Happy Appreciate a Dragon Day

History of Appreciate A Dragon Day
Great Dragons of Old

Reading Suggestions:
Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire/Song of the Ovulum by Bryan Davis
Tales of Goldstone Wood by Anne Stengel
DragonKeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul
Dragons of Starlight by Bryan Davis

The Bones of Makaidos

Over a million words after Raising Dragons, the great tale of dragons, underborns and humans drews to an end. The forces of Hades converge on Second Eden, pressing against Bonnie, Billy, Walter, Ashley, Elam and others. This book is a grand finale to Oracles of Fire, an epic great as Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia. Many plot lines combine to make an amazing ending. Five stars--but it's even better than that.

Eye of the Oracle

Both old and new fans of Dragons in Midst will enjoy Eye of the Oracle, first in the Oracles of Fire series. Spanning a vast canvas from Noah's flood to modern times, Bryan Davis introduces new characters and reintroduces old ones in an amazing tale that reveals their history. One of the most amazing characters is Mara, a slave girl raised in the underworld by Morgan as part of a centuries' long plan to overthrow humans and raise demons from Tartaris. But Mara soon learns that she is an Oracle of Fire, one of two girls who can stop Morgan's plan. The story is amazing. One of my favorite books by Bryan Davis. Five stars

Raising Dragons

Have you ever had a dream that seems so real you wonder if you really woke up or if you're still inside it? Well, in Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis, Billy Bannister's dream is a foretaste of coming wonders. Billy is an average middle-school boy who loves drawing and hanging out with his crazy friend Walter. But he also has a strange secret--his breath hot. And why does the strange girl at school always where a backpack?
Raising Dragons is the first of Dragons in Our Midst, a four-book series, with some characters' adventures continued into another series called Oracles of Fire. The author is also working on a new book, meant to be the first of a new series called Children of the Bard.
Five stars

Starlighter

As a huge fan of Bryan Davis' Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire series and the Echoes from the Edge trilogy (I spend more time on his forum then on Facebook), I eagerly anticipated the release of Starlighter.

One aspect of the story that will immediately surprise readers of DioM is the presence of inherently evil dragons. But instead of traditional treasure-hording, maiden-devouring beasts, the dragons of Starlight enslave humans to mine extane, a gas necesscary for dragons to breath.

Meanwhile, on another planet, stories of the "Lost Ones" who were stolen by dragons and taken to another planet are laughed at as myths, but the young swordsman Jason Masters is forced to make a difficult decision when he discovers the legends are true.

Although the twin settings of this book are different from the mixed modern realistic of Davis' prior series, I found both of the worlds delightfully fresh and exciting. The mixture of modern and medieval technology in Jason's world raises questions for the next book in the series, and the characters are well-written and lovable.

Books

Top Three Authors:
J.R.R Tolkien
C.S. Lewis
Ted Dekker.

Top 3 male characters:
Aslan of Narnia
Frodo of LotR
Justin of the Circle Trilogy

Top 3 female characters:
Lucy of Narnia
Luthien of the Silmarillion
Bonnie Silver of Dragons in Our Midst

Top 30 fiction books/series in no particular order:
1. Narnia
2. Lord of the Rings
3. Silmarilion
4. Princess Bride
5. Dragons in Our Midst
6. Oracles of Fire
7. Binding of the Blade
8. Circle Trilogy w/Green
9. Echoes from the Edge
10. AD Chronicles
11. C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy
12. Squire Tales
13. Till We Have Faces
14. The Door Within
15. Starlighter
16. The Time Quartet by L’Engle
17. Birdwing
18. Auralia’s Colors
19. At the Back of the North Wind
20. The Bronze Bow
21. The Divine Comedy—yes, it’s a classical poem, it still counts
22. Inkworld
23. Roverandom
24. Abarat
25. Music of Dolphins
26. Children of Hurin
27. History of Middle-Earth in twelve volumes
28. Screwtape Letters
29. Broken Angel
30. The Hobbit

Top 3 books most recently read:
The Silmarillion
Return of the King
Redeeming Love

Worst 3 books ever read:
The Awakening by Kate Choplin ---so dull and boring
The Things they Carried—weird perspective on Vietnam war
Of Mice and Men—I don’t mind the death of MC’s, but really, it has to be handled better

Top 5 scenes from any book:
Rachel recognizing Justin, Red by Ted Dekker
Benjiah’s resurrection, All My Holy Mountain by L.B. Graham
Aslan’s resurrection Lion, Witch Wardrobe
The triple wedding, The Bones of Makaidos by Bryan Davis
Return of Gandalf, Two Towers

The book(s) that made me cry the most:
All My Holy Mountain
Red by Ted Dekker
Green by Ted Dekker
Tears of a Dragon by Bryan Davis
Enoch’s Ghost by Bryan Davis
I Know why the Angels Dance by Bryan Davis
The Silmarillion by Tolkien

The book(s) that made me laugh the most:
Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire by Bryan Davis
Echoes from the Edge by Bryan Davis
The Princess Bride

The book(s) that made me feel the best at the end:
All my Holy Mountain
The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis

Contemporary or Historical?
Historical. Contemprary is too angsty

Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror?
Fantasy all the way!

Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?
Mass Market Paperback—cheap and you can fit several in a purse!

Barnes & Noble or Amazon?
Amazon--cheaper

Bookmark or Dog-ear?
Bookmark, dog-ears look awful

Alphabetize by author, alphabetize by title, or organize not at all?
None of the above…first by genre, then by title

Star Wars or Star Trek?
Neither…haven’t seen either

Keep, Throw Away, or Sell?
Keep, unless it’s awful

Keep dust-jacket or toss it?
keep

Read with dustjacket or remove it?
Well, I have like, one book with a dust-jacket…but still on

Little Women or Anne of Green Gables?
Anne of Green Gables…she’s much more imaginative

Short story or novel?
Novel

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
When someone makes me…so I guess when tired.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
Once upon a time, without a doubt.

Tear Jerker or Belly Laugh?
Preferably both, but if only one…tear jerker

Charlotte, Emily, or Anne Brontë?
Haven’t read any

Buy or Borrow?
Borrow, because I have no money

Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation, or Browse?
Browse, because no one I know likes my tastes

Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)? Collection

Crane or Conrad?
Haven’t read either

Standalone or Series?
Series!

Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?
Cliffhanger only if there is a sequel

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
When I have time

Favorite genre series?
I can’t decide

New or used?
Used is way cheaper

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Enoch’s Ghost by Bryan Davis

Recent Reads

After a long, empty period, I have returned to the blogsphere....not really. This is just a quick visit to get some feedback. I will name three books I recently read. Whichever one gets the most votes will be the topic of my next blog post.
The Bones of Makaidos by Bryan Davis
Black by Ted Dekker
or C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy
So vote!

Beyond the Reflection's Edge

I had the great privilege of pre-reading this book. I don’t want to spoil anyone’s surprise, so I will only say that after being enthralled by the world Bryan Davis created in Dragons in Our Midst and expanded upon in Oracles of Fire, I eagerly anticipated his new series, Echoes from the Edge. The characters, like those in his first two series, are realistic, relatable teens that readers of all ages can identify with. I see echoes of myself in Daryl, who constantly alludes to and quotes from such favorite fantasies as Lord of the Rings and Narnia, as well as The Wizard of Oz.
My good intentions to read only a chapter of Beyond the Reflection's Edge daily evaporated. I read the whole book in less than four hours. The first chapter contained more emotion and action than some books ever reach. From there, the story builds in depth and action to an extraordinary conclusion. Unlike some books, Beyond the Reflection's Edge yields more excitement with each re-reading. I can't wait for the next installment!

Last of the Nephilim

A talking dagger? Bones as instruments of rebirth? Flying a plane into a dimensional portal? Yes, Bryan Davis is at it again. Picking up where Enoch’s Ghost left off, Last of the Nephilim effortless weaves old friends and new characters into a gripping tale of betrayal, trust, justice, mercy, friendship, enemies and more. Surprises and prophecies emerge at every turn as Second Eden is threatened by evil.
Readers of the previous books will be amazed at how Davis finally answers the question about Bonnie’s wings without revealing her choice from Tears of a Dragon.

Enoch's Ghost

As evil forces seek to merge heaven and earth, the former dragons and their allies seek to stop them. Events build to a climax in three different worlds, with an unexpected, heartrending conclusion. My personal favorite of all Davis’ books.

Eye of the Oracle

This book is great for both newcomers and old fans. If DioM was a movie, Eye of the Oracle would be the behind-the-scenes documentary. It’s great for all those wishing to know more about such characters as Merlin, Morgan, King Arthur, Palin and all the dragons, as well as introducing wonderful new characters. You’ll get a whole new perspective on the original books

Circles of Seven

Bonnie and Billy are sent into the Circles of Seven to rescue prisoners. But in a land of deceit and temptation, whom can they trust? From an abandoned town to an island castle to a deep chasm, this story is a feast for the imagination and emotions. The climatic battle is better than any movie because of the realistic characters whom you can identify with.
This book contains elements from Arthurian legend, Dante's Inferno, and even bits of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. A great story that can be used to introduce others--I actually read Dante's Inferno because of this book.

Tears of a Dragon

After the release of hundreds of Watchers from Hades, the remaining nine dragons prepare for war against overwhelming odds. But when Billy and Bonnie enter Dragon’s Rest in search of Billy’s father, tragedy strikes. Even when the battle’s over, dragons and anthrozils face the toughest choice of their lives. Remain dragons, or become fully human? This ending made me cry. I really enjoyed the whole series and was sad to see it draw to a close. But the adventures continue with Oracles of Fire.

The Candlestone

Billy and Bonnie are resting after the action in Raising Dragons when the return of Bonnie’s father signals the beginning of a new adventure. Can Bonnie trust the man who betrayed her mother to the slayers? The amazing scientific process of translumination creates a vibrant world inside a light-absorbing gem known as the candlestone. Want to know more? Enter The Candlestone and explore a world of danger, mystery, and sacrifice.
I liked how this book emphasized faith, trust and truth. It contains a nice blend of emotions, humor and action.

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!