His black scales shimmering with the blood of a thousand warriors, the dragon Valorian spread his wings and drew back his long neck.
This is the first sentence of Scott Appleton’s debut novel, Swords of the Six—a book filled with dragons, swords, fairies, a host of other imaginative creatures, and endorsements from Wayne Thomas Batson and Bryan Davis to boot. As the above sample implies, Swords of the Six contains a great deal of action. But romance and suspense also find substantial roles within its pages.
General Appearance: This is a book of high quality construction. The cover is very appealing, good paper is used, and the pictures at the beginning of each chapter are beautiful as well. Overall one of the best I’ve held.
The Opening: The prelude was perhaps my least favorite part of the story. I felt somewhat disoriented, though not exceedingly so. But I thoroughly enjoyed the book from the first chapter on.
Characterization: A great cast of lovable characters, unique and clearly defined. The characterization was terrific. One in particular, Specter, I found totally awesome, and hope to read more about him in future books.
The Story: There are actually two story arcs in this book, clearly separated into two parts. The first is a story of six sisters with special powers as they grow up and then embark on a quest to find and bring to justice a traitor. The second is a love story between one of the sisters and a warrior. I enjoyed the first story, and could hardly put the book down through the second story.
Warning: Some serious topics are discussed, and the effects of the battle scenes aren’t glazed over or omitted. So younger readers and parents be warned.
In conclusion, Swords of the Six is a great addition to the fantasy genre and recommended to anyone with at least a favorable disposition toward the genre. I should note that my little sister adored this book, declaring it one of her favorite books ever despite being reluctant to pick favorites in the past. I think it would have reached The Favorite status if she wasn’t a bit young to be into romance.
Find out more at www.theswordofthedragon.com or at Scott Appleton’s blog: www.flamingpen.blogspot.com. Or, if you’ve heard enough, the book is for sale at the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.
See the post above this one for a chance to win a copy of this book!
3 comments:
sounds like an awesome book!
Thanks for giving such a detailed critique/review! I really appreciate hearing your take on it!
I seem to be one of the few here who have actually read it myself, besides you of course.
Cool review!
-Leighton
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