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Where Dragons Lie
The slain beast lies before me. Red grows dry on my sword even while hot blood pools on the earth. Many years ago, I swore I would kill a dragon. I have kept my oath.
What good is an oath fulfilled to a soulless man?
Where Dragons Lie is the story of a young man who leaves his home to kill a dragon and win a girl. What he discovers on his journey will change him forever.
What good is an oath fulfilled to a soulless man?
Where Dragons Lie is the story of a young man who leaves his home to kill a dragon and win a girl. What he discovers on his journey will change him forever.
38 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2015
249 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 11, 2015
Where Dragons Lie is a great coming of age tale about a young man trying to win the hand of a fair maiden in his village. In order to do this, he must slay a dragon and bring backs it's horn to her father to prove his worth. This proves to be a very difficult not only because dragons scare him six ways to Sunday, but because there is a deeper lie that comes to surface on his journey.
All in all, Robins delivers a great, all be it short, fantasy tale that has flashes of Beowulf (which certainly kept me interested). I look forward to reading more from this author!
All in all, Robins delivers a great, all be it short, fantasy tale that has flashes of Beowulf (which certainly kept me interested). I look forward to reading more from this author!
February 27, 2015
This is no fairy tale, in spite of the dragon and the quest. Those standard quest elements, and some not so standard elements, have been incorporated in a finely-crafted fable. Like any good fable, this tale is entertainment with cautionary aspects. Having loved characters that Thomas Robins has created in other stories, I was a bit disturbed that I could not like this main character. About halfway through the story, I decided I wasn't supposed to like him, but merely witness his life and quest. I could feel some distant sympathy for him at times, but there were a couple of minor characters that I liked more than him. Ultimately, the nameless seeker’s story is about his choices and the cost of the prize he seeks. His sworn oath drives him to journey through an interesting world, which I’m pretty sure I appreciated more than he did. I guess I did feel a little sorry for him by the ending.
Great description and an unusual story made this very enjoyable reading. I’d like to read more stories set in this world.
I received a copy of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Great description and an unusual story made this very enjoyable reading. I’d like to read more stories set in this world.
I received a copy of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2015
I give this work four out of five stars for taking me on an incredibly long journey for such a short story, the well-depicted growth of the protagonist, and a fun chase to discover a dragon. There was a marvelous layering of the protagonist’s internal struggle with the action-taking place. It was heartbreaking to see the shattering of youthful ideals and the kind of things a person becomes capable of when desperate.
The pursuit of a Dragon was such a wonderful mystery, and I enjoyed chasing down the truth of Dragon’s to the very end. The narrative was very well done, with the economy and correct pace for a tale being retold. My only criticism is my own selfish desire for more, yet I think this story was done exactly the way it was meant to be.
I was surprised to learn this was the author’s first work of fantasy, and I would eagerly read more of Robin’s work in the fantasy genre again.
The pursuit of a Dragon was such a wonderful mystery, and I enjoyed chasing down the truth of Dragon’s to the very end. The narrative was very well done, with the economy and correct pace for a tale being retold. My only criticism is my own selfish desire for more, yet I think this story was done exactly the way it was meant to be.
I was surprised to learn this was the author’s first work of fantasy, and I would eagerly read more of Robin’s work in the fantasy genre again.
October 17, 2015
The theme of this short story reveals the plot and ending, so be forewarned of a spoiler of sorts.
Thomas Robins offers a bardic tale of an aspiring hero, a dragonslayer who has yet to slay his first dragon. The telling is full of bravado and braggadocio as he makes his way to a distant village in search of adventure. But after being imprisoned and exposed to other dragonslayers, the young man's journey home ultimately ends in cynicism and despair. The protagonist changes internally, as heroes are required to do, but unfortunately this boy has lost his innocence and turned into a rather unlikable character. At the adventure's end, he is disillusioned and guilty of disillusioning others. The story is well written, however, just don't expect a fairy tale ending.
Thomas Robins offers a bardic tale of an aspiring hero, a dragonslayer who has yet to slay his first dragon. The telling is full of bravado and braggadocio as he makes his way to a distant village in search of adventure. But after being imprisoned and exposed to other dragonslayers, the young man's journey home ultimately ends in cynicism and despair. The protagonist changes internally, as heroes are required to do, but unfortunately this boy has lost his innocence and turned into a rather unlikable character. At the adventure's end, he is disillusioned and guilty of disillusioning others. The story is well written, however, just don't expect a fairy tale ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2015
Thomas Robins made his first foray into Fantasy with his story "Where Dragons Lie" and the effort totally works on many levels. The tale is a simple, yet complicated character piece, using a common aspect of Fantasy stories -- dragons -- to push the narrative, ultimately leading to a climactic showdown between the protagonist and the dragon he hunted for nearly the entire book.
Told from a first-person perspective, Robins nails the unfamiliar tone, showcasing his imagination in a new genre. The story description is very simple, but yet the execution leaves the reader impressed with the results. At the beginning of the tale (or is it tail?), our protagonist recalls a moment very early in his life when a dragon visited his small, lonely town. One man came and promised to defeat the dragon in exchange for the fairest girl in town. He comes back bearing the dragon's horn, a sign of the victory.
As times goes by, that victor claims his spoils, but stays in the village, choosing to use and abuse his privileges of besting the dragon on that night so very long ago. His daughter becomes the new prize to be won -- but only by someone brave enough to conquer a dragon of their own. That's what sends our hero out on his quest -- a desire to win her hand, and a journey to find and slay a dragon.
In the end, Robins delivers a fantastic story, with enough fantasy and intrigue to pull the reader along. I quite enjoyed the story and think Robins could do quite well writing in this genre again.
Told from a first-person perspective, Robins nails the unfamiliar tone, showcasing his imagination in a new genre. The story description is very simple, but yet the execution leaves the reader impressed with the results. At the beginning of the tale (or is it tail?), our protagonist recalls a moment very early in his life when a dragon visited his small, lonely town. One man came and promised to defeat the dragon in exchange for the fairest girl in town. He comes back bearing the dragon's horn, a sign of the victory.
As times goes by, that victor claims his spoils, but stays in the village, choosing to use and abuse his privileges of besting the dragon on that night so very long ago. His daughter becomes the new prize to be won -- but only by someone brave enough to conquer a dragon of their own. That's what sends our hero out on his quest -- a desire to win her hand, and a journey to find and slay a dragon.
In the end, Robins delivers a fantastic story, with enough fantasy and intrigue to pull the reader along. I quite enjoyed the story and think Robins could do quite well writing in this genre again.
September 23, 2015
Slay the dragon, get the girl. It’s a trope that’s been used with varying degrees of success for about as long as fantasy literature has existed. With his first foray into fantasy, Thomas Robins takes this timeworn narrative and infuses it with a clever and inventive twist.
Through the nameless narrator, we learn of his formative years spent listening to the stories of the local tavern owner, himself a former dragonslayer. When at last he comes of age, the boy sets out to claim the hand of the tavern owner’s daughter by slaying a dragon of his own. Through the course of his travels, however, he learns that the world abroad is not what he has been led to believe. Alone and disillusioned, he seems on the verge of abandoning his quest…
To say anything more would run the risk of spoiling the end, so instead I’ll say that Where Dragons Lie is an engaging and thoughtful fantasy story that’s well worth the price of admission. Fans of dragons, fantasy, and short stories in general should find a lot to enjoy about this story.
Through the nameless narrator, we learn of his formative years spent listening to the stories of the local tavern owner, himself a former dragonslayer. When at last he comes of age, the boy sets out to claim the hand of the tavern owner’s daughter by slaying a dragon of his own. Through the course of his travels, however, he learns that the world abroad is not what he has been led to believe. Alone and disillusioned, he seems on the verge of abandoning his quest…
To say anything more would run the risk of spoiling the end, so instead I’ll say that Where Dragons Lie is an engaging and thoughtful fantasy story that’s well worth the price of admission. Fans of dragons, fantasy, and short stories in general should find a lot to enjoy about this story.
May 9, 2015
What a great short story. I loved it. It is all about a young man who wants fame and a girl's hand in marriage. He must be a dragonslayer. Get this book and find out how that works out.
May 12, 2015
A truly cool little story about dragons and those who slay them. This was a fun read and I definitely recommend it!
May 28, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyed this short story with a great twist!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews