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Scrolls of Fire #1
The Dragon Librarian
Blind. Outcast. Accursed. From the meanest of beginnings, greatness will rise.
Abandoned at birth by her parents, Auli-Ambar is seen as a child blighted by a callous talon-stroke of fate. A worthless burden. She is blind, severely disfigured, and fit only for the most menial tasks. Then, a simple act of kindness changes her life. Flown to the Halls of the Dragons, the painfully shy girl becomes a cleaner of Dragon roosts, and a helpless wanderer of the Dragon Library.
Here, Auli is able to walk amidst the lore she is drawn to so profoundly. Touch it. Imagine worlds within scrolls. She thrills to the hallowed scents of knowledge, but aches for what blindness has forever denied her. In the cruellest of ironies, Auli discovers she possesses a magic that makes people and Dragons forget her very existence. This is disremembrance, the accursed power of loneliness. She can only despair.
One will not forget. Deep amidst the forbidden racks of draconic scroll lore, where Auli-Ambar has unwittingly breached the protective wards, the young Dragon scholar, Arkurion the Mercury Blue, will discover her true gift and ignite its flame. Now, in the environs of a magical library overseen by the mighty Dragon Librarian Sazutharr, the extraordinary courage and integrity of a blind girl will finally be given the chance to blossom.
Little did they suspect that the fate of all Dragonkind would rest in her hands.
Series note
Scrolls of Fire is a parallel storyline to my acclaimed Dragonfriend series. Auli-Ambar’s story intermeshes deeply with the fates of Hualiama and Grandion and intersects the most critical events of their lives. Also, if you ever wondered what Dragons get up to in a library, look no further!
The Dragon Librarian is tale for lore-lovers, scrollworms and librarians the world over. They are secretly Dragons. I told you first.
Abandoned at birth by her parents, Auli-Ambar is seen as a child blighted by a callous talon-stroke of fate. A worthless burden. She is blind, severely disfigured, and fit only for the most menial tasks. Then, a simple act of kindness changes her life. Flown to the Halls of the Dragons, the painfully shy girl becomes a cleaner of Dragon roosts, and a helpless wanderer of the Dragon Library.
Here, Auli is able to walk amidst the lore she is drawn to so profoundly. Touch it. Imagine worlds within scrolls. She thrills to the hallowed scents of knowledge, but aches for what blindness has forever denied her. In the cruellest of ironies, Auli discovers she possesses a magic that makes people and Dragons forget her very existence. This is disremembrance, the accursed power of loneliness. She can only despair.
One will not forget. Deep amidst the forbidden racks of draconic scroll lore, where Auli-Ambar has unwittingly breached the protective wards, the young Dragon scholar, Arkurion the Mercury Blue, will discover her true gift and ignite its flame. Now, in the environs of a magical library overseen by the mighty Dragon Librarian Sazutharr, the extraordinary courage and integrity of a blind girl will finally be given the chance to blossom.
Little did they suspect that the fate of all Dragonkind would rest in her hands.
Series note
Scrolls of Fire is a parallel storyline to my acclaimed Dragonfriend series. Auli-Ambar’s story intermeshes deeply with the fates of Hualiama and Grandion and intersects the most critical events of their lives. Also, if you ever wondered what Dragons get up to in a library, look no further!
The Dragon Librarian is tale for lore-lovers, scrollworms and librarians the world over. They are secretly Dragons. I told you first.
520 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 10, 2018
635 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Marc Secchia
63 books576 followersMarc is a South African-born dragon masquerading as an author, who loves writing about dragons and Africa, preferably both at the same time. He's the author of over 40 fantasy books in 5 languages including 10 rip-roaring dragon fantasy bestsellers.
His latest releases are Khyrial and the King, an absorbing Fantasy Romance and the hilarious epic fantasy Call me Dragon which won gold in the 2021 IPPY Book Awards for best Fantasy novel.
When he's not writing about Africa or dragons Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there's nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.
His latest releases are Khyrial and the King, an absorbing Fantasy Romance and the hilarious epic fantasy Call me Dragon which won gold in the 2021 IPPY Book Awards for best Fantasy novel.
When he's not writing about Africa or dragons Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there's nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
January 16, 2020
I really enjoyed this story. It’s hard to complain about a fantasy story with dragons. Auli being blind adds an interesting point view and a lot of rich sensory details. Not gonna lie, this was a long read. Longer than I expected. It was a little slow in the beginning but once you get past that the action kicks in and it picks up speed. All in all, a good story with characters you care about.
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May 21, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/21/2019)! 🎁
March 7, 2018
I read the whole story, still confused
The beginning was lushly described. I cared what happened to the heroine. Then it got lost in details about things I didn't care about or advance the plot. Finally, the vague jumps into intrigue and prophecy that were mysterious and confusing to wade through were increasingly frustrating.
I give up.
The beginning was lushly described. I cared what happened to the heroine. Then it got lost in details about things I didn't care about or advance the plot. Finally, the vague jumps into intrigue and prophecy that were mysterious and confusing to wade through were increasingly frustrating.
I give up.
July 29, 2018
however, if you like stories with dragons (no dragon shifters) and humans living in --somewhat-- harmony, and you like LIBRARIES then i definitely recommend The Dragon Librarian to you.
HOWEVER. There's a Trigger Warning for abuse. Seriously bad abuse in the beginning of the story.
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I didn’t think much of The Dragon Librarian as a book when I downloaded it. Nor did I take into account how long this book is. The Dragon Librarian is over 500 pages long, and it is one hell of a journey.
Over the course of this story, we meet and grow with Auli. We see her grow and mature into this smart young lady who more than meets the eye. We see her struggles, and we see her triumphs. There is much to Auli’s character. I genuinely adored her character as much as I enjoyed this story.
Prior to reading the novel, I’d only read the first paragraph of the synopsis. I’d decided that I’d read this book without reading more of the synopsis beacuse I’d wanted to figure out what happened to the Auli on my own, as the story progressed.
It was difficult for me to write down notes of my thoughts while reading The Dragon Librarian simply because there was just so much that happens in the story. I cannot stress that enough. Aside from the very beginning of this book, the story sweeps you away easily. However, I felt that at times, there were moments where this book could have ended. I’m so glad that it didn’t.
The problem I had while reading The Dragon Librarian was that firstly, the point of view seemed to change. Mostly everything was Auli, but in the beginning there it was hard for me to discern what was Auli and what wasn’t. So that was a little confusing. The second thing that bothered me about this book was that I was only 34% into the novel before I started to feel like the story was dragging on. With that said though, there’s a lot that happens in the first 30-ish percent of this book.
What I ended up enjoying about The Dragon Librarian is not only the staggering character growth that Auli has in this first novel, but I also tremendously enjoyed the fact that in Secchia’s story, he’s written Dragons and Humans co-inciding almost peacefully together.
I like that the story takes place over 8 years. I truly enjoyed getting to know Humankind and Dragonkind alike in this story! Getting to know this world was nothing short of amazing. This world is so big that I could literally feel how vast the land is.
Getting to know Auli was very pleasing. I very much so look forward to reading the next second Scrolls of Fire book.
I give The Dragon Librarian, 3.5 stars.
HOWEVER. There's a Trigger Warning for abuse. Seriously bad abuse in the beginning of the story.
-------
I didn’t think much of The Dragon Librarian as a book when I downloaded it. Nor did I take into account how long this book is. The Dragon Librarian is over 500 pages long, and it is one hell of a journey.
Over the course of this story, we meet and grow with Auli. We see her grow and mature into this smart young lady who more than meets the eye. We see her struggles, and we see her triumphs. There is much to Auli’s character. I genuinely adored her character as much as I enjoyed this story.
Prior to reading the novel, I’d only read the first paragraph of the synopsis. I’d decided that I’d read this book without reading more of the synopsis beacuse I’d wanted to figure out what happened to the Auli on my own, as the story progressed.
It was difficult for me to write down notes of my thoughts while reading The Dragon Librarian simply because there was just so much that happens in the story. I cannot stress that enough. Aside from the very beginning of this book, the story sweeps you away easily. However, I felt that at times, there were moments where this book could have ended. I’m so glad that it didn’t.
The problem I had while reading The Dragon Librarian was that firstly, the point of view seemed to change. Mostly everything was Auli, but in the beginning there it was hard for me to discern what was Auli and what wasn’t. So that was a little confusing. The second thing that bothered me about this book was that I was only 34% into the novel before I started to feel like the story was dragging on. With that said though, there’s a lot that happens in the first 30-ish percent of this book.
What I ended up enjoying about The Dragon Librarian is not only the staggering character growth that Auli has in this first novel, but I also tremendously enjoyed the fact that in Secchia’s story, he’s written Dragons and Humans co-inciding almost peacefully together.
I like that the story takes place over 8 years. I truly enjoyed getting to know Humankind and Dragonkind alike in this story! Getting to know this world was nothing short of amazing. This world is so big that I could literally feel how vast the land is.
Getting to know Auli was very pleasing. I very much so look forward to reading the next second Scrolls of Fire book.
I give The Dragon Librarian, 3.5 stars.
March 7, 2018
Fairly unreadable due to language issues.
I don't know if there is a good story hidden in this somehow, but sentences like this:
"His breathing rasped sluggishly, a capricious wind that toyed with the shreds of any poise she might have claimed. His unseen gaze, auger-like, bore twin holes into her bent neck. Auli-Ambar tried to steady the wooden bucket against her leg, but she might as well have tried to contain one of the mighty thunderstorms that regularly shook the caldera she had never seen...."
grate on my nerves after a few minutes. Now this rambles on and on like this for about 450 pages, I checked random later pages of the text. Fantasy as an excuse for purple prose in the extreme. I quit after 10 pages or so, which causes me to give this whole thing one star.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_...
I quote the definition in the article:
"In literary criticism, purple prose is prose text that is so extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw excessive attention to itself.[1] Purple prose is characterized by the excessive use of adjectives, adverbs, and metaphors"
I don't know if there is a good story hidden in this somehow, but sentences like this:
"His breathing rasped sluggishly, a capricious wind that toyed with the shreds of any poise she might have claimed. His unseen gaze, auger-like, bore twin holes into her bent neck. Auli-Ambar tried to steady the wooden bucket against her leg, but she might as well have tried to contain one of the mighty thunderstorms that regularly shook the caldera she had never seen...."
grate on my nerves after a few minutes. Now this rambles on and on like this for about 450 pages, I checked random later pages of the text. Fantasy as an excuse for purple prose in the extreme. I quit after 10 pages or so, which causes me to give this whole thing one star.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_...
I quote the definition in the article:
"In literary criticism, purple prose is prose text that is so extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw excessive attention to itself.[1] Purple prose is characterized by the excessive use of adjectives, adverbs, and metaphors"
April 30, 2018
Amazing
What an amazing read! Beautifully, evocatively written, with a truly stunning main character and a large cast of fascinating side characters.
What an amazing read! Beautifully, evocatively written, with a truly stunning main character and a large cast of fascinating side characters.
March 4, 2018
This novel-length space epic is a real challenge for anyone sitting down to read a science fiction tale in an "epub" format. My expectations for this story were that it would probably take about a day to read...my customary reading time for epub stories. To my surprise, it took three full days to read, and it captured my full attention for the duration.
"The Dragon Librarian" is essentially the life story of a humanoid child--an orphan, who has unique, and surprising capabilities--and a special affinity for the Dragon species.
Dragons are not particularly fond of humans -- they feel far superior to them (and they are); but they come to appreciate this one child for her talents, and her amazing love for them. She meets a young dragon deep in the catacombs of the Library, and becomes particularly fond of him over time, and he of her -- which develops into an uncommon affection between them, and which they must both deal with. I was gratified by the way the author dealt with this unusual situation, among several adventures in this complex saga.
The story is a clear opener for an intriguing adventure series, and well worth the time invested to read it. When I began reading "The Dragon Librarian", however, I was not emotionally invested in it. It captured my full attention by the second day, however, and I couldn't help but read it straight through to the end. I started out not liking it (the story is outside my customary reading interests), but I loved it at the end.
"The Dragon Librarian" is essentially the life story of a humanoid child--an orphan, who has unique, and surprising capabilities--and a special affinity for the Dragon species.
Dragons are not particularly fond of humans -- they feel far superior to them (and they are); but they come to appreciate this one child for her talents, and her amazing love for them. She meets a young dragon deep in the catacombs of the Library, and becomes particularly fond of him over time, and he of her -- which develops into an uncommon affection between them, and which they must both deal with. I was gratified by the way the author dealt with this unusual situation, among several adventures in this complex saga.
The story is a clear opener for an intriguing adventure series, and well worth the time invested to read it. When I began reading "The Dragon Librarian", however, I was not emotionally invested in it. It captured my full attention by the second day, however, and I couldn't help but read it straight through to the end. I started out not liking it (the story is outside my customary reading interests), but I loved it at the end.
March 19, 2018
A good editor would have made a world of difference with this book. For starters, the purple prose makes it very difficult to follow the story; too many sentences have archaic words (some of which are used improperly) that force the reader to look up the word and then actually think about parsing a sentence to decipher what is being communicated. Secchia needs to put the thesaurus down and simplify his word use.
Another problem I have is the mixed narration. Sometimes the narration is purely 3rd person, sometimes it's pseudo-first person.
As for the story itself, there's some parts that shouldn't be in the story at all. For example, there's a scene where Auli is saved from toppling over a cliff by a Rajal. The scene served no real purpose. Another scene near the end has Auli running into her abusive Uncle while inside the dragon mountain. Why is he there? He was a retired merchant with a drug problem. Why would he be in a location that supposedly has a lot of security? It made no sense.
Another problem I have is the mixed narration. Sometimes the narration is purely 3rd person, sometimes it's pseudo-first person.
As for the story itself, there's some parts that shouldn't be in the story at all. For example, there's a scene where Auli is saved from toppling over a cliff by a Rajal. The scene served no real purpose. Another scene near the end has Auli running into her abusive Uncle while inside the dragon mountain. Why is he there? He was a retired merchant with a drug problem. Why would he be in a location that supposedly has a lot of security? It made no sense.
March 30, 2020
I really like parts of this book, however the book was way too long and did not finish the story it is only the first in the series. After the amount of time spent reading a book, no matter how good the read, I expected some closure on some of the story lines. I do not plan on reading the rest of the books as I felt like much of what happened could have been done in a shorter time line or some of the storylines could have been ended. I like reading series but to me each book must still stand on its own and contain some major storylines that get resolved.
December 3, 2018
Full of lore, adventure, and dragons
Another wonderful adventure in the Cloudlands. So much fun to see the behind the scenes of Hualamia's story. A whole new adventure with some of the beloved dragons and humans.
Another wonderful adventure in the Cloudlands. So much fun to see the behind the scenes of Hualamia's story. A whole new adventure with some of the beloved dragons and humans.
May 17, 2019
This book was difficult to get into, in a rather profound way. Because the POV character is blind, it really takes some juggling of words to get the imagery across. As a result, my "book vision" was rich with smells, touch, sounds, feelings, but I never really got a sense of what the dragons looked like. I got that they were large, and had talons and something like chin whiskers, and by their names I knew they had colors, and they flew so I knew they had wings, but little things like how many legs? Unclear. Were they 4 legs and 2 wings, or 2 legs and 2 wings? They had tails, but how long? I couldn't tell by the way they interacted with Auli. Some of them were supposed to weigh tons and be 30 feet long (I think) but yet they walked beside her in corridors and I couldn't "see" them well enough to get a sense of what they looked like. Yes, Auli was blind, but I'm not, and I rely on my sight. It doesn't make the book bad, just...they just felt human to me, not dragonish.
Overall, the story was well written, but moved forward very slowly. There was a lot of description of Auli-Ambar's day to day life, her struggles and her progression in status as she grows up, but it seemed to me as though the action sequences were told after the fact. Some action would build up, and actually start, and then all the sudden it was a day or a week or a month later, and I'm being told about it, rather than actually experiencing the action. I also didn't get a real sense of who the villain was and why he was a villain. I mean, the "who" was obvious once he was introduced, but the "why" didn't come through at all. And there was so long in between his appearances that I often forgot there was a villain. I suppose if I had read the Dragon Friend books it might have had more impact, so maybe this wasn't the best book to start with.
In a lot of ways, the story was heartbreaking in the best storytelling sense of the word. The abuse Auli suffers, and the "disremembrance" - although that got to feeling a bit perfunctory by the end - were gut wrenching at times. The things she overcomes to make her way in the world made her a powerfully written character.
The rest of the characters were fairly well drawn, with the obvious lack of physical descriptors like hair color, etc.
I'm waffling on the rating, between 3 and 3.5 stars. I liked it, and there's certainly nothing "wrong" with it - just things that didn't do "it" for me. I'm going ahead and giving it 3 stars, because a lot of my rating is more for personal preference than anything else. I don't want to knock it down as though there were serious issues with the editing or formatting. Mostly, if I were writing it, I'd have cut about half of it out, while adding in more action scenes. And maybe when all is said and done, it's just a genre that I'm less familiar with.
As far as content, this is a squeaky clean story, with mild violence and some mildly disturbing accounts of bullying-type abuse. I'd give it a PG to PG13 rating, with the 13 based solely on the bullying which a sensitive soul could find to be a trigger.
Overall, the story was well written, but moved forward very slowly. There was a lot of description of Auli-Ambar's day to day life, her struggles and her progression in status as she grows up, but it seemed to me as though the action sequences were told after the fact. Some action would build up, and actually start, and then all the sudden it was a day or a week or a month later, and I'm being told about it, rather than actually experiencing the action. I also didn't get a real sense of who the villain was and why he was a villain. I mean, the "who" was obvious once he was introduced, but the "why" didn't come through at all. And there was so long in between his appearances that I often forgot there was a villain. I suppose if I had read the Dragon Friend books it might have had more impact, so maybe this wasn't the best book to start with.
In a lot of ways, the story was heartbreaking in the best storytelling sense of the word. The abuse Auli suffers, and the "disremembrance" - although that got to feeling a bit perfunctory by the end - were gut wrenching at times. The things she overcomes to make her way in the world made her a powerfully written character.
The rest of the characters were fairly well drawn, with the obvious lack of physical descriptors like hair color, etc.
I'm waffling on the rating, between 3 and 3.5 stars. I liked it, and there's certainly nothing "wrong" with it - just things that didn't do "it" for me. I'm going ahead and giving it 3 stars, because a lot of my rating is more for personal preference than anything else. I don't want to knock it down as though there were serious issues with the editing or formatting. Mostly, if I were writing it, I'd have cut about half of it out, while adding in more action scenes. And maybe when all is said and done, it's just a genre that I'm less familiar with.
As far as content, this is a squeaky clean story, with mild violence and some mildly disturbing accounts of bullying-type abuse. I'd give it a PG to PG13 rating, with the 13 based solely on the bullying which a sensitive soul could find to be a trigger.
June 13, 2019
Humans and Dragons can co-exist
The author, Marc Secchia, has written a wonderful, heartwarming story about a deformed, blind girl whose Mother abandoned her at birth and whose Father sent her to live with scheming relatives. When her Father Xaan learns how she is being treated, he sends her to live with a good friend of his, who live in a world peacefully with Dragons.
Auli-Ambar starts to make friends and, wonder of wonders, she begins to learn that she has MAGIC! She learns to read scrolls, poetry and tomes. Auli starts working in the library. She is excited and thrilled. Auli also learns things that she shouldn't. One of the blessed things Auli is privileged to be at is the birth of a baby dragon from his birth shell. She makes four or five very good Dragon friends, but she also makes two very wicked enemies.
This story has many twists and turns but the author solves most of them. I think he leaves one or two for another story. I am fortunate that my Kindle allows me to pull up a dictionary. Some of the words the author uses are not used often in our century but they are used in the author's draconian world. This is not a fast reading story so allow yourself time to enjoy this author's "Dragon-Minded" style.
The author, Marc Secchia, has written a wonderful, heartwarming story about a deformed, blind girl whose Mother abandoned her at birth and whose Father sent her to live with scheming relatives. When her Father Xaan learns how she is being treated, he sends her to live with a good friend of his, who live in a world peacefully with Dragons.
Auli-Ambar starts to make friends and, wonder of wonders, she begins to learn that she has MAGIC! She learns to read scrolls, poetry and tomes. Auli starts working in the library. She is excited and thrilled. Auli also learns things that she shouldn't. One of the blessed things Auli is privileged to be at is the birth of a baby dragon from his birth shell. She makes four or five very good Dragon friends, but she also makes two very wicked enemies.
This story has many twists and turns but the author solves most of them. I think he leaves one or two for another story. I am fortunate that my Kindle allows me to pull up a dictionary. Some of the words the author uses are not used often in our century but they are used in the author's draconian world. This is not a fast reading story so allow yourself time to enjoy this author's "Dragon-Minded" style.
December 13, 2018
Was the editor drunk?
I am very angry that this intriguing story was a load of blathering rubbish. A strict and harsh editor could have corralled it into readability, but no. Characters are barely understandable, let alone relatable, and there are places where my 5 year old could have told the story better. " oh, and something needed to 've stolen and oh yeah, I forgot, she was really good at stealing and practiced it loads, haha, so she did that." Language was all over the place, from an attempt at medieval style formality to "yay. Go me." colloquialisms. All characters did this, as well as the internal monologues, regardless of the language (human or dragonish). And what's with the unnecessary invented words? Could we not just use sunrise, starlight, waves? And 'what in the island-world' - if there was nothing else, it would be the world. Or at least say 'what in the island's.' And omg, well done, you know lots of big words and colourful phrases THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER WRITING! Pull the thesaurus out of your a**and just tell me the damn story!
I am very angry that this intriguing story was a load of blathering rubbish. A strict and harsh editor could have corralled it into readability, but no. Characters are barely understandable, let alone relatable, and there are places where my 5 year old could have told the story better. " oh, and something needed to 've stolen and oh yeah, I forgot, she was really good at stealing and practiced it loads, haha, so she did that." Language was all over the place, from an attempt at medieval style formality to "yay. Go me." colloquialisms. All characters did this, as well as the internal monologues, regardless of the language (human or dragonish). And what's with the unnecessary invented words? Could we not just use sunrise, starlight, waves? And 'what in the island-world' - if there was nothing else, it would be the world. Or at least say 'what in the island's.' And omg, well done, you know lots of big words and colourful phrases THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER WRITING! Pull the thesaurus out of your a**and just tell me the damn story!
February 25, 2019
A brilliant read, vibes of Shannara!
What a terrific read. Okay really confusing at first - you almost needed a key to work out who was who and whether they were human or dragon but persevere as it's an epic! Wonderful characters that immerse you into their lives with a grip that just grows the more you read.
She has been left by her father, her blindness and facial deformatity putting nearly everyone of. Her care, although well paid for, has her beaten and quivering in fear. This changes when she is rescued by an old friend of her father's. Now she is part of the cleaning crew at a dragons stronghold. However she's no simple 8 year old, her memory seems boundless, her singing voice astounding and her independence overwhelming. Watch as she grows up immersed in the Lore of the dragons, fights for justice and starts moving into auspicious company. Her enemies are numerous but her greatest enemy is her own magic that makes people forget her once she is out of their sight.
A tremendous fantasy epic for lovers of David Eddings, Terry Brooks and the like.
What a terrific read. Okay really confusing at first - you almost needed a key to work out who was who and whether they were human or dragon but persevere as it's an epic! Wonderful characters that immerse you into their lives with a grip that just grows the more you read.
She has been left by her father, her blindness and facial deformatity putting nearly everyone of. Her care, although well paid for, has her beaten and quivering in fear. This changes when she is rescued by an old friend of her father's. Now she is part of the cleaning crew at a dragons stronghold. However she's no simple 8 year old, her memory seems boundless, her singing voice astounding and her independence overwhelming. Watch as she grows up immersed in the Lore of the dragons, fights for justice and starts moving into auspicious company. Her enemies are numerous but her greatest enemy is her own magic that makes people forget her once she is out of their sight.
A tremendous fantasy epic for lovers of David Eddings, Terry Brooks and the like.
November 12, 2018
When I started this book, I had no idea how long it was, just downloaded and started reading. So, be forewarned, this is not a quick read which you may expect from a first book in a series. The main character in this book is a blind, cleft palate child of uncertain parentage. She is taken from her cruel foster parents and brought to an island of dragons where she discovers much of value and the dragons learn to value her talents also.
As I got into the book, I wondered if the author grew up somewhere in Asia, mainly because of the unexpected paths this story took. The plot lines twist and turn in unexpected directions. Once I finished, I discovered the author grew up in Africa. I think that background contributes to his writing style.
I would recommend this book and will seek out the next book in the series, because it's interesting and involves unexpected and mystical twists. If you appreciate several plot lines, you will like this book.
As I got into the book, I wondered if the author grew up somewhere in Asia, mainly because of the unexpected paths this story took. The plot lines twist and turn in unexpected directions. Once I finished, I discovered the author grew up in Africa. I think that background contributes to his writing style.
I would recommend this book and will seek out the next book in the series, because it's interesting and involves unexpected and mystical twists. If you appreciate several plot lines, you will like this book.
February 17, 2019
Interesting story
I will admit that this review is my personal opinion, and is not a detailed review, but while I enjoyed the story and found the characters interesting, I will admit that I found the start of the book a bit choppy in places and there are areas in the book where this choppiness persists.
By that I mean it sometimes has a time skip or a location skip for the plot to move on, and it can take a few sentences to reorientate yourself to follow along.
I will admit, this book improves greatly when read in one continuous stretch than in small bites as I had to do, which may have contributed to the choppy feel.
Overall an interesting story, a unique main character and a world that is pretty damn cool :)
I will admit that this review is my personal opinion, and is not a detailed review, but while I enjoyed the story and found the characters interesting, I will admit that I found the start of the book a bit choppy in places and there are areas in the book where this choppiness persists.
By that I mean it sometimes has a time skip or a location skip for the plot to move on, and it can take a few sentences to reorientate yourself to follow along.
I will admit, this book improves greatly when read in one continuous stretch than in small bites as I had to do, which may have contributed to the choppy feel.
Overall an interesting story, a unique main character and a world that is pretty damn cool :)
September 16, 2023
Audio: 5 Stars, so many characters!!!
Story: The plot, world building and overall story was great. I do believe that despite the fact the use of "traditional dragon" is part of how the author explains their culture, the language might have been also a deterrent from the main story itself. Sometimes the prose gets so intensely convoluted, that the depth of the conversations suffers. I personally felt that it prevented me from falling in love with the characters. I'm sure other readers might not share this feeling. Because of the overuse of language, the book is unnecessarily long. If you have the time to read, and tons of patience to deal with language barriers, it is an interesting story. Onto my next adventure, Happy readings!
Story: The plot, world building and overall story was great. I do believe that despite the fact the use of "traditional dragon" is part of how the author explains their culture, the language might have been also a deterrent from the main story itself. Sometimes the prose gets so intensely convoluted, that the depth of the conversations suffers. I personally felt that it prevented me from falling in love with the characters. I'm sure other readers might not share this feeling. Because of the overuse of language, the book is unnecessarily long. If you have the time to read, and tons of patience to deal with language barriers, it is an interesting story. Onto my next adventure, Happy readings!
May 13, 2018
This is a hard review to write because I loved the storyline but hated the way the dialogue was so wordy that you had to filter through the dialogue to enjoy the story. There is a sentence that states that dragons like to make explanations as wordy as possible and I believe the author was writing as a dragon because where a few words would have sufficed multiples were used. As I stated I enjoyed the story and would look forward to the next book if the writer can condense the verbiage. Also can we just have some dragon names like Fred and Ethel instead of these unpronounceable ones. I know its science fiction and it goes with the genre but some of these names made my head hurt,
June 20, 2019
I LOVED this book! I mean, it gives a little backstory, and even though it would've made a bit more sense BEFORE the Dragonfriend series, i think it does a GREAT job on telling Hualiama an Auli's story. But I don't understand why people just let the bad parts get to them; like when Auli was abused- Shure it was bad but it shows that the Fra'aniorians aren't so perfect. And the medieval language: they AREN'T as advanced as us so THEY WOULDN'T speak the SAME WAY. But some of the sentences were a little confusing, but not TOO confusing to complain about. I could get past the little mistake. Finally, One of my favorite characters is Arkurion, the Mercury blue from Tanstoy.
August 20, 2019
Great Story with Exciting Details and Language
This is an enthralling story of the transformation of a young, mistreated girl into a major influence in her world of dragons and humans. There is wonderful character development and great details of a world seen through the senses of a blind girl and those who befriend her.
I also loved the fact that the vocabulary was not aimed at those who have no tolerance for multi-syllabic words. The reading was fun and challenging but never overwhelming.
I recommend this book for readers of any age. It is charming, adventurous, and worth your time.
This is an enthralling story of the transformation of a young, mistreated girl into a major influence in her world of dragons and humans. There is wonderful character development and great details of a world seen through the senses of a blind girl and those who befriend her.
I also loved the fact that the vocabulary was not aimed at those who have no tolerance for multi-syllabic words. The reading was fun and challenging but never overwhelming.
I recommend this book for readers of any age. It is charming, adventurous, and worth your time.
April 8, 2020
Dragons and libraries-amazing combination!
My first book by this author and I find myself impatiently waiting for more, but book two of the series is not completed yet! Auli is a one of a kind character thrown into the perilous role of heroine. Blind from birth, the obstacles she overcomes and thrives through are massive and many. And continuously fraught with danger as she has enemies of both the dragon and human variety. But she has even stronger friends and allies. Especially Arkurian. I don't believe their tale is anywhere near complete yet. I look forward to how it unravels.
My first book by this author and I find myself impatiently waiting for more, but book two of the series is not completed yet! Auli is a one of a kind character thrown into the perilous role of heroine. Blind from birth, the obstacles she overcomes and thrives through are massive and many. And continuously fraught with danger as she has enemies of both the dragon and human variety. But she has even stronger friends and allies. Especially Arkurian. I don't believe their tale is anywhere near complete yet. I look forward to how it unravels.
June 25, 2019
I downloaded The Dragon Librarian as a free ebook from Amazon. Oh my goodness, I simply loved this book and the character relationships. A unique and unusual main female character, who is blind, but not handicapped, and her love and awe of the dragons who accept her and protect her. The author has an extensive vocabulary and he's not afraid to use it. I found myself looking up half-a dozen words, but I appreciated finding others I don't often in books. Well written, perfectly paced, and delighting the reader with unexpected twists-- this one was an easy 5-stars.
December 30, 2019
It took me a while to read this book, not because of the length of the story although it is a long one, but because it was so slow to get into that I put it aside for ages. Luckily, I went back to it or I would have missed a really interesting story!
It takes a couple of chapters to actually get into it, but you soon start to understand the vulnerable character of Auli-Ambar. I would recommend it to others to read and advise them to persevere with it rather than just put it aside as I did. You'll regret it if you do, as you'll miss out on a great book.
It takes a couple of chapters to actually get into it, but you soon start to understand the vulnerable character of Auli-Ambar. I would recommend it to others to read and advise them to persevere with it rather than just put it aside as I did. You'll regret it if you do, as you'll miss out on a great book.
March 23, 2018
Not at all what I expected
A delicious piece of word play and folklore style. I took a chance on a title I was sure would disappoint...and LOVED it! Finally a book with words past a 4th grade level. A fun, tangled style that keeps your brain active throughout the tale. Not for those who prefer an easy mindless beach read or have a fear of their dictionary. Any age reader will enjoy this fabulous story.
A delicious piece of word play and folklore style. I took a chance on a title I was sure would disappoint...and LOVED it! Finally a book with words past a 4th grade level. A fun, tangled style that keeps your brain active throughout the tale. Not for those who prefer an easy mindless beach read or have a fear of their dictionary. Any age reader will enjoy this fabulous story.
April 7, 2018
Love of Lore.
I really love this book.It has fired up my love for dragons, books, and unique worlds filled with magic. Auli-Ambar is a kindred spirit to me and I really identified with her about how others viewed the disability she was born with. I recommend this book and greatly look forward to the next in the series. I am going to get into the other series by Marc Secchia. I am addicted!
I really love this book.It has fired up my love for dragons, books, and unique worlds filled with magic. Auli-Ambar is a kindred spirit to me and I really identified with her about how others viewed the disability she was born with. I recommend this book and greatly look forward to the next in the series. I am going to get into the other series by Marc Secchia. I am addicted!
May 6, 2018
Don't let the cover fool you.
This is NOT an urban fantasy. This is pure fantasy at its best. Dragonkind and Humankind live in a world of vast seas and volcanoes... should they live separate or melded?
With blimps as the basis for the shipping fleets And magic aiding the development of medical advances there is a fine level of unique culture. I want more and look forward to what comes next.
This is NOT an urban fantasy. This is pure fantasy at its best. Dragonkind and Humankind live in a world of vast seas and volcanoes... should they live separate or melded?
With blimps as the basis for the shipping fleets And magic aiding the development of medical advances there is a fine level of unique culture. I want more and look forward to what comes next.
February 18, 2019
Dragons and Humans
A blind malformed young girl is rescued from a life of mistreatment to living with dragons and humans in an extinct volcano. She finds joy in the Dragon Library just from touching the books. This enjoyable read follows Auli on her journey thru her early teen years and the political goings on around her between dragons and humans. Loved it and can't wait to read the next in the series.
A blind malformed young girl is rescued from a life of mistreatment to living with dragons and humans in an extinct volcano. She finds joy in the Dragon Library just from touching the books. This enjoyable read follows Auli on her journey thru her early teen years and the political goings on around her between dragons and humans. Loved it and can't wait to read the next in the series.
May 24, 2019
3 star
As I got into this pieces became familiar from something I'd read before, but I don't remember what I thought of that one. This in itself tends to be longwinded, more than I consider purely a matter of her voice. Despite recollections of a related book, I felt at times like pieces were missing--bits not filled in that it would have helped to know. Fascinating world though.
As I got into this pieces became familiar from something I'd read before, but I don't remember what I thought of that one. This in itself tends to be longwinded, more than I consider purely a matter of her voice. Despite recollections of a related book, I felt at times like pieces were missing--bits not filled in that it would have helped to know. Fascinating world though.
February 1, 2020
Immersive experience
This story has been hard to keep up with, but hard to put down.
I've had a bit of trouble since the start of the book with pronunciation. I found myself thinking in multiple languages and identify with each area and race as such. The story itself is a long journey through the young life of the character Auli. Learning about her abilities growing into her life will make a great series of books.
This story has been hard to keep up with, but hard to put down.
I've had a bit of trouble since the start of the book with pronunciation. I found myself thinking in multiple languages and identify with each area and race as such. The story itself is a long journey through the young life of the character Auli. Learning about her abilities growing into her life will make a great series of books.
May 15, 2020
I found this in my unfinished books and dove back in. The second half was still interesting, though I was confused over which characters were which. I'm not even sure I knew which were dragons and which were people. I kind of feel blind, like Auli, trying to figure things out that I can't see. The most enjoyable part of this book was seeing words I'd only seen in advanced spelling tests being used throughout the pages.
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