Mark of the Dragon Queen
Mark of the Dragon Queen
Kira has led a sheltered life, brought up by her widowed father, whom she adores. When he is arrested and imprisoned for a murder he allegedly committed 18 years before, she is devastated. So when she overhears an ex-student of her father’s planning to visit the prison, Kira decides to go, too. However, the student – Arun – is not who she thinks he is, and she soon learns that her father has not always been the man of integrity she has known for fifteen years.
Caught in a rebellion against the Lord High Councillor who would return the country to Wizard Rule, Kira finds that there is one more lesson she has to learn – about herself. Success depends on her, but is she willing to make the sacrifice it will require?
A boo
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Strong plot, strong characters; strong novel,
I tremendously enjoyed the first novel by this Indie author, called Treespeaker. So I was curious about The Mark of the Dragon Queen and I wasn’t disappointed. Although less subtle than Treespeaker, The Mark of the Dragon Queen contains more action which makes it a fast-paced read. The writing is once again very tight and smooth, as well as well-edited.
The story centers around the teenager Kira, who discovers her father’s hidden past as he gets arrested for using magic. In a swift sequence of event, Kira’s whole life is turned upside down.The intelligent Kira is hindered by her naivety and her stubbornness, but that same stubbornness also helps her. She’s a well-balanced character and I enjoyed following her. Other characters, including Kira’s father Ifor, his friend and doctor-magician Jan, and the young wizard-apprentice Arun show sufficient depth. The main antagonist, Apharis seemed shallow to me at first, but later on his characterization developed in such a way that I had to revise my view of him as just the standard evil just to be evil villain.
The dragons, whose queen plays a pivotal part in the story, are underdeveloped however. They seemed pretty generic and their characterization fell a bit flat. This is my main criticism on this novel, and that is a pity for an otherwise very strong story.
The worldbuilding is not very exotic, but interesting nonetheless. The novel’s main strength is its plot though, which takes a fairly straight but swift path, and has some surprising bends and curves at the end. It kept me captivated and turning the pages.
Although Kira’s age seems to indicate that this novel is aimed at the YA-market, it didn’t bother me at all (and I’m not very keen on YA novels). The plot and character development makes this a good read for adults, and the fact that the story contains no excessive violence and gore or strong language makes it suitable for most ages, and readers from all walks of life. The themes in the novel are universal, and timeless.
Although I enjoyed the unique subtlety of Treespeaker more, this is another strong novel by Katie Stewart.
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|exciting, terrifying, heart-wrenching… edge of your seat writing,
“Mark of the Dragon Queen” is an exciting ride from beginning to end. Stewart weaves an intricate plot around very well developed characters. There’s lots of action and plenty of twists and turns, as well as shocking secrets revealed, as Kira fights to save her father from a death she knows he doesn’t deserve. The dragons are awesome!! You’ll be on the edge of your seat, turning the pages as fast as you can read to see what’s going to happen next. There is no lack of energy in this story. You’ll be drawn into the story right off and will suffer with the characters all the way through. If you want an awesome read… this is it!!!!!
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|Mark of the Dragon Queen,
Feisty teenager, Kira, is the main human protagonist in this fast-paced, action-filled book which is populated by imperfect, and therefore realistic, characters. Characters that Stewart’s writing effortlessly brings you to care about – so much so, that you finish the book wondering, and worrying, about what happens next.
The book would work equally well as a YA or crossover novel. There is enough action and there are enough male characters, to appeal to both male and female readers. Similarly, the beautiful cover, designed by the author, will attract readers of both sexes.
Gripping, and at times very poignant, this book demonstrates a further dimension to Stewart’s story-telling abilities already so ably displayed in “Treespeaker” and “The Dragon Box”.
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