What do you think?
Rate this book
Discarded Dragons
Discover All 12 Possible Endings!
Not all dragons are created equal, as you well know. Some have wings intricately designed so their metal plates fold smoothly against their ribs. Others boast jeweled eyes that sparkle in the night. And still others possess needle-sharp claws that help them perch on the edges of shelves like birds of prey. All these dragons are useful, beautiful, and graceful.
You are not one of these, however. You hide in a pile of discarded metal parts on the floor and watch the others through a single, murky glass eye. The Maker tossed you aside when he found your thin wings were too weak to carry your body. Months have passed since that day and other discarded bits press down upon your frame, sharing their rust with you right along with their weight.
The Maker’s current project holds a lot of hope for you, though. She’s small, like you, and many of the parts not deemed worthy of her perfect shape might fit you. One in particular caught your eye while the Maker worked today.
As night sets, you see your chance to sneak out and complete your design, to be a finished creation, but choose wisely, Dear Dragon, for success or failure depends on your next move.
Not all dragons are created equal, as you well know. Some have wings intricately designed so their metal plates fold smoothly against their ribs. Others boast jeweled eyes that sparkle in the night. And still others possess needle-sharp claws that help them perch on the edges of shelves like birds of prey. All these dragons are useful, beautiful, and graceful.
You are not one of these, however. You hide in a pile of discarded metal parts on the floor and watch the others through a single, murky glass eye. The Maker tossed you aside when he found your thin wings were too weak to carry your body. Months have passed since that day and other discarded bits press down upon your frame, sharing their rust with you right along with their weight.
The Maker’s current project holds a lot of hope for you, though. She’s small, like you, and many of the parts not deemed worthy of her perfect shape might fit you. One in particular caught your eye while the Maker worked today.
As night sets, you see your chance to sneak out and complete your design, to be a finished creation, but choose wisely, Dear Dragon, for success or failure depends on your next move.
180 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2021
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer M. Zeiger
9 books24 followersJennifer M Zeiger grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado exploring every tree and cave she could find. Each new adventure fed her imagination, and, when she went to college, she was one of the rare students who knew exactly what degree she wanted because writing was her passion.
So in 2008, she earned her Bachelor's degree in English. And she's still exploring the world, expanding her horizons from Colorado to include everything from Washington State where the trees grow like giants to Germany where castles abound and the history is so thick you can feel it in the air! She lives with her husband, Nate, and their Bengal mix cat, who's better known as the Writing Sidekick. Her simple joys include coffee, chocolate, the occasional glass of scotch, good books, and exploring the world God created.
Her books include the multi-ending adventure Discarded Dragons and Zap Dragon, and her Hidden Mythics urban fantasy series including Quaking Soul and Theos Rising.
Visit her online at jenniferzeiger.com for current details.
So in 2008, she earned her Bachelor's degree in English. And she's still exploring the world, expanding her horizons from Colorado to include everything from Washington State where the trees grow like giants to Germany where castles abound and the history is so thick you can feel it in the air! She lives with her husband, Nate, and their Bengal mix cat, who's better known as the Writing Sidekick. Her simple joys include coffee, chocolate, the occasional glass of scotch, good books, and exploring the world God created.
Her books include the multi-ending adventure Discarded Dragons and Zap Dragon, and her Hidden Mythics urban fantasy series including Quaking Soul and Theos Rising.
Visit her online at jenniferzeiger.com for current details.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 31, 2025
I enjoyed reading it. But the story could be a bit longer. So 2 or 3 endings less would make keeping track of what version you've read and which not easier and the endings/storys could be longer. But overall it was a nice and short book.
PS: I recommend keeping notes which section you already read, so you don't get too confused.
PS: I recommend keeping notes which section you already read, so you don't get too confused.
May 16, 2024
"Discarded Dragons" is an exciting story well-suited to younger audiences. The writing is great and the main character, a cast-aside mechanical dragon, makes for the perfect underdog protagonist. The characters in the story are mostly dragons or other automatons and, due to the age range and nature of the genre, are somewhat shallow in depth. The Maker is barely a character but in one particular direction of the story, there is a girl who is pretty solid considering how much page-time she has. The plot of the story can, as this genre implies, go in many different directions based on the decisions the reader makes. Some are better than others, but all are constricted by the overall length of the tale. Nevertheless, there were two which took some truly unexpected twists and left an impression. In conclusion, expectations for this book should be tempered by the many limitations of the chose-your-own-adventure genre. It will not be a master’s thesis topic for any literary students but will make a fun afternoon for children up to young teens.
April 18, 2026
Discarded Dragons is a creative and introspective interactive story that blends fantasy with choice-driven storytelling. By placing the reader directly into the perspective of an unfinished creation, the narrative builds an immediate sense of vulnerability and curiosity.
What stands out most is its use of structure. The branching paths and multiple endings transform the story into an experience rather than a linear journey, allowing readers to explore different outcomes shaped by their decisions. This reinforces the central theme of agency how even something discarded can still shape its own fate.
At its core, this is a story about worth and becoming about finding purpose despite being overlooked or incomplete. With its imaginative premise and interactive design, Discarded Dragons is especially well suited to audio adaptations or immersive formats that can highlight its decision-based progression and emotional resonance.
What stands out most is its use of structure. The branching paths and multiple endings transform the story into an experience rather than a linear journey, allowing readers to explore different outcomes shaped by their decisions. This reinforces the central theme of agency how even something discarded can still shape its own fate.
At its core, this is a story about worth and becoming about finding purpose despite being overlooked or incomplete. With its imaginative premise and interactive design, Discarded Dragons is especially well suited to audio adaptations or immersive formats that can highlight its decision-based progression and emotional resonance.
October 6, 2021
A fun adventure book for all fans of steampunk and dragons!
Discarded Dragons is a choose-your-own-adventure book with multiple paths that each lead to one of 12 possible endings. The story is enchanting and immediately pulled me in—so much so that I quickly found I'd finished almost two whole story paths in a single sitting! I love the theme of being an imperfect miniature steampunk dragon trying to complete your design as you avoid the dangers in the workshop. I also really like the illustrations throughout the book; they bring many of the characters' traits and the story's exciting moments to life! Young readers are sure to love this adventure book, as will any fan of steampunk and/or dragons. I can't wait to explore all the choices in this book to see how the other endings play out!
Discarded Dragons is a choose-your-own-adventure book with multiple paths that each lead to one of 12 possible endings. The story is enchanting and immediately pulled me in—so much so that I quickly found I'd finished almost two whole story paths in a single sitting! I love the theme of being an imperfect miniature steampunk dragon trying to complete your design as you avoid the dangers in the workshop. I also really like the illustrations throughout the book; they bring many of the characters' traits and the story's exciting moments to life! Young readers are sure to love this adventure book, as will any fan of steampunk and/or dragons. I can't wait to explore all the choices in this book to see how the other endings play out!
February 1, 2022
First. I love the world created in this book. I met the author at a comic con in South Carolina a while back and bought two copies for my daughter and I to read together and discuss what ending we found, liked, or didn’t like. My only real issue was it was very short. I understand that with so many different endings it would be difficult to keep exploring each of those branches to the story. Every time I reached an ending I just felt like there could be more. I would say that this is a testament to the authors writing that I didn’t want it to end. I would recommend this book to everyone and it worked well with my daughter and I. We enjoyed talking through each ending and how we felt about it.
July 28, 2022
Harkening back to my childhood, this choose-your -own-adventure style book immediately drew me in. It is extremely well written and the endings all follow logically from their premises. The book gives a refreshing take on dragons that was unexpected when I started to read but made total sense by the time I'd reached the first ending. If you are looking for a hit of nostalgia or have children that like fantasy and deciding the fate of characters, this is the book for you.
November 10, 2021
Well, what can I say.........except AWESOME!!!! The chance to be a dragon was cool and the story pulled me in. It made me want to try every option and explore/find each ending. The chance to impact the story reminds me of the goosebumps series I read when I was a kid.
Overall, would be great for all ages that want a fun read!
Overall, would be great for all ages that want a fun read!
September 26, 2022
If you like Choose Your Own Adventures books then you would like this one that many options lead great and bad endings.
May 1, 2023
This book was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the character development and how fast paced the choices were.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews