the book makes for a truly stunning last act. A lot of the time books lose me towards the end, due to it being rushed, the novelty of concepts having worn of or just not being satisfying conclusion, but nothing is further from that here.
I feel the more mature aspects of this book, Being slavery and addiction, was handled in a very well. Importantly for the slavery aspect, it was handled in a nuanced way. Torch will meet humans and dragons who are terrible to him, good to him, some who are just terribly misguided and everything in between. Broad black and white statements or messaging is absent here.
The strongest aspect of this book for me is the addiction aspect. Dragons of this world are fed dragonleaf. This tiny leaf makes the dragons docile, drugging them into a state that they are easily controlled. The enslaved dragons become addicted to dragonleaf and even just lowering the dose they are fed can lead to serious withdrawal. This makes the battle with addiction one of the main struggles for Torch and all the other enslaved dragons around him. Most don’t want to stop and actually resent those who try to get them to quit. I have personally never struggled with addiction, but I have had people around me who have. When describing this book to them they said it actually was a pretty accurate description of their battles and feelings at the time. This gave me a new insight into s subject which I previously just shrugged off.
Overall this book is amazing, though can be really dark and depressing at times. I highly recommend this book for everyone who is even slightly interested. This review does not do the majesty of this book justice.
May 11, 2022
A Dragon's Journey to Utopia
Torch goes through multiple job changes and owners for reasons outside of his control. On the way, he learns to correct his naivete and understand how cruel the established system is to beings like him, but without forgetting kindness from few who do offer it as he seeks to build his own home.
The writing evokes intense emotions at times. As Torch suffers abuse, I share in his indignation, but as he overcomes his circumstances, I take part in his triumph. Descriptions are vivid and immersive; I feel as though I'm traveling with Torch and participating in the same experiences as he.
Minor editing issues could lessen the experience somewhat (particularly an unfortunate mistake of using a name of a character that shouldn't be present). Though I don't think they distract from the gripping story much.
If you've read Dragon of Ash and Stars, this book will feel somewhat similar. If you haven't, it's definitely a good read for any dragon PoV fan.
Torch goes through multiple job changes and owners for reasons outside of his control. On the way, he learns to correct his naivete and understand how cruel the established system is to beings like him, but without forgetting kindness from few who do offer it as he seeks to build his own home.
The writing evokes intense emotions at times. As Torch suffers abuse, I share in his indignation, but as he overcomes his circumstances, I take part in his triumph. Descriptions are vivid and immersive; I feel as though I'm traveling with Torch and participating in the same experiences as he.
Minor editing issues could lessen the experience somewhat (particularly an unfortunate mistake of using a name of a character that shouldn't be present). Though I don't think they distract from the gripping story much.
If you've read Dragon of Ash and Stars, this book will feel somewhat similar. If you haven't, it's definitely a good read for any dragon PoV fan.
January 27, 2024
very well developed..well within belief
The evolving conflict with joy of living and pain was painted intricately over time. The resolution will lead to interesting times if it succeeds. Looking forward to old forces locking with idealism!
The evolving conflict with joy of living and pain was painted intricately over time. The resolution will lead to interesting times if it succeeds. Looking forward to old forces locking with idealism!
October 11, 2018
Interesting
Interesting storyline with twists and turns as warring g factions between realms and free dragons vs enslaved dragons among each other.
Interesting storyline with twists and turns as warring g factions between realms and free dragons vs enslaved dragons among each other.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews