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The Torbrek Trilogy #1
Torbrek ... and the Dragon Variation
An adventure story with daring deeds, dragons, friends, foes and romance - and no darned elves.
When Tor saves the Princess from the terrifying, fire-breathing dragon and delivers her to the handsome knight she is destined to marry, nothing is quite as it seems; the dragon is overweight and hasn't breathed fire for years; the Princess and her supposed suitor don't hit it off; and Tor shouldn't be in the rebel cavalry at all because she's a woman disguised as a man. Which doesn't help when she is attracted to a fellow soldier...
Meanwhile, studying the records of the legendary Hundred Knights, cold-blooded agent Corfe unearths a secret about Tor that even she is unaware of, a secret that makes ruthless King Skardroft very interested in her, and will change the outcome of the battle for the kingdom.
When Tor saves the Princess from the terrifying, fire-breathing dragon and delivers her to the handsome knight she is destined to marry, nothing is quite as it seems; the dragon is overweight and hasn't breathed fire for years; the Princess and her supposed suitor don't hit it off; and Tor shouldn't be in the rebel cavalry at all because she's a woman disguised as a man. Which doesn't help when she is attracted to a fellow soldier...
Meanwhile, studying the records of the legendary Hundred Knights, cold-blooded agent Corfe unearths a secret about Tor that even she is unaware of, a secret that makes ruthless King Skardroft very interested in her, and will change the outcome of the battle for the kingdom.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2011
7 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Lexi Revellian
19 books102 followers
Remix
is my third novel; it's the story of Caz Tallis, who is startled one quiet Sunday morning to find a stranger asleep on her roof terrace...
I enjoy reading intelligent, pacey books with humour, and that's what I try to write. I believe it's a crime to bore the reader.
My day job (using my real name, Lexi Dick) is designing and making jewellery and silver; I've made pieces for Lady Thatcher, the Athenaeum and Her Majesty the Queen.
I enjoy reading intelligent, pacey books with humour, and that's what I try to write. I believe it's a crime to bore the reader.
My day job (using my real name, Lexi Dick) is designing and making jewellery and silver; I've made pieces for Lady Thatcher, the Athenaeum and Her Majesty the Queen.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 9, 2013
Tor, short for Torbrek, or more accurately, Torbraya, since the main protagonist is a girl (no spoilers here,) was raised by her grandfather, Attalor, to become a Knight, one of the Hundred. They lived poor but proud, and Tor held the sword before she learned how to say "sword". Fast-forward to her 18th year, and we see her as a member of a rebel "Loyalist" army, serving in the cavalry, and hiding her gender.
Tor goes on a quest to rescue a princess guarded by a fearsome dragon. Xantilor, the dragon, turns out to be a pretty reasonable chap. This is when Tor's adventures begin in earnest.
"Torbrek...and the Dragon Variation" by Lexi Revellian doesn't present us with caricature characters who are either good or evil. Well, perhaps with a possible exception of the Corfe, king Skardroft's spy master. Instead, we see shades of gray, how one person could be good to some people and terrible towards others. Scardroft and, to some extent, Jervaid, are good examples of this, and as such, are much more memorable characters for it.
The book reminds me slightly of "Alanna" by Tamora Pierce and has a slight feeling of "Berserker," the anime at the beginning. Nothing as bloody, obviously, "Torbrek" is a light read, just something in presenting the main heroine and the circumstances she found herself in. If someone mentions "Star wars," on account of the kingdom taken over by a tyrant and a mysterious order of knights opposing him, I would like to say: this is as common a premise as could be; not like Lucas invented it. It just works.
Good, light YA fantasy read.
Tor goes on a quest to rescue a princess guarded by a fearsome dragon. Xantilor, the dragon, turns out to be a pretty reasonable chap. This is when Tor's adventures begin in earnest.
"Torbrek...and the Dragon Variation" by Lexi Revellian doesn't present us with caricature characters who are either good or evil. Well, perhaps with a possible exception of the Corfe, king Skardroft's spy master. Instead, we see shades of gray, how one person could be good to some people and terrible towards others. Scardroft and, to some extent, Jervaid, are good examples of this, and as such, are much more memorable characters for it.
The book reminds me slightly of "Alanna" by Tamora Pierce and has a slight feeling of "Berserker," the anime at the beginning. Nothing as bloody, obviously, "Torbrek" is a light read, just something in presenting the main heroine and the circumstances she found herself in. If someone mentions "Star wars," on account of the kingdom taken over by a tyrant and a mysterious order of knights opposing him, I would like to say: this is as common a premise as could be; not like Lucas invented it. It just works.
Good, light YA fantasy read.
May 3, 2015
I thought it was cute. I expected the humour to be a lot more ridiculous than it was. You know, a little Monty Python-like comedy. I would have been fine with that. I was up for a laugh. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that, though there was humour, there was also a solid story here.
I also really enjoyed the fact that Tor was truly a strong female lead. So often female warriors in fantasy are described as well trained, ruthless soldiers but then are shown to actually be rather soft—despite their training, being unwilling to kill when it comes down to it or traumatised by having to do so and keep up the strong front. Invariably a man comes to her rescue and she is grateful. Not Tor. She never wavers and the men around her let her be strong without needing to come to her rescue. I loved that.
Many of the characters grow significantly throughout the book. Skardroft learns the value of human contacts. The princess learns the value of self-sufficiency. Pom learns about courage. Some experience love for the first time, others face loss and acceptance. That's a lot to squeeze into 250 pages. But it's accomplished without feeling rushed.
All in all I found the whole thing a pleasant read.
I also really enjoyed the fact that Tor was truly a strong female lead. So often female warriors in fantasy are described as well trained, ruthless soldiers but then are shown to actually be rather soft—despite their training, being unwilling to kill when it comes down to it or traumatised by having to do so and keep up the strong front. Invariably a man comes to her rescue and she is grateful. Not Tor. She never wavers and the men around her let her be strong without needing to come to her rescue. I loved that.
Many of the characters grow significantly throughout the book. Skardroft learns the value of human contacts. The princess learns the value of self-sufficiency. Pom learns about courage. Some experience love for the first time, others face loss and acceptance. That's a lot to squeeze into 250 pages. But it's accomplished without feeling rushed.
All in all I found the whole thing a pleasant read.
June 14, 2013
This was a really pleasant surprise. I got it as a freebie in the early days of owning a Kindle and there it languished for sometime, as I find freebies tend to. A Fantasy genre-challenge inspired me to finally give it a go and I really enjoyed it. It is well written, entertaining and the story moved along nicely. The characters were, on the whole, well fleshed out - even the tyrant was given human qualities - and I loved the dragon. Some of the best dialogue in the book comes from him! Anyway it is an approachable book and would definitely be enjoyed by kids and young adults, indeed I am intending to pass it on to my 10 year old. He's on a bit of a fantasy binge these days and should enjoy it (so long as I can persuade him to overlook the relationship/feelings bits - he really doesn't go for "kissing and stuff" - but that said, although present and key to certain characters, it is nicely done and definitely nothing for him to worry about).
October 30, 2013
Downloaded this light-hearted fantasy novel (with romantic elements) free from Amazon, fell in love while reading the first chapter, and finished the read in two days, to the detriment of my work and sleep schedules. Not just likeable but relatable characters, a believable sort of fairy tale adventure, and a strong plotline even with a bit of a detour down the middle. Normally I'd take off a star for giving a minor character a major role when the book was well along, but the author signalled the move in advance, played it well without much dragging, and kept the reader's eye on the major characters at the same time. Sometimes you just gotta shift the emphasis, and if you do, this is how it's done. Four and a half stars.
October 25, 2011
I didn't expect such a humorous and heartfelt book hidden under a fantasy cape. The people are so human, the dragons are regal and adorable. It all felt very natural. Nothing was too perfect. A really wonderful book.
December 8, 2014
What a fun fantasy this is - moody dragons, castles, princesses, knights and chivalry, battles and villains, weak kings and evil despots, skulking spies and brave fights to the death, moral dilemmas and a strong female lead.
What more could you want? Why a sequel, of course!
What more could you want? Why a sequel, of course!
December 29, 2016
A well written, engaging, fantasy with a lot of familiar tropes but handled in a fresh, off-center style. Great characters and dialogue.
October 16, 2011
A very enjoyable story! Tor, our protagonist, is a very well written strong character. I immediately took to all the characters in Ms. Revellian's fantasy as they are well rounded and draw the reader in with sympathy, intrigue and good old fashion appeal. Add in a dragon with an attitude and the evil Skarcroft who has beleaguered the citizens for many years as the current reigning king and the story is set for adventure and war. The first several chapters were a little slow for me, and it took a little bit for the story itself to grab me, but once it did I was impressed. Ms. Revellian knows her stuff. I look forward to reading the sequel!
May 16, 2012
I found this book on the Amazon free list and am very glad I did!I was an enjoyable read that I could not put down! Torbrek is trained by a grandfather to become one of the hundred knights. Tor goes to rescue a princess and ends up the master of a dragon. There are adventures, an evil conqueror with a sentimental side to him, romantic issues, battles, and a very likeable protagonist. I am ready to read more about Tor and the dragons.
August 25, 2012
You can't go wrong on this one if you are looking for a light, entertaining summer beach read. It is fairly predictable, but has several interesting twists on the dragon theme, characters are well developed and the storyline flows well.
Second book in this series is very close to the top on my TBR list.
Second book in this series is very close to the top on my TBR list.
October 5, 2014
I liked this book. The main character is a straight spoken unsophisticated woman, trained as one of the legendary knights. She gets away with passing as a man until everyone trusts her and then finds out a secret of her past that might change everything.
The ending fits the story, it's complex, but clear.
The ending fits the story, it's complex, but clear.
November 13, 2012
Sometimes I really like a good kick-butt heroine.
January 25, 2016
A fun, light fantasy read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews