Customer Reviews

Mark of the Dragon Queen

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I tremendously enjoyed the first novel by this Indie author, called Treespeaker. So I was curious about The Mark of the Dragon Queen and I wasn't disappointed. Although less subtle than Treespeaker, The Mark of the Dragon Queen contains more action which makes it a fast-paced read. The writing is once again very tight and smooth, as well as well-edited.

The story centers around the teenager Kira, who discovers her father's hidden past as he gets arrested for using magic. In a swift sequence of event, Kira's whole life is turned upside down.The intelligent Kira is hindered by her naivety and her stubbornness, but that same stubbornness also helps her. She's a well-balanced character and I enjoyed following her. Other characters, including Kira's father Ifor, his friend and doctor-magician Jan, and the young wizard-apprentice Arun show sufficient depth. The main antagonist, Apharis seemed shallow to me at first, but later on his characterization developed in such a way that I had to revise my view of him as just the standard evil just to be evil villain.

The dragons, whose queen plays a pivotal part in the story, are underdeveloped however. They seemed pretty generic and their characterization fell a bit flat. This is my main criticism on this novel, and that is a pity for an otherwise very strong story.

The worldbuilding is not very exotic, but interesting nonetheless. The novel's main strength is its plot though, which takes a fairly straight but swift path, and has some surprising bends and curves at the end. It kept me captivated and turning the pages.

Although Kira's age seems to indicate that this novel is aimed at the YA-market, it didn't bother me at all (and I'm not very keen on YA novels). The plot and character development makes this a good read for adults, and the fact that the story contains no excessive violence and gore or strong language makes it suitable for most ages, and readers from all walks of life. The themes in the novel are universal, and timeless.

Although I enjoyed the unique subtlety of Treespeaker more, this is another strong novel by Katie Stewart.

"Mark of the Dragon Queen" is an exciting ride from beginning to end. Stewart weaves an intricate plot around very well developed characters. There's lots of action and plenty of twists and turns, as well as shocking secrets revealed, as Kira fights to save her father from a death she knows he doesn't deserve. The dragons are awesome!! You'll be on the edge of your seat, turning the pages as fast as you can read to see what's going to happen next. There is no lack of energy in this story. You'll be drawn into the story right off and will suffer with the characters all the way through. If you want an awesome read... this is it!!!!!

Feisty teenager, Kira, is the main human protagonist in this fast-paced, action-filled book which is populated by imperfect, and therefore realistic, characters. Characters that Stewart's writing effortlessly brings you to care about - so much so, that you finish the book wondering, and worrying, about what happens next.

The book would work equally well as a YA or crossover novel. There is enough action and there are enough male characters, to appeal to both male and female readers. Similarly, the beautiful cover, designed by the author, will attract readers of both sexes.

Gripping, and at times very poignant, this book demonstrates a further dimension to Stewart's story-telling abilities already so ably displayed in "Treespeaker" and "The Dragon Box".

Just another outstanding sample of the marvellous fantasy world created by Katie Stewart... quite amusing and plenty of creative images. Beautifully written, empathetic, this book touched me with its emotional passages written from the heart...hard to put it down!

Written by 15 year old girl:
This was incredibly well written YA story and I really enjoyed reading it. There was lots of action but no romance whatsoever.

Kira never knew her father was able to do magic until the day in the market when he saved a boys' life. But he did so illegally since he was forbidden to do magic because he had killed a man with magic. Kira is separated from her father, but is determined to help him, so she follows one of his students she believes is trying to help him. She becomes part of a great adventure where no one seems to be who they appear.

I really liked this book but the author has mastered the art of tugging of the reader's emotions and making them feel for the fictional character. A warning to future readers: the ending is somewhat sad and incomplete.