Friday, May 9, 2014

Blog Tour: Scavenger Hunt: Review: Fledgling



Title - Fledgling
Author - Nicole Conway
Series - The Dragonrider Chronicles
Genre - YA Fantasy Dragons
Format - review copy
Published April 29th 2014
Publisher - Month9Books

Synopsis

Can one boy stand between two kingdoms at war?
Jaevid Broadfeather has grown up as a wartime refugee, hiding from the world because of his mixed racial heritage. He feels his future is hopeless, until a chance encounter with a wild dragon lands him in Blybrig Academy—a place usually forbidden to anyone but the rich and royal. But Jaevid’s case is special; no dragon has voluntarily chosen a rider in decades, so the proud riders of Blybrig must begrudgingly let him join their brotherhood despite his bloodline. Lieutenant Sile Derrick, a sternly tempered man with a mysterious past, becomes his instructor and immediately takes a peculiar interest in Jaevid’s future.
While struggling through the rigorous physical demands of training, things begin to go awry. Jaevid witnesses the king’s private guards kidnapping Sile in the dead of night. When none of the elder riders are willing to help him, Jaevid begins a dangerous adventure to save his instructor.
Everything Jaevid learned at the academy will now be put to the ultimate test.
Excerpt 

“I wish papa would let me go with him,” Katty whined while she was smearing a spoonful of jam onto a large piece of bread. “It’s not fair. Other apprentices get to go.”

“Soon, dear.” Mrs. Crookin smiled fondly at her daughter. They had the same gold colored hair, but Mrs. Crookin’s was flecked with silver. She was a much older woman than my stepmother.


Review 

I received Fledgling in return for an honest review as part of the tour hosted by Chapter by Chapter presented by Month9Boooks. Fledgling is the story of Jaevid a young boy half grey elf and half human stuck in the middle wanted by neither race. When his mother passes away he’s sent to live with his human father whose family treats him badly due to his mixed race. Jaevid is shocked to be taken along with his father when he travels to the dragon academy to make saddles for all the new dragon riders. While his father may be taking more of an interest he still doesn’t really care about his wellbeing leaving Jaevid to guard the equipment in the cold.

When Jaevid happens to sneak off looking for food late one night he finds himself face to face with a wild dragon. When he learns about the dragon’s future, he risks his life in attempt to bond with the fierce creature. Since Jaevid was able to bond with the wild dragon he becomes the youngest fledgling as well as the smallest. He will have to work hard to just stay alive with the training but anything is better than being tossed into a prision camp or living with his father. Being a halfbreed he hasn’t been accepted by either race but finds friendship in his roommate the son of a duke Felix. Together the pair work hard and with Felix’s help Jaevid may just survive fledgling training. However when things go horribly wrong while at an officer banquet the boys will be pushed to their limits.

My heart instantly went out to Jaevid he walks in both worlds and is accepted by no one until his is given a chance to be a dragonrider. He’s had such a hard life since his mom has passed away he’s basically been on his own with only one friend. I love that Felix didn’t let the fact that he was a halfbreed influence his friendship with Jaevid. Plus I also like Sile and his daughter Beck they are interesting characters that also captured my heart.


I knew right off the bat Fledgling was a must read because it had dragons riders one of my favorite concepts. The general idea of the story is that the upper class children get to be the dragon riders but when Jaevid a boy who wouldn’t have had the chance to become a dragon rider because of his race or his family. The author has taken the dragon concept putting her own unique spin and creating a captivating new series that spark the imagination. I secretly found myself wishing girls could be dragon riders because it sounds amazing even if they are fighting dragons. The characters are easy to connect with I couldn’t help cheering them on as the book progressed. While the book is short for my taste only because I wanted more I found the overall story a good start to what I can only imagine will get better. I found the whole story fast paced, I was drawn in right from the start unable to put the book down till I could keep my eyes open only to finish first thing in the morning before a cup of coffee. I honestly loved everything about the story it’s one that I can see teens as well as adults enjoying. Fledgling reminds me of the whole Hogwarts concept but with a dragon academy. I can't wait for the next book.
5 out of 5 stars  
About the author 

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.

 Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.

 She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.

Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Check out the rest of the tour (Here)
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