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Seed of Dragons: Surviving an Empire Undone
We bring you two stories. Within, you’ll glimpse into the lives of two heroes. They don’t think of themselves as such, not at these points in their lives anyway. They’re just trying to be who they know they are, in a world which seeks to compel otherwise. It’s here their respective histories begin. You’ll see in each instance how they push through uncertainty and strive to achieve their full potential, no matter the odds against. You’ll witness how life shapes, pushes and delivers each onto his respective heroic journey. Who can say where the two will end up, or how they will fare. One thing for sure, in the end, they will have been true to themselves, just as they were in their early beginnings, forever unshakable in the face of overwhelming threat. In these accounts and others yet to come, we’ll share with you what we know, and together, we’ll wish only the best for them, realizing all the while, nothing is guaranteed.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2019
5 people want to read
About the author
Billy Ironcrane
7 books1 followerA lifelong explorer of life's experiences and unending surprises, Billy Ironcrane was raised in inner city Philadelphia during the 1950's and 60's. There he partook in the revolutionary currents of change, protest, activism, and idealism which characterized the era. While a teen, he spent summers on the Jersey coast hawking newspapers, tossing burgers and exploring places like Atlantic City where he encountered flea circuses, Gene Krupa hanging between sets at the Steel Pier, petrified mermaids and the fabulously wealthy promenading the boardwalk at night flashing mink stoles, diamonds, tuxes and studded canes. Atlantic City dubbed itself, “The World’s Playground.” All the stuff of dreams as he returned to Mrs. J’s boarding house where he slept for ten bucks a week, sharing space with his grandfather, Polish immigrants working the summer trade, and the ever present legion of cats.
He departed the inner city pushing blindly into the unknown never to return. To be static would have been terminal, as it proved to be for many of his mates. In the decades following, he pursued new awarenesses, trekked mountains, explored Zen, became a soldier, raised a family, bridged the corporate jungle, then lived on wits and ingenuity until the muse of the 60's again tapped his shoulder, ordering, "Time to shift gears, Billy."
His stories re-visit ancient times, extracting from their myths and legends new reckonings and insights into a modern world where many of the same challenges seem to have become our norm.
He departed the inner city pushing blindly into the unknown never to return. To be static would have been terminal, as it proved to be for many of his mates. In the decades following, he pursued new awarenesses, trekked mountains, explored Zen, became a soldier, raised a family, bridged the corporate jungle, then lived on wits and ingenuity until the muse of the 60's again tapped his shoulder, ordering, "Time to shift gears, Billy."
His stories re-visit ancient times, extracting from their myths and legends new reckonings and insights into a modern world where many of the same challenges seem to have become our norm.
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April 4, 2022Editorial Reviews - Reviewed for Reader's Favorite:
Reviewed By: Rabia Tanveer
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Seed of Dragons: Surviving an Empire Undone by Billy Ironcrane is a collection of two stories focusing on the lives of two heroic men who face terrible adversaries and come out victorious. In the first book, Master Li confronts Abbot Shi-Hui Ke, and Bao Ling takes a little break from their upward trek to rejuvenate. While doing so, the Abbot tells Bao a tale of his youth. The young Abbot joined the tribal elders and Master Li on a trip to the market when a meeting with a Wei soldier resulted in a competition of wits, strength, and stamina. In the second book, The Dragon of the Midlands, Bao Ling shares the secrets of the Dragon Bow with his son Shen Ling. In doing so, Bao reveals how his brother Sying Hao changed his life and helped him to reshape it for the better.
On the surface, both the stories in this collection talk about survival and facing an adversary when you least expect it. However, in doing so, author Billy Ironcrane teaches a valuable lesson to his readers. Abbot Shi-Hui Ke and Bao Ling focus on what is truly important in life as they faced the challenges that forced them to make decisions neither of them was ready for. In true Billy Ironcrane fashion, the narrative reads more like a Chinese folktale than anything else. The descriptions are exceptional. The vivid imagery makes it easy for readers to picture what is happening at any given time. Every single thing is so detailed that you can even picture every kung fu move the characters make. In reality, the narrative is more of a commentary on human behavior and mannerisms than anything else. Billy Ironcrane proves that anyone can be a hero if they want to be. Reading these stories is a full sensory experience that you love until the end.
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Reviewed By: K.C. Finn
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Seed of Dragons: Surviving an Empire Undone is a work of fiction in the action, adventure, and interpersonal drama subgenres. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author Billy Ironcrane. The book tells two stories: the first is about the coming of age of a boy abandoned in a dangerous world with the future of his people and the second is about a criminal on the run who must accept a new life of focusing purely on survival. The two stories are linked together in their themes of surviving pandemonium in order to achieve independence.
Seed of Dragons felt like an important discussion on the meaning of existence, or more precisely the urgency with which we seek out that meaning. By telling the tales of two characters forced to focus only on what is necessary to survive their immediate situations, author Billy Ironcrane tells us a larger story about finding what is truly essential to you before life forces you to find that focus through adversity. With this style in mind, the tales in this book feel more akin to parables from which we can reflect on our own lives and ask ourselves about the priorities and decisions that have led us to where we are now. Overall, Seed of Dragons paints a vivid picture of a dangerous world and the people at the bottom of the social hierarchy doing what they must in order to survive it. The prose leaps off the page in order to portray its heroes' struggles and the underlying themes of the story make this a book I’d easily recommend to all readers.
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Reviewed By: Vincent Dublado
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Seed of Dragons: Surviving an Empire Undone by Billy Ironcrane is a monumental feat in adventure fiction. This is an epic tale divided into two stories. The first story is about the coming of age of Shi-Hui Ke and how he attained prominence in martial arts and archery. Under the guidance of Master Li Fung, they travel to the town of Fortune’s Gateway where they encounter ruthless Wei soldiers whom Master Li engages in a simple but deadly game to save the Shu tribe from an imminent threat. The second story tells about Bao Ling, a man who is called The Dragon of the Midlands. As an outlaw who is wrongfully accused, he is nurtured in different worlds and strives to hone and polish his skills, as he is dedicated to becoming the final defense against oppression.
Seed of Dragons succeeds in introducing adventure with an oriental flavor to a wider audience. It focuses on themes of individual heroism and triumph against insurmountable odds but Billy Ironcrane gives it a universal appeal despite its Eastern cultural sensibilities. The way the two stories are connected by their common theme makes it not only a brilliant adventure story but also great philosophical fiction. It is a tale about the entanglements, constraints, and duties that are unreasonably imposed and the corresponding response to preserve human dignity and individual identity. Ironcrane’s narrative freely juxtaposes anecdotes, myths, and didacticism in a strong structural coherence. It is easy to recommend this book to all readers for its in-depth characterization, strong plot, and classic appeal.
----------
Reviewed By: Pikasho Deka
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Seed of Dragons by Billy Ironcrane follows the stories of two men, Abbot Shi-Hui Ke and Bao Ling, set after the fall of the Han dynasty in China. The book opens up with Abbot Shi-Hui Ke recounting his Master Li Fung's legendary confrontation with the Wei knights to an enraptured Bao Ling. Years before, when Shi-Hui Ke was still but a child, he traveled with Master Li to the town of Fortune's Gateway to trade, only to come across the ruthless Wei soldiers who wanted the subjugation of the Shu Tribes. Master Li enters into a deadly game with the Wei knights upon which rests the future of Shu Mountains. In another story, Bao Ling passes on the secrets of the Dragon Bow he learned from his mentor and older brother Sying Hao to his son, Shen Ling.
Author Billy Ironcrane's fantastical adventure novel is the perfect testament to the resilient spirit of humans and seamlessly demonstrates how ordinary people doing extraordinary things make them the stuff of legends, and over time, those legends become myths. Seed of Dragons is written in a unique narrative style, reminiscent of ancient Chinese folk tales. Through the eyes of two common folk turned legendary martial artists, Ironcrane explores the human condition in a myriad of ways. The author provides a glimpse into the psychology of heroes and tyrants alike and showcases how ordinary men can choose to become either through their actions. As a longtime fan of Kung Fu-inspired fight sequences, the action scenes were an absolute blast to read. Recommend to action-adventure lovers.
Reviewed By: Rabia Tanveer
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Seed of Dragons: Surviving an Empire Undone by Billy Ironcrane is a collection of two stories focusing on the lives of two heroic men who face terrible adversaries and come out victorious. In the first book, Master Li confronts Abbot Shi-Hui Ke, and Bao Ling takes a little break from their upward trek to rejuvenate. While doing so, the Abbot tells Bao a tale of his youth. The young Abbot joined the tribal elders and Master Li on a trip to the market when a meeting with a Wei soldier resulted in a competition of wits, strength, and stamina. In the second book, The Dragon of the Midlands, Bao Ling shares the secrets of the Dragon Bow with his son Shen Ling. In doing so, Bao reveals how his brother Sying Hao changed his life and helped him to reshape it for the better.
On the surface, both the stories in this collection talk about survival and facing an adversary when you least expect it. However, in doing so, author Billy Ironcrane teaches a valuable lesson to his readers. Abbot Shi-Hui Ke and Bao Ling focus on what is truly important in life as they faced the challenges that forced them to make decisions neither of them was ready for. In true Billy Ironcrane fashion, the narrative reads more like a Chinese folktale than anything else. The descriptions are exceptional. The vivid imagery makes it easy for readers to picture what is happening at any given time. Every single thing is so detailed that you can even picture every kung fu move the characters make. In reality, the narrative is more of a commentary on human behavior and mannerisms than anything else. Billy Ironcrane proves that anyone can be a hero if they want to be. Reading these stories is a full sensory experience that you love until the end.
----------
Reviewed By: K.C. Finn
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Seed of Dragons: Surviving an Empire Undone is a work of fiction in the action, adventure, and interpersonal drama subgenres. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author Billy Ironcrane. The book tells two stories: the first is about the coming of age of a boy abandoned in a dangerous world with the future of his people and the second is about a criminal on the run who must accept a new life of focusing purely on survival. The two stories are linked together in their themes of surviving pandemonium in order to achieve independence.
Seed of Dragons felt like an important discussion on the meaning of existence, or more precisely the urgency with which we seek out that meaning. By telling the tales of two characters forced to focus only on what is necessary to survive their immediate situations, author Billy Ironcrane tells us a larger story about finding what is truly essential to you before life forces you to find that focus through adversity. With this style in mind, the tales in this book feel more akin to parables from which we can reflect on our own lives and ask ourselves about the priorities and decisions that have led us to where we are now. Overall, Seed of Dragons paints a vivid picture of a dangerous world and the people at the bottom of the social hierarchy doing what they must in order to survive it. The prose leaps off the page in order to portray its heroes' struggles and the underlying themes of the story make this a book I’d easily recommend to all readers.
----------
Reviewed By: Vincent Dublado
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Seed of Dragons: Surviving an Empire Undone by Billy Ironcrane is a monumental feat in adventure fiction. This is an epic tale divided into two stories. The first story is about the coming of age of Shi-Hui Ke and how he attained prominence in martial arts and archery. Under the guidance of Master Li Fung, they travel to the town of Fortune’s Gateway where they encounter ruthless Wei soldiers whom Master Li engages in a simple but deadly game to save the Shu tribe from an imminent threat. The second story tells about Bao Ling, a man who is called The Dragon of the Midlands. As an outlaw who is wrongfully accused, he is nurtured in different worlds and strives to hone and polish his skills, as he is dedicated to becoming the final defense against oppression.
Seed of Dragons succeeds in introducing adventure with an oriental flavor to a wider audience. It focuses on themes of individual heroism and triumph against insurmountable odds but Billy Ironcrane gives it a universal appeal despite its Eastern cultural sensibilities. The way the two stories are connected by their common theme makes it not only a brilliant adventure story but also great philosophical fiction. It is a tale about the entanglements, constraints, and duties that are unreasonably imposed and the corresponding response to preserve human dignity and individual identity. Ironcrane’s narrative freely juxtaposes anecdotes, myths, and didacticism in a strong structural coherence. It is easy to recommend this book to all readers for its in-depth characterization, strong plot, and classic appeal.
----------
Reviewed By: Pikasho Deka
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Seed of Dragons by Billy Ironcrane follows the stories of two men, Abbot Shi-Hui Ke and Bao Ling, set after the fall of the Han dynasty in China. The book opens up with Abbot Shi-Hui Ke recounting his Master Li Fung's legendary confrontation with the Wei knights to an enraptured Bao Ling. Years before, when Shi-Hui Ke was still but a child, he traveled with Master Li to the town of Fortune's Gateway to trade, only to come across the ruthless Wei soldiers who wanted the subjugation of the Shu Tribes. Master Li enters into a deadly game with the Wei knights upon which rests the future of Shu Mountains. In another story, Bao Ling passes on the secrets of the Dragon Bow he learned from his mentor and older brother Sying Hao to his son, Shen Ling.
Author Billy Ironcrane's fantastical adventure novel is the perfect testament to the resilient spirit of humans and seamlessly demonstrates how ordinary people doing extraordinary things make them the stuff of legends, and over time, those legends become myths. Seed of Dragons is written in a unique narrative style, reminiscent of ancient Chinese folk tales. Through the eyes of two common folk turned legendary martial artists, Ironcrane explores the human condition in a myriad of ways. The author provides a glimpse into the psychology of heroes and tyrants alike and showcases how ordinary men can choose to become either through their actions. As a longtime fan of Kung Fu-inspired fight sequences, the action scenes were an absolute blast to read. Recommend to action-adventure lovers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review