Dragon's Fire

Beating Back the Darkness #1

by Tiger Hebert

"It didn’t always feel like this. How? I can’t remember, but it wasn’t like this. No, not like this... It was cold and dank, and then there was the fear. To stand in his presence, in awe and reverence of his power, his might, it was intoxicating... but the fear never leaves."
- Ekrin, High Priest of the Black Dragon

A rising tide of violence is spreading across Darnisi, and it threatens to cast all of Aurion into war and chaos. A terror straight out of nightmares is at the heart of the corruption. Using the dark arts of seduction, the shadow drake bends and twists the will of those who would seek his power, to his own ends. Aurion’s remaining races forge unlikely alliances in order to survive the dragon’s scourge. As reality sets in, our survivors face a very grim future. Could their only hope of survival truly be found in the cryptic writings of ancient prophecy?

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons

506 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2015

About the author

I am a firm believer that the Light shines brightest in the darkness. That's not only WHAT I write, but also WHY I write.

It love to explore humanity through fantasy, because it allows us to take ordinary people (and orcs) through impossible situations and see what or who comes out the other side. It is often that through trials and tribulations that we get to see the most honest version of not only our charters, but ourselves. It is through this lens that we can discover truths. That is why I write dark, epic fantasy that dares to hope.

I am a Christian, husband, father of three young children, and a veteran. I have a BA in Communications. I was born and raised in Maine, and currently live in North Carolina. I love spending time in nature, and I especially enjoy hiking and swimming. When I'm not busy writing or chasing after my wife and kids, you can usually find me sneaking away for some quiet time with a good book. Some of the authors that inspire my writing are JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Brandon Sanderson, Steven Erikson, and Patrick Rothfuss.

Reviews

[Sophia Triad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author with his book delivers a promising, exciting, interesting world full of mythical creatures.

Aurion is into total war and Darnisi is next. Elves, orcs, dwarves and humans have been slain and the survivors are running away from their homes. Dragon Slayvin is responsible for the disaster. His army of Zenari is attacking and lay waste to each place, destruction and ruin. Mythical Minotaurs have crashed most of the resistance.

The refugees are still not safe. Most of the places that they are choosing for temporary or permanent place are still under attack. Actually, what you will mainly read in the book are the images of battles. The description of the characters is of secondary importance in comparison to the description of the epic battles.

Nevertheless, I had a number of my favorite characters in the book: The orc brothers Ogron and Theros (I loved the fact that the orcs are the good guys), Mistress Kiriana of the Brotherhood of the Unveiled Eye, Dominar the only true dwarven master smith, even king of elves Tua’Liluon (until a certain time that he disappointed me).

There is a prophecy about the hero who will defeat the dragon. The prophecy comes from the Brotherhood of the Unveiled Eye. They are the keepers of the Fate Scrolls, an ancient order for the protection of the prophetic writings of the Seraphim, beings from a lost age.

There will also be betrayal in the end, but I have high hopes for the traitor that he will be truly forgiven in the next books and he will come back as a hero.

The ultimate personal sacrifice and the forgiveness are important aspects of this book.

Fantasy lovers and Tolkien’s admires will be thrilled with this new, fascinating world which is pure fantasy, not romance.

(I received a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review)

[Kitty G Books]

* I read this as a judge for the #SPFBO *

I actually think this book is a fun one and pretty light for a fantasy which has a very classic vibe. It's heavily inspired by things like LotR and you can see that in the writing, and in the world which is so typically fantasy. We have Orcs, Dwarves, humans and Elves. We even have a big bad dragon called Slayvin who is wreaking havoc on the world!

Personally I don't mind classic fantasy and so this one was easy to get into, I got to 50% before I ended up putting it down, as I didn't think it was doing anything new with the Fantasy ideas, but it was easy reading throughout.

We follow a few groups of people who are fleeing from their homes when the people that the dragon controls come to their lands and force them out or to death. They all have to try and defend together and the dragon even comes on the rampage at one point.

I think this has potential, it's just been done so many times and this story really didn't distinguish itself. The author is clearly a fan of the fathers of the genre, and that's so evident in the writing, but the story just didn't feel original enough. DNF-50%.

[Peter Younghusband · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not let the fact that this is a debut novel from an unknown author prevent you from reading this novel. If I did not know this, I would have considered that I had read a well constructed novel from an experienced author!

This is a wonderful reading experience. Well crafted, refreshing, totally absorbing and very much escapism. I have been edified with the presentation of the Gospel and adherence to biblical principles and doctrines without compromise. Very much entertained and encouraged.

I eagerly await the next installment with great anticipation.

Highly Recommended.

To read more:

http://christianfictionreviewguru.blo...

[Tiger Hebert]

Recommend Reading Order
Dragon's Fire
The Chronicles of Aurion
The Halls of the Fallen King
Tales from Darkness

[Angie Jones-Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit this is not my usual choice of book, however; a change is as good as a rest. And a welcome rest it was too, I really enjoyed it. The book is well written and engaging, I loved being transported to another world! The greatest form of escapism, being completely fictional too my imagination was sent into over drive conjuring up a whole new world in my mind. The characters took some getting to grips with, that may well just be me, being unaccustomed to this genre of novel. I managed to tie the story together and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I will read more fantasy books based on Dragon's Fire, I believe this is one of a series, if it isn't it should be and I will be reading the next one!

Thank you for giving me a new genre of book to enjoy! Now I will have even less time to do chores! PERFECT!

[Julia Sarene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit torn about this one.

I love the look of the book. The cover is great, the layout of the pages very pleasing to the eye and the lettering isn't so small as to need a magnifier. I especially like that the pages are really white, and there's lines on top and bottom of the page, which looks really good.
The map in front of the book is sadly printed in bad quality.

The story is interesting, and I especially enjoyed the authors way of describing landscapes.

A big problem for me was the characters. They are almost all abit meek and just giving in to their fate. Someone they've never seen before comes and tells them they need to leave their home, or they'll be killed, and after a five second discussion most of them go all "Ok, if we need to go, we need to go...". Also the good guys were a bit TOO good for my liking. Giving up everything for the others. The changes in characters weren't really believable. One of the very, very good guys goes bad, more or less without any reasoning behind - and goes good again one scene later. There was no character development there.

Don't get me wrong, there were characters I thoroughly enjoyed - especially the Orcs and Dwarfes - but over all I'd wish for more grey areas and more comprehensible character thoughts.

What annoyed me a lot where missing or doubled up words. It got especially bad in the middle of the book. A lot of "to" or such small words missing, or "the" twice instead if once. Way to many to show up in a printed book with a publisher - one would think an editor would at least have looked at it.

All in all it isn't a book I'd go all "Oh my god you have to read it!!" about, but if you want to give a new author a chance, and aren't to picky about above mentioned flaws, you might still enjoy this story! I at least was entertained while reading. (As obvious, since I finished it - books I do not enjoy - I put down right away.)

[Simon Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

the story is very similar to the Lord of the rings trilogy, which isn't a bad thing as it is an epic fantasy book with orcs, dwarves etc in it. the story was a bit confusing to start with as it had to introduce all the different characters from various locations and build the adventure but once the introductions were completed the book carried straight on with the action and didn't let up until the end.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a world full of mythical creatures, an intriguing storyline, and interesting characters, there is something for everyone to enjoying this story. The author has created a world that has me curious to know about its inhabitants. This is a great story.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragon's Fire by Tiger Herbert.
A rising tide of violence is spreading across the land, and it threatens to cast all of Aurion into war and chaos. Slayvin, a terror straight out of nightmare, is at the heart of the corruption. Using dark, and sorcerous power, the shadow drake bends and twists the will of those who would seek his power for their own.
Good read with good characters. Lots of fighting and killing. 4*. Thanks tbc on fb.

[Rachelle Steward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Epic Fantasy Tale

This artfully written story pulls you in and doesn't surrender. Quickly paced with clever action scenes, you will find this a deeply satisfying read. I adore the characters and their loyalty and commitment to the Light as well as each other. Mr. Hebert is a gifted writer and this offering will give you an appreciation of that skill. I'm so happy to have come across his work! This book has it all. A nasty dragon, wise kings, courageous defenders, powerful women, a wee bit of romance and tons of action, battle scenes, strategy, treachery, heart-filling Icon, and God.

[Garrett Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first when I was contacted about reading Dragons Fire, I was a bit skeptical. Albeit the genre was right up my alley, but from an unheard of author. Once I received my pre-release copy to read, I sat down just to skim through the book and get a feel for how it read; skimming ended up being me reading ten chapters in one sitting. The symbolism is so prevalent and real it goes deeper than most books that I have read. Tiger Hebert's imagination shines in Dragons fire, you get to put yourself into the heart, soul, and mind of each character, and go into deep emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual battle with Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and many other types and species of characters.
The book will make your emotions rage; you will hurt, laugh, love, but most of all, you will HOPE. You will get sucked into every battle, you will become friends with the characters, you will want to scream at the pages as you read. I give this book a 10 out of 10 stars for everything from creativity, to how captivating it is, to by the end of the book, you want to continue on to the next book. By far one of the best books I have read in a long time.
Get this book, read it, nuff said.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast paced novel and a real page turner. I sat down and became totally absorbed in the story and found it hard to put this book down. The author, has created a vivid world populated by Humans, Elves, Orcs, Trolls, Dwarves, and others. The characters and places seem so real. You come to care about the characters who populate the story. Tiger Hebert is very talented Christian writer. I enjoyed this book and was sorry to finish it... I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!

[Lisa Maughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was great. Against the odds, humans, elves, orcs, dwarves and centaurs (oh my) need to work together to eradicate an evil dragon and his followers. What could go wrong? A hell of a lot. What an adventure. A fast paced book that kept me needing to find out what the outcome would be. Most of the characters are valiant even in the face of diversity, the world building is immense, my imagination was in overdrive.

[Ryan Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one more than I did. I know the author on social media, and he seems like a good guy.

Though I didn't dislike the book, I also didn't feel much of a connection to it. The author chose to tell the story in a more old-fashioned omniscient point of view. Because of this, I never really connected with any of the characters. I think it would have been a much better book from a third-person-limited point of view.

The entire book had a classic fantasy feel to it. It was a pretty basic good vs. evil plot. For the most part, it was enjoyable enough, but I would have liked a little more depth to the world (and especially the characters).

I also had an issue with the way the author handles dialogue. Frequently, the dialogue tags were placed well at the end of a long section of dialogue, so I'd read these blocks of text with no idea who was speaking.

Despite all these criticisms, I did still enjoy the book overall. The plot was fast-moving, and there were some good battle scenes throughout. I liked that the orcs were actually good guys in this one, and they were some of my favorite characters.

It also works well as a standalone even though there are to be more books in the series.

Rating: 6/10

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wondrous story of legendary men and mythical creatures!
With a dash of Narnia, Tolkien, a pinch of World of Warcraft, and a foundation of Christianity teachings, Tiger tackles a daunting task of creating his own tale of Beating Back the Darkness! I look forward to a continuation of this series in the years to come and seeing his creativity in others works as well.

[Ian Maines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darnisi is a land occupied by many races, and they are now facing their greatest threat yet: a terrible evil is threatening to overcome the forces of good in the world, and the lives of all are in peril. Although doom seems imminent, some say that there is hope in one who can triumph over this evil. Who has this great power to overcome evil, and from whence to they come? Tiger has set out to weave a complex and exciting story, and Dragon's Fire is an excellent opener to a series that I'm really looking forward to reading. Each chapter is filled with excitement, with masterfully and vividly painted scenes and plots that immersed me into the upturned world of Darnisi. Tiger has done a great job writing a complex and exciting story, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on "The Halls of the Fallen King"! So pick yourself up a copy today and get reading!

[Lucinda Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read.. This book is truly a page turner. The characters are colorful and fully brought to life in this tale of another place and time.. The chapters fly by and everyone of them is full of action and emotion filling your minds eye with its characters and country side..Look forward to the remainder of the trilogy. .

[Staci Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful allegory lifes battle with Good and Evil.

So clearly dipicted the temptations and betrayals that lead so many astray. Prejudice and preconceived notions that divide and create weakness. Doubts, fear, and greed push forth evil's agenda. Yet still despite all the Light gives and forgives.

[Arthur Fortune · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m already reading the next book.

I couldn’t wait to read the next book before leaving a review. So in the interest of avoiding accidental spoilers I guess I’ll make that the selling point.

[Jana Bratis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was epic and the writing was fantastic!

[Lara Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragon's Fire is a well-written epic fantasy very focused on the epic. It includes all the traditional elements I love from fantasy: dragons, elves, dwarves, orcs, trolls, and gryphons. At the same time, it holds a very solid Christian message, though I hope it finishes it in the next book. The descriptions are amazing and the battles scenes are some of the best I have ever read. This is really a top-notch book in style and pacing.

The main reason I didn't give it five stars is that the story had so many point of view characters that I could get emotionally invested in one before we switched to another. The story covers a massive map of many races and cities, each with one or two interesting point of view characters. I do believe Tiger Hebert balances these characters well, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone. Still, he works so hard to build emotion when just whittling down those who I am to sympathize with would do wonders. I personally love character-driven stories. This is definitely plot-driven. For me, the constant jumping around took away substantially from my enjoyment.

Even with that one criticism, I highly recommend this book for being well-written and enjoyable. I think many people will enjoy this book for its great action and the very interesting world. The plot is solid, and the Christian theme well-done.

[**Elle**Bee**Double U** · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orcs, Dwarves, Elves, Humans, and Dragons?
How could it get any better than this?

Dragon's Fire is your typical good vs evil battle that is pursuing in the world of Aurion.
This book follows the path of each species and how they are surviving against the Dragon's horde and Zenari attacks on their cities. Although it would seem like a lot of different people to keep track of (between orcs, elves, humans, dwarves) it's actually very easy to follow along in the journey for them to defeat the shadow drake.
Now if you read The Chronicles of Aurion before reading Dragon's Fire you would know that a truce between everyone was a bit shaky at first. The tensions are high at first when everyone is trying to come together to defeat the evil that is taking over their world.

My only complaint in all of this was the dialogue in the story. It would seem to come a bit out of nowhere and at times the speaker would be going on a long spill and by the time I finished I completely forgot who was speaking to who.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

An epic fight between the forces of good and evil, typical fantasy remit. We've got orcs, dwarves, elves & humans battling evil humans, Minotaurs and a dragon - cool. A large cast but it was relatively easy to keep track of who was who although everyone spoke the same apart from the cannibals. Initially I was confused at the Minotaur army attacking as well as the Zenari - either I missed it or they weren't connected to the Dragon's horde until about 50% in. Surprisingly everyone who had to up sticks and leave their home did so with minimal fuss. There were some good deaths. And seasick orcs. There was surprisingly little tension between races and the betrayers were easily forgiven. I'll admit I skipped the religious discussions - not my thing. Good pace, a little predictable in places - will the sequel involve some kind of resurrection?

[A.K. Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of Dragon’s Fire in exchange for a review. I would describe this book as a Christian allegory within an epic fantasy setting. But it’s much more than Pilgrim’s Progress meets Lord of the Rings. The imagined world and its characters are all self-contained, with their own backstory of Creation, Fall, and Redemption in the manner of Tolkien’s legendarium. Many pieces of biblical imagery (Dragons, Baalim, Magi, etc) are artfully repurposed and literalized within this context - I found the dragon antagonist and his false religious system particularly compelling. The background mythology of the dragon species itself was also fascinating, particularly how they essentially fill the role of demons/fallen angels within this universe. I also liked the fact that the book included some scenes from the point-of-view of the villain and his minions. I have read books where this is entirely absent and it results in far less well-drawn characters.

The story world itself contains clear influences from both Tolkien and Lewis, with humans existing along fantasy races such as elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, gryphons, centaurs, etc. There are however, some highly original inversions to the mythology. Orcs, for example, are portrayed as a heroic people allied on the side of light - their more familiar role being filled by “Baalim” Minotaurs in the Dragon’s army. A key character in the story is a wise orcish chieftain who at one point even upbraids his warriors about the dangers of fleshly temptation. Interestingly, the villains even take advantage of the orcs’ negative reputation in order to control their human subjects through fear.

The world-building is richly imaginative and features a wealth of detail. The narrative itself is presented in places as a fragmentary chronicle of past events within the fictional universe. This is both a strength and a weakness, with appropriate exposition sometimes giving way to over-explanation. I also noticed a lot of paragraphs that contained belabored repetition, with a thought from one sentence being restated in the very next one. Some words seemed unnecessary (“though” kept cropping up at the end of a lot of sentences, for example), and there were a few instances of passive voice.

The widespread, epic scope of this narrative means that it embraces from multiple points of view and subplots. This is in keeping with an honored tradition of the fantasy genre and will doubtless appeal to its target audience. The major pitfall is that the book lacked an identifiable main character, which made the narrative feel less cohesive and led to a constantly shifting point-of-view.

The narrative is fast-paced, written in a highly cinematic style with lots of action, and takes place within short chapters. This makes for a quick, engaging reading experience, though sometimes it feels like things are moving too fast. The beginning of the book starts off the conflict immediately, which results in a reduced sense of the status quo ante - there’s little time to gain an attachment to the world and people that are now caught up in the destruction. On the other hand starting the action immediately inserts the reader directly into the story.

Well-written fantasy usually balances out the drama with a degree of humor and irony, and that was definitely present here. Sometimes, though, it seemed like a bit much, with characters cracking jokes at random moments or during objectively serious serious points in the story. It also felt like the dialogue didn’t always match the setting: casual terms like “OK”, “guys,” etc seem more appropriate to a story set on 21st century earth. A more “elevated” and serious tone might have been more consistent with the quasi-medieval feel of the story.

These criticisms aside, the story is centered around a singularly impressive theme. In keeping with the allegorical tone, there is a clear Christological parallel that is nevertheless fully adapted to its imagined world. Elements of the biblical Messianic prophecies are artfully reordered, literalized, and combined to produce an original character. It reminded me in a lot of ways of how Second Temple Jews pictured the coming of the Messiah - though enough New Testament elements are retained to preserve its essentially Christian character without woodenly transcribing the biblical account.

A final caveat is the presence of light profanity, which occurs only briefly. I mention this just to make more sensitive readers aware. Beyond that, the book contains no other potentially objectionable content beyond some realistic descriptions of war and violence.

All in all, I would recommend Dragon’s Fire to fans of both epic fantasy and Christian allegory - an action-packed take of dragons, dwarves, elves and knights with a biblical message at the core. If you would like to see more of the world of Aurion, be sure to check out the sequel: The Halls of the Fallen King!

[Pam Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Fantasy books for many years and though I love them there gets to be a sameness about them. This is the first book in the series but it's not falling into the normal pattern so far.
Firstly, the normally evil Orcs are actually the good guys, amongst the usual men, dwarves and elves etc, and it's lovely to see them with emotions, families and characteristics they aren't usually given. In fact Theros is my favourite character.
Secondly, the Dragon of the title is not a weapon of the evil Overlord but is in fact the evil Overlord himself.
The story, though complex, is fast paced and full of action.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing where Tiger takes it.
On the downside the editing/proofreading in the ebook is not great and on a couple of occasions I had to 're read a passage to get it right.

[Sherri Geisler Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written fantasy book pitting Good against evil. On the world of Aurion we find Orcs. Elves, Dwrves, Humans, A Dragon and other creatures. A dark evil is taking over the world and attacking each group of creatures in their towns. They find themselves traveling to a place where they can band together to fight. Maybe. The author does a great job of describing each scene as it unfolds and drawing you in. Manages to surprise you sometimes with the unexpected. It left me anxious to get my hands on the next book in the series to see how the story continues.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gayreth Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventure of epic scope!

This book is powerful, intriguing, exciting and fast pace. With creative plot twists and engaging characters. Power struggles, shifting loyalties and uneasy alliances. It's all here as I followed the devastating and evil desires of the monstrous black Dragon and his minions out to destroy all races. Man, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Centaurs and any other creatures in his way. I have to say that I was captivated from beginning to end of this epic story. A compelling and emotionally charged story. This author is an extraordinary storyteller. I highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers.

[Trisha Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic fantasy finest

Looking for an old school epic fantasy with dragons and swords and epic battles? This is the one. Plus that cover is absolutely incredible 🔥
You can tell Hebert gets his inspiration from the greats of fantasy: Tolkien, Sanderson etc It comes over in his writing and promises action and complex battles. The orcs are my favorite and I really love that they are not bad guys! The mythical creatures are interesting and I especially love the dragon. If you enjoy epic fantasy, this one is worth a read!

[Carol Gick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the time to read.

Once I figured out where the story was going, I couldn't put it down. There are a couple words that were wrong, like the instead of he. A suggestion to the author, when you change the topic completely, put a short note under the chapter title explaining that this is the elf story, or the orc story, or whatever. I found it really confusing to jump from one chapter to the next, but after the third time you did that, I figured what you were doing and it made it easier to read. After that I couldn't put it down. A great read, a wonderful story,

[Carol Castor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Tiger Herbert's Dragon's Fire is a great book! It took me less than two days to read as I couldn't put it down, reading late into the night. His description of the places his characters travel to and through made me see how beautiful, and magnificent some of them were. There was plenty of action as many battles were fought - some won some lost. It was so inspiring to read this book. I truly hope you consider to read Dragon's Fire.