Champions of the Dragon

Epic Fallacy #1

by Michael James Ploof

Murland Kadabra has always dreamed of becoming a great wizard. However, at age 19, the young apprentice has yet to successfully cast a single spell. He has been reduced to grounds keeper of Abra Tower, and has become the laughing stock of the wizarding school. But when the Most High Wizard Kazimir chooses him to be one of the five Champions of the Dragon, Murland’s life changes forever.

He soon finds himself traveling through the wilds with four unlikely companions, including an alcoholic knight, a gay elf prince, a dwarf with humanism, and an obese ogre. Prophecy dictates that these champions must march west to the shadowy peak of Bad Mountain, where they are destined to do battle with the dreaded dragon of legend, Drak’Noir.

But what few people know, is that the prophecy is not altogether true. For it is not five champions who Kazimir chooses, but five fools. They are not meant to defeat the dragon, but to feed her.

To change their fate, the Champions of the Dragon must not only overcome their enemies, but also themselves.

Genres: Fantasy, Humor, Dragons, LGBT, Fiction, Amazon, Magic

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

I spent my youth in the land of make believe. School was a bore, and growing up in the "Boonies" without cable television forced me to use my imagination. If I wasn't holed up in my bedroom playing with my vast collection of action figures, I could be found in the forest with a wooden sword or staff in hand, battling the forces of evil. As an 80's kid, I was raised on a healthy diet of movies like Star Wars, The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Goonies, and endless other classic (but strange) movies.

As a reader, I enjoy books that take off right out of the gate, sweep me off my feet, and whisk me away on an epic adventure. As an author, I try to create books that do the same for my readers. I write fantasy, and I suppose that I still live in a land of make believe, except now I get to share the adventure with others.

I hope that you will join me on my next adventure, and together we can escape reality, if only for a time.

Yours in Magic,

Michael James Ploof

Join the mailing list at www.whillofagor(dot)com.

Books by Michael James Ploof

Epic Fallacy

Book #1: Champions of the Dragon

Book #2: Beyond the Wide Wall

Book #3: The Legend of Drak' Noir

Book #4: The Mother of Zuul

LEGENDS OF AGORA

Book #1: Whill of Agora

Book #2: A Quest of Kings

Book #3: A Song of Swords

Book #4: A Crown of war

Book #5: Kingdoms in Chaos

Book #6: Champions of the Gods

Book #7: The Mantle of Darkness

Book #8: Dark Echoes of Light

Book #9: The Warcrown Legacy

THE WINDWALKER ARCHIVE

Book #1: Talon

Book #2: Sea Queen

Book #3: Exodus

BLACKTHORN

Book #1: Blackthorn Rising

THE ORION REZNER CHRONICLES

Book #1: Afterworld

The Dragon Throne War

Book #1: A Dream of Fire

Doomsday Sheriff

Book #1

Book #2

Book #3

Dragon Rider Academy

Episode #1: Ascension

Episode #2: Transcendence

Episode #3: Initiate

Episode #4: Dragon Heart

Episode #5: Accursed

THE SOCK GNOME CHRONICLES

Book #1: Billy Coatbutton and the Wheel of Destiny

Book #2: Billy Coatbutton and the ring of Sockchild

Harem books written as Mike Ploof

Rebirth online

Rebirth Online #1

Rebirth Online #2

Rebirth Online #3

Rebirth Online #4

Rebirth Online #5

Rebirth Online #6

Monster World

Monster World #1

Monster World #2

Warwick

Episode #1: Galactic Arena

Episode #2: Galactic Fugitives

Episode #3: Galactic Vengeance

litRPG Published By Aethon Books

Arcane Veterinarian Book 1 - August 6, 2024

Arcane Veterinarian Book 2 - Fall 2024

The Family Jewels Book 1 - Coming Soon

Reviews

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was recommended to me under the tag line; For Fans of Terry Pratchett. Let me be very clear here however, this is no Pratchett. There is the insanity yes, but there is none of the wit, the humour, the absolute genius which I hold Pratchett in such high esteem for. Put in Pratchett's hands these characters would sparkle and fizz and have you cackling and howling and crying in turns. In the hands of this Epic Fallacy writer, they simply plod.

It's reasonably well written but it's fairly obvious where it is going and there is none of the sparkle that I was hoping for. It got one or two smiles from me, but nowhere near enough to earn it's high standing reviews. It's also worth noting that it doesn't finish; there isn't a full narrative arc here. For that you need the next book and that is the mark of a sloppy or a lazy author. Much better to edit it down so that you have one tightly written novel. If you find it cheap, it's perhaps worth a gander, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it and I won't bother with the follow ups in the series.

[Gabi]

Not MM but FREE: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free...

[Kathy Sebesta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the dumbest, stupidest characters I'd never want to waste time on.

[Sandi Faulconbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. I've gotten to the end and want to read the next book immediately. I found myself 'rooting' for this bunch of misfits.

I started reading this thinking it was YA as the main character is 19yrs old ... well one of the main characters. It isn't YA - that is to say I wouldn't give it to the younger teens to read. But it's still a darned good read.

The storyline is engaging (I love fantasy!!!) and there is great character development - you can see their progression in growth, their self-doubt and how they learn to interact with each other.

[Georgene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was billed as "humorous". While mildly amusing in parts, I had to really look to find the humor. 5 are chosen to go for to chase off a fierce dragon. Why these individuals? Each of them are screw ups that their people wish to be rid of. As they make their hapless way on their journey, each finds the beginning stirrings of heroics in themselves. A decent enough story, but I doubt I will search out and read the second and third volumes in this series.

[Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not to my tastes - I think it was the writing style that meant I gave up on it. I kept getting dropped out of the study by the "humorous" names, for example

[Десислава Сивилова · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was an unexpected gem. I have to admit, I'm not much of a fan of epic fantasy - more often than not, I find grand world-saving quests and grand multi-race battles ... well, too grand for my taste. So I totally enjoyed this book, which is a great parody of all the cliches of the genre, especially those we know (and love) from "Lord of the Rings". Starting with characters' names and dialects, and ending with the fairy-tale race stereotypes, the author pokes fun at just everything!

The Champions of the Dragon are a peace (and pigs!)-loving dwarf, a disgraced knight too closely acquainted with the bottle and with his king's queen, a failed apprentice magician with self-esteem issues, a gay elf prince that never stops whining, and a female ogre with no other goals in life besides stuffing herself to death. We see them all, larger than life, hear their exaggerated speech patterns, glance at their even more exaggerated life stories ... and keep waiting for them to fail miserably. But of course, following all classic rules of questing, they pass through innumerable obstacles, beat their enemies, and the odds, and some more enemies, and trudge on!

Only (sort of) problem I had with this book is its ending - or lack thereof. It's just the first third of the story, without any sense of closure on its own. Which is not a real problem when you already have Parts 2 and 3 at your fingertips, but still.

And once again - I totally enjoyed all the exagerrated cliches (see "ogre"), reversed cliches (see "dwarf") and thousands of winks at classic epic fantasy characters and situations. I suppose I'd have found even more of those if my experience of the key works of the fantasy genre wasn't limited to J.R.R.Tolkien and J.K.Rowling. But I think, as long as you've read Tolkien -- and you have a basic sense of humor -- you're more than well-equipped to enjoy this hilarious parody.

[A Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an easy, entertaining book but aside from the strange names and the exaggeration of all the characters' traits, it is not humorous or witty...and it reads like well-edited fanfiction.

The author uses extremely similar situations as those written by J.R.R. Tolkien in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy; whilst some similar plot can be seen as a nod to the father of the adventure fantasy genre, copying entire scenes is plagiarism and does not make for a good read. The main villain's physical traits are straight from Harry Potter and we are introduced to the Night's Watch as well. Again, similar plot is ok - plagiarism down to the exact same description of the Wall's height, fortifications, elevator and how many people guard it, is not.

I'll give it 2.5* because the story does flow well and if you haven't read these classic books, this might be an enjoyable read. However it is full of cliches, plagiarism, 'humoristic' names that quickly get on one's nerves and a plot that is very predictable - almost to the point that you think, oooh maybe I'm being tricked into thinking it's too easy and some big reveal will happen soon...I kept that hope up until the book abruptly finished, without notice, not even on a cliffhanger O_o

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's fun and funny, and has a lot of heart. The humour is offset well by the more serious scenes, giving it a good balance. It never felt silly. I even found myself crying during one scene. I never thought I'd end up emotionally invested in this book, but here we are, and I'm eager to read the sequel. Not just because I want to find out what's next, but because I want to spend more time with these characters. Book 2 was added to my list to read about halfway through. The three books could probably have been only a single book, although to is credit the first book at least is allowed a proper ending. There is a contained story here and the heroes achieve something at the end. No cliffhanger: just the promise of more to come.

[Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Infinity Sisters Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Champions of the Dragon by Michael James Ploof is the first book in the Epic Fallacy trilogy. In every generation five are chosen by the Most High Wizard Kazimir to be the Champions of the Dragon. The five chosen are unlikely companions: Murland is an apprentice that always dreamed of being a great Wizard, but has failed to successfully cast a spell. Gibrig is a Dwarf suffering from Humanism, and doesn't have the heart to harm anyone. Brannon is a Prince refusing to bend to his father's will, and give up his love for the warrior Valikimir. Willow is an ogre with an unsustainable appetite, strength, and a past victory of defeating a crocodile. Sir Eldrick is an alcoholic knight, formerly banished from the kingdom after being caught with the queen. Little do they know that this quest is a fool's mission, not to defeat a dragon and claim heroism, but to be fed to it.

Michael James Ploof brings to life a vast array of characters, making each one different with flaws, strengths, and quirks. Ploof breaks several fantasy stereotypes with charm and cleverness, allowing each character to be sympathized with, and spending every scene growing the characters. The villains are very ominous and mysterious, perfect fit for the world of eccentricities. Not a lot is learned about their motivations, but it's clear that this is only the beginning of everyone's stories. Each of the “champions” are outcasts who are trying to find their way, and their differences tend to clash with each other, but as the story unfolds, the more they become a team. Champions of the Dragon is a delightful satirical treat, with humor, emotion, outrageous moments, and eccentric characters that come to life off the page.

[JoJo Gozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I've held on to this book since it came out. Don't know why I didn't want to read it right away. I should have. It's really good. It's funny, it's sad and there's action. What more could you want. A really good book, well written and it made me laugh.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a confusing book at the beginning, but it comes alive and get you to start loving the main characters. A little boring at first, so stick with it and it will be moving right along. This series is on its own in uniqueness and you won't find any like it any where. I believe that you'll like it as much as me, so give it a shot. Great reading Everyone!!!!!!

[MEG Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT book

I'm not sure why I forgot to review this book but I have to say.......this story is absolutely EXCELLENT.
The characters all have their flaws, we all do, but these characters go beyond the reasoning of flaws. They are all so different but they all have the same quest, kill the dragon that has come to destroy. It's tricky, to say the least.
They have all been lied to and with that said, I can only hope that this review will entice lots of people to read this great story.

[James Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read!

Enjoyed this book well formed characters. Tired of same story fantasies. Enjoyed the characters, the satire is not overdone. Liked the fact that it a more or less serious story, the satire for me keeps the book real. A story of heroes who are not what they seem. I will read the rest of series.

[Carol Brodtrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't care if there are twenty books in a series. I do care that each of them has some resolution at the end.We Cliffhangers don't impress me and they do not make me race to pick up the next book. However, I do like the not-yet-true-wizard Merlund, so I'll probably thumb through free nook two to check his progress.

[Janet G Burch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Champions of the Dragon

A very funny book. There is only one other book that was as humorous as this one and that one has paled by comparison. This one is now my favorite funny Fantasy book.

[Scott Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tongue in cheek with heart

I loved it, good character development with a light hearted but enjoyable story line. Eagerly awaiting the next one, happy to hear it won't be long.

[John Hilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read

I found this enjoyable and fun to read. The atypical characters are a nice change from the standard cookie cutter type casting.

[claire preece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Fun

Easy read, likeable characters. Lots of humour and the plot is an o!d one. Will be reading book two - it's all about the Wand..............

[Kevin Tisdel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Building

It started slow but the story has built to the point that I want more. Character development has been good.

[Ryan Toxopeus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, here was an interesting book, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I mean, on a technical level, it was well written and easy to read.

But I found it tended to drag quite a bit, because there's a cast of five main protagonists. Each of them goes through very similar beginnings, and the characters weren't introduced in the right order (my feelings, here). The twist is spoiled with the second character, so introducing the next three characters has less and less impact.

And then add to that a secondary set of characters who are related to the first, who have no agency in the story whatsoever, and it feels bulky.

There are also some themes that really bothered me as I read through the story... fat shaming, anti-gay phrases, and the harmful "be a man" idea (coupled with the anti-gay sentiments). It was hard to read at times, and I REALLY dislike Eldrick, the knight. Maybe that's the point. Maybe the character grows and learns to not be a jerk over the course of the series.

But that gets into another issue I have with this book. It's billed as a humourous book, and there are certainly some funny things that happen, and even some names that made me chuckle. The locations have tropey and farcical names (Bad Mountain, for example). Characters have names that sound familiar, but are obviously spoofs (Zorroman the Off-White). The "big bad" (Zuul) was pretty great. Dingleberry's name made me groan... undoubtedly the most unfortunate name of all time.

But this book is the first section of the journey. It introduces the characters, and in parts takes itself seriously, like it's not a farce and wants to have a rollicking adventure with these non-heroes. Despite being useless (or having bizarre prerequisites to get their skills working), they become quite competent by the end.

But it's not really the end. Do I like these characters enough to see what happens next? Is Drak'noir going to live up to the hype? Zuul and Kazimir make me trust that the author can pull off some interesting twists.

Can I stomach more off-colour humour that pokes at real world sensitive subjects? I mean, with Eldrick's complete lack of growth as a likeable character through the story, I imagine he's going to continue being an insensitive jerk. I'm not sure I have it in me to continue reading a story where I'm often in his head.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A freaked version of The Hobbit

Metric system - Those are my personal opinions, you may discord, my final rating of the book is not necessarily linked to this system and may diverge from it.
Book Storyline
- Originality: 4/5 stars
- Development: 4/5 stars
- Enjoyment: 4/5 stars
- Writing stile: 4/5 stars
- Funnyness: 3/5 stars
- Epicness: 2/5 stars
- Scaryness: 1/5 stars
- Smartness: 4/5 stars
- Addictiveness: 3/5 stars
- Plot twists: 1/5 stars
- Pace: 4/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 4/5 stars OR /5 negative stars
- Ending: 4/5 stars OR /5 negative stars
- Holes: /5 negative stars
- Impact on series storyline: 5/5 stars
- Self contained (Y/N): N
- Adult (Y/N): Y
- Violence level: Medium, stuff dies, Ogre smashes
- Tech level: Medieval
- Religion level: non-existent
- Main genre: Fantasy
- Subgenre: Tolkien
- Point of view: Multiple Characters
- Aftertaste: Good
Series Storyline
- Originality: 4/5 stars
- Development: 4/5 stars
- Enjoyment: 4/5 stars
- Writing stile: 4/5 stars
- Funnyness: 3/5 stars
- Epicness: 2/5 stars
- Scaryness: 1/5 stars
- Smartness: 4/5 stars
- Addictiveness: 3/5 stars
- Plot twists: 1/5 stars
- Pace: 4/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 4/5 stars OR /5 negative stars
- Ending: /5 stars OR /5 negative stars - not there yet
- Holes: /5 negative stars
World
- Originality: 1/5 stars
- Variety: 3/5 stars
- Consistency: 5/5 stars
- Impact on the story: 5/5 stars
- Maps: 3/5 stars
- Real world (Y/N): N
- Fantasy based on real world (Y/N): N
- Journey (Y/N): Y
- Main scenario: A journey through Middle-ear... I mean Falacetine
Characters Quantity:
- Total amount: 30 ~ 40
- Points of view: 9
- Main characters: 5
- Secondary: 6
- Ordinary: Some
Characters Quality:
- Overall: 4/5 stars
- Main: 4/5 stars
- Secondary: 5/5 stars
- Consistency: 5/5 stars
- Connection: 3/5 stars
- Notable best characters: Kazimir, Zuul, Willow
- Notable worst characters: Gibrig, Murland
Rules:
- Devised system: 3/5 stars
- System complexity: 2/5 stars
- System explanation: 3/5 stars
- Impact on storyline: 3/5 stars
- Rulebreaker (Y/N): Y it's magic, Woosh
- Type of Rule: Magic
▶◀
Though not as comedic as I was hoping for when I started reading it, it's very well written and interesting.
Feels very much like The Hobbit, can't even say that these characters are more or less foolish than those.
It takes some chapters to get good, so just don't despair
It's great as a light reading, though there are 4 books in the series.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly I couldn't finish this book due to the blatant homophobia. Not only is the only gay character a host of stereotypes, but homophobia is also an accepted part of the society in which this character lives. If you, as an author, have the chance to create an entirely new world that need not obey any laws and social conventions of ours and you choose to include homophobia then you obviously believe that homophobia is the default state of society rather than a learned prejudice, and that's disgusting. It's obvious that this gay character was only included for brownie points with the LGBTQ+ community and yet the author still managed to screw it up.

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I read for escapism, not to be reminded that the existence of people in my community is a radical act against oppression. I am disgusted and quite frankly very offended. Maybe if the author pulled his head out of his privileged ass once in a while he'd understand that his depiction of gay men is offensive and that his understanding of homophobia's place in society is deeply flawed. Until then he can keep his unfunny tripe.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not A Full Book

The book as a standalone is annoying. I greatly dislike when a book does bout conclude a story and this book didn't conclude anything. The maroon characters have travelled only half way and the side characters are I'm complete limbo.
That said, this is a great beginning of a story. The characters are fun, if extremely stereotypical. The concept of this secret about the Champions being given away so quickly was a bit annoying, but seeing how many people actually know the secret makes it hard to believe there are so many that still don't.
I also have no idea what to think of the great Kazimir, but I know I don't trust him, nor do I fully believe there even is a great dragon. I guess I'll have to buy the next two books just to get an idea. Or any conclusion at all. That really does bother me.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read with a bunch of misfit heroes on a quest to defeat the great Dragon Drak Noir - at least that is what they think. Every generation one hero is picked from each of the peoples (ogres, dwarves, elves and the two human kingdoms) to try to defeat Drak Noir. The current group include a wizard in training, a gay elf, a 700 pound female ogre, a lanky dwarf and a knight who has done some questionable things in the past. This first book in the tale tells how they are brought together by the great wizard Kazimir and details the first part of their journey toward the dragon.

I liked this one enough that I immediately bought the second book in the series. Not your usual hero quest type of novel but well worth the read.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining book. This is the first in a series of four books about a group of champions going off to kill a dragon to save the country from its evil attacks. Its the story of the group coming together as a team and learning each other's strengths and weaknesses and working to pull their strengths together to make a stronger team. It's about learning to give and take and to receive help when needed. All while going on an epic journey to fight a dragon to save their country.

A very quick, amusing and good read. Highly recommend it to those who liked the Harry Potter series. It is less serious than Harry Potter but a very good read indeed.

[Joan Maten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was meant to be a humorous fantasy about fools chosen for a quest to slay a dragon. But little do they realize, they are actually meant to be food.

This was a quick read and made me smile at times. Full of tongue in cheek humor and adventures. I thought it might have made a good family read aloud, but alas, there is too much adult humor and language to make this plausible.

The book is not a stand alone. You are left with several cliff hangers for the next book. Unfortunately, the remainder of the trilogy must either be purchased through Amazon or a subscription to kindle unlimited. The books were not in my library network. I did not love the story enough to pursue purchase options.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up because it's not that bad to be a 2.

When someone says a book is like Pratchett's Discworld, I have incredibly high expectations. I didn't realise just how high until I felt let down by the time we were introduced to all of the champions. I pressed on, hoping that the story and the characters will get better.

It was very much the same throughout the whole book.

The characters were fairly flat, 2-d, and I had no emotional connection to any of them. Brannon is awful and so is Willow.

[Tiffany Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected delight

This story has captivated me. I began reading it and the goofy, flawed characters made me literally laugh out loud. I could not put it down. The idea of such weak, simple-minded people being chosen to save the world reminded me of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and works by Jeff Wheeler but with wonderfully jarring notes in between. I was giddy reading this, and cannot wait to read more. My sincerest hopes that our anti-heros come out of this alive!