I was glad that I made it to the library this week as my iPod starting having problems and I can't finish my Audible book. I grabbed three books, two of which I was familiar with the author and the story. But then I did something I haven't done for a couple of years. I grabbed a book off the shelf based on its cover and jacket description. I've gotten lucky the few times I've done this, meaning I grabbed books that I ended up likely the vast majority of. The particular book in question I grabbed was the debut novel of Patrick Matthews entitled Dragon Run. The book is a middle grade high fantasy setting and while having a world which is quite different from ours is able to show it quite easily. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this world.
Plot: Dragons rule unquestionably. Rarely seen, but undeniably there they created the five races and now supervise them. Created of the five elements (life, fire, air, earth, and water) the people of the world go about their tasks with the understanding that their lives will be directed by the rank they receive in their twelfth year. The level of their potential, a rank of 1-7, is tattooed onto the back of their neck. A level 7 can become anything and is often chosen by the dragons to train in the use of potentia, the power of magic which is based on the elements. Level 1 can't hold jobs and aren't even allowed to marry or have children. Al Pilgrommor walks out of his testing stunned. He expected to be a level 4 like his parents, maybe a level 3 like his disappointment of a sister. Instead, he has learned that he is a level zero. Al's life goes from potential to problem. Hunted by the government, disowned by his family, protected by a secret organization whose mark is a red feather, Al has to survive and in the process he finds out what the ranks really mean...
Personal favorites: The action moved along, and the pacing was good. The first day I read it on the bus I didn't realize I was nearing my stop because I was engrossed in the book. The world is interesting and the magic was simple, yet elegant. For a middle grade book our hero was faced with some difficult situations and some peril and destruction, but it was well done and described appropriately for the age group. I would recommend the book for young readers who want to get into fantasy and are looking for a stand-a-lone novel to do it. The lore around the dragons was one I hadn't heard before and the story felt original in many of its aspects. The action felt realistic and the characters were fun. Al has to fight a number of times, giving and receiving wounds. I personally thought that it was well done in terms of pacing, action, description, and mentality, Al responding in many ways like a real twelve year old with only three months training.
Considerations: As usual, I mention these things out of consideration for others, not as negative reviews of the book. I would happily purchase this book for either of my children when they are a little older than their current 5 and 3. One of the biggest things that can pull me out of a story, particularly in young adult or middle grade fiction is when the character acts older then they are. Al and his friends are twelve but don't seem to act like it sometimes. One way I reconciled moments of this was to remind myself that in this kind of society children don't get much chance to be children. They are raised on hard work and many of them "grow up" at a younger age. This was easy to do in this book by using the descriptions of the society. However, I can't say I was one hundred percent convinced of Al being twelve all the time in the book. Something else to consider is that quite a few people die in this book, the vast majority being killed en mass via dragon fire. Those deaths that do occur are not described in any graphic terms (other then to mention the body), but I think it worth mentioning. The last thing I'll mention is that there are some things that are not explained and the book leaves off at a satisfying, yet unfinished time. I would like to know more about some of the things that happened, but until then I am happy to speculate.
I thought this was a well written middle grade book that has great potential for future events in the world. I particularly liked how Al responded during conflicts and how he worked with his sword. The book was compelling and straight forward while entertaining a couple of fun twists.
The book was a total of 325 pages.
Plot: Dragons rule unquestionably. Rarely seen, but undeniably there they created the five races and now supervise them. Created of the five elements (life, fire, air, earth, and water) the people of the world go about their tasks with the understanding that their lives will be directed by the rank they receive in their twelfth year. The level of their potential, a rank of 1-7, is tattooed onto the back of their neck. A level 7 can become anything and is often chosen by the dragons to train in the use of potentia, the power of magic which is based on the elements. Level 1 can't hold jobs and aren't even allowed to marry or have children. Al Pilgrommor walks out of his testing stunned. He expected to be a level 4 like his parents, maybe a level 3 like his disappointment of a sister. Instead, he has learned that he is a level zero. Al's life goes from potential to problem. Hunted by the government, disowned by his family, protected by a secret organization whose mark is a red feather, Al has to survive and in the process he finds out what the ranks really mean...Personal favorites: The action moved along, and the pacing was good. The first day I read it on the bus I didn't realize I was nearing my stop because I was engrossed in the book. The world is interesting and the magic was simple, yet elegant. For a middle grade book our hero was faced with some difficult situations and some peril and destruction, but it was well done and described appropriately for the age group. I would recommend the book for young readers who want to get into fantasy and are looking for a stand-a-lone novel to do it. The lore around the dragons was one I hadn't heard before and the story felt original in many of its aspects. The action felt realistic and the characters were fun. Al has to fight a number of times, giving and receiving wounds. I personally thought that it was well done in terms of pacing, action, description, and mentality, Al responding in many ways like a real twelve year old with only three months training.
Considerations: As usual, I mention these things out of consideration for others, not as negative reviews of the book. I would happily purchase this book for either of my children when they are a little older than their current 5 and 3. One of the biggest things that can pull me out of a story, particularly in young adult or middle grade fiction is when the character acts older then they are. Al and his friends are twelve but don't seem to act like it sometimes. One way I reconciled moments of this was to remind myself that in this kind of society children don't get much chance to be children. They are raised on hard work and many of them "grow up" at a younger age. This was easy to do in this book by using the descriptions of the society. However, I can't say I was one hundred percent convinced of Al being twelve all the time in the book. Something else to consider is that quite a few people die in this book, the vast majority being killed en mass via dragon fire. Those deaths that do occur are not described in any graphic terms (other then to mention the body), but I think it worth mentioning. The last thing I'll mention is that there are some things that are not explained and the book leaves off at a satisfying, yet unfinished time. I would like to know more about some of the things that happened, but until then I am happy to speculate.
I thought this was a well written middle grade book that has great potential for future events in the world. I particularly liked how Al responded during conflicts and how he worked with his sword. The book was compelling and straight forward while entertaining a couple of fun twists.
The book was a total of 325 pages.
Thanks for the great review! If you'd like to have a little fun with the world, take a look at the book's web site (www.dragon-run.com). The "Find Your Place in The World" page has a quiz that lets you find out where you would be, if you were a character in the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm a rank 2, living in the woods outside of Brighton...
- Patrick Matthews
You're welcome. Thank you for the good book. I took the quiz yesterday and was a rank 4 making a living in the woods. I hope there will be more from this world, you've got a good thing here.
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