A new element is introduced to the Dragon Drive universe
352078
This volume of Dragon Drive starts with Reiji running into Agent L, the woman who serves as the announcer during the tournaments.  She offers to left Reiji train in a special room, so Chibi can become stronger and Reiji can practice to become even better at the game.  After not seeing Reiji for a few days, Maiko and Daisuke see him heading off with Agent L, and the two of them follow.  They discover the training room that is not offered to most users, and Maiko and Daisuke end up using the room without permission.  While they are in the room, they discover that Chibi has discovered more of his power.  One day, while in the training room, a mysterious girl suddenly appears in the simulation, and Reiji, Maiko, Daisuke, and their dragons are whisked away.  They are taken to a completely different world, and that there's more to Dragon Drive than simply being a game for kids to play and enjoy.

This fighting manga has fallen into the "trap" that many fighting anime and manga fall into.  Instead of simply being about the game and the players becoming better at the game, an otherworldly element is added that end up making the game not being all that it was cracked up to be (such as Yu-Gi-Oh! and Bakugan); one of the few exceptions to this would be Pokemon.  Even though this particular volume of the manga introduces this new element, quite a bit of the manga is focused much more on battles than it is on exposition and story development.  Because of this, I was able to read through this volume of the manga a lot faster than I did the first one.  And since there's much more of a focus on battles in this volume, there's a lot more of the "busy" panels present in Volume 2 than there were in Volume 1.  While I'm a little disappointed to see that Dragon Drive is already relying on the otherworldly element to progress its story, I would still be willing to read future volumes to see if Ken-ichi Sakura can make the story work.

Dragon Drive is rated "A," which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of this manga volume that I checked out through the King County Library System.
3960854
While I have noticed a few grammatical errors throughout the series, I find it extremely interesting. It's a great new take on the dragon mythology and I can't wait to see where the series goes!
2555020
Kitiara has left her friends behind as she carves out a place for herself in the service of Emperor Ariakas and the Death-God Queen Takhisis. She's risen to be a dragon-lord, with a host of soldiers and dragons at her command, but the Emperor seems to have grown cautious, and Kitiara wants more. Until, that is, she learns that her former companions are still alive and that the man who, supposedly, loved her has been spending time with the elf-princess who was once his fiancee. Driven by jealousy she's unwilling to acknowledge, Kitiara wanders around asking questions, serving her own interests rather than those of the Emperor. Fearing that her irrational behavior means she's betrayed him, the Emperor turns on Kitiara. But Kitiara doesn't turn on Takhisis and that loyalty may save--or doom--her.

The Emperor has come up with a plan to destroy the damaged but still powerful Solamnic knights who oppose him. A dragon orb has already ruined the elf-king and Ariakas has learned of another dragon orb. If he can get it into the hands of one of the more arrogant of this arrogant group, it seems possible that internal dissention will tear them apart. Before he gives up on her completely, the Emperor tasks Kitiara to help set up the trap. Neither suspect, though, that many of Kitiara's former collegues, including the woman she hates with jealous rage, will become involved in the dragon orb search.

Authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman combine in an intriguing look at the dark side of the DragonLance world. The Gods are returning, despite the skepticism of many--especially those on the side of order and 'good,' but not all the Gods are kind. Dragons and other powerful beings remain free to pursue their own goals--and cannot be compelled even by the gods. And human desires and needs, as much as noble causes, often drive decisions--and result in dramatic swings in the outcome of war.

I've read and enjoyed a number of novels by Weis and Hickman and was looking foward to DRAGONS OF THE HIGHLAND SKIES. The writing remains strong and Weis and Hickman do a good job describing their world, the magic systems, battles, and the races of the DragonLance universe. Kender character Tasslehoff is always amusing, and the various knights face intriguing struggles between honor and other virtues. For me, however, HIGHLAND SKIES was weakened by the weakness in Kitiara's character. Her irrational jealousy could have driven the story but instead it made her dither ineffectually. Her decision to recommend promotion of the ineffectual Fewmaster Toede to the Emperor's high command is effectively treason--and Kitiara deserved everything Ariakas threw at her. The Emperor's current lover, Iolanthe comes across as far more interesting--and resourceful, although her ultimate decision that Kitiara is a winner seems dictated by the story rather than by anything Kitiara actually did.

Fans of the DragonLance series will welcome the return of a number of favorite characters and the chance to learn more about this land and the events taking place. If you're not already a fan, this novel is not likely to make you one.
578507
Very  cool concept, Dragons that take on human form.  It does have a cliffhanger ending, to be continued in the next book/s, which have yet to be released.
3837181
It starts off with good action and adventure and then moves to romance and some hot sexy times with 2 alpha dragons.  This mid-length novel is well rounded with the telling of the dragons world, action/adventure and the building of the love between Melissa and Draven and Ransom.  I read this straight through and would read more from this author.
4292605
4 1/2 stars

"Dragon Ship" by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller is part of the wonderful series set in the Liaden Universe which features Theo Waitley, a young woman caught in a bewildering set of events which have resulted in her discovering how little she actually knew her father and thrusting her into a position of responsibility that she never anticipated. Theo is now in command of a very old space ship which has remarkable capabilities even as she has become involved in the upheaval related to the relocation of the Clan Korval to Surebleak. The ship itself, Bechimo, has developed a significant personality that it refines even as it studies the staff housed within its skin. The relationship between the ship and its inhabitants matures even as they themselves do while facing unexpected opposition and challenges from the various planets that she visits.

This is another excellent science fiction story that continues an intriguing series. I enjoyed this glimpse of the Liaden Universe from the perspective of a youngster who is gradually feeling her way through the minefield that consists of her inherent talents and the complicated relationship between Clan Korval and the rest of the world. The morphing of her connection to the ship Bechimo and its evolution is intriguing to watch. The mysterious Uncle, the introduction of Joyita as a viable character and the chance to see Kamele (Theo's mom) in action were all delightful aspects of this particular episode and I always enjoy descriptions of the enigmatic norbears and I look forward to reading more adventures in this fantastic universe.

 Night Owl Reviews

(I checked this book out of my local library)
1762419
Impressive artwork. The fantasy and action elements are cool. I wish Ayano Yamane would do a science fiction yaoi/BL manga.
4033405
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Saint George and the Dragon are the gatekeepers and something is trying to break through the gate.

Opening Sentence: The old, black Model T touring car rumbling past the lone street lamp across from her house had seen better days, but it served the needs of the two young gaily dressed couples heading toward the sounds of jazz in the distance.

Excerpt: No

The Review:

Nick Medea helps people, really he just rids places of unwanted visitors. When he receives a call from a woman called Claryce he already knows trouble is brewing. When he arrives at the place she is staying he sees all the signs that Oberon is not as dead as he thought he was. Plus, she is reaching across the gate as well, and he knows if he cant hunt Oberon down and stop him that she will come through and lay waste to everything in her attempt to destroy him.

Once Nick lays eyes on Claryce he knows that she is the reincarnation of Cleolinda, and he has watched her die many times over in the last 1600 years. Nick sees a picture of her employer holding one of the cards and it is clear that her boss is an agent of Oberon. Nick must turn to his only allies, a dragon he killed that he doesnt trust, a shapershifter who used to be one of her hunters, and a hunter turned into a monk.

It becomes clear that Oberon is searching for the artifacts Nick had with him when he was killed for his faith. The armor and the spear that he was buried with that later was taken from his grave. As he tries to keep Claryce safe and find the missing artifacts can he keep Chicago safe as well? Will he fail and watch her die again? Will Chicago burn again if the dragon takes control?

This is an interesting mix of Christain and old world beliefs and I was intrigued and sold. Saint George (okay, I cant quite complete that thought, not that it is a huge spoiler, but still I hate spoilers) is still kicking nearly 1600 years after his famous battle in which he slew the dragon. It turned out the dragon had been cursed to be a gatekeeper. Keeping Feirie separate from the human world. The last time Nick fought Oberon, Chicago burned.

I also found the reincarnation aspect intriguing as well as the various names she had all starting with C. I notice the oddest things. Nick really believes he is cursed and considering how many times he falls in love with the same woman and watches her die every time, I can see why he feels that way. This was a great start to the series and I am really looking forward to reading the sequel.

Notable Scene:

The dragon raged more, furious at so much detail given, even if so much remained hidden from her. With all the magic surrounding me, there was no way I could avoid telling her something. Whichever of Oberons followers was behind this had discovered her first and intended from the beginning to toss her into the situation. My best hope was to convince her of the partial truth and pray that it would serve to scare her away. I had no choice but to face my foe, but I still believed there might be a small chance of keeping this incarnation of the princess alive.

FTC Advisory: Pyr/Penguin Random House provided me with a copy of Black City Saint. No goody bags, sponsorships, material connections, or bribes were exchanged for my review.
3712819
4.5 stars

What a fun dragon shifter novella!  Not only do we have shifters and witches and psychics we have alien dragons exiled in a war that destroyed their planet to Earth raising 5 eggs, the last from their queen.  Holden is one of those 5 dragons raising a dragonet and Leah is a newly divorced psychic who is is mate.  This fast paced well written novella has well developed characters who have explosively hot chemistry and sexy times.  This was a great start to a new series that I look forward to reading more of.  Recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary review consideration
4179294
There is some powerful magic at work in this new fantasy adventure from Richard Phillips, author of the very successful Rho Agenda SF series. As always, Richard creates an engrossing plot and populates it with memorable characters in a tale of the eternal battle of good against evil. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Lorness Carol's and Blade's battle against the evil tyrant, Kragan, and look forward to the future episodes of the story.
1631804
Flagship keeps a good pace of action while taking time to introduce new characters and build their personalities up. The book also adds dimension to the story by introducing something other than the Sino-Koreans as the main motivators. All in all, a good addition to the universe.
4412837
This is the first book in this series about Jhon who was number four of the nine kids that escaped his home planet Lorien(that was desroyed by hostile alien race calles  Magadorians) and fled to earth. But the  Magadorians didn't leve it at that but followed them to earth and are killing them one by one. Now number one, two and thre are dead so now the Magadorians will come for Jhon next.

Once again Jhon and his cepan (some kind of guardian from Lorien) have moved to another town to make it hard on the  Magadorians to find them. Jhon starts in new school wher he meets amonge others the girl of his dreams Sarah. But as mutch Jhon would like to be normal teenager and date the cute girl in school he has to start training and learn on his alien powers because he knows the Magadorians will be coming for him sooner than later.

The book starts a bit slow but is still pretty interesting and the ending is wery good and exciting. I don't think this is just another alien book, I think the book is something new and creative.
1070303
D.B. Reynolds starts a new paranormal series with this novella starring Nick, Raphael and Cyn from Vampires in America.  Nick is a previous intermittent lover of Cyn's and is a sorcerer.  He is looking for the Amber Manacles that had imprisoned Raphael in the novel, "Deception."  In DB's usual manner, action and snappy dialogue are at the forefront as the trio cross America hunting down the manacles.  Vampire and sorcerer hit head on and Cyn mediates focusing on the goal rather than testosterone levels.  A lot is packed into this smaller novel with Nick at the end determining how he will locate his soldiers that were lost millennia ago to another sorcerer.  I finished my read with a smile and the purchasing of the first novel in the series, "Damien."  And I leave it at that.
2786433
I downloaded this novel on a whim and was pleasantly surprised.  The story is about a British officer who finds himself bonded to a dragon.  Once one is bonded to a dragon, the dragon becomes almost spouse-like in that the dragon is put first in the person's life.

The dragon itself has a strong personality.  Reading about the training facility and the way the dragons interact not only with their human bondsman, but also with each other is interesting.  The author does an excellent job building the personalities of the dragons without making them seem as if they are humans that are called dragons.
1113572
Second verse same as the first? Not exactlythe second chapter in the Six Elements series, Earth, picks up right after the events of book one, Fire, but it becomes clear pretty quickly that this is going to be a bit of a different beast. While Fire (despite being a far-reaching globetrotter) favored a more compact, intimate style of conflict, Earth expands the scope quite a bit. This volume is studded with ferocious, large-scale actionno-holds barred throwdowns with gods and monsters and armies, oh, my! The gore factor has also jumped a notch or two; I like me a good share of bloodletting, but even I made a few exclamations while reading (and loved every gruesome, little detail that was offered). Never imagined the sight of ribtines shattering through armor before, but I have now!

Author Rosie Scott almost seems to be doubling down on her fusion of literary high fantasy and RPG fantasy video games here; its impossible to ignore when it specifically mentions characters failing to get a hit on a monster opponent, how an enemy is one hit from death, or how certain enemies don't drop gold. Along with Fire, Ive never read anything like it, actually, and since I have warmly nostalgic memories of playing games like Ultima V and Final Fantasy II and III (Im Americanitll always be II and III), I found it refreshingly novel. I admit that I was skeptical at first, since a lot of video games don't even reflect a plausible hyper-reality (gonna punch this tank til it explodes!), but as this series wears on, I find it all the more refreshing. Cue the boss battle music!

The story mainly deals with Kai and her cronies high-tailing it to the desert land of Nahara, where she hopes to gain an ally against her antagonistic father and the forces he sends against her. Like most high fantasy series, its a fairly episodic adventure. Among those many wonderful episodes, I think my favorite part was when, between two armies prepared to clash, a colossal tortoise-like creature emerged from the desert floorI can just imagine the thousands of eyes on that sandy field, each one agoggle in befuddlement and awe (and terror, for the unlucky few to be stuck on its back as it rose). It was a most unanticipated and rather unnecessary sequence in the narrative, but its usually quirky details like that one that are worth cherishing the most in a behemoth epic like the Six Elements series. The only flaw worth noting, really, is that (like Fire) there were a few instances where my immersion in the world was interrupted by a word, phrase or subject that felt out of place; its a fantasy land, so theres no telling what all exists and occurs here, but since this series follows the standard Medieval-era reverberation of castles, swords, dragons, etc., its a bit alarming to read some of Nixs contemporary commentary and learn that medics apparently conduct blood transfusions on a regular basis.

But those are insignificant quibbles in the face of such an elephantine story. The characters are engaging, the action is rousing, and the storyline consistently intrigues and surprises (I did not see the death of a major character coming). Even amongst familiar genre tropes, theres real imagination here, and I didn't expect to get swept up in the narrative as much as I did. Obviously, one should start with Fire, but if they liked that one, rest assured that theres no sophomore slump here. Cant wait to read the third volume (Water) and find out if what Kai did at the end of Earth was, indeed, as ill-considered as I expect.
665521
Nora Hazard is an interesting character, and I am looking forward to seeing how she will fit into the greater Ludus story. Also, a perverted Dragon without thumbs made for a funny character.
43824
Wyvern's Outlaw is book 4 of Deborah Cookes The Dragons of Incendium. Each story in this series can be read on its own but much of the background information on the royal family along with the world building are in the previous books. Still this on stands more on its own than some others in the series. Partly because the story takes place on space traveling ships giving Wyvern's Outlaw a different feel to it than the other books in this series. However, it makes sense that at least one of the princesses would chose to captain her own ship in this imaginative Dragons of Incendium world where traveling from one planet to another is common.

Not to be confused with the Dragonfire Series that Ms. Cooke wrote several years ago. This series is heavier on the science fiction aspects especially this book. Still it has intriguing characters, Dragon Princess Anguissa and Ryke, in an action-packed plot. Interesting to find several twists in the story, especially concerning Ryke.

If you love a great science fiction romance with paranormal in it too, then this is the book for you.

The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book.