The Blood of a Dragon

by Jack Adkins

Anuka Sandbar is the most interesting half-goblin alive. Just ask him.
Anuka’s father is a ship captain, retired Naval Commander, and genius engineer. Anuka is just a daring, handsome, witty, red-skinned, dagger-wielding entertainer. When Papa disappears, Anuka sets out to find him. While sailing to a sleazy port city to begin his search, Anuka and some unlikely companions are enslaved by pirates.

They wind up the property of an emissary for the Silver DragonLord, Shimmer. The emissary offers them manumission if they discover the source of massive amounts of illegal DragonsBlood flooding the country. DragonsBlood is the most valuable currency on the continent and is the source of all magic in the land.

With different Dragon factions on the precipice of war, revealing the truth could mean the destruction of the mortal civilization.

What will these unlikely heroes do when their failure means enslavement but their success could lead to a war between the gods?

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons

270 pages, Paperback

Published June 26, 2022

About the author

Jack Adkins has been spinning tales for over thirty years. He is a seasoned veteran of Dungeons and Dragons, Top Secret, Vampire, MechWarrior, and almost every RPG in between. Jack has finally gotten around to sharing his unique humor and imaginative stories with the world. Before he began writing novels Jack enjoyed building lightsabers with his four boys, moving props and equipment for the marching band, and studying Reformation Era Christian Theology. In his spare time, Jack has built a twenty-four-year IT career.

Reviews

[Beba Andric]

When I started this book, I wasn't sure I wanted to finish it. It felt a bit slow and I was getting confused with the various characters, BUT about 20% into the book, I suddenly found I couldn't put it down! Quite the swing for me. The characters became more and more interesting, as did the story, as it progressed. It is a totally different story to anything I've read before, which is quite refreshing. I mean, have you ever read or heard of Sea Elves or Sea Dwarves? Anika, a half goblin, develops into, for want of a better word, a charming character. He uses humour to mask his insecurities but is a fierce little goblin, who's only purpose is to find his father who has disappeared. He keeps trying to persue his set task but gets waylaid at every turn. The other characters are quite complex, each hiding some secret, but they band together to help one another escape the clutches of various foes( can't give away any spoilers!) The pace definitely picks up, as does the plot, in what is truely an intriguing tale.

[A.R. Grimes]

Dragons, dragons, and more dragons!

Any book with dragons is sure to catch my interest, and I found this one a delightful tale. With intriguing worldbuilding and engaging characters, it's sure to entertain lovers of fantasy and leave them wanting more. The only thing that bothered me was the text could have used one final proofreading, but this didn't detract from my appreciation for the story. I plan to read the next one.

[Alicia Huxtable]

Quite the read

Hope this series keeps getting better cause I really enjoyed this first one. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series

[Mark Lucas-Taylor]

The Dragons of Dorinda - Book 1

Dragons, elves, a red-skinned half goblin, not forgetting a Minotaur, devil-dogs, a massive conspiracy to start a war that could literally destroy the world of Dorwine. Summarising it as story of Gods and Monsters doesn’t do justice to this tale. Jack’s characters are complicated multi dimensional beings with flaws and failings who, despite incredible and formidable challenges and an almost inevitable chance of death and worse (and there are worst things than dying, even though as one character states “Dying is dying!”)
Humour, pathos, great courage and heart. All these and more bring this tale vividly to life.
I for one cannot wait to read Book 2

[B]

Sum buck, what a fun read! A very fresh and witty fantasy novel from an up and coming author who clearly has what it takes to find success in this genre. I quite enjoyed the interesting mix of the well paced fantasy style of someone like Salvatore blended with the humorous banter you might find from someone like Jim Butcher. Such a joy to read and I'm really excited to read the next book in the series!

[Kimberly #Audiofile]

I havnt listening to anything similar to this before.
I’m not sure if I’m invested enough after this first book to continue the series but it was an interesting listen.

Seems like there’s not a single character that has a secret they don’t want to share. The world is ruled by dragon blood magic.

3 star listen
Gifted audio in exchange for an honest review

[Holly]

A great start to a new series. The story does start off a little slow, but the pace does pick up as the story goes along. It also has an interesting mix of diverse characters.

[Renee]

I walked in completely blind to this one. No excerpt. Blurb or inkling of an idea. The cover screamed dragons and epic fantasy. Now was this Dragon Fantasy? Absolutely. Was there a well built fantastical world? Most definitely. But, and here is the kicker, this read like a traditional (what people now call vanilla) quest scenario out of World of Warcraft (2005). No, it is not LitRPG. But if you have ever played the original release of WoW, you will remember the quests and the characters that you met along the way. The crazy tongue and check humor placed to keep you feeling like you were part of something grander and never dull. That is how this author managed to stick a Sword and Sorcery tale in 337 pages and never did I want to wander off and do something else.

Characters. Oh wow do we have characters. We have a Goblin, Anuka, that wants to take to the sea but he is afraid of water. Don’t tell his Navel Commanding father, Poppa, that though. He is the most entertaining goblin (or is he a half goblin, hmmm?) with the perfect banter and angst that makes you wonder what he will do next. We are following this red skinned goblin because Poppa has gone missing and Anuka must find him. This author made the goblin the “normal” character in this story. He has created such characters as Sea Dwarves, Devil-Dogs and a Minotaur. I absolutely loved the character development from the elves to the goblins and everything in between they all came alive to me.

The ending has me enthralled until the last words (of the epilogue, even). I have not read another fantasy that is at the bones epic in nature and been able to add the light airy feel to it that keeps you reading non-stop. This tale is interwoven with the perfect amount of each element required to make it a good time from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a character pool with diverse creatures, some that even shapeshifter into other types of creatures, and personalities that are unforgettable. It is just a plan old fun time. Well except for the fact that the dragons will enslave you, so you better watch your back.

[Jess K]

"The Blood of a Dragon" by Jack Adkins, narrated by
Michael Kramer is a fresh fantasy concept with compelling characters, unexpected plot twists, intriguing world-building, and engaging adventure.

What I enjoyed the most about the book was the growth of the witty
red-skinned, dagger-wielding, half-goblin Anuka Sandbar throughout the book and his devotion to his ship captain papa and momma whom he dearly mourned. Anuka's daring comedic performances are some of the more memorable parts of the book are funny and worth the read. While following Anuka's story you will also be following a Sea Elf Kelios and Crenthys a half-human half-sea-elf champions after being captured by pirates and sold to the Silver DragonLord Shimmer. Shimmer offers them manumission to investigate illegal DragonsBlood flooding the country.

The novel's world of Dorwine is populated by numerous fantasy races, such as High Elves, Sea Elves, Sea Dwarfs, Fire Djinn, Dragons, Goblins, and Tritons. The book starts out both fast and slow, it's a fast start that is at first difficult to follow, but once you have some of the back story it is face paced and difficult to put down because it is very well written. When you compare it to other books, think Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, ...it reminds me of a D&D or a WoW campain; so many characters thrown in that can do just about anything you can imagine. You can tell the author put a lot of thought into the story and how it was built and left room for a second book to be written (that I have already started reading).

[Trisha Lynn]

Incredible world building in epic fantasy fashion. Delightfully interesting and complex characters. Hilarious and delight, yes. This book has all of it in spades! Jack is an gifted writer. You can tell he absolutely loves to write, that he loves fantasy and he dares to be different. This book is so interesting. I love the dragons. I adore Anuka and Kelios. Plus with a cover like you expect dragons and you actually GET your share of dragons. Do you know how many book covers promise dragons but don't deliver? This book delivers. This has a fun D & D adventure fantasy feel to it.
This book is seriously a delight!!

[Denise]

Humorous fantasy adventure with good characters

I wasn’t sure what to rate. It’s well written with strong characters and quite a few of them. It starts slow and the second half is better. The main character, Anuka, is funny but very annoying. He wants to find his father who promised him a ship. He gets caught in a dangerous adventure first on his sea journey, where he meets the other interesting characters, then on land. No one seems to be what they are on the surface. Will they stay together and meet their quests? Read to see!

[Steven Guglich]

Jack Adkins debut novel is a fun, exciting romp into a fantasy world rich with culture, intrigue, and magic. I love great world building, and Mr. Adkins did not disappoint. In a world ruled by dragons, there are those who posses magic but are forbidden to use it. Enter Anuka... a red-skinned goblin with one heck of a backstory. Add in a motley crew of unlikely companions and you have one great adventure. I don't want to spoil it, so I'm just gonna say that I highly recommend you pick up this gem of a fantasy novel.

[TC Dale]

This book takes you for a ride.

A lot of things happen to three very different people, and this journey they take both together and separate is what will keep you turning pages till the end. No spoilers, just a lot of adventure and uncertainty rolling to the three finding out how they fit into what the world throws at them.

[Divya]

An intriguing fantasy adventure with a dragons, goblins and other fantasy creatures. The story is entertaining and moves at a good pace

[Robb]

What a fresh take on fantasy - a snarky little half-goblin who is not afraid to be bold and add a little comic relief to the action taking place around him. Anuka Sandbar reminds me of the annoying stranger who everyone has to listen to - annoying, but woefully unavoidable.
This story is full of interesting characters and plenty of unique ideas. Like many good tales, it pulls together beings of different types with varying talents. What makes it truly unique is the wit, sarcasm, and comedy that Anuka injects into all that surrounds him.
Anuka lost his mother years ago in a tragic accident. He is now on a journey to reunite with his Papa, a ship’s captain. Along the way, he meets some interesting characters/creatures and gets into a few scrape ups. Throughout it all, he never loses his wit. His pants, yes (several times), but not his wit!
The concept of the use of dragon’s blood is really interesting. And the quest he winds up on is also interesting.
As always, Travis Baldree does an excellent job narrating the story and using different voices throughout the tale.
This tale is a great comedy in a genre that you don’t often find it. Stay away if you’re only looking for blood, gore, and fighting. Come and enjoy otherwise.

I received a free copy of this audiobook, and offer up an unbiased, honest opinion of it. If you’re not sure you’ll enjoy it, try sampling it before committing to it 😉

[Paula Dyches]

YA D&D Adventure

Parents- PG13 - YA to Adult
Language- mild, substituted words "stuff a fish in your fish hole" "some buck"
Violence- normal for genre, not overly graphic, drug use, getting stoned
Sexual Content- street walkers/hooker talk, nakedness, insinuations, hearing bedroom noises, lewd references like "not even if there were a wagon full of boobies"

Narrator- good differentiation, a bit slow but better at 1.3x speed

RPG D&D like adventure with pirates, dragons, and many of the fantasy creatures found in Dungeons & Dragons without all the stats. The world building was good although the underlying sexual theme was a bit much at times. The story bounces a bit between the main characters points of view which keeps you on your toes but makes it a difficult book to multi task with. In my opinion it is more of a YA to adult read with the content and writing style. It has an interesting concept with the world revolving around the dragons who are Lords and the magic contained in their blood, which is used from currency to magic to something that is mixed with drugs.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[emeraldragonlady (Maddie)]

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I really started to enjoy this book halfway through. The intro to the characters was good but the first thing that happens to them is that the ship they are on is captured. Then they are stripped naked…. Which at first for me was not something I wanted hear. It took a little time for the book to explain that the reason this happened was to check for slave brands. For me that section of the book was a bit embarrassing as you go through the different mind set and thoughts of the characters during this, but Jack doesn’t go into details about how the characters look when they are naked.
The story and plot are great and well thought out. I actually got upset at the end the book and said out loud “that can’t be the end!?” I really enjoy the book overall. A good adventure. I recommend to young adults and adults.

[Ginabobina Smite]

What a fun story. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting on a long drive and was sucked in from the beginning. Anuka is a charmingly funny character, and the narrator's rendition of him reminded me of Frank Sinatra.

The story is action-packed with one adventure after another and a mystery to solve. The cast of characters is unique and intriguing. At the beginning you're introduced to four MCs and you follow their hijinks. The only thing i could say as a negative would be the at three of the MC continue on together. Their story is so compelling when the fourth one returns i didn't know who he was. It quickly redeemed itself though.

Once you get to know the world and terminologies it flows well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Abbie Riddle]

I'm new to books with Dragons so I can't say how this lines up with others written in the same type of genre. However, I can give an honest assessment based upon reading other fantasy novels. I found the book to be a bit slow to take off and halfway through the second chapter I did not know if I wanted to continue or not - but I did because I hate adding books to the DNF shelf unless I absolutely have given them a fair chance. And.....I'm so glad I stuck this one out!!

The world building is so worth it all, and the characters are rich and enjoyable. The over all story and plot line was great. I have to say that I am excited to see the next book. Kudos to the author's first shot at writing a published novel - well done indeed!

[Laura]

This was my first experience with Jack Adkins' work, and I enjoyed it very much. The first couple of chapters were a little slow, but once I got invested in the characters, I couldn't put the audiobook down. There were many twists and turns in the story with some good action scenes. There were some humorous incidents and a few times when I actually chuckled. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this book to others who enjoy this genre. Michael Kramer's narration was great, and his style added entertainment to the tale. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[Ysobella Black]

Mayhem!
This was a fun fast-paced fantasy with pirates. Tons of world building, action, surprises, and twists. There was always something happening, but it wasn't overwhelming.
Anuka is a great character — snarky and comical. There are several other POV characters, but he feels like the main one. He is searching for his missing father when he's shanghaied into slavery, along with some unlikely traveling companions. Their only chance to escape slavery permanently is to solve a mystery for their new master, so there is always the threat of the impending deadline looming as they encounter one obstacle after another.
Michael Kramer did a good job with the narration and characterizations.

[PAR]

What an interesting, intriguing story. The story line is solid, the characters well developed and the author's writing style is one that captivates the reader. Our main character is a half goblin. His name is Anuka Sandbar. He is the most interesting half-goblin alive. Just ask him. The story begins with the disappearance of his father. He and his friends go on a search which leads them through many trial and tribulations, including being enslaved by pirates, forced to work for aa Dragon, and being put in the middle of a war, and yet they have no lead on his father. If you enjoy a good storyline with a flare this one is for you. This is my true and honest opinion.

[S. Bavey]

I was given an audio version of this book as part of a Summer reading challenge.

This book suffers from a slow start but is worth pursuing as the pace picks up a few chapters in and Anuka Sandbar, the snarky, red-skinned half-goblin hurtles from one adventure to another on a mission to find his missing father after the death of his mother. The wealth of characters he meets along the way are many-layered, each with secrets to hide. There are dragons whose blood is suffused with magic, minotaurs, sea elves, dwarves and many other fantastical races. I really enjoyed this humorous tale.
If you are a fan of the LitRPG genre you will really enjoy this series!

[Robb Preffer]

What a trip! It was so refreshing to listen to fantasy adventure novel full of humor. Fortunately, the humor doesn’t interfere or take away from the action. The main character, Anuka, is the pesky sort of character you can’t help but love. Otherwise, he’d just annoy you to death!

If you need a break from dark fantasy adventures, this tale is a breath of fresh air. It doesn’t lack in character and world building or action packed fighting.

The narration was wonderfully done, too.

I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook and freely offer my open, honest opinion about it.

[Lori Peterson]

Received as an audio review copy from Story Origin, this is an honest review. Narrated wonderfully by Michael Kramer, comes a deeply immersive, wild journey of Anuka, a half goblin whose in search of finding his father... never expected an adventure where he and eclectic band of companions are enslaved by a dragon lord, that demands of them to uncover the illegal trade of dragon's blood. A harrowing quest ensues with snarky dialogue and wicked action... highly recommended.

[chaospaladin]

I really enjoyed this! It reminds me of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign in the best ways. I found the characters fun and the plot interesting. I liked the author’s take on elves, they felt familiar but had some extra flair which is always nice. Really I was here for the dragons and was not disappoint. I’m excited for the second book!

The way the chapters jump around to what different characters are doing is a bit confusing and gave me some mental whiplash but it didn’t ruin the story.

[Nemesis Reviews]

Jack Adkins wrote a refreshing fantasy tale. The characters were fun and well developed, not afraid to laugh and themselves and the situations they find themselves in. The story is well written and had just enough action and speed. I look forward to book 2 in the series! Audio Version: Michael Kramer does a great job narrating as always!

[Travis]

Thought this story would be way better than it was. I generally like dragon stories, but this one left me feeling like I was slogging through it. I did finish it, but honestly, it was a near thing. Not my style of dragon story (didn't know there was such a thing). Not continuing with this series.

[Tyler M]

Unfortunately after giving the first 20% a go, it's another on the did not finish shelf. The characters lacked depth, and the plot/dialogue felt as cheesy and cliché as overhearing one of my flatmate's dnd games.

[Andy]

Good