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The Chronicles of Kale #1
A Dragon's Awakening
Kale Firehart is a young dragon, and the sole survivor of his race. As a tyrannical general and his massive bloodthirsty army close in on Kale—the most unexpected circumstance transpires. With time against him, Kale's trusted friend, a veteran arcane sorcerer, transforms him into the one thing he despises most—a human.
Kale must unwillingly live among human-kind as he embarks upon an extraordinary journey. With a band of unlikely friends by his side, can Kale overcome the obstacles before him and return to the life he once knew?
The age of dragons is all but over...
396 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2011
130 people are currently reading
1093 people want to read
About the author
Aya Knight
8 books101 followersAya Knight is the bestselling author of THE CHRONICLES OF KALE series.
Knight was born in South Florida, where she spent the majority of her childhood. At a young age, she developed a strong passion for fantasy and a love of writing. Through movies, books, and video/computer games, she would escape into an alternate reality filled with adventure, magic and epic quests. As Aya entered adulthood, she expressed her enjoyment of writing through becoming a freelance journalist. She wrote about a broad variety of topics that gave her a brighter insight of the world.
Eventually, a story began to develop within her mind involving characters she immediately grew attached to. Aya knew that she needed to compile her thoughts onto paper. She grew so intrigued by the evolving storyline that she placed all hopes within the hands of her imagination, leaving journalism behind. Aya now works as a full-time novelist, where she continues to pursue her passion.
"Imagination is your gateway into fantastic new worlds."
Knight was born in South Florida, where she spent the majority of her childhood. At a young age, she developed a strong passion for fantasy and a love of writing. Through movies, books, and video/computer games, she would escape into an alternate reality filled with adventure, magic and epic quests. As Aya entered adulthood, she expressed her enjoyment of writing through becoming a freelance journalist. She wrote about a broad variety of topics that gave her a brighter insight of the world.
Eventually, a story began to develop within her mind involving characters she immediately grew attached to. Aya knew that she needed to compile her thoughts onto paper. She grew so intrigued by the evolving storyline that she placed all hopes within the hands of her imagination, leaving journalism behind. Aya now works as a full-time novelist, where she continues to pursue her passion.
"Imagination is your gateway into fantastic new worlds."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 1, 2011
I have always been a fan of dragons, sorcerers, and anything mystical. The Chronicles of Kale is the authors debut novel and was fantastic. You meet Kale, a dragon who is changed into a human for his protection and finally learns what it means to be human. As he travels with his friend Thomas, he has to live among the humans and blend in with them so he is not killed. He is the last living dragon and he is being hunted by the army. You can feel Kale's emotions throughout the story and the scenery came alive. There was suspense, fear, love and sadness all bundled up in this great epic fantasy novel. I highly recommend the book and I look forward to the next book in the series when it is available.
March 19, 2018
This book seems to be the perfect example of "great concept, poor execution."
tw: rape, violence
Warning: spoilers ahead.
First of all, the writing was just terrible. A lot of it was just editing issues. Like, I honestly don't know if an editor looked at this because the issues ranged from typos/missing words to constant telling to sections of the text that just sound bad. It feels like the author had a word count that they needed to hit because the repetition was painful. She would tell us something and then remind us of it two pages later. In the exact same expositional way. And the exposition was just painful. It didn't feel like natural human speech at all (which was also a consistent problem throughout the text).
Another major issue with the writing was that she was constantly telling us how the characters felt instead of actually showing us. Kale and Thomas spend a year in an inn and at the end of it Kale's thinking about how sad he is to be leaving the innkeeper because he'll be lonely without the two of them and he'd come to care about him over the course of the year. But they interact maybe once in the book and that's when they first meet. We're just told that Kale cares about him but aren't really given any reason why.
The action scenes are terribly written. Why are they speaking in such long sentences while fighting? If someone's swinging a sword at you, you're just going to talk about "humans" not "filthy humans" and you're not going to spend seventeen years explaining your motivation. Also Neelan wouldn't be yelling at Kale to come over to her, she would just go "Kale, my bow!" because if you're in mortal danger, you're going to get straight to the point. Also, why is Neelan wearing a cloak while fighting with a bow. It mentions how in the way it is. Why doesn't she take it off? Oh right, because she needs to use it to hide her injury from Kale.
The next issue I had was the characters. This is one of the half redeeming parts of the book because Illadar was a great character and Thomas had his moments. But Kale wasn't the type of character that I'm interested in reading about and while Neelan started off really interesting, by about halfway through the book she has no real personality outside of loving Kale and being jealous. Which brings me to the next big issue and what ultimately ruined the book for me: the rampant sexism.
When will authors realize that fantasy worlds don't need to be sexist? Women are constantly being put in danger or brutalized to serve a man's story. Illadar's main motivation is that his pregnant wife was murdered. When a soldier wasn't doing well in training, Jedah threatens to pay his eldest sister another visit, implying that he's going to go and rape her. Neelan is injured and hides it so that Kale won't worry until it works for the story and he can feel sad about how much pain she's been in.
In addition to the sexism ingrained in the world, there's constant girl hate between Neelan and Judith because they both like Kale. Even after Kale and Neelan begin their relationship, she's still petty and jealous towards Judith which is just obnoxious to read about.
The slut-shaming wrapped up around Theresa's character is disgusting. Not to mention that her chest is described whenever she appears which is just uncomfortable.
Kale spends the entire book referring to women as "females." Like when he's thinking about how Neelan loves him, he thinks that he's never been in love with a female before. Gross.
On top of the rampant sexism, the book has a few other issues surrounding representation.
First is transphobia. In order to sneak into the kingdom, the group must disguise themselves. Neelan and Judith are turned into mice (losing their clothes in the process, of course) while Kale, Thomas, and Illadar are turned into women for no reason other than to make the girls (and presumably the reader) laugh. They are then referred to exclusively as "the former men" or some variation, which no? they're still men? what transphobic nonsense is this?
The book is also aggressively white (Illadar is the only POC), allocishet, able-bodied, and the vast majority of characters are men.
There's also the issue of Malakhar, one of the main villains of the novel, being disfigured. Stop making disfigured characters villains please.
Another incredibly uncomfortable part of the novel is the obsession with ugliness and what features are described as ugly (spoiler: it always includes big noses). All of the villains are ugly because they have scars and big noses (or are disfigured, in the case of Malakhar). Judith is cursed to be ugly (old woman with a big nose, moles and no teeth) because being ugly is the worst thing that could happen to a woman. When they transform, Thomas is described as ugly because he has frizzy hair, a big nose, and nostril hair. Later, when describing all the things he's endured over the journey, he mentions being ugly alongside almost dying. Because that's logical.
The romantic relationship was bad. They had no real chemistry and it got so distracting during the second half of the book. Neelan is literally bleeding out and Kale's all wrapped up in realizing that he loves her. Not to mention that at the end when they're offered a place in the kingdom, something that Neelan has wanted her entire life, she gives it up to be with Kale. Without them even discussing what they're going to do. Kale decides he's leaving and Neelan doesn't want to leave him. And then when Kale is offered the chance to change back into a dragon, something he's wanted the entire book, he gives it up because he wants to still be able to touch Neelan. Ugh.
The only somewhat redeemable part of this book is the plot, but it's executed so poorly that I don't think it's worth muddling through all the bad bits to get to the interesting parts about dragon eggs and frost elves. By the end of the book, I was actively rolling my eyes every paragraph.
tw: rape, violence
Warning: spoilers ahead.
First of all, the writing was just terrible. A lot of it was just editing issues. Like, I honestly don't know if an editor looked at this because the issues ranged from typos/missing words to constant telling to sections of the text that just sound bad. It feels like the author had a word count that they needed to hit because the repetition was painful. She would tell us something and then remind us of it two pages later. In the exact same expositional way. And the exposition was just painful. It didn't feel like natural human speech at all (which was also a consistent problem throughout the text).
Another major issue with the writing was that she was constantly telling us how the characters felt instead of actually showing us. Kale and Thomas spend a year in an inn and at the end of it Kale's thinking about how sad he is to be leaving the innkeeper because he'll be lonely without the two of them and he'd come to care about him over the course of the year. But they interact maybe once in the book and that's when they first meet. We're just told that Kale cares about him but aren't really given any reason why.
The action scenes are terribly written. Why are they speaking in such long sentences while fighting? If someone's swinging a sword at you, you're just going to talk about "humans" not "filthy humans" and you're not going to spend seventeen years explaining your motivation. Also Neelan wouldn't be yelling at Kale to come over to her, she would just go "Kale, my bow!" because if you're in mortal danger, you're going to get straight to the point. Also, why is Neelan wearing a cloak while fighting with a bow. It mentions how in the way it is. Why doesn't she take it off? Oh right, because she needs to use it to hide her injury from Kale.
The next issue I had was the characters. This is one of the half redeeming parts of the book because Illadar was a great character and Thomas had his moments. But Kale wasn't the type of character that I'm interested in reading about and while Neelan started off really interesting, by about halfway through the book she has no real personality outside of loving Kale and being jealous. Which brings me to the next big issue and what ultimately ruined the book for me: the rampant sexism.
When will authors realize that fantasy worlds don't need to be sexist? Women are constantly being put in danger or brutalized to serve a man's story. Illadar's main motivation is that his pregnant wife was murdered. When a soldier wasn't doing well in training, Jedah threatens to pay his eldest sister another visit, implying that he's going to go and rape her. Neelan is injured and hides it so that Kale won't worry until it works for the story and he can feel sad about how much pain she's been in.
In addition to the sexism ingrained in the world, there's constant girl hate between Neelan and Judith because they both like Kale. Even after Kale and Neelan begin their relationship, she's still petty and jealous towards Judith which is just obnoxious to read about.
The slut-shaming wrapped up around Theresa's character is disgusting. Not to mention that her chest is described whenever she appears which is just uncomfortable.
Kale spends the entire book referring to women as "females." Like when he's thinking about how Neelan loves him, he thinks that he's never been in love with a female before. Gross.
On top of the rampant sexism, the book has a few other issues surrounding representation.
First is transphobia. In order to sneak into the kingdom, the group must disguise themselves. Neelan and Judith are turned into mice (losing their clothes in the process, of course) while Kale, Thomas, and Illadar are turned into women for no reason other than to make the girls (and presumably the reader) laugh. They are then referred to exclusively as "the former men" or some variation, which no? they're still men? what transphobic nonsense is this?
The book is also aggressively white (Illadar is the only POC), allocishet, able-bodied, and the vast majority of characters are men.
There's also the issue of Malakhar, one of the main villains of the novel, being disfigured. Stop making disfigured characters villains please.
Another incredibly uncomfortable part of the novel is the obsession with ugliness and what features are described as ugly (spoiler: it always includes big noses). All of the villains are ugly because they have scars and big noses (or are disfigured, in the case of Malakhar). Judith is cursed to be ugly (old woman with a big nose, moles and no teeth) because being ugly is the worst thing that could happen to a woman. When they transform, Thomas is described as ugly because he has frizzy hair, a big nose, and nostril hair. Later, when describing all the things he's endured over the journey, he mentions being ugly alongside almost dying. Because that's logical.
The romantic relationship was bad. They had no real chemistry and it got so distracting during the second half of the book. Neelan is literally bleeding out and Kale's all wrapped up in realizing that he loves her. Not to mention that at the end when they're offered a place in the kingdom, something that Neelan has wanted her entire life, she gives it up to be with Kale. Without them even discussing what they're going to do. Kale decides he's leaving and Neelan doesn't want to leave him. And then when Kale is offered the chance to change back into a dragon, something he's wanted the entire book, he gives it up because he wants to still be able to touch Neelan. Ugh.
The only somewhat redeemable part of this book is the plot, but it's executed so poorly that I don't think it's worth muddling through all the bad bits to get to the interesting parts about dragon eggs and frost elves. By the end of the book, I was actively rolling my eyes every paragraph.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2012
One of the biggest challenges in writing fantasy fiction is balancing between cliché and outrageous unbelievability in an author's newly imagined world. Fantasy fiction authors aren't just creating characters; this genre also requires writers to develop entire cultures complete with customs, laws, languages, and everything that goes along with birthing a new civilization.
"The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon's Awakening" is the first book is an interesting and fun young adult fantasy fiction adventure. The story draws you in immediately, utilizing a rare fast-paced narrative. Where most writers rely heavily on dialog, "The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon's Awakening" is driven by wonderful descriptive writing which takes a good bit of talent to achieve.
The book's protagonist, Kale, is a dragon—a rather arrogant dragon, at that—who despises humans with the rare exception of his sorcerer friend, Thomas. The drama begins when a misguided military leader, with some personal baggage about dragons, convinces the king to grant him authority to hunt down and kill every single last dragon until they are extinct. General Jedah has concocted a story about kind and benevolent King Valamar's daughter, claiming she has died a horrible death by dragon when in fact she has been cursed and stuck in a magical forest of sorts. General Jedah’s campaign of terror has successfully disposed of every dragon but one, which puts Kale directly in the depraved General's crosshairs.
Through magic—of course—Kale is transformed into a human young man for his own protection and that is where his journey of growth and personal exploration begins. Oh, yeah . . . he's also intent on exposing General Jedah, rescuing the King's daughter and saving dragons from extinction. But the most compelling component of this dragon tale is Kale's personal maturation process eventually becoming confident in his role as human hero.
Fantasy fiction has a tendency to be formulaic as are most tales about good versus evil; as readers, we accept this inevitability and, in some cases, expect this predictability as long as the characters are well developed and engaging. Not only does the author do a nice job with Kale's character development, she has also given Kale a number of humorous lines and scenes which make the book that much more endearing to readers.
As for the rest of the cast of characters, their roles seem more decorative to Kale's coming-of-age story. This is good in the sense that there is no time wasted with excessive back stories and subplots. There is a brief trip to Neelan's elf culture, but that too is primarily important to moving Kale’s heroic story forward. In short, this is a book about Kale. By the end of the novel, the supporting cast of characters is tantamount to window dressing. It will be interesting to see if more character development is afforded to supporting characters in subsequent books of this series which would be nice, but not at the expense of the keeping the story flowing at a brisk pace.
There are a few detail issues, such as blending a kind of quasi Old English language of sorts with a lot of modern day colloquialisms and even some slang. We're not sure if this was intentional, but it comes off as a grammatical oversight.
Our only other critical observation is that the attempt at creating a romantic storyline between Kale and Neelan was a little odd given the most obvious issue—he's a dragon underneath his human skin and she's an elf. Does this mean Kale will maintain his human form throughout the entire series? Is this book really about a dragon's awakening or more about a human experience now that Kale's been able to see what it's like to live in someone else's skin?
This is a good first effort for a young adult fantasy fiction series with lots of potential for subsequent books. A few minor corrections in detail issues is all this novel needs to move it from a very good read to a great page turner. As it stands, The Chronicles of Kale is an enjoyable story with great flow and movement. If you love young adult fantasy fiction, this will be a quick and fun read for you. You won't be disappointed.
This book was reviewed as part of the Wise Bear Digital Book Awards competition. Entry fees associated with the contest are administrative in nature and do not influence our honest, unbiased book reviews.
"The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon's Awakening" is the first book is an interesting and fun young adult fantasy fiction adventure. The story draws you in immediately, utilizing a rare fast-paced narrative. Where most writers rely heavily on dialog, "The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon's Awakening" is driven by wonderful descriptive writing which takes a good bit of talent to achieve.
The book's protagonist, Kale, is a dragon—a rather arrogant dragon, at that—who despises humans with the rare exception of his sorcerer friend, Thomas. The drama begins when a misguided military leader, with some personal baggage about dragons, convinces the king to grant him authority to hunt down and kill every single last dragon until they are extinct. General Jedah has concocted a story about kind and benevolent King Valamar's daughter, claiming she has died a horrible death by dragon when in fact she has been cursed and stuck in a magical forest of sorts. General Jedah’s campaign of terror has successfully disposed of every dragon but one, which puts Kale directly in the depraved General's crosshairs.
Through magic—of course—Kale is transformed into a human young man for his own protection and that is where his journey of growth and personal exploration begins. Oh, yeah . . . he's also intent on exposing General Jedah, rescuing the King's daughter and saving dragons from extinction. But the most compelling component of this dragon tale is Kale's personal maturation process eventually becoming confident in his role as human hero.
Fantasy fiction has a tendency to be formulaic as are most tales about good versus evil; as readers, we accept this inevitability and, in some cases, expect this predictability as long as the characters are well developed and engaging. Not only does the author do a nice job with Kale's character development, she has also given Kale a number of humorous lines and scenes which make the book that much more endearing to readers.
As for the rest of the cast of characters, their roles seem more decorative to Kale's coming-of-age story. This is good in the sense that there is no time wasted with excessive back stories and subplots. There is a brief trip to Neelan's elf culture, but that too is primarily important to moving Kale’s heroic story forward. In short, this is a book about Kale. By the end of the novel, the supporting cast of characters is tantamount to window dressing. It will be interesting to see if more character development is afforded to supporting characters in subsequent books of this series which would be nice, but not at the expense of the keeping the story flowing at a brisk pace.
There are a few detail issues, such as blending a kind of quasi Old English language of sorts with a lot of modern day colloquialisms and even some slang. We're not sure if this was intentional, but it comes off as a grammatical oversight.
Our only other critical observation is that the attempt at creating a romantic storyline between Kale and Neelan was a little odd given the most obvious issue—he's a dragon underneath his human skin and she's an elf. Does this mean Kale will maintain his human form throughout the entire series? Is this book really about a dragon's awakening or more about a human experience now that Kale's been able to see what it's like to live in someone else's skin?
This is a good first effort for a young adult fantasy fiction series with lots of potential for subsequent books. A few minor corrections in detail issues is all this novel needs to move it from a very good read to a great page turner. As it stands, The Chronicles of Kale is an enjoyable story with great flow and movement. If you love young adult fantasy fiction, this will be a quick and fun read for you. You won't be disappointed.
This book was reviewed as part of the Wise Bear Digital Book Awards competition. Entry fees associated with the contest are administrative in nature and do not influence our honest, unbiased book reviews.
November 9, 2012
Why did this book have to be bad. The book suffers horrendously from 'Show don't Tell' in meaning that the characters say how they feel without showing how they feel and this causes a lot of problems for the book that revolves the inner conflict of an individual put into a foreign body. The premise is not fully explored as the protagonist is too eager to accept everything which made the 'surprise ending' a foregone conclusion that could have been seen from a mile away.
The main character doesn't have the kind of personality you'd expect a proud and headstrong dragon to have, he acts more like a petty child than a creature that could rend you apart without second thought and this behavior only becomes more removed when he becomes human. As a dragon in a human's body he shows little to no tendencies you'd associate with dragons or the fact that in the transformation he's gone from four legs and 7 limbs to two legs and 4 limbs. No shown regret or sadness over the loss of ability to fly, breathe fire, have a tail, have sharp fangs and claws, or just plain being the creature at the top of the food chain.
The plot completely skips over any part that explains his adaption to his body which kind of destroys the entire premise of the story in the first place. Telling isn't as good as showing. There's also the fact that the antagonists are flat and stereotypical 'Muhahaha' villains with no depth or redeeming qualities or anything skills that would show them capable of the positions they carry.
Without any attention to the premise of the story you just got a sub-standard 'Heros Journey' that starts in Medias Res and never goes back to explain the protagonist's past.
The main character doesn't have the kind of personality you'd expect a proud and headstrong dragon to have, he acts more like a petty child than a creature that could rend you apart without second thought and this behavior only becomes more removed when he becomes human. As a dragon in a human's body he shows little to no tendencies you'd associate with dragons or the fact that in the transformation he's gone from four legs and 7 limbs to two legs and 4 limbs. No shown regret or sadness over the loss of ability to fly, breathe fire, have a tail, have sharp fangs and claws, or just plain being the creature at the top of the food chain.
The plot completely skips over any part that explains his adaption to his body which kind of destroys the entire premise of the story in the first place. Telling isn't as good as showing. There's also the fact that the antagonists are flat and stereotypical 'Muhahaha' villains with no depth or redeeming qualities or anything skills that would show them capable of the positions they carry.
Without any attention to the premise of the story you just got a sub-standard 'Heros Journey' that starts in Medias Res and never goes back to explain the protagonist's past.
April 4, 2013
I love this author. She is such a nice person it just shines through. Go to one of her book signings and you will see what I mean.
I loved these books. They may be classified as YA Fantasy, but they are books I believe could be enjoyed from a bright 5th grader on up through adulthood
The premise begins with an army slaughtering dragons in their sleep. Kale Fireheart has hidden in seclusion for 100 years, & is believed to be the last dragon in existence. His only friend an old wizard. As the army comes for Kale, the wizard does the only thing he CAN do to save Kale. He turns him human! Now although Kale the dragon's age is over 100, that is still young for a dragon, basically considered adolescence, so Kale ends up as a human in his mid-late teens.
Kale has always believed the world to be a cold, unwelcoming place. He has always believed that humans were disgusting, dirty creatures who care for nothing but themselves. Upon Kale's travels, he not only begins to learn how to be human, he also learns the humanity, hard work, & generosity that is innate in most humans.
Eventually, as in most fantasies, Kale collects a strange quandary of people in his group- A soldier who suffered personal tragedy due to Jedah, the leader of the dragon killing army.
We also meet Neelan, another outcast. Yet each slowly learn they are no longer outcasts, & that friends standing with you against evil is always better than attempting to find it alone.
No more on the synopsis as I don't want to accidentally give too many spoilers, but Aya Knight is a fairly new local author from central & south Florida, & definitely one I at least, will continue to follow as more books emerge.
I loved these books. They may be classified as YA Fantasy, but they are books I believe could be enjoyed from a bright 5th grader on up through adulthood
The premise begins with an army slaughtering dragons in their sleep. Kale Fireheart has hidden in seclusion for 100 years, & is believed to be the last dragon in existence. His only friend an old wizard. As the army comes for Kale, the wizard does the only thing he CAN do to save Kale. He turns him human! Now although Kale the dragon's age is over 100, that is still young for a dragon, basically considered adolescence, so Kale ends up as a human in his mid-late teens.
Kale has always believed the world to be a cold, unwelcoming place. He has always believed that humans were disgusting, dirty creatures who care for nothing but themselves. Upon Kale's travels, he not only begins to learn how to be human, he also learns the humanity, hard work, & generosity that is innate in most humans.
Eventually, as in most fantasies, Kale collects a strange quandary of people in his group- A soldier who suffered personal tragedy due to Jedah, the leader of the dragon killing army.
We also meet Neelan, another outcast. Yet each slowly learn they are no longer outcasts, & that friends standing with you against evil is always better than attempting to find it alone.
No more on the synopsis as I don't want to accidentally give too many spoilers, but Aya Knight is a fairly new local author from central & south Florida, & definitely one I at least, will continue to follow as more books emerge.
August 7, 2018
Enjoyable read
Enjoyable read as a coming of age in Dragon style but in human form. Dark magic runs amok while trying to save the princess.
Enjoyable read as a coming of age in Dragon style but in human form. Dark magic runs amok while trying to save the princess.
May 31, 2017
The idea of this book is great. The execution by the author, however, failed. The language is geared towards younger readers, yet some of the situational references are for an adult audience. The author "explains" non-stop; if the book is written well enough the reader should be able to infer the meaning. The foreshadowing, likewise, is obvious.
March 11, 2021
A Great Dragon Story!
This Dragon Story is full of emotions, past fantasy 's shared with the reader! This Dragon Story is full of action, love & friendship, as well as laughter! This is a read for all ages! This Book is worth your time to read & worth the price! Enjoy this fantasy!
This Dragon Story is full of emotions, past fantasy 's shared with the reader! This Dragon Story is full of action, love & friendship, as well as laughter! This is a read for all ages! This Book is worth your time to read & worth the price! Enjoy this fantasy!
August 28, 2018
Good young adult read
Through I found the POV young/adolescent I quickly became engaged by the story and enjoyed the read. I could feel the connection to the way video games plots unfold and can't wait to see what that will mean to the genre in the future.
Through I found the POV young/adolescent I quickly became engaged by the story and enjoyed the read. I could feel the connection to the way video games plots unfold and can't wait to see what that will mean to the genre in the future.
April 1, 2012
I first met Aya Knight last year at Florida Supercon. Being a self-published author now looking for traditional publishing, I always support my fellow self-published authors spending money out of pocket to promote their books. The same goes with independent publishing since they don't have the recognition of the more prominent publishing houses such as Harper Perennial or Double Day. I spent a good thirty minutes or so talking to Aya ranging from writing to what our favorite books are to read and so on. Eventually, I ended up buying her novel and I have to say, it is one of the most entertaining books I have read. It may not have the same appeal as A Game of Thrones or Kushiel's Dart but it is still a great fantasy read.
The story is about a dragon known as Kale Firehart. He is the last dragon since his bretheren were slaughtered by General Jedah. Thomas, Kale's only human friend who is also a wizard, saves Kale by transforming him into the one thing Kale despises the most - a human. This provides the story a lot of promise for its direction which I say delivers but once again doesn't have the epic hook the other books I mentioned as examples above.
The story is a bit simplistic with enough twist and turns considered as the spice for the story. The only issues I can forsee others might spot are the grammar and misspellings though it is minimal. So far, there were two major grammar or misspelled words I came across and that was two words which needed a space between them and a word in which it was spelled correctly but the wrong word was used. (Page 197 - Used the word "Bazaar" when it should be "Bizarre" but at least she spelled it right).
In the end, I would suggest this novel to anyone who would like an easy fantasy read especially if you like dragons, wizards, elves, orcs, and other fantasy elements utilized quite well into a story. The pricetag for the paperback may turn some people off since I remember it being around $15 but the ebook is a lot cheaper. Not to mention, the second novel is supposed to come out sometime this year.
The story is about a dragon known as Kale Firehart. He is the last dragon since his bretheren were slaughtered by General Jedah. Thomas, Kale's only human friend who is also a wizard, saves Kale by transforming him into the one thing Kale despises the most - a human. This provides the story a lot of promise for its direction which I say delivers but once again doesn't have the epic hook the other books I mentioned as examples above.
The story is a bit simplistic with enough twist and turns considered as the spice for the story. The only issues I can forsee others might spot are the grammar and misspellings though it is minimal. So far, there were two major grammar or misspelled words I came across and that was two words which needed a space between them and a word in which it was spelled correctly but the wrong word was used. (Page 197 - Used the word "Bazaar" when it should be "Bizarre" but at least she spelled it right).
In the end, I would suggest this novel to anyone who would like an easy fantasy read especially if you like dragons, wizards, elves, orcs, and other fantasy elements utilized quite well into a story. The pricetag for the paperback may turn some people off since I remember it being around $15 but the ebook is a lot cheaper. Not to mention, the second novel is supposed to come out sometime this year.
May 16, 2016
I was really excited to read this book, I’ve always loved dragons and the thought of having a dragon transformed into a form he hated and learning to adapt to it really appealed to me. Not to say I wasn’t worried. So far when I get a book that sounds interesting it ends up not being all that good.
What I noticed early on was that the storytelling is evenly paced. It never felt like it was going so fast that I couldn’t keep up, or felt like I was going through cold molasses. It kept a steady, even pace through the whole book. If anything bad could be said about the pacing, it’s that because it’s so steady things like the fight scenes weren’t as (for lack of a better word) heart pounding as they could have been. As for me I think it did quite well, and I enjoyed the pacing of the book.
I loved the characters in this book. They were all enjoyable, and well fleshed out people. It really felt like they were real. However, I do have one disappointment. The character development felt a bit...... sudden. It’s weird because the development itself felt very believable and true to the story, but I felt like it could have been more gradual. That is really the only complaint I have about this book.
I did enjoy myself while reading this, seeing the characters interact, even though their development could have been better played out. There were other minor issues, but it did not interfere with my overall enjoyment.
I hope the next book is just as good.
What I noticed early on was that the storytelling is evenly paced. It never felt like it was going so fast that I couldn’t keep up, or felt like I was going through cold molasses. It kept a steady, even pace through the whole book. If anything bad could be said about the pacing, it’s that because it’s so steady things like the fight scenes weren’t as (for lack of a better word) heart pounding as they could have been. As for me I think it did quite well, and I enjoyed the pacing of the book.
I loved the characters in this book. They were all enjoyable, and well fleshed out people. It really felt like they were real. However, I do have one disappointment. The character development felt a bit...... sudden. It’s weird because the development itself felt very believable and true to the story, but I felt like it could have been more gradual. That is really the only complaint I have about this book.
I did enjoy myself while reading this, seeing the characters interact, even though their development could have been better played out. There were other minor issues, but it did not interfere with my overall enjoyment.
I hope the next book is just as good.
September 18, 2011
I met the author at an anime/comic book convention and decided to give her book a try. I'm glad I did! It's a pretty straightforward book about a dragon that learns what it really means to be a human being. I loved Kale and following him as he grew character wise. But although the book appears to be an easy read there are a few plot twists here and there that left me wanting more. The only real problem I had with it was the ending, which I won't give away but it was such a huge cliffhanger that even til this day it leaves me itching to know more. But besides that, a straightforward and yet surprising plot line, interesting characters (I'm glad to know that there are elderly mages in the world like Thomas who is comical as well as wise), and cute romance. As for the writing style itself it's as the story goes, straightforward. There was a lot of repetition used in the book, a lot of the time to convey an idea that I could have picked up on my own. Like, I understood Kale was a hot-headed character but it felt like that was reinforced heavily by just writing it, instead of conveying it through his actions. It wasn't anything intense but as a reader it intrigues me a little more to come to conclusions by myself instead of being told, you know? But it's a good book for light reading, can't wait for the sequel!
June 30, 2013
At the end of the Age of Dragons, the last dragon survives being hunted by becoming the enemy. A sorcerer transforms Kale the dragon to Kale the human. Kale hates humans and sees them as the enemy. Kale must learn to understand himself as both a dragon and a human. He learns that humans are complicated, and unique, and not all deserve hatred.
What is the most interesting aspect to Chronicle of Kale is that the story gets told from the dragon’s perspective. The knights, especially the general who is out to claim the last dragon, represent the dark side of human nature – to be focused on vanquishing “the other”, to seek fame and renown, to live up to a creed first without consideration of its consequences.
That Kale is young, an adolescent, also gives the story a very well shown metaphor and motif for adolescent change. Things about the dragon Kale match the qualities of the knights, and it is only through changing and becoming his own “other” that he finds how unique not only he is himself, but how unique others are as well.
What is the most interesting aspect to Chronicle of Kale is that the story gets told from the dragon’s perspective. The knights, especially the general who is out to claim the last dragon, represent the dark side of human nature – to be focused on vanquishing “the other”, to seek fame and renown, to live up to a creed first without consideration of its consequences.
That Kale is young, an adolescent, also gives the story a very well shown metaphor and motif for adolescent change. Things about the dragon Kale match the qualities of the knights, and it is only through changing and becoming his own “other” that he finds how unique not only he is himself, but how unique others are as well.
November 14, 2016
If you take a little bit of magic from the Harry Potter series and a little bit of imagination from the Hobbit series throw in some paranormal with dragons then you've got this book.
This book was amazing! The author built a wonderful world of sorcery, magic, dragons, elves and new creatures to create this wonderful book series. Kale aka the last Dragon Firehart and his sorcerer friend Thomas go on a journey (quest) that leads them to meeting Neela a runaway elf, illdar a defecting solider from the evil army ran by General Jedah & many more. Together they learn that not everyone is the same, not every one is evil and to not judge someone based upon ones appearance.
This is a fantastic fantasy book that holds life lessons weaved in the story. Like in the Hobbit our unlikely group faces many challenges and dangers to get to the end, and like the Hobbit one part of the quest is finished in this book but our hero's have many more quest to finish before all is revealed and peace can be found.
I highly recommend this book!! 4.5 stars
This book was amazing! The author built a wonderful world of sorcery, magic, dragons, elves and new creatures to create this wonderful book series. Kale aka the last Dragon Firehart and his sorcerer friend Thomas go on a journey (quest) that leads them to meeting Neela a runaway elf, illdar a defecting solider from the evil army ran by General Jedah & many more. Together they learn that not everyone is the same, not every one is evil and to not judge someone based upon ones appearance.
This is a fantastic fantasy book that holds life lessons weaved in the story. Like in the Hobbit our unlikely group faces many challenges and dangers to get to the end, and like the Hobbit one part of the quest is finished in this book but our hero's have many more quest to finish before all is revealed and peace can be found.
I highly recommend this book!! 4.5 stars
October 19, 2012
When I finished the book and finally set it down, it kept me thinking and guessing for the rest of the night. That’s how I knew I’d found a winner. It takes a lot for a story to linger in my mind, even after Im finished and this book did it for me.
It happens all to often that I buy a book, read through some of it, and then set it down never to return to it again. With the Chronicles of Kale I ended up reading it in 3 days from cover to cover. I think the story kept moving at a great pace that doesn’t idle for too long and bore people to death like other fantasies have been known to do. Theres just enough action to keep you hooked and waiting for the next encounter. And I found the world settings to be really well done to the point where I actually had the “eerie” feeling during certain parts (the Monsloths. Those of you who’ve read it will know what I’m talking about!
Definitely going for the sequel next and am hoping it delivers with as big of a bang as the first.
It happens all to often that I buy a book, read through some of it, and then set it down never to return to it again. With the Chronicles of Kale I ended up reading it in 3 days from cover to cover. I think the story kept moving at a great pace that doesn’t idle for too long and bore people to death like other fantasies have been known to do. Theres just enough action to keep you hooked and waiting for the next encounter. And I found the world settings to be really well done to the point where I actually had the “eerie” feeling during certain parts (the Monsloths. Those of you who’ve read it will know what I’m talking about!
Definitely going for the sequel next and am hoping it delivers with as big of a bang as the first.
August 31, 2013
This fantasy novel delivers a rich tapestry of dragons, sorcerers, knights and the occasional monster - in the form of General Jedah. Kale is the last of his race - a young dragon. He's a bit feisty and temperamental and initially believes that his fate is sealed when General Jedah takes it upon himself to rid the kingdom of his kind. From there, the reader embarks on a fascinating journey , where Kale's most trusted advisor, a sorcerer, turns him into a human to escape the grasp of his enemies. The trouble is: Kale hates humans and despises most of them with a passion. Follow his journey as he tries to recapture his dragon form...
This is an immensely enjoyable fantasy tale featuring adventure, romance and the odd spot of humour. The plot, which is highly original, has numerous twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and although the book ends on a satisfying note, you will be anxious for the next installment. I am!
5 Star Read!!!
This is an immensely enjoyable fantasy tale featuring adventure, romance and the odd spot of humour. The plot, which is highly original, has numerous twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and although the book ends on a satisfying note, you will be anxious for the next installment. I am!
5 Star Read!!!
September 30, 2014
Well, first things first, I wanted this book for a year now. Thnaks to it I fount around 200 other books that I want. Then I finally got it. But though awesome, I preferred playing games in my tablet.There have been 9 books so far who broke the spell and made me read them, however, I am not happy, not even a little, that this book did not. I am not going to write a full-fledged rewiew here now because the book-as I have said-did not appeal to me as some have had. Though I must say, I loved Thomas. I do not know why but I always like the old wise men who appear in books. They just seem so mighty to me.
The writing style is exceptional. Aya can use so many synonyms and her writing is just perfect. Though, Aya, I have to say, kick the butt of your editor! Those "en" instead of "on" really angered me, especially because it destroyed the beautiful way of writing. And there was more than that! Please, let something be done with the issie, it really ruins the writing.
The writing style is exceptional. Aya can use so many synonyms and her writing is just perfect. Though, Aya, I have to say, kick the butt of your editor! Those "en" instead of "on" really angered me, especially because it destroyed the beautiful way of writing. And there was more than that! Please, let something be done with the issie, it really ruins the writing.
April 4, 2011
Kale is the last one of his kind in Ravondore. General Jedah has killed every dragon in the land except for Kale Firehart. He has only one friend that can save him from Jedah and his army, and that is Thomas an old sorcerer. Thomas only choice is to turn Kale in the thing that he hates the most, a human. Kale now an 18 year old human with human and not so human friends, depart on a journey full of magic to save the last dragon.
If you loved Finnikin of The Rock you are going to like The Chronicles of Kale. The author takes you on an adventure that you’ll enjoy. We see Kale in the beginning as a dragon that hates humans and while the book progresses we start seeing Kale growing into his human body and trusting those around him. The Chronicles of Kale is the first in the series and I can’t wait to read more of Kale’s adventures. This book is enjoyable and is well written.
If you loved Finnikin of The Rock you are going to like The Chronicles of Kale. The author takes you on an adventure that you’ll enjoy. We see Kale in the beginning as a dragon that hates humans and while the book progresses we start seeing Kale growing into his human body and trusting those around him. The Chronicles of Kale is the first in the series and I can’t wait to read more of Kale’s adventures. This book is enjoyable and is well written.
January 26, 2015
A dragon's quest for revenge takes an unexpected turn when his best friend transforms him into a human to save him from being killed next.
There is much to love in 'The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon's Awakening' with lots of adventure, romance and action. I really like Thomas the sorcerer, along with Neelan, as they were both fun and loyal. It was also fun to watch Kale evolve in character from being too full of pride to a more humanistic and humble attitude while helping his friends. During their travels there were some good laughs to be had along the way, and some entertaining and imaginative conflicts as well.
I look forward to reading the next book of this epic fantasy series!
There is much to love in 'The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon's Awakening' with lots of adventure, romance and action. I really like Thomas the sorcerer, along with Neelan, as they were both fun and loyal. It was also fun to watch Kale evolve in character from being too full of pride to a more humanistic and humble attitude while helping his friends. During their travels there were some good laughs to be had along the way, and some entertaining and imaginative conflicts as well.
I look forward to reading the next book of this epic fantasy series!
July 18, 2011
I got this book in a first reads giveaway (thank you goodreads!), life got in the way of me reviewing it earlier. Anyways, I thought that the idea was really clever and really sweet, which is why I am giving it three stars. The plot development was a little awkward though, and I thought the writing was a bit stiff at times, so it was occasionally hard to get into. That being said, I would read a sequel.
March 8, 2012
Overall, I liked this book. It had action, adventure, romance, and magic. I like the characters, as they were all very different.
One problem I had was that Kale changed a little too quickly. He was over 100 years old, it should have taken more than a few months for him to have such an attitude adjustment.
I also thought this book was too descriptive. We don't have to know what people are wearing, or what things look like, to the very last detail.
One problem I had was that Kale changed a little too quickly. He was over 100 years old, it should have taken more than a few months for him to have such an attitude adjustment.
I also thought this book was too descriptive. We don't have to know what people are wearing, or what things look like, to the very last detail.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2015
I enjoyed this book, I liked how our mp Kale grew throughout the book, being an ass in the beginning he became less than an ass in the end. Being a dragon and all I understood his behavior. I wish we had more of a backstory to the other characters though. Good plot, not anything new really, but I liked it.
January 6, 2012
I hard a hard time staying focus on this book. I was interested in the story and what was going to happen to Kale, but after attemping to read this for 3 months and only getting 150 pages in, I just wasn't worth my time anymore.
May 8, 2012
A great story!
June 1, 2011
LOVED!!!! Neelan and Kale were soooooo cute together!!!! <3
And it was a good adventure of course... :)
And it was a good adventure of course... :)
August 16, 2011
overall really good book, im glad that i won it. I would recomend this book to just about anyone.
September 23, 2014
It had everything from magic, sorcerers, elves, dragons, princesses and anything else mystical - I can't wait for the sequel!
May 10, 2014
Ok, loved this author. Easy, fun, and great fantasy. Yes, I am really into the dragon stuff. Read both of her books on The Chronicles of Kale. There is even a little sweet romance in this set.
August 30, 2015
Great fantasy series. It is the start of something very interesting.
September 11, 2016
good read, enjoyed it. Characters good.
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