Review and Guest Post - The Dragon's Egg by Resa Nelson (Dragonslayer Series Book #4)

The Dragon's Egg by Resa Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

ebook

Published November 13th 2012 by Mundania Press LLC

Source: Author for honest review
Challenges: What An Animal challenge, Ebook challenge, A-Z Title challenge

Synopsis:
'In the fourth and final book of the Dragonslayer series, Mandulane's army is poised to attack the Northlands in the name of a powerful god, but in truth Mandulane is using the act of spreading this new faith as a way to disguise his own personal greed and hunger for power. Astrid has succeeded in warning her beloved country of imminent danger, and the Northlanders scramble to set up a clever defense, never realizing a spy in their midst is poised to take critical information directly to Mandulane. After sacrificing herself in order to set her brother Drageen free for the sake of protecting the Northlands, Astrid finds herself controlled by the stone of light. Although it forces her path of destiny, Astrid learns she must make one final choice about who she wants to be. Most important of all, her new sweetheart Trep encounters a dragon that entrusts him with the care of a dragon's egg. Trep embraces a dangerous journey and accepts the duty of protecting the unhatched dragon, knowing that its safety could impact the fate of the entire world.'

My Thoughts:
I always feel a little bit deflated when I come to finish the last book in a series and the feeling I got when I came to the end of The Dragon's Egg was no exception.
I just get so involved and engrossed in the characters lives when reading a series and when things get wrapped up and I know there will be no more I am always a little sad.
This fourth and final instalment in the Dragonslayer Series deals with Astrid's struggle to realise her destiny and save her country from Mandulane's rule.
There are a lot of interesting and unexpected developments in this book which all help to round out and finish the story in a smooth but kind of bittersweet manner.
I have to admit that I was left quite surprised by a couple of aspects that I really wasn't expecting, but won't give away what so as not to spoil the story. When I finally finished it at first I was left thinking "Really, that wasn't what I would have thought would happen", but then as I thought about it a bit longer afterwards it all really did make sense and made me realise that not every book always have to have a perfectly happy ending to be a good story.
If you have read the first three books in this series I highly recommend reading this one so you get the complete picture.

The Bittersweet Experience of Writing the Final Book in a Series

by Resa Nelson

Writing my series (the Dragonslayer series) gave me an entirely new appreciation for authors who write good series – for example, I now see J.K. Rowling as a genius.  But it means I’ve now had the experience of writing the last book in a series and saying goodbye to its characters.

When I wrote Book 1, I first assumed it would be a standalone novel.  But when I got into the depths of the book, I realized the world and the story were big enough to support more novels.  So one book turned into a four-book series.

Writing the second and third books in the series went pretty smoothly.  Every time I write a book, I began with a skeletal outline.  I flesh out the outline for the first 100 pages, write those 100 pages, and then flesh out the outline for the next 100 pages and so on.  I always know where I’m going and why – I just never know exactly how I’m going to get there or who I’ll meet along the way.

Something peculiar happened when I felt ready to write the last book in the series.  Normally, I’m very organized and efficient.  I write three mornings each week, usually for about an hour.  This is my time to let words pour onto the paper, and I typically write a chapter each day, sometimes more, sometimes less.  Working this way, it takes me nine months to write a novel.  But this is my secret:  my “real” writing time is when I go for a two-mile walk every day.  It’s when I’m walking that I think through what’s going to happen in each chapter.  By the time I sit down at my computer, the words come spilling out so fast that it’s hard for me to keep up.

But when I started to write the last book in the Dragonslayer series, the words didn’t come spilling out.  Instead, I dawdled, which is extremely unusual for me.  I made excuses not to turn on my computer but to do something else instead – again, extremely unusual.  I never do things like that.  Most of the time I’m chomping at the bit.  This went on for a good two or three months, and not a lot was happening with Book 4.

Finally, I sat down and asked myself what was happening.  After thinking long and hard, I realized I didn’t want the series to end because I enjoyed it so much.  Whenever I finish writing any book and I have to say goodbye to my characters, it feels like I’m watching a bus full of everyone I care about drive off a cliff.  I typically spend about half a day in tears after finishing a novel.

I realized that I dreaded finishing the series because I thought it would be much, much worse than anything I’d experienced before.

So I took myself by the hand and said, “Your characters aren’t going anywhere.  If you want to spend time with them, all you have to do is read your own books!”

That helped.  So I gathered my courage and wrote the final book.  But something really unexpected happened.  I felt so excited when I wrote the final chapters that I kept cheering for my characters.  For me, the ending of the series is very satisfying and exciting.  Ironically, when I wrote the last sentence of the final book, I was still cheering.  Instead of spending half a day in tears, I spent the day jumping up and down and smiling.  I dreaded ending the series, but it turned out to be a really great experience … and I’m looking forward to doing it again with the next series I write!

 

A Little Bit About The Author

Resa Nelson’s first novel, The Dragonslayer’s Sword, was nominated for the Nebula Award and was also a Finalist for the EPPIE Award. This medieval fantasy novel is based on a short story first published in the premiere issue of Science Fiction Age magazine and ranked 2nd in that magazine's first Readers Top Ten Poll. The Dragonslayer's Sword is Book 1 in her 4-book Dragonslayer series, which also includes The Iron Maiden (Book 2), The Stone of Darkness (Book 3), and The Dragon’s Egg (Book 4).

Resa's standalone novel, Our Lady of the Absolute, is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave this book a 5-star review, calling it "a riveting fantasy, very highly recommended."

She has been selling fiction professionally since 1988. She is a longtime member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop.  Resa was also the TV/Movie Columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine for 13 years and was a contributor to SCI FI magazine. She has sold over 200 articles to magazines in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Resa lives in Massachusetts.

 

Resa Nelson’s Links:

Resa’s website:  http://www.resanelson.com                                                                       

Free “mini” ebook of Dragonslayer short stories:  http://www.resanelson.com/files

GoodReads giveaway:  http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/39467-the-dragon-s-egg

Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Resa-Nelson-The-Dragonslayers-Sword/122200661871

Twitter:  @ResaNelson

Email:  ContactResa@aol.com

Ebooks ($4.99 each) are available directly from Mundania Press at:  http://mundania.com/author.php?author=Resa+Nelson (get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10)

Paperbacks are available from Mundania Press, Amazon, and Barnes&Noble:

http://mundania.com/author.php?author=Resa+Nelson (get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/resa-nelson

Dragonslayer Series on Amazon 

Review and Author Interview - The Stone of Darkness by Resa Nelson

I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for the third instalment in the Dragonslayer series. Following is my review of this awesome book plus an interview with the wonderful Resa Nelson.

The Stone of Darkness by Resa Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
236 pages

Published May 29th 2012 by Mundania Press

Synopsis:

'In Book 3 of the Dragonslayer series, Astrid accepts her duty and follows the winter route--until she's bitten by a dragon. Everyone knows dragon bites are poisonous and deadly, so she reluctantly accepts her impending death. In a twist of fate, she survives. Desperate for an explanation, Astrid believes she has somehow been protected by the black stone she keeps with her at all times, a stone that emerged from the sole of her foot a year ago. Determined to find out what the stone is and what kind of powers it possesses, Astrid begins a journey that leads her to alchemists and an army of men under the rule of the powerful warrior, Mandulane, the acting lord of the Krystr army. Mandulane's mission is to spread the word of the new god Krystr, which preaches the evil intent of women and the danger they pose to all men, who are entitled to dominate the world. Rumors about this new god and army have spread, but Astrid is the first Northlander to encounter them. Soon, she stumbles upon a secret of a far-reaching and mind-numbing plot that will impact the entire world. Astrid must find a way to spread the news of this threat and protect her people and everyone else at risk. She's convinced the answer lies inside the Stone of Darkness, and she must find a way to understand the stone and the powers she's convinced it must hold before it's too late.'

My Thoughts:

The Stone of Darkness continues the epic tale of Astrid and her journey as the Dragonslayer.
In this instalment, Astrid is on a mission to find out as much as she can about the black stone she removed from her foot the previous year. Astrid is of the opinion that this stone saved her life after she was bitten by a dragon but didn't die from the poison in it's saliva as she should have.

Throughout this book Astrid has to learn who she can trust to help her on her journey and finds protection and company in the form of the Iron Maidens along the way.

As with the other books in this series, it is refreshing to watch how Astrid grows as a person and to see her develop into a more mature and open minded woman.

This series is full of adventure and The Stone of Darkness has a plot that flows smoothly and keeps you interested until the very end. It was great to see some new characters introduced in this instalment as well as follow on with the lives of some of the original characters.

There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of this book and I can't wait to see what happens next and how the author finishes off this series in the fourth book.

Author Interview:
I was fortunate enough to get Resa to answer some interview questions:

What was your inspiration behind ‘The Dragonslayer’ series?

Like a lot of writers, I use writing as therapy!  Many years ago, I'd been propositioned by a co-worker (a married man with two young children), which horrified me and hurt my feelings.  So I wrote a short story about it, except my story took place in a medieval type of fantasy world.  The story was published in a magazine, and response from readers was so strong that it made me realize they saw something more in the story that I couldn't see.  I decided that I'd expand the story into a novel only if I came up with an idea that I loved with my whole heart – otherwise, I'd be wasting everybody's time.  It took me about 8 years to come up with that idea.  Then once I started writing Book 1 (The Dragonslayer's Sword), I realized the world I'd created could support more than one book, and I began to understand the big picture.  And it all started with a bad experience and one little short story!  I also wrote a second story (which was also published) in my Dragonslayer world, and everyone is welcome to download a free PDF ebook of those original short stories to get an idea of what my Dragonslayer series is like at http://www.resanelson.com/files

Would you like to share one piece of advice you would give to other aspiring authors?

If writing is truly what you want to do (notice I didn't say “be famous” or “get rich” -- I'm talking about actually writing), then do not give up under any circumstances.  I've seen writers whose work was far better than mine never get published because they gave up too easily and too soon. 

If you weren't a writer, what else do you think you would you be doing instead?

My answer to this changes all the time.  I love sports and have a degree in sport management (which ironically is extremely helpful in my writing life).  Because the Olympics are going on right now, I think back to how much I've always loved the Olympics.  In ancient times, the Greeks told all countries that they had to stop fighting any wars during the Olympics.  The idea was to stop whatever you were doing and send your country’s best athletes to Greece to compete in sports.  I think that's one of the most civilized ideas ever.  So at one time I did think about pursuing a career working with the Olympics.

Do you have one particular special ‘writing place’ or are you fortunate enough to be able to write anywhere?

I've always been able to block out the world around me and focus on reading or writing.  So I can write anywhere.  The “real” world literally disappears – I can't hear anything when I’m focused and all I can see is my computer screen or sheet of paper (if I'm writing in longhand).  I've written short stories in waiting rooms, in airports, on trains, and on planes.  In fact, this year I finally figured out that I can write short stories during any down time when I'm selling and signing books at an event.  So far I've written four new short stories this year, and none of them have been in the comfort of my own home!

Are there any authors that have inspired you along the way?

Oh, yes, tons!  When I was young, my favorite authors were Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Agatha Christie.  I was also a big fan of Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Twain, and Louisa May Alcott.  Later, I fell in love with the work of Jane Austen.  As an adult, I became a big fan of Connie Willis.  In fact, that's how I rate the science fiction and fantasy section of any bookstore.  If they don't carry at least one book by Connie Willis, my opinion of that store goes down.  These I days I typically don't read in my genre unless it's something really remarkable, for example, the Harry Potter series or The Hunger Games.  Mostly I read mysteries and thrillers.  Currently, my favorite mystery writer is Harlan Coben because the heroic characters he creates are people I'd like to hang out with.  And his villains are really, seriously scary!

Do you have a favourite scene in the book ‘The Stone of Darkness’ (without giving the story away too much)?

Actually, my favorite scene is the beginning because it came from a conversation I had with a teenage boy after I'd given a presentation about The Dragonslayer’s Sword (Book 1 in my Dragonslayer series) at a library.  He wanted to talk about dragons and how to fight them.  He felt very strongly that a good strategy might be to lie in wait with plenty of people armed with bows and arrows.  My feeling is that dragons have tough scales that overlap, which provide dragons with a type of natural armor.  But I thought this teenager's opinion was really interesting and valid.  I thought about what he had to say and kept looking for a way to write about it.  When I started writing The Stone of Darkness, it dawned on me that it would make a perfect opening.  So the action and characters at the beginning of this book are greatly inspired by that conversation, and I think often about the young man I met.  I feel like he's part of that book, which really makes me happy.  Every so often I ask people I meet in person if I can use their name for a character or use something we've talked about in a future novel.

Do you have any pets?

No, but I love nature and animals.  I have a balcony, and every year finches nest in a hanging plant of flowers that I buy just for them.  The planter hangs just a foot away from my window, so I get a great view of the baby birds, especially when they're old enough to exercise their flight muscles.  They're so cute!  I felt like an aunt to every batch of birds that has hatched on my balcony.  I even have a clip of some of the babies on YouTube at this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_0bPKmaVuo

What’s your favourite way to spend your spare time?

It depends.  If I'm exhausted, I love either reading or watching movies or TV.  If I have energy, I'm a big fan of going to museums, Broadway musicals, or ballet.  Or going to the beach.  Or traveling to other countries, because I want to learn about other people and their culture and customs.

What’s one thing that most people wouldn’t know about you?

I have a science degree in physical education, which required me to take a course in human dissection.  I dreaded it and put it off until my senior year, hoping it would go away.  But it turned out to be one of my favorite classes ... especially after a hulky male classmate fainted, and I didn't!  It was fascinating.  We’re as different on the inside as we are on the outside.  One of the most challenging things about dissection was locating parts of the body that we knew were there – we just couldn’t always find them where we thought they’d be!

What’s one of the most surprising things you’ve learnt about yourself since writing?

My novels often change me in ways I don't expect.  For example, writing the villanous characters in my Dragonslayer series has led me to feeling a lot of compassion for misogynists.  I used to despise them, but now I just pity them.  I never saw that coming.

Wow, I'm so excited that Resa's favourite author at the moment is Harlan Coben. He's been one of my favourite author's for years!

Author Biography:
Resa Nelson has been selling fiction professionally since 1988. She is a longtime member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop.
Resa was also the TV/Movie Columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine for 13 years and was a contributor to SCI FI magazine. She has sold over 200 articles to magazines in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Her first novel, The Dragonslayer’s Sword, was nominated for the Nebula Award and was also a Finalist for the EPPIE Award. This medieval fantasy novel is based on a short story first published in the premiere issue of Science Fiction Age magazine and ranked 2nd in that magazine's first Readers Top Ten Poll. The Dragonslayer's Sword is Book 1 in her 4-book Dragonslayer series. Book 2, The Iron Maiden, was published last December, Book 3 was published in May, and the final book in the series is scheduled for publication in November.
Resa's standalone novel, Our Lady of the Absolute, is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave this book a 5-star review, calling it "a riveting fantasy, very highly recommended."
Resa lives in Massachusetts.

Links:
Resa’s website:  http://www.resanelson.com
                                                                       
Free “mini” ebook of Dragonslayer short stories:  http://www.resanelson.com/files

GoodReads giveaway:  http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/27323-the-stone-of-darkness

Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Resa-Nelson-The-Dragonslayers-Sword/122200661871

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/ResaNelson

Email:  ContactResa@aol.com

Ebooks ($4.99 each) are available directly from Mundania Press at:  http://mundania.com/author.php?author=Resa+Nelson (get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10)

Paperbacks are available from Mundania Press, Amazon, and Barnes&Noble:

http://mundania.com/author.php?author=Resa+Nelson (get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10)

http://www.amazon.com/Resa-Nelson/e/B002C78D2Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/resa-nelson

The Stone Of Darkness on Amazon

My reviews of The Dragonslayer's Sword (Book 1) and The Iron Maiden (Book 2)

Review - The Iron Maiden by Resa Nelson

The Iron Maiden by Resa Nelson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
204 pages

Published December 31st 2011 by Mundania Press LLC

Source - Author for review

Synopsis:
'Astrid is reluctant to travel the winter route beyond the Northlands, even though it's her duty. She'd rather stay home in her village, surrounded by friends and neighbors. Ignoring the bonds of tradition, she decides to spend the cold winter months in the warmth of her blacksmithing shop. Why should she leave the comfort of her cottage to serve and protect foreigners who might raid and harm her native Northlands?

Everything changes when a traveling merchant steals Starlight, the first dragonslayer's sword Astrid forged and her last link to her sweetheart DiStephan. Having no time to alert her friends, Astrid races in pursuit of the merchant, determined to reclaim Starlight as her own and return home in time for dinner. Instead, her quest leads her to new lands, unexpected friendships with foreigners, and a harrowing encounter with the damage done by the followers of a new god that considers women as nothing more than servants to men. All the while, she must be ready to face any dragon traveling the winter route.

In Book 2 of the Dragonslayer series, Astrid must learn that deciding who she is isn't a decision she can make just once. Instead, it's a decision she must make every day.'

My Thoughts:
In this book Astrid makes a choice to stay in her home village of Guell rather than perform the dragonslayer duty of following what they call 'the winter route' keeping the lizards under control for other villages as the lizards migrate during the colder months.

Unfortunately, this decision is changed for her when her beloved sword 'Starlight' is stolen and Astrid has to leave Guell to follow the thief and try to get it back.

It is this adventure that brings Astrid into new lands where the laws and customs are not like they are in her home village so Astrid has to learn tolerance and to accept the ways of others even if they are not what she is used to.

I thought this book was much easier to follow as far as the flow of the plot than the first book and again I was very easily swept up in the story and world of Astrid and the dragons. The refreshing differences in these books to other fantasy stories make it an interesting read and the short chapters make it an easy book to devour in a couple of hours or so.

In the first book you learn that Astrid is a very head strong and stubborn female character and these traits are also very apparent in The Iron Maiden. Sometimes this stubborness gets Astrid in trouble but throughout the story she seems to grow and learn that her ways are not the only ways in the world. This character development is great and it's nice to see it happening as by the end Astrid is a much more mature person and also more accepting of her role as the Dragonslayer and what such a title means.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book and found myself starting to feel as if I was part of the world within it. I am definitely looking forward to reading the third instalment in the Dragonslayer series, The Stone of Darkness, just to see what adventures await Astrid next.

Links:
The Dragonslayers Sword (Book 1) Review
Amazon
The Book Depository
Resa Nelson's Website

Review - The Dragonslayer's Sword by Resa Nelson

The Dragonslayer's Sword by Resa Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Author for review
288 pages

Published June 1st 2008 by Mundania Press LLC

Synopsis:
'For Astrid, a blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers, the emergence of a strange gemstone from her body sets in motion a chain of events that threaten to destroy her life. Her happiness is shattered when her lover-the dragonslayer-disappears without a trace, and the life that she knows and loves implodes without warning. Astrid lives in a world of shapeshifters whose thoughts have the power to change not only themselves but others. Everything Astrid knows to be true is called into question when she learns the truth about her past and the mysterious family from which she was separated as a child. Reality turns inside out as Astrid gradually learns the truth about the people she loves as well as those she disdains. With the fate of dragons, ghosts, and slaves in foreign lands resting on her shoulders, Astrid faces the challenge of deciding who she is and how she will stand up inside her own skin. Will she withdraw and hide from the world that has disappointed her so much...or will she rise to lead others to freedom and peace.'

My Thoughts:
This was a captivating story with an imaginative world full of interesting characters and a unique plotline that made it difficult to put this book down.

It started off a little slow compared to what I normally prefer but once I got past the half-way mark it sped up to a fast pace where I was totally hooked and from that point I struggled to stop reading to perform other daily functions.

The author paints a world that is very unique and something I haven't come across before. I was fascinated by the way the character's have the ability to shape shift if they have had the fortune of being able to eat lizard meat during their life. There is also a distinction made between actual dragons that have special powers and what are so-called 'lizards' which look very similar to dragons but are not as powerful and like to attack and eat humans.

Enter the dragonslayer, a certain individual that is hired and given a specially made sword so they can hunt and kill any of the lizards that pose a threat to the villagers.

I was pleased to read a book with a strong female lead character for a change. It was interesting to see the growth in Astrid from the child with no confidence due to being badly scarred when she was almost eaten by a dragon, to being the village blacksmith who creates the dragonslayer swords to eventually becoming the dragonslayer herself and protector of her people.

There was a side story of where Astrid came from and how she became what she was which I did find a little confusing at times and I thought this part of the story would have benefited from a little more detail to give a better view of the big picture.

Overall I found this a very entertaining read and can't wait to follow more of Astrid's journey in the next instalment.

The Dragonslayer's Sword in the first book in the Dragonslayer series.

Links:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Resa Nelson's Website