Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale [Paperback]

Jayel Gibson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

Imagine being summoned from the slumber of death, awaking in a shattered world you do not recall, betrayed by sibling, parent and lover...imagine your search for the truth. Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale is a legend of magic, adventure, and courage set in the mythical world of AEdracmorae; a tale that explores strength and weakness, hope and fear, and what it means to be a guardian in a world where peace hangs by a fine, golden thread. Without knowledge of the past, Yavie and the Guardians stumble on a quest more filled with peril than any that have come before, a quest that will test the depths of their loyalties and which paths they will choose. Together they embark on a journey to discover the truth of Yávië s birthright and a world they no longer remember. With the discovery that she was born of the Dragon Queen, Yavie is given knowledge of the powerful artifacts that will reunite the shattered kingdoms into a single world. However, with the rebirth of AEdracmorae will come the opening of doorways that bring chaos and shadow to the new world, an evil that may be far worse than the original destruction of the realm of the Dragon Queen. It is within this darkness that the guardians and their young queen struggle to gain control of what they have unleashed upon the kingdoms.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...set in a wonderful and magical world. Yávië is the perfect heroine...smart and honest." --Writer's Digest commentary

"...[Jayel Gibson] tells an original tale and revives your desire to read fantasy." --The New York Times Sunday Book Review

"...will transport you to the world of Ancients, Guardians and Men; a world where you will savor the thoughts, feelings and adventures of many magical beings, totally forgetting everything else around you. Jayel Gibson weaves magic with words." --The Bloomsbury Review

About the Author

A student of Celtic history, folklore and faith, Jayel Gibson weaves the magic of timeless adventure. Other novels in the Ancient Mirrors series include THE WREKENING and DAMSELFLIES.

Product Details

• Paperback: 584 pages
• Publisher: Synergy Books (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933538465
• ISBN-13: 978-1933538464
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,152,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

From my publisher:

Jayel Gibson holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Multicultural Studies. In 1989, she became an elementary school teacher in Escondido, Calif., where she taught the fourth and fifth grades. During her time in Escondido, she was a two-time 'Teacher of the Year' recipient for the Escondido Union School District. In 2003, Gibson retired from teaching to wholly pursue her passion for writing. Using the seedlings of her grandmother's Celtic tales and alternate worlds, Gibson formed the 'Ancient Mirrors Tales,' which include The Wrekening, Dragon Queen, Damselflies, and Quondam.

Gibson's interest in history and folklore is woven throughout the tales to create an otherworldly, yet authentic experience. Through her research into Celtic and Anglo-Saxon cultures, Gibson's 'Ancient Mirrors' series enchants readers in a world and time unlike their own.

In 2007 the Ancient Mirrors series received two USA Book News finalist awards. Quondam (May 2008) is the 2008 National Indie Excellence Fantasy/SciFi Book Award Winner.

In addition to a full-time writing career, Gibson serves as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Oregon Community College, where she teaches writing for publication. She is a popular conference speaker at events like OryCon, Wordstock and the South Coast Writers Conference, and is the online book moderator for Realms of Fantasy magazine. She has been a contributor for Dallas Child Magazine, Education.com and Thefatherlife.com.

Gibson currently resides in Port Orford, Ore., where she and her husband share their home with a number of furred and feathered companions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Fantasy, May 13, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale (Paperback)

In Aestretfordae, the Ancients grant great power to the three Guardians in training Yavie, Ryden and Nall. However, before their first official mission and in spite of these gifts, Nall is wounded by the deadly slitherwort poison; to save his life, Yavie gives him a blood oath.

The trio's opening project seems simple enough. They are each assigned to contact a different dragon flyte, who will in turn consign a quest to the visiting Guardian. Nall travels to the Ice and Accordant flytes; Yavie meets with the Wind and War dragon horde; Ryden, who hates dragons, visits the Sea flyte, but also cuts a side deal with a siren. After the Guardians complete the dangerous missions, war erupts when a kingdom under Yavie's watch attacks dragons. Sides are forming amidst the flytes, the kingdoms and the guardians with no one trusting their so-called allies or even a blood oath as betrayal is the norm amidst the Seven Kingdoms.

This is an interesting coming of age fantasy saga that focuses mostly on heroic Yavie although the other two guardians have their subplots told also just not as deeply as hers unfolds. Apparently THE WREKENING: An Ancient Mirrors' tale was released before DRAGON QUEST, but this novel's events occur earlier; thus the audience is better off reading this exciting story first. Though containing too much sidebar description, the brilliant use of On the Job Training to introduce the prime threesome make each of them seem genuine. Filled with political intrigue (especially interesting is the thought processes respectively of the Ancients and the flytes), military battles, and several surprising twists, Jayel Gibson provides an brilliant opening fantasy novel.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting New Fantasy Series, June 10, 2008

By 

The Book Muncher (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale (Paperback)

In a time long ago, the world of Ædracmoræ was shattered into seven different lands, floating around a topaz star. This was the result of a desperate battle where evil triumphed over good, and the Guardians' souls were sent to slumber among the stars until called upon. Three of them, Yávië, Nall, and Rydén, are awakened by seven Ancients to fulfill a prophecy. They train vigorously until they are ready to undertake their quest, which they complete with the aid of three more Guardians. But their missions are not over: Yávië wants to reunite the seven kingdoms before she takes her rightful place as the Dragon Queen.

Jayel Gibson weaves a fantastical world populated by creatures of both good and evil. They journeys the Guardians complete are fascinating and difficult, yet sometimes I felt the tasks seemed accomplished rather easily. The first half of the book was a little disjointed and sometimes I felt that pieces of the story were missing, but the plot flowed more smoothly through the ending. I would have liked this novel to be broken up into shorter stories, as that would make it more manageable to read, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this tale of the Dragon Queen.

Dragon Queen is the first book in the exciting Ancient Mirrors fantasy series. While it wasn't as captivating for me as Lord of the Rings, it was still very interesting and had a lot of action and even romance. If you are a fantasy can who doesn't mind a long story, then I definitely recommend this book.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy, January 25, 2008

By 

Crystal Adkins "Crystal's book reviews" (Ashland, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale (Paperback)

Born are the seven Ancients from the Tree of Creation knowing that they must assist the Guardians in fulfilling the Prophecy of Man. As three Guardians are being called to Meremire from their slumber, a shadow passes above and that means the Guardian will be reborn with darkness in their heart. Who will betray their brethren?

Alandon saw the evil his daughter was harboring in her soul, even to the point of having the Queen, her mother slain so that she could be crowned. Twins as different as night and day; Yavie the pure one that did not hunger for the crown, the younger of the two; and then Aleria the evil twin bound to wreak destruction upon Aestretfordae. Alandon knew what must be done, he divided Aestretfordae into seven pieces and condemning it to forever slumber until the time was right. When the rightful Dragon Queen would take her place on the throne.

Yavie and the Guardians had many obstacles to over come before they could fully see the rebirth of Aestretfordae. Evil lurked around every corner, things were hardly ever as they seemed, and somewhere between dying and being reborn, blood oaths, betrayal, journeys for Truths, and memories, came love. Sorel was a Guardian from one of the seven pieces of Aestretfordae, with his life he would forever protect Yavie in battle and with his heart.

Much evil still lurks just behind the Guardians or in some cases lays in wait before them. A tale of many combined events that at the moment you think the book is coming to an end, it throws more action right into your face.

Dragon Queen by Jayel Gibson is a fantasy novel that you will not put down once you start reading the first page. Over 500 pages of twist and turning pure excitement, Dragon Queen delivers a sensational read! An eye-catching cover is only the beginning of the entrancing story, so reader be warned, once the cover is open, it is not easily closed. Ms. Gibson pens a fantasy novel unlike any other, it is a must read. 5 Hearts