The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood – a Review

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Description:
Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she anticipates a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon—one of the rare and mythical High Dragons—makes an appearance in her quiet valley. Political factions vie for control of the implied message, threatening her aspirations, her aerie, her entire way of life.

The bond between dragons and their riders is deep and life-long, and Maia’s desire for a dragon of her own to train, ride, fly, and love drives her to take a risk that puts her life at stake. She is swept into an adventure that pits her against the deathless Horrors, thralls of the enemy, and a faceless creature drawn from her fear. In her fight to preserve everything she knows and loves, she exposes a conspiracy, unearths an ancient civilization, and challenges her understanding of her world—and of herself.

Review:

The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood is the first book in his Evertide series.  This is Lockwood’s debut novel, and it was an excellent start to a fascinating fantasy series. The world building by Lockwood was very well done.  This series centers on our heroine, Maia and her family who raise and train Dragons for the Military to use in battles. 

When Maia and her brother are walking along the valley, they both see the Summer Dragon, a fabled High Dragon. When they hurry back home, their lives will change, as seeing a High Dragon could cause doom or major changes.  On top of this news, comes word  that in another valley, where they also train Dragons has been destroyed, with everyone murdered by creatures called Horrors. This will have the military and political people visit and bring havoc to their land. Maia has also set her heart to keeping one of the little dragonettes as hers, to train and become the dragon’s rider.

In a short time, those people will put the blame on Maia, as a witch who is bringing darkness to their land.  Maia and her family will do everything they can to prove them wrong, but when they tell her she will not get her own dragon, Maia will run away.  Along the way, she spots those horrible creatures coming closer to their land, and torturing a full grown Dragon, and his baby.

What follows is a wonderful, but tense storyline, where Maia will prove herself to be a true warrior, but no matter how good she does, and those she protects, the political enemies attempt to stop Maia.  It is an exciting story that will have three factions as enemies….the Horrors, the Dark mind control Dragon, and the political faction trying to kill Maia.  But most of all it is a beautiful love story between Maia and Keirr, her dragonette that she saved and adopted.   I loved them both together, as Keirr was so much fun, and loving, learning the language from Maia.   There were many characters, both good and bad in this story, but everything revolves around Maia.  She was such a great heroine; smart, savvy, sweet, passionate and a fierce warrior when she needed to be.  Getting to know all the Dragons, who lived with Maia’s family to help breed baby dragons was also fun.  Watching them talk to their riders, as well as to help in the battles that came against a terrible enemy, was so much fun.

Todd Lockwood tells a fascinating story that I could not put down, about a world with Dragons, with a slight historical belief and the political factions who want to stop the truth of the past.  Most of all, Lockwood has created a wonderful heroine, and her dragon as the story will be left open ended to continue this story in future books of Evertide.  If you like Fantasy tha is well written; a great heroine and exciting, I suggest you read The Summer Dragon.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher