#IARTG THE DRAGON DREAMER BY J.S. BURKE, #YA #SCI #FANTASY
A wounded dragon, an undersea misfit, and a dangerous dream.
Arak could quest for hours in trance, his mind far away. He was different, a worthless dreamer, and so he was tormented by other young dragons. Arak left the clan, flying far over the sea, and crashed in a fierce storm. Scree, a shape-shifter octopus, found and healed him. A great friendship begins . . .
Arak returns to the Winter Festival, where dragons carve glaciers with fire and toss lightning bolts in the clouds. But a terrible illness strikes the clan. When Zarina falls ill, he vows to save her. Then an undersea volcano erupts, which triggers a towering tsunami and a deadly chain of events. Can Arak use his unique gifts and a dangerous dream to save the dragons?
“The Dragon Dreamer”
is a stand-alone book I of the Dragon Dreamer series: Young Adult Science Fantasy. “The Dragon Dreamer” won IAN First Place for Best First Novel. It’s also an IAN Finalist for Best Science Fiction and for Best Fantasy Book. This series is for ages 9 to adult.
Chris JonesThe Dragon Dreamer by J.S. Burke
The Dragon Dreamer by J. S. Burke is definitely not your typical dragon story. As I began to read, I was confused about how a dragon and an octopus could become friends and communicate at all. The storyline is very creative and original, a fantasy with heart, courage, love, friendship and great imagery. A beautiful story is woven with legends and wonderful storytelling, layered with stories of how they became the creatures/beings they are today. I did not want to put it down.
Arak is a young dragon who feels different from the rest of his clan, has been teased for his unique gifts and treated poorly by his brother. I think this relates to bullying and the problems our youth suffer through today. Arak is a wonderful character whom you cheer for and wish him only good things. He has feelings for Zarina, his best friend and this is another layer to the story.
Through an ice storm, Arak is injured and first meets Scree, a wise and open-minded octopus, and the healer for her pod. They learn to communicate with body and sign language and become friends while Arak heals. Scree is very courageous and forward thinking. Once Arak is healed they go on to convince his clan and her pod to interact, trade goods, exchange stories, and learn about each other’s culture. The pod, clan, and individuals of each experience various issues and challenges during the story and they have wonderful adventures together. This book is very well written and really sucks you in. It leaves you with a smile, good feelings and wanting more.
The author is a marine biologist, teacher, and writer. The story includes actual characteristics of Octopi and other creatures of the ocean. Her love of sea life is very obvious and teaches the reader as she entertains us. She creates a wonderful and seemingly realistic world where dragons exist and their culture more like a true telling of history than fiction. I highly recommend this book to other adults and children. I cannot wait to read the next book and see where Arak and Scree’s adventures take them next!
Note: There is a glossary in the back, which also includes information about the sea life and other words used throughout the book.
There is slight violence as found in nature, attacks on another species to protect the clan and when a Squid attacks.
Arak is a young dragon who feels different from the rest of his clan, has been teased for his unique gifts and treated poorly by his brother. I think this relates to bullying and the problems our youth suffer through today. Arak is a wonderful character whom you cheer for and wish him only good things. He has feelings for Zarina, his best friend and this is another layer to the story.
Through an ice storm, Arak is injured and first meets Scree, a wise and open-minded octopus, and the healer for her pod. They learn to communicate with body and sign language and become friends while Arak heals. Scree is very courageous and forward thinking. Once Arak is healed they go on to convince his clan and her pod to interact, trade goods, exchange stories, and learn about each other’s culture. The pod, clan, and individuals of each experience various issues and challenges during the story and they have wonderful adventures together. This book is very well written and really sucks you in. It leaves you with a smile, good feelings and wanting more.
The author is a marine biologist, teacher, and writer. The story includes actual characteristics of Octopi and other creatures of the ocean. Her love of sea life is very obvious and teaches the reader as she entertains us. She creates a wonderful and seemingly realistic world where dragons exist and their culture more like a true telling of history than fiction. I highly recommend this book to other adults and children. I cannot wait to read the next book and see where Arak and Scree’s adventures take them next!
Note: There is a glossary in the back, which also includes information about the sea life and other words used throughout the book.
There is slight violence as found in nature, attacks on another species to protect the clan and when a Squid attacks.
children’s books.
No comments:
Post a Comment