Motiv8 Video

Time for another update on the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour. The following video was posted on the offical website. The co-authored story is growing rapidly and is well worth reading.

Raising Dragons

One of my favorite authors is Bryan Davis, author of Dragons in Our Midst, Oracles of Fire, and Echoes from the Edge [DioM, OoF, and EftE to fans] His books are well-written modern Christian fantasy, some of the best I've ever read. You can buy books directly from the author at http://www.daviscrossing.com/shopping.htm.

And now, my review of Raising Dragons:

Billy Banister is a typical teenage boy; trading tall tales with friends, occasionally late to class… and breathing fire. When Billy’s breath sets off the fire alarm in the restroom, his dad must tell him the truth about his past. This incident sparks a wild adventure full of unknown dangers. Together with the new girl Bonnie Silver, Billy is caught up in a centuries old danger. But how is his principal involved? And what is Bonnie hiding in her backpack? Read this book, the first installment of the Dragons in Our Midst quartet, and find out!
I loved how this book blended dragons, King Arthur and modern-day life. It made it seem like adventure may be just around the corner!

Father of Dragons

The lonely hero is about to die. The army is facing annihilation. And far off, wings of hope sped to the rescue. Can they get there in time?

Is this a scene from Return of the King—or the ending of Father of Dragons? The fourth of five books in the series, Father of Dragons ends with a monstrous cliffhanger. But the book is more than just a buildup to All My Holy Mountain. With new characters introduced and old friends brought back, this book increases the stakes in the war for Kirthanin. As I finished it, I felt a strange excitement, a longing for the day when all things shall be made new.

Shadow in the Deep

After the fall of Valzaan on the beach of Col Marena, the army flees Wethanin by ship, hoping to find aid in Suthanin. But Aljeron must follow a different path. Bound by a promise to Valzaan, he sets off on a quest across the wilds of Nolthanin in hope of awaking the legendary Sulmandir, Father of Dragons. But the cold and beasts aren’t his only enemies. Synoki, the secretive castaway from the first book, shows up with a friend who claims to have traveled in Nolthanin before. Can they be trusted?
While traveling, Benjaih is invited to the Tarlindraal, where he receives a vision from Allfather calling for the union of four great peoples. Who are they, and can the army hold out until then?
Readers of the first two books may be expecting a dramatic ending, but Graham raises the bar by having TWO shocking cliffhangers. Who is the man in the golden cloak? And what will happen as the army crosses the Kalamin?

Bringer of Storms

Although this book opens seventeen years after Beyond the Summerland, the author manages to naturally weave in an outline of the interlude. For seven years Aljeron has led the men of Shalin Bel against the city of Fel Edorath in hopes of bringing Rulalin to justice. But unforeseen events reverse the tables. Malek, about to launch his third and final attack on Kirthanin, offers Rulalin a position in his army. Will Rulalin abandon his beliefs and accept?
Meanwhile, Valzaan rides to Ammon Sul with shocking news. How will Wylla react when she learns her son, like his father, has been appointed a prophet? Can she let him go into the face of danger with no certainty of surviving?The conclusion follows its predecessor in hitting readers with an unforeseen ending. I was shocked, yet couldn’t resist opening the next one. These books have a way of gripping you even as you can’t stand some of the plot twists. In a way, that’s part of their power.

Beyond the Summerland

One of the authors in the Motiv8 tour is L.B. Graham, author of The Binding of the Blade series. The first book is Beyond the Summerland. Visit the author's website at ttp://www.bindingoftheblade.com/book1.html

Here is my own personal review:

This book starts off as a rather normal fantasy, complete with the standard average-young-man-who-discovers-he’s-got-a-destiny main character. But the author skillfully builds the story into a gripping fantasy with a touch of romance. Joraiem’s struggles are believable and relatable for fantasy fans of both genders. Tense battle scenes are balanced with emotional struggles. The only problem for first time readers is the shocking plot twist at the end. Those who preserve through the entire series will come to understand it, even if they never are satisfied with the ending. My only other recommendation is to check the entire series out at one go. Once you read the first one, you won’t be able to sleep until everything is resolved in the fifth book

Welcome

Welcome to The Worldsmith's Shelf, my own little place for talking about those books I like best. I prefer fantasy, but almost any genre may attract my attention. Someday, I want to write my own books.