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Urban Dragon #1
Mark of the Dragon
Rosario Hernandez doesn't ask for much. She'd like to sleep on a bed instead of a sidewalk, to know where her next meal is coming from, and maybe, if she's really feeling optimistic, to get a girlfriend. More than anything, though, she wants her best friend Arkay to not murder anyone— because Arkay is a dragon, claws and all, and she has a penchant for vigilante justice.
When Arkay's latest escapade goes sour, Rosario gets stuck with a stolen van and a cooler full of human organs. Now they're on the run, and it's not just the cops who want answers. The owner of the cooler is still out there, and they want to replace what they've lost— by any means necessary.
When Arkay's latest escapade goes sour, Rosario gets stuck with a stolen van and a cooler full of human organs. Now they're on the run, and it's not just the cops who want answers. The owner of the cooler is still out there, and they want to replace what they've lost— by any means necessary.
66 pages, ebook
Published September 3, 2016
About the author
J.W. Troemner
14 books79 followersJW Troemner was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States, where she lives with her partner in a house full of pets. Most days she can be found gazing longingly at sinkholes and abandoned buildings.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 6, 2017
This book has all the things I want in Urban Fantasy
--A strong protagonist
--Lesbians
--Violent dragons
--Good cops and bad cops
--Unique paranormal beasties
--Mysteries
--An intense, genuine friendship between two people who would die for each other that is never overshadowed by romance
This series is written as novellas in almost a "monster of the week" style. I wish that there was more space in each story to explore some of the other characters more, but in some ways the short format helps the story. I've read one too many paranormal mysteries that adds pointless drama to pad word count. Instead, you get punchy, intense stories that make great weekend reads.
--A strong protagonist
--Lesbians
--Violent dragons
--Good cops and bad cops
--Unique paranormal beasties
--Mysteries
--An intense, genuine friendship between two people who would die for each other that is never overshadowed by romance
This series is written as novellas in almost a "monster of the week" style. I wish that there was more space in each story to explore some of the other characters more, but in some ways the short format helps the story. I've read one too many paranormal mysteries that adds pointless drama to pad word count. Instead, you get punchy, intense stories that make great weekend reads.
June 3, 2017
Rosario is living on the streets and having a tough time until Arkay takes her under her wing. But Arkay has a secret of her own, a dangerous one. But when a necromancer threatens humanity it will be up to Arkay and Rosario to stop them.
This is a quick read but packs one heck of a punch. It’s hard to describe it without giving too much away. I love Rosario, she finds hope with Arkay even when things so south. They are not a traditional couple but I can’t wait to see where their relationship goes.
As for the dragon, amazing. I liked the fresh take on dragons. Of course there is evil and the dead. What better combination than dragon and zombie? That had my attention and I was up flipping pages as fast as I could to see what happened next. The book does end with a cliff hanger but that just made me add the second book to my wish list on Amazon.
If you like a great fantasy series, I recommend checking out Mark of the Dragon. It won’t be what you expect but I mean that in the best way possible.
I received Mark of the Dragon from Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
This is a quick read but packs one heck of a punch. It’s hard to describe it without giving too much away. I love Rosario, she finds hope with Arkay even when things so south. They are not a traditional couple but I can’t wait to see where their relationship goes.
As for the dragon, amazing. I liked the fresh take on dragons. Of course there is evil and the dead. What better combination than dragon and zombie? That had my attention and I was up flipping pages as fast as I could to see what happened next. The book does end with a cliff hanger but that just made me add the second book to my wish list on Amazon.
If you like a great fantasy series, I recommend checking out Mark of the Dragon. It won’t be what you expect but I mean that in the best way possible.
I received Mark of the Dragon from Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
March 9, 2017
Fierce Protector
So did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. When I picked the story I thought a quick read no big deal, boy was I surprised at how caught up in these 60 -plus pages. The author has done such a good job with the characters and the story line I did not feel cheated that the books was so short.
Love the characters of Arkay and -Rosario even though I am not sure what they are truly about yet. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series to see what will happen with Kay and Rosa.
I have voluntarily read and reviewed this reader copy received from the author without obligation.
So did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. When I picked the story I thought a quick read no big deal, boy was I surprised at how caught up in these 60 -plus pages. The author has done such a good job with the characters and the story line I did not feel cheated that the books was so short.
Love the characters of Arkay and -Rosario even though I am not sure what they are truly about yet. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series to see what will happen with Kay and Rosa.
I have voluntarily read and reviewed this reader copy received from the author without obligation.
January 6, 2021
A dragon, zombies, necromancers, ghouls and murder? Count me in!!!
November 23, 2016
The Good
+EVERYTHING
The Bad & The Other
=It’s short & it ends & I need to know everything that happens next…
I’m white, attracted to men, and not a dragon, but this feels like a ‘me’ book because I’ve been homeless and in shelters. It’s so rare to find books with characters like these and it’s done so well. It’s the main reason I immediately signed up to review this book. With or without the dragons. And ya’ll know how much I love dragons.
There is the threat of sexual violence and just violence in general in their day to day survival. Their constant moving, their packing habits, the tent cities…. It resonates with me, my experience, my mother’s and every homeless person we’ve known.
For them to be strong and not pitiful addicts or broken souls in need of salvation is great, but for them to be heroes? Their OWN heroes? Oh gods, I’m so fucking happy. I feel like crying, even now, just thinking about it. I just want to hold this book up and shout “READ THIS DAMNIT.”
I don’t need an explanation why they don’t bother with shelters. Some are more dangerous than the streets (if you can even get in one in the first place) and the employees/volunteers…There’s plenty of damn good reasons not to be in one and everyone has their horror stories to prove it.
I also don’t need to know exactly how they wound up on the streets either. Everyone has their story, but one the street, people don’t talk about it much. It’s all about survival. And it doesn’t matter anyways. People like to grill us for whys and hows, as if that will reveal what we’ve done to deserve this. Which is bullshit. Ask for answers and you’re immediately suspect.
So, a preemptive fuck you to anyone wondering and questioning Arkay and Rosario’s life on the street. This shit is real. If you have a hard time believing and accepting it, that’s on you and your privilege.
Nobody needs your clueless ass second guessing our life choices like you’d be able to do so much fucking better on your high horse. And don’t even try to defend it with “just trying to help” nonsense either. We see you, even if you’re too blinded by your own asshole to do so.
Mark of the Dragon is amazing. I loved every.single.thing. I was immediately swept up and hooked in the story. I FLEW through it.
But it’s impossible to talk about because it’s so damn short! The storyline bad dude is wrapped and all, but there’s no closure. What do these girls do next? What about the new sorta bad people? The problems with the cops? It just stops. I triple checked my copy and the page numbers and it’s still hard to believe it just ends there.
Grrrr, give me more! I will obviously be continuing. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Arkay and Rosario.
I’ve read the blurb for the next installment, Shadow and Steel, and it says they’re moving forward with their lives. Great, fantastic! But that’s not how Mark ended so it sounds like there’s a time jump and then the next story starts. I need to know damnit!
Read the excerpt here, preview Mark of the Dragon on the Amazon page, and get it.
Yes, it’s short. Yes, it’s $3 if you don’t have Kindle Unlimited or Prime. BUT. IT IS SO GOOD. If you love paranormal fantasy, non-white, non-heterosexual financially screwed characters, dragons, dark, interesting, and different fantasy…just get it now. It’s absolutely positively worth it.
And if you don’t like it, don’t tell me.
+EVERYTHING
The Bad & The Other
=It’s short & it ends & I need to know everything that happens next…
I’m white, attracted to men, and not a dragon, but this feels like a ‘me’ book because I’ve been homeless and in shelters. It’s so rare to find books with characters like these and it’s done so well. It’s the main reason I immediately signed up to review this book. With or without the dragons. And ya’ll know how much I love dragons.
There is the threat of sexual violence and just violence in general in their day to day survival. Their constant moving, their packing habits, the tent cities…. It resonates with me, my experience, my mother’s and every homeless person we’ve known.
For them to be strong and not pitiful addicts or broken souls in need of salvation is great, but for them to be heroes? Their OWN heroes? Oh gods, I’m so fucking happy. I feel like crying, even now, just thinking about it. I just want to hold this book up and shout “READ THIS DAMNIT.”
I don’t need an explanation why they don’t bother with shelters. Some are more dangerous than the streets (if you can even get in one in the first place) and the employees/volunteers…There’s plenty of damn good reasons not to be in one and everyone has their horror stories to prove it.
I also don’t need to know exactly how they wound up on the streets either. Everyone has their story, but one the street, people don’t talk about it much. It’s all about survival. And it doesn’t matter anyways. People like to grill us for whys and hows, as if that will reveal what we’ve done to deserve this. Which is bullshit. Ask for answers and you’re immediately suspect.
So, a preemptive fuck you to anyone wondering and questioning Arkay and Rosario’s life on the street. This shit is real. If you have a hard time believing and accepting it, that’s on you and your privilege.
Nobody needs your clueless ass second guessing our life choices like you’d be able to do so much fucking better on your high horse. And don’t even try to defend it with “just trying to help” nonsense either. We see you, even if you’re too blinded by your own asshole to do so.
Mark of the Dragon is amazing. I loved every.single.thing. I was immediately swept up and hooked in the story. I FLEW through it.
But it’s impossible to talk about because it’s so damn short! The storyline bad dude is wrapped and all, but there’s no closure. What do these girls do next? What about the new sorta bad people? The problems with the cops? It just stops. I triple checked my copy and the page numbers and it’s still hard to believe it just ends there.
Grrrr, give me more! I will obviously be continuing. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Arkay and Rosario.
I’ve read the blurb for the next installment, Shadow and Steel, and it says they’re moving forward with their lives. Great, fantastic! But that’s not how Mark ended so it sounds like there’s a time jump and then the next story starts. I need to know damnit!
Read the excerpt here, preview Mark of the Dragon on the Amazon page, and get it.
Yes, it’s short. Yes, it’s $3 if you don’t have Kindle Unlimited or Prime. BUT. IT IS SO GOOD. If you love paranormal fantasy, non-white, non-heterosexual financially screwed characters, dragons, dark, interesting, and different fantasy…just get it now. It’s absolutely positively worth it.
And if you don’t like it, don’t tell me.
August 20, 2016
I got a digital copy of this for a review, and boy THIS BOOK THO!!
I honestly haven't read an urban fantasy I loved until I read THIS and let me tell you oh honey so: LGBTQ+ characters, diversity, A STRONG PLOT (seriously I am so done with books that just kind of slither around the plot and don't make it the main focus), personally I love that there is no dumb love triangle and that romance isn't the focus so much as issues like homelessness, bullying, etc...
JW Troemner has a writing style that's gon make you pick up this book and not stop until you're done and then curse that it's only a short novella. That is only a beginning in a series full of awesome lore, expansion on many other social issues that definitely need to be talked about and written about and delivered to the eyes of audiences of all ages!
Let me also state that the main character is a biracial Japanese American woman who is also bisexual (pansexual?) and stands for nobody's shit which is so damn refreshing (yes I'm looking at you, white YA brunettes with green eyes)
PS: dragons. Like I mean, if all of that doesn't have you convinced-- DRAGONS
I honestly haven't read an urban fantasy I loved until I read THIS and let me tell you oh honey so: LGBTQ+ characters, diversity, A STRONG PLOT (seriously I am so done with books that just kind of slither around the plot and don't make it the main focus), personally I love that there is no dumb love triangle and that romance isn't the focus so much as issues like homelessness, bullying, etc...
JW Troemner has a writing style that's gon make you pick up this book and not stop until you're done and then curse that it's only a short novella. That is only a beginning in a series full of awesome lore, expansion on many other social issues that definitely need to be talked about and written about and delivered to the eyes of audiences of all ages!
Let me also state that the main character is a biracial Japanese American woman who is also bisexual (pansexual?) and stands for nobody's shit which is so damn refreshing (yes I'm looking at you, white YA brunettes with green eyes)
PS: dragons. Like I mean, if all of that doesn't have you convinced-- DRAGONS
November 15, 2016
Let me preface my review by stating that I hate, despise, loathe, fear (get the picture?) zombies. That said, this book was amazing. I love dragons and I can see how this story can go quite a bit further. I hope to follow it as it continues. It was a good short story, but I don't recommend it before bed ;). Humans as a species behave exactly as expected in this, which is as idiots. I wonder how relationships will develop. This felt like a great start to a good series.
October 16, 2016
I'm not sure what I was expecting but whatever it was it wasn't this. Good read, tantalizing world building, I'd say it's a recommend.
February 21, 2017
A different unique story of how a Dragon depends on a human for companionship to get through the horror that's coming their way.
Magic, zombies and dragons oh my!
Rosario is a another homeless person living on the streets just trying to survive the day. She meets a tiny Asian woman named Arkay, who is not entirely human, but a Dragon in disguise. With her at Rosario's back. They can both survive anything... well maybe not necromancy and zombies. With the police after them for a crime they didn't commit. A necromancer plus his pet zombies and some helping ghouls. What are a pair of mismatched people to do but survive. Will they be able to get away before they are left in shambles literally?
Magic, zombies and dragons oh my!
Rosario is a another homeless person living on the streets just trying to survive the day. She meets a tiny Asian woman named Arkay, who is not entirely human, but a Dragon in disguise. With her at Rosario's back. They can both survive anything... well maybe not necromancy and zombies. With the police after them for a crime they didn't commit. A necromancer plus his pet zombies and some helping ghouls. What are a pair of mismatched people to do but survive. Will they be able to get away before they are left in shambles literally?
March 31, 2017
this was a short story that packed a lot into its small amount of pages.. it was amazing and very interesting to read. this had dragons.. and zombies and im not big on zombie books but this one was very well written so it kept me interested and im very curious to read the rest of this series. i am glad i got to review it
March 31, 2017
Rosario, kicked out by her family found life on the street cruel. That is until Arkay came along. Suddenly it wasn't so easy to mess with the plus-sized Latina anymore. Her friend Arkay could pass for a short, skinny, baby-faced teenager but she is always ready to brawl with anyone who crossed them...and those who aren't paying attention to her eyes as her mask drops, as her expression turns sharp, does so at their own peril.... you see, this tiny Asian chick has a secret that some would call a curse while others curse Arkay because they fear what they don't understand..... now something evil and vile threatening the living and the dead has learned Arkay's secret and sets his sights on her!
I truly enjoyed this intriguing story and do recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy with a side of gore.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews