Bryan DavisReseñas

55278

This is a combination review for Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire as the last time I read this series was at least 10 years ago.

My mom got me the entire series (Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire) when I was in elementary school and let me tell you I loved this series. I reread it multiple times and is the reason why Psalm 23 is my favorite psalms (and tbh the only one I remember). While I might not go to church anymore, this series holds a special place in my heart. Solid blend of fantasy and Christianity without overdoing either side.

Billy's nickname at school is "dragon breath," and with good reason - his breath is really hot! He doesn't understand why until his parents tell him that his father is a full dragon and he is a half-dragon. He's not at all happy that they've kept this from him his entire life, but he's forced to deal with it when he's attacked by his principal. His father tells him the tale of King Arthur and Merlin and how dragon slayers almost wiped out all of his kind, and how and why he is now a human. He also shares with him a prophecy that is going to end up reshaping Billy's life. He meets the new girl in school, Bonnie, and discovers that she, too, is a half-dragon, although she has known for years, so at least he's not alone.

This was a good middle grade blend of fantasy and Christian fiction. This book does a good job of blending dragon tales with Christian teachings, without overdoing it. I liked the kids and thought the way they acted was pretty much the way most young teens act in real life. The blending of all of this with the Arthurian legend was a good move on the author's part. I thought it added a great layer to the story.

The only problem I had with this book was the level of violence against the kids. I thought it was a bit graphic for a book targeted at a younger audience.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series.

4.5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, AMG Publishers, Living Ink Books, and Bryan Davis for the opportunity to read and review this book.

…” This morning might hold my last chance to escape execution.” What? Ok, that has my attention. Megan Willis is a strong, determined soul, caught in an impossible situation. She is willing to do what it takes to be reunited with her mother.
She has seen horrors, not even grownups have witnessed. (Like trafficking of human children, and villains that are doing experiments on kids. It was not a graphic discussion, just mentioned.) Megan races against time, because today could be her last.

The stakes are high, Megan is forced to make hard choices in doing what she believes is right. Things have changed and shift into high gear facing challenge, after crazy challenge. I appreciated how the author showed this young one’s inner struggle with “kill or be killed.” Life was a gift. Does there have to be killing? Could things be handled another way? Do the ends justify the means for the greater good?

The author is brilliant and imaginative as he does a beautiful job of taking readers on a fast-paced adventure that has themes of compassion, forgiveness, family, and shows how they are learning what is right and/or wrong for themselves. I like what the author said about love, and strong family bonds with people God puts in our path and those connected to us by blood. I enjoyed how Megan learns about real love, …” Real love sacrifices. It shows mercy. It heals. “

There is a plethora of evil villains out to get Megan and her team. They can’t run away from them fast enough. I could visualize the Star Wars/Star Trek feel of this space opera, I mean going places they’ve never been before, and meeting all types of creatures with a variety of languages being spoken. I adored the authors’ well-timed humor in some heavy situations. It was fun to see kids could just be kids when they had a chance to. I loved seeing this story played out through children and what they learned & watched their parents do. They don’t do everything exactly as their parents would, because they see things differently now that they had to make hard choices.

This is a wonderful, fascinating, absorbing summer read. It’s a fun escape and one that would work well for your next book club pick. I hardly noticed how long this book was, I was caught up in the adventure, and couldn’t put it down.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher/NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I don’t normally read this genre, but the cover and the book blurb drew me in. This is a story about a young boy with a fiery breath who realizes he’s very different from other kids. Then he meets Bonnie, a girl that has her own secrets. One of which is hiding in her backpack. Things become all too real when Billy overhears his parents talking about him. He can’t believe what he’s hearing. Then all of a sudden things escalate when Bonnie saves his life by helping him escape from a malevolent slayer sword. So many questions, so little time to get answers. Billy and Bonnie are running for their lives. Can they find their parents in time?

This is a gripping, imaginative tale that reveals passages from scripture that describes a dragon (example Leviticus 41:21). I had never looked at this passage before. But wow, there it was. It sounded like a dragon to me. The author also incorporates elements of King Arthur tales. It’s a wonderful blend of fact and fantasy as the author takes readers on an exciting exploration in the world of dragons, and malevolent slayers. This novel is full of twists and turns. I liked the natural spiritual thread that prompts readers to dig deep into scripture, shows the characters struggles and how they deal with them.

This is the first book in the series. If you like to read about dragons, with near death battle scenes, fast-paced action, filled with wonder, betrayal, and mystery this is the series for you. Escape the cares of this world, treat yourself to this fun read. It’s one that would work well for a book club pick.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

Nineteenth century Paris, ghosts, murder, and madness is an irresistible combination.

I immediately bought this audiobook when I came across it while browsing Chirp’s limited time deals. So glad I did. The story is unique and kept me totally entertained.

All the characters are complex and realistic. Justin Trotter, our narrator, gets caught up in a murder investigation that points to him as the killer, while Joan of Arc’s ghost and others attempt to help him solve the case. Soon his friends are questioning his sanity, and we readers are left wondering who to believe.

The narration is excellent. I believed he was an English man living in Paris back in the 1800s, seeing ghosts and growing more desperate as time passed.

also pretty lame

okay.....

kind of lame...

the series started out great, then got worse and worse.

edit
revisiting since I read a lot of YA books out there.
its interesting. still doesn't go up to 2 stars, but I'll give it 1.5 stars. Because its seriously not as bad as I thought. It just has a very insulting scene in the end/the end is insulting in general, to what the main part of the book is about. You think there's going to be an interesting ending or some reveal or something, but its some mystical being. This would have been a better suspense book, not quite horror but urban dystopia. The ending took me out of all of that.
/edit

can't remember when I read this, but I never finished it. 0.5 stars, probably. 1 if I'm being generous. I'm not sure if I will ever come back to this to explain why, most of the problems melt away when I remember the near end scene of the main character undressing his adoptive sister in his mind. It's a gross book. No one wants to read about that, and not appropriate for the ages reading it. seriously, I anti recommend this book. I've never felt so strongly about a book. I would give this negative stars given the chance.

This book was very good... for Christian fantasy. While I have not read the whole series, I thought that Raising Dragons stood alone very nicely. It was written to encouraging you to read another without forcing you into it. It also was pretty creative, with the exception of the names of the characters, and some odd extraneous details now and then which seemed to copy other fantasy books. The best thing about this book is it portrayed Christianity well, but did not push Gospel message.

The bad part of this book was it fell, nay jumped wholeheartedly, into many of the typical pitfalls of Christian fantasy. When you read Bryan Davis' short biography on the back cover, you may experience a little "knew-it" syndrome. When he says he homeschooled his seven children, it suddenly makes sense why all of the young characters in his books (who purportedly go to public school) speak like well-bred British children, college English majors, or -- well -- homeschoolers. (As a homeschooler, I should know.)

Other problems included random added scenes of backstory that lacked action, character's becoming emotionally attached to each other too quickly to be believable, and the mother's unemotional acceptance that (SPOILER) her husband had turned into a dragon and would never be human again. Personally, I think that would cause some marital problems.

I have very good friends that love this series. I myself do not, however, I can understand it's appeal. It is whimsical, typically fast paced, and has a cute love story blossoming between the two main characters. It is witty at times, and sappy at others.

I would rate this book a 5/5 out of all Christian Fantasy books and 2/5 out of all Fantasy books. So let's just say 3/5.

3.5 Stars

Throughout the series, the author seemed to make some jumps that were not apparent to me as a reader. It takes a moment or two before realization strikes and I can mentally get back on track again. Another downside to the reading of all three books is the author's inability to connect with me with his humor. It's was always apparent when he tried to get me to respond with some level of joviality (and I did, maybe twice, throughout the series), but, overall, the attempts fell way flat, as if the writer's sense of humor is always an inside joke that only makes him laugh. Outside of those two things, this book and the series are entertaining reads, but I probably won't purchase anything else from him.

I will say this, though. I truly appreciate that the author is a lover of God. That shines through beautifully! His writing does develop a sense of gratitude toward the Creator and because of that, I never felt as though I was being robbed of my time.

As good as I hoped. I had never read a dragon-themed fantasy novel before. I think I will enjoy this series. Onto book #2!

Excellent. I cant wait to read the next one in the series.

I don't think Bryan Davis' writing style is the best. He can be really cheesy a lot of times. But i really enjoy his plots.

In this book, Billy and Bonnie go to a place called Dragons' Rest to rescue its inhabitants. The dragons living there are those who've died; since they don't have human souls, they had nowhere else to go after death. I liked that aspect of the story and how it reflects the story of Christ.

I also love that these books seem to have been influenced by "The Chronicles Of Narnia" in places and even directly referenced sometimes (though, not in this one).

*Review written on April 11, 2014.*½

Review soon.

I'm sorry. It's just... not good.

It's way too complicated. Not in an intriguing way. Just an annoying way. It's pointless. All of it.

All of the characters are exactly the same. Literally. Oh my gosh.

There are a few interesting things here and there. Taushin is freaking horrifying. Exodus is...interesting. I guess. I don't know.

I know it's supposed to be allegorical or whatever, but it kind of fails there too. Cassabrie and her stupid "I can't tell you" "you're a failure" "it's a secret" crap is unbearable. Makes me want to slap her in the face. And everyone else too.

Ugh.

This is an awesome book, the first, in my favorite series! I have read it again and recommend it to everyone!!!

Billy and Bonnie are awesome (and part dragon) and discover all sorts of things and have to defeat a dragon slayer (named Devin and they kind of do and it has lots of epic battles and they think they are safe (but they aren't!!))

It's not a bad fantasy adventure, but lots of it just isn't all that amazing. Aside from Arxad, most of the characters aren't all that interesting and full of depth. I do like Jason and Koren, and Elyssa's not bad, but they are rather one-dimensional. Tibalt and Randall are too, but they're so much fun and awesome that it's okay. Besides, they're secondary characters, so I can cut them some slack.

Lots of the adventure and puzzles and stuff seemed kind of...pointless. I didn't really follow all the mess of them falling down the hole and the river and the portal and everything. It all felt very far-fetched, and I guess I was expecting a little more realism from the book.

The character interactions are also a little strange. Most of the time they don't seem very smart, like when Elyssa sends Jason out to die and yet has a plan to stop the flooding. Why not wait until she tried her plan? Little things like that get me, where the solution seems so simple and instead of doing it all the characters make things more complicated instead.

That's basically what the book was: complicated, when the solution could've been simpler. The problems seemed too easily solved and yet it was a complicated mess.

I will say that the Black Egg gives me the creeps. There were times when I was unsure if it was good or bad, and then I would reassure myself as Koren reassured herself. That was very well done.

Review by my 10 yr old son :-)

Billy and Bonnie are both half dragons. Bonnie has known her entire life but Billy only just found out. Not long after hearing what he is, he finds himself on the run from a crazy Dragon Slayer. He learns what and who his dad is and how and why they are being hunted.

I love Dragon books and my mom gave me this to try. I enjoyed it and found the story good - a boy finding out he is half dragon (how cool would that be???)and that his dad is a full dragon (even cooler) forced to become human to hide from the Dragon Slayers. He meets another half Dragon and both end up on the run with Slayers trying to kill them.
Bonnie is cool for a girl Dragon. She has wings and is quite strong. Billy though is awesome because he can breath fire. I liked both of them but my most favourite character was Walter, he is a good friend to have. He had their backs. The story was action packed and never dull. I especially liked the Arthur bits and reading about the Dragons. The Slayers weren't very nice but they were very good villains. I also want a teacher like Professor Hamilton because he was pretty cool and had awesome weapons. I also want to know who or what he is because that bit was very mysterious.
I really liked Raising Dragons and have asked my mom for the next in the series.

A 10 star book series. I suggest this series highly.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from AMG Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation.

I really like good fantasy fiction. Them seemed very promising. However, I really had trouble diving into this book like I would have normally.

Apparently, there is an entirely other series written by this author that is geared towards tweens & teens. This book is an adult tie in to that series. Instead of just writing a brand new series for adults, he decided to take the adults from that other series and tell the stories from their points of view. The main problem was that I felt like it really just jumped into the middle of the story. It really seemed interdependent on the reader to have read his other series.

I eventually got frustrated with feeling lost while reading and just could not finish this book. Maybe if I ever decide to read the other series, then I might pick this book back up again. However, I really am doubtful that I would do that. If I can't pick up a book in a series (even if it is the middle of the series) and figure out what is going on and who is who, then I really won't bother getting any other books in the series. Mainly because who is to say whether or not the author just doesn't know how to introduce characters or plot points.

If you have read his other series that this ties into and enjoyed it, then why not give this one a shot. If you haven't read the other series, then either read that one first or bypass this book. Sorry...

No Rating

This one is definitely aimed toward specific readers; unfortunately, I am not one of them. Just didn't stir my Kool-Aid. The quality of the storytelling was good - engaging with a smooth pace - but there were [subjective] elements I would've had to actively overlook to enjoy the complete story.

While Masters & Slayers offered a well-written albeit familiar plot, most characters were way too black and white; the "good" guys were SOOO good they felt like characters, not real people.

The multiple mentions of "the Code" and "the Creator" were a little too blunt [for my tastes] - Christian fiction can be written subtlety - and the "lessons" were starting to feel preachy and aimed at the reader rather than Adrian or Marcelle.

Aside from the heavy religious overtones, the contradiction between their medieval-like world and the ability to have cool techs like courier tubes, which require a DNA deposit to open and then play video messages, or the litmus finger, proved too much for me to overlook.

Started and stopped on November 25, 2012. Read through page 170, chapter 10.

We loved the poem at the beginning of the book.
This book takes a look at how a Christian should view death especially their death or that of other Christians. The end conclusion helps bring together both the sadness and joy of a Christian and the importance of sharing Christ while we are alive. LKC