Dragon Shift

Dragons of Kaitstud #1

by Clarissa Gosling

Half-bear-shifter half-dragon in a world where dragons are thought extinct, Birgith must face the ultimate test of her shifting ability to be accepted as an adult in the Bear-shifter clan.

If Birgith manifests any sign that she has dragon blood she will be killed immediately and her dragon family hunted, as they are feared by all four clans in the continent of Kaitstud. But when the test comes, she is unable to shift at all. So she is exiled and classed as a human, with all the restrictions on her that designation entails.

Leaving behind everything she’s ever known, Birgith sets out on a perilous journey away from her forest home to make peace with her dual heritage. A journey to find her hidden dragon family. A journey that puts her life and theirs at risk. Or that will help her embrace who she truly is.

The first in an exciting new series for readers who love magic, adventure and strong female characters.

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

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Clarissa has always lived more in the world of daydream and fiction than in reality. In her writing she explores purpose and belonging across worlds. Having never found an actual portal to faeryland, she creates her own fantastical worlds where dragons, fae and other magical creatures rule.

She now lives in the Netherlands with her family, where she writes as much as they will let her. When not reading or writing, she drinks too much tea and has a burgeoning obsession with Bundt cakes.

Reviews

[Courtney Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to finally get the chance to finish between moving and being sick, but throughout all of that I greatly enjoyed the storyline, the main character, and flow of the novel. Bigirth is a very well written character and her struggle/obstacle in life is both understandable and sympathetic. I never read a book where being born a dragon shifter was bad so this was a new take and to figure out she’s not only that was definitely a cool spin. All in all, 5/5 enjoyed the book and would recommend.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This book has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this book and would read more books by this author. Enjoyable and worth the time. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with a main character who has to set out on a journey to figure out what and who she is. The storytelling is well done and flows smoothly.

[Kit Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, looked forward to it every time I had to leave. I do love fantasy, and this is a great example without being epic. I'm a bit tired of epic fantasy where the entire world future rests on actions of one person. I was glad to have one person sized problems to deal with, and characters to whom I could relate and grow fond of. There is enough foreshadowing that I have opinions with no certainty about the future, and that is as it should be. I'll be glad to get my hands on the sequel.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[M.W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book! I really enjoyed the plot. I couldn't stop reading it! I definitely recommend this book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Megan Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book and I enjoyed reading it.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fast read and felt like a first novel (it might not be, I don’t know enough about the author). In many ways, it was predictable.

There the heroine who doesn’t fit in with her clan. She ends up going on an adventure. She finds out she really is the first of her kind (two shifting abilities), she finds her family, she finds love (but can’t accept, because duty) and all of this in like two weeks time.

There are a few pleasant twists along the away. Characters for you to like and dislike (not really love or hate - more character development is needed). And I’m pretty much a sucker for a dragon story.

One pleasant part, this shows a good YA story can be written without curse words and sex scenes, who would imagine.

[Rukshy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birgith grows up as the ''adopted'' daughter of the leader of the bear clan's brother but on the outskirts of the community due to secrets of her past. When she fails to shift at her coming of age ceremony, she is banished from her home and father to the human settlement. What ensues is a journey to find her mother's family and her brothers, as Birgith comes to terms with both her bear and dragon heritage. This story is full of secrets, adventure and a heroine who seems to end up in lots of trouble. The writing was a little simplistic and I would have appreciated a more descriptive writing style, but overall it was an enjoyable story. 4/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rose Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight! I absolutely loved this book! Birgith is raised as a bear-shifter but is unable to shift during the shifting ceremony. As a result, she's cast out of her bear-shifter clan and is classified as a mere human. She then goes on a journey to discover who she really is and finds herself being called to dragons, even though dragons are extinct. Or are they? This journey of self-discovery is so lovely, and I highly recommend this book to lovers of dragon fantasy. So good!

[Alena Orrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragon Shift is another quick magical read by Clarissa Gosling. Her world-building is sprinkled throughout and filled with unique characteristics. The characters are relatable and described just enough that I can picture them but still fill in the details. I love the journey Birgith takes to find her family; she also finds herself along the way.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this story as part of "Quirky Blind Date With a Book" and was unaware of the genre of DRAGON SHIFT. While this is classifies as YA, I found it to be a great fantasy read and would recommend for any age.

It is well developed and even though the world building is complex, it's laid out in a very compartmentalized way that was easy to follow.

I am adding the rest of the series to my TBR list.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing epic fantasy featuring humans who can shift into bears or dragons. The main character Birgith struggles to shift and is cast out so she goes in search of her true family who are dragons like her but they are supposed to be extinct. She explores the world and herself to find her family and where she belongs. Enjoyed it and awaiting to see what happens in the next book!

[Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This grabbed a hold of me and didn't let go until I'd about half the book, had to put it down so I could get some housework done. The characters were strongly developed and the storyline kept you hooked and wanting to get to the next page.

Great book!

[Kerry Fine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the story. If I were a teacher grading this work, I would give it a solid C - the story was entertaining, but it needed fleshing out badly (I never even felt like I got to know the main character), and I got lost in the tense changes, sentence fragments, and pronoun disagreements.

[Charlotte Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragon Shift

Love this book can't wait to read the rest. Awesome writer. Keep me interested the whole book through. Hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did

[Moira · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fair warning: I've only read the first three chapters, so my review might be incomplete, but I'm bothered by the writing enough to know I won't be able to enjoy this.

The world-building seems interesting and I'd be curious to explore, but the writing is poor:

1.Sentences are unnecessarily overcomplicated with weird syntax and thesaurus-suspicious words thrown in here and there for no reason. 2.There was a bunch of action instantly without giving the reader any hints about the heroine's personality (but giving away her darkest secret immediately instead of building on it) or much introduction to the world, which just made me feel I'm reading fanfic instead of epic fantasy.
3.Characters felt two dimensional and the interactions and conversations unnatural.

Still think this might work as an animated series or script if edited a bit, because some of the ideas were unique, but action is progressing too quickly without much value or style to it as is now.

[louisa dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

that was a pretty good book - clearly written for teens yet decent. Unfortunately it looks like the 2nd in series turns into a romance novel, which i refuse to read, so i'll wait for the final book in series and see how it all turns out. Males go on adventures all the time without it turning into silly romance and i want strong, smart female characters who don't need that nonsense.

[Clarissa Gosling]

Welcome to the world of Kaitstud where shifters rule, music makes magic, and the dragon rulers were wiped out hundreds of years ago. Or so everyone thinks. Dragon Shift is the story of a girl who has to keep half of her heritage a secret while needing to prove the other half to be accepted within her clan.

NEW COVER!!!

[A.R. Grimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A world of dragons and other shifters

This was a fun story to read. The worldbuilding is interesting, the main character is a tough and determined young lady, there are bear, wolf, cat, and fox shifters, and of course, there are dragons, even though everyone believes they are all gone. Content is appropriate for young people and the end left me wanting to continue on to the next book.

[Taaibah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, talk about dilemmas and a roller coaster of emotions and truths...
I finally read this book on and off over 2 1/2 days...
Could not put it down once I got into it.
Some interesting surprises, especially near the end..
I cannot wait to continue the journey...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cindy Fong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good high fantasy story centered around a world of shifters. Brigith is part bear, part dragon and doesn't know what animal she manifests to. As she is forced to live a different life than she imagined, she finds so much more out in the world. The characters are well developed and the brothers are fun to read.

[MGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has written an intriguing story that explores a world split between various shifter groups. The protagonist is a young woman with a big surprise for her, as the title alludes. Birgith travels this world as she searches for who she is. The author reveals some about her and some about her companions as the world slowly unfolds.

[Ithal · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's in it?
-forest vibe, autumn vibe, Castilian, snow-covered mountains in winter.
-bear & fox shifters, dragons
-feminist
-strong female protagonist
-Same age couple
-Quotes: *She didn’t like the sound of always assessing yourself against everyone else. That would be a miserable way to live.

[ChattyChik21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was good

I got so invested. The world building got a bit confusing at first but the. Things really started cooking. Can’t wait to read for the other books

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birgith lives in the bear clan. Everyone believes that her father found her in the woods as a baby and adopted her as his own. What actually happened was that her father mated with a dragon clan, and she brought Birgith to him

I should explain that all of the clans are shifters. They can change from human to whatever animal/ creature marks their clan. There are also just ordinary humans who live on the outskirts of clan areas. They are seen as below notice and sometimes just grunge work beings.

It is time for Birgith to go through the ceremony that proves she is a bear shifter. This ceremony makes no sense to me. So they put all of their children through this willingly knowing if they don't shift that they get exiled, but they all pass, I would assume, so why have it at all? Obviously, for the plot point to exile Birgith, but in the world of the story, it makes no sense. Unless its just a rite of passage and they are considered adults afterward .

So Birgith passes the " are you a shifter" part but fails to shift into a bear, so her uncle, the clan leader, kicks her out. Even though she proved she was a shifter. But Birgith feels two beings in her and is half afraid she will unwittingly shift into a dragon.

As luck would have it, some traveling merchant humans come by in their boat, and Birgith is told to go with them to help. Birgith immediately likes them both. The young Hadyn takes up more of the liking, of course

When they get to the wolf clan area, Birgith helps a child and ends up arrested. Her new traveling party has to get her out and explain more of the world to her. Birgith tends to get herself in trouble a lot.

During all of this, Birgith is trying to figure out how to find her mother the dragon shifter. She really has no clue where to look. Hadyn and his mother agree with the theory that they are in the mountains.

When they arrive in fox territory and the people say that they have captured a dragon, the story shifts from a coming of age to an adventure.

This story is really good. It keeps you wanting to find out how this will work out for Birgith. Its the first in a series, and the storyline doesn't end in this book, but it does have a satisfying bittersweet ending. It makes you want to hurry and get the next book in the series.

[Ashley D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragon Shift is an emotionally rich and adventurous series opener that explores identity, belonging, and courage in a world shaped by fear and ancient prejudice. Clarissa Gosling introduces readers to Birgith, a compelling heroine whose struggle to reconcile her dual heritage drives both the heart and momentum of the story.

The novel’s central conflict Birgith’s coming-of-age trial within the Bear-shifter clan immediately establishes high stakes. The threat of death should her dragon blood be revealed adds tension, and her failure to shift at all, resulting in exile, is a powerful twist that sets her on a transformative journey. Gosling handles these themes with sensitivity, making Birgith’s loss and resilience feel deeply authentic.

World-building is one of the book’s strengths. The fear surrounding dragons and the rigid hierarchy among the clans create a believable and dangerous setting, while the concept of being labeled “human” as a form of punishment is both original and thought-provoking. As Birgith ventures beyond her forest home, the story expands naturally, blending magic, danger, and self-discovery.

The pacing is steady and engaging, balancing action with introspective moments as Birgith learns to embrace who she truly is. Fans of fantasy featuring shifters, hidden identities, and strong female leads will find much to enjoy in this opening installment.

Overall, Dragon Shift is a promising start to the Dragons of Kaitstud series full of heart, adventure, and magic. It’s a strong recommendation for readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy with themes of acceptance and inner strength.

[Karen Grothe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This young adult book has an interesting system for magic, with music being used for effecting some of the magic, like for traveling floatships that float just above the ground. Many of the people can shift into one of 4 different animal types (wolf, bear, cat, and fox), and each type lives in their own clan territory with human, non-shifting servants. It was an interesting coming of age story, with a teenage girl protagonist who has a bear-shifting father and a dragon (who can also shift to a human form) mother. Her mother is not supposed to exist any longer, so our main character must keep her identity hidden, and ends up going on a hero's quest. Overall, I enjoyed the story and recommend it to fans of fantasy YA novels.

[Jann Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely charming! I'm embarrassed to say I don't know this author but I'm a big fan now.
Birgith is the main character who grows up as the adopted daughter in a bear clan but they live on the outskirts of town because who is she really? At a certain age (sorry but I forgot which one), the teens "shift" into - well, in the bear clan - they shift into bears. She can't seem to do it - so she is a lowly human who cleans up after the bear clan. From here she does a good bit of traveling - trying to find why she can't shift into a bear - but also possibly a dragon (they are endangered and killed).
After lots of adventures (and scary situations) - she finds why she couldn't shift and who her family really is.
Simply splendid!

[Susan May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another new author for me. I really enjoyed this story.  It has all the elements of great fantasy.  It's full of hidden truths, family, magic and dragons. I liked the authors writing style and the world building and the pace of the story was perfect.

Birgith was different. Her true being had always been hidden. She was raised in a bear shifter clan. She knew there would come a time when she would have to prove herself to the clan by shifting. She feared what she would shift into. Her mother had been a dragon and her father a bear. That gave her a 50/50 shot and she was terrified. When the time came she couldn't shift. The stress was to much. She ended up pretty much a servant to the bear shifters. She  ended up trying to find her dragon family and once she found them maybe she could get answers. She did find them but then realized her brother had been captured and needed to be rescued. Her journey w0as full of obstacles and hidden dangers. Simply a fantastic story and I am looking forward to book 2.

[Mary Longo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and great start to this fantasy adventure.