Dragon Sleeping

The Dragon Circle #1

by Craig Shaw Gardner

Pursuing an ordinary life in 1967 Chestnut Circle, seventeen-year-old Nick Blake is astonished when his world is transformed by a fierce magical storm, forcing Nick to lead his neighbors into the heart of a sorcerer's conflict. Reprint.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Dragons, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Craig Shaw Gardner was born in Rochester, New York and lived there until 1967, when he moved to Boston, MA to attend Boston University. He graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Broadcasting and Film. He has continued to reside in Boston since that time.

He published his first story in 1977 while he held a number of jobs: shipper/receiver for a men's suit manufacturer, working in hospital public relations, running a stat camera, and also managed of a couple of bookstores: The Million Year Picnic and Science Fantasy Bookstore.

As of 1987 he became a full time writer, and since then he has published more than 30 novels and more than 50 short stories.

He also published under these pseudonyms:

Peter Garrison

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This plodding and largely disjointed fantasy novel had some good moments and TONS of mythological motifs. I think the author just tried to manage too many characters with too many subplots. For instance, if only the neighborhood children had been transported to a fantasy world, their personalities could have really developed deeply. However, by transporting the ENTIRE neighborhood, the author then struggled to keep track of sixteen (or so) characters from the first chapter. Despite some excellent moments (Raven and the Oomgosh almost saved the story) I’m going to pass on the rest of the trilogy.

[Christian West · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather slow fantasy book about a street that is transferred from 1960s America to a world where a sleeping dragon grants people magical powers.

I read this because the man in the middle of the cover had amazing eyebrows.

[Scott Shjefte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good fast read.

[Caitlin (Ayashi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did end up finishing these books but at times I had some trouble with them. I LOVE the premise, and the story. Toward the end of the series the suspense was really building up and it was a fun read.

I think that personally it was difficult to get into the characters. I didn't care about the vast majority of them, and they didn't always feel "real" to me. A character can make or break a story, and with the characters lacking (for me!) that is what prevented me from really getting into the story.

I thought that it was well written however, and I did enjoy the plot :)

[Noel Thingvall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd book. Partially because I was thrown for a while because the premise isn't actually what I thought it would be from the cover (a town built on a sleeping dragon's back - nope). To be fair, that's on me. Once I settled into the book, I started rolling with it. It's uneven. Some of the characters are interesting, some are bland and by-the-numbers. There's no real structure to how the book unfolds, with people just constantly running into things and having to react to them. Granted, many of them are interesting things, but it felt more like watching someone play a puzzle adventure game than read a novel. A good puzzle adventure game, but still. It also didn't nail down the lead cast as being from 1960s America, as I kept reading them as more contemporary to the book until I was reminded late in the game.

Overall, it was still a pleasant, easy read with some nice twists and an interesting world. I'm definitely going to read the next two, though it does feel like a story kinda freewheeling into place, which I'm not usually a fan of, and you can feel where it's spinning plates while figuring out where to go next.

[Nikky3 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know what to say. I started out liking this book, then I realized nothing was happening. I don't feel like at this point I care enough about the people in this story to finish the two other books in the series. Sad.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

SLow moving but good premise

[Trina Talma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read it before, though I never managed to get to the sequels. Just couldn’t get into it or finish it this time around.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually, I thought this was a new read, but then recognized the ending. I'm not sure the library even has the other volumes of this "Dragon Circle" series. Nor am I sure that I would read them. This is certainly a well-written book, but its large cast of characters mostly flounder around, trying to figure out what's going on - and so does the reader. The basic plot is that a gropu of people living on a cul-de-sac are transported (with houses and yards) to a very strange world partly populated by other transplants, all for the mysterious purposes of the Dragon. Two (or three) wizards want to use them - one definitely evil, one perhaps mostly selfish. But the confusion level in the story is very off-putting to me.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this first installment in "The Dragon Circle" trilogy. It's a slightly off-beat older fantasy novel which is a bit unique in that there doesn't seem to be a central protagonist. Instead, the story jumps between several inhabitants from the neighborhood of Chestnut Circle. All of them have been transported to another world by the mysterious power of "the dragon" and some of them seem to be important to the dragon in some way, but we don't know exactly how or why. Because of that uncertainty, the story rotates between points of view, although it does focus more on the children of Chestnut Circle. "Dragon Sleeping" does a good job of keeping you guessing, so I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!

[Allie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've had this series in my collection for close to 13 years, and as a teenager I found the story to be amazingly whimsical; a mysterious tree-man and his Raven, a troup of foreign soldiers stealing a neighbourhood of families away from their homes, mentionings of a dragon hidden away somewhere in the world.. But upon reading the book again as an adult, I'm not nearly as impressed. The writing style is very simple and predictable, the characters are nothing unique or outstanding, and the plotlines are rather ridiculous.

I think this was a nice read for a younger age bracket wanting to get their feet wet in the fantasy world, but as an adult, I'm afraid I can't engage myself.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I picked up at the local library merely because either the cover art or cover blurb intrigued me. I remember certain event quite clearly and being bothered by what was happening to certain characters. What I can't quite remember is if I finished the series. I know I borrowed the third book of the series, but I have no memory of the second book. Unless I've blurred them together in my head? Well, it's been quite a few years since I picked up the series. The fact that I can remember anything about this book and enjoyed it enough to attempt to continue the series earns this book 3 stars.

[MrJsPancakeHouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 150 or so pages where hard for me to read, I had never read a book written like this, mostly because I just started getting into reading. I actually enjoyed the way it was written almost as if each chapter was its own story and at the end had its own cliffhanger, but each story eventually meet into one. The plot for one picks up greatly in towards the end I do feel that the book was a bit long for the information that was presented. Overall it was a fun read, and will be starting the second book. A very well written piece.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like the book might make the most sense if read as a series; standing alone weakens it I bet. I'm not sure on that though seeing as I've never found the rest of the books since they are out of print. I still think it's pretty enjoyable though.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

a small neighborhood undergoes an unexpected change of location, and each of the residents begins to learn they not only don't know each other, they also barely know themselves. Wizards, wolves, unknown species and adventure abound!

[Vader · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish

[Erin McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG AWSOME BOOK!
Mysterious, suspensefull,plus theres a dragon,Sooo awsome!
NEED TO READ!!!
Top 10 books no doubt!
Read it in under a week.
Had to make myself put it down it sucks you in!

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable story so far with interesting characters and a unique plot. Looking forward to finishing the trilogy