When her only friend, Makiko, accidentally offends F4 leader Tsukasa, Tsukushi boldly defends her. Enraged, Tsukasa puts the dreaded red tag in Tsukushi’s locker — a sign that she is now a target for the abuse of the F4 gang and the entire school. But when Tsukushi fights the gang with their own weapon, Tsukasa finds himself falling for her! Find Volume 1 Here.
Yōko Kamio is a popular Japanese manga artist and writer. She is most famous for Boys Over Flowers (Hana Yori Dango), for which she received the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1996. Her work has been translated and distributed in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Thoughts:
Hana Yori Dango has this amazing story that struck me at the first volume, and sort of held on to the last volume. Hana Yori Dango has 37 Volumes of story. I borrowed this manga’s volumes from a library in high school and would always look for the next volume like crazy. I loooved! the discovering days of Hana Yori Dango and the question of ‘Will it be Rui or Tsukasa?’ Oh, the angst! It was awesome.
Hana Yori Dango which translates to Boys Over Flowers is a story about a girl doing her best to achieve her dreams despite the adversity she faces in an elite school filled with affluent classmates. She has a fiery temper, and is very loyal to her friends, so when she sees her friends suffering she does her best to ease their pain and help.
When Tsukushi Makino joins an elite school and manages to make a friend, she feels compelled to stand up for her new friend when she gets in trouble. Through this encounter, Tsukushi ends up offending the biggest elite classmate of their school, Tsukasa Domyouji, the leader of ‘F4’.
Hana Yori Dango chronicles how Tsukushi survives through a severe hazing experience at the hands of ‘F4’ led by Tsukasa Domyouji. Her encounters with the four ‘F4’ members who rule the elite school’s student body, and how she changes Tsukasa Domyouji. Domyouji and Tsukushi’s story leads to an unforgettable romance, in between, she discovers her true path.
Hana Yori Dango has captured audiences worldwide. This manga is so popular that it has been turned into dramas across different Asian countries and Europe.
Tsukushi Makino has an endearing spirit. You want to root for her as she faces the many challenges in a school filled with affluent classmates, who are more privileged than her. At the same time, there is the discovery of Tsukasa Domyouji who may seem overprivileged, but it turns out he is drawn to Tsukushi because of her fierce loyalty and pure nature.
“I like to believe if I wear great shoes, they’ll take me to great places.” – Shizuka to Tsukushi, Chapter 10, Hana Yori Dango.
Hana Yori Dango is a great story to read, the art has a distinctive style and is quite easy to follow. However, if you prefer to watch, check out the following adaptations. My personal favorite remains the 2005 TBS Japanese Version. However, you can check out the following adaptations too.
Once you have written your book and are ready to publish it, it is time to focus on book formatting. Book formatting is deciding what your completed manuscript’s content will look like to your reader, on paper as a printed book or on a digital device as an eBook.
1. Why do you need to think about good book formatting?
Good Book Formatting promotes readability. A poorly formatted book will distract the reader. You will find the reader is more concerned with how you’ve arranged your content instead of focusing on the content itself.
Good Formatting gives your content a professional and clean appearance. An attractive and interesting format will increase recommendations and attract positive reviews.
So, book formatting is essential.
Look back on the books you’ve read, and try to remember which book you loved most. Apart from the book’s content, was it because it was easy to read through it? What about the book’s formatting did you like?
2. What is the right software for Book Formatting?
There are many different types of software you can use to format your book. Here are two of the most popular ones in use.
Adobe InDesign: – This is the most professional and complex software you can choose. It gives you access to different layout features and is wonderful for complex design. Adobe InDesign is especially great when formatting magazines or a picture-heavy book. You can use it to format eBooks into ePub files or PDF files. It also creates great print PDF files. (Adobe InDesign requires a monthly fee for the software. Budgetwise it is on the higher side of cost).
Microsoft Word: – This is the most accessible and familiar software. It is great for text-heavy content like novels. It allows you to format your page for print or eBook formatting, add headings for your Table of Contents (essential for eBooks) and margins, format your paragraphs, and prepare a print PDF for your printer. Word is very suitable for simpler formatting.
Other types of software you can use for Book Formatting are:
–Scrivener:- Scrivener is great for writing and organizing drafts, with basic formatting options. It allows you to export your complete manuscript to Word for final book formatting.
Kindle Create: – Kindle Create is Amazon’s answer to formatting books for sale on the Kindle platform and their printing services. You can create print replica eBooks, reflowable eBooks, or Comic book files for upload into your Kindle Publishing Account.
Vellum: – This software is only available for Mac users. It is also a paid software. It is great software to create and design neat book interiors for print and eBooks.
3. What are the Standard Sizes for Books in Various Genres like Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Children’s books?
Book sizes vary by region, the printers, and the publisher putting out the book. However, here are common book size dimensions you can use to determine your book’s size.
Fiction Book Sizes:
– If you want to publish and print your book on Amazon, the Standard Trade Paperback is 5.5” x 8.5” or 6” x 9”. The default print size on Amazon’s KDP is 6” x 9”. While a printer in Kenya may set you up at 5.5” x 8.5” or 5.5 x 7.25”.
– There is also the Mass Market Paperback size which is: 4.25” x 6.87”
– A Hardcover book may be sized at 5.5” x 8.5” to 6” x 9”
Fiction Page Count
The page count of a fiction book may be typically between 200 and 400 pages, though this can vary widely depending on the type of book.
FictionBook Covers
– Paperback: Soft covers that often have a glossy or matte finish.
– Hardcover: Sturdy cover, often with a dust jacket.
Non-Fiction Book Sizes
Here are two standard book sizes for Non-Fiction books:
– A Trade Paperback is sized at 6” x 9” or 7” x 10”
– A Hardcover Book is sized at 6” x 9” to 7” x 10”
Non-Fiction Book Page Count
Non-fiction book page count is usually between 200 to 500 pages, though some reference books and academic works can be much longer. The page count is also determined by the number of pictures, images, illustrations, and tables the non-fiction book has.
Non-Fiction Book Covers
– Paperback: Soft covers that often have a glossy or matte finish.
– Hardcover: Sturdy cover, often with a dust jacket.
Children’s Book Sizes
Children’s book sizes depend on the type of content and paper you use. Other factors that contribute to the book size are the type of font, the size of the font, and the complexity of the artwork.
–Board Books are sized at 5” x 5” to 7” x 7”
–Picture Books can be sized at: 8” x 8”, 8.5” x 8.5”, 8” x 10”, 10” x 8”
– Early Readers/Chapter Books are sized at: 5.25” x 7.75” or 5.5” x 8.25”
Popular Children’s Book Page Count standards:
– Board Books are typically 12 to 32 pages.
– Picture Books are typically 24 to 48 pages.
– Early Readers/Chapter Books are typically 32 to 160 pages.
Children’s Book Covers:
– Board Books: These books have sturdy, thick covers and pages to withstand handling by young children.
– Picture Books: They have hard covers with glossy pages to enhance illustrations.
– Early Readers/Chapter Books: The covers vary and may have a paperback cover or hardcover depending on the publisher and target age group.
Book Trim Sizes are determined and vary based on the specific needs of the chosen genre, the preferences of the publisher, and the availability of materials in a region. In Kenya, the printer’s costs and paper availability may add to these decisions.
To remember:
The most common book Trim Sizes are 5” x 8” (A5 book), 6” x 9” (Amazon’s Standard Print size), and 8.5” x 11” (A4 Print Size).
– As an author looking to print a book, you will determine your book’s trim size depending on the trim size’s impact on your novel’s page count and reader experience.
– You can also determine the size of your book depending on the genre of your work (e.g., novels vs. textbooks).
4. Margins, Fonts & Typography, Alignment, and Justification.
Margins:
– The standard margin sizes in book formatting are 1” for the top and bottom margins, and 0.75” for the sides. This is how your word processor will set them for you.
It is standard but you should choose your book’s trim size before determining your margins. Remember that margins are used to ensure your text will not be cut off during the printing of your book. Your book has three margins: Top, Bottom, and Outer Margin. Then there is the Inside or Gutter Margin.
– The Gutter Margin, or the Inside Margin is determined by the page count of your book. The more pages your book has the thicker the book becomes. That means the inside margin or the gutter must increase to accommodate the spine of your book. The gutter margin adds extra space on the sides and at the top of your content when your book is bound. This margin keeps your content visible and not caught in the binding.
– As you format your book, adjust margins for the readability and aesthetics of your content. Also, set your margins to ensure your content is not cut out when you print your book. To learn more about margins refer to ‘How To Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins’ by Amazon.
When setting up your book on a word processor like Microsoft Word for print, you need to set your document to have Mirror Margins. Mirror Margins ensure your document will have facing pages for a double-sided document like a book or magazine. With Mirror Margins, the margins of the left page will be a mirror image of those on the right page. That is, the inside margins are the same width and the outside margins are the same width. This will make life easier for you and the printer as you create the Print PDF. To learn more, check out this tutorial on ‘How To Build Your Book – Format a Paperback Manuscript’ by Amazon.
Fonts and Typography:
– The most recommended book font is Serif font (e.g., Times New Roman, Garamond) for body text.
– Suggested font sizes: 10-12 pt for body text, larger for headings.
– Line spacing: 1.15 to 1.5 for comfortable reading.
Alignment and Justification:
– Left-aligned text is easier to read and avoids awkward spacing.
– Justified text creates a clean edge but requires hyphenation and careful attention to word spacing.
5. Your Book’s Page Layout and Design
Title Page
– Your Title Page typically includes the following – Book title, subtitle, author name, and the publisher.
– Center and space this information for a clean look.
Table of Contents:
– Create automated tables of contents using word processors like Word.
– Ensure your headings entries are properly linked and styled consistently, especially in eBooks.
Chapter Headings:
– Ensure you have consistent font, size, and placement for chapter titles.
– Be vigilant when using decorative elements like drop caps or small graphics. Make sure they are well formatted.
Headers and Footers:
– Headers and Footers are used to include page numbers, author name, and book title.
– The placement options are determined by the author and publisher. However, standard practice is that headers are for title/author, and footers for page numbers.
A Note on TypesettingTypesetting is the process of arranging and formatting text and images for print. It involves selecting fonts, adjusting spacing, setting the alignment, and ensuring the book layout is visually appealing and readable. Traditionally, typesetting was done manually with metal type, but today it is done digitally using various software programs. Typesetting is still an essential part of the printing process. Here's why:
1. Readability and Aesthetics: - Proper typesetting ensures easy-to-read text and visually appealing. This involves choosing the right font size, line spacing, and alignment.
2. Consistency: - Typesetting helps maintain consistency throughout the document, ensuring that headings, subheadings, and body text follow a uniform style.
3. Layout: - Effective typesetting organizes text and images in a way that guides the reader's eye smoothly across the page. This includes managing widows, orphans, and balancing text blocks.
4. Preparation for Printing: - Typesetting ensures that the digital file is correctly formatted for printing. This includes embedding fonts, setting correct margins, and ensuring proper image resolution.
In a digital printing context, typesetting typically involves using desktop publishing software like Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word, or Scribus. These tools allow you to control the layout and design of your document precisely, ensuring that it prints correctly and looks professional. Typesetting is a critical step in preparing any document for print, including when using digital printers. It ensures that the final product is readable, aesthetically pleasing, and formatted correctly for the process of printing.
6. What are Text Formatting Details in Book Formatting?
Paragraph Styles:
– Setting paragraph styles allows you to ensure consistency in text formatting (indents, spacing, font).
– Learn how to create and apply styles in your preferred word-processing software.
Widows and Orphans:
– A Widow is found at thetop or end of a paragraph. It is a single line of text consisting of one or more words. An Orphan is a single word (or syllable) at the bottom of a paragraph of text. Control Widows and Orphans when formatting your book to improve readability. You do this by adjusting your paragraph breaks and the spaces between paragraph lines. Learn more about what Widows and Orphans look like here.
Hyphenation:
– Hyphenation helps with justified text to avoid large gaps.
– InDesign offers a great paragraph style feature that allows you to control hyphenation in your paragraphs. This setting helps to avoid awkward breaks.
Images and Graphics:
– Inserting high-resolution images (300 DPI minimum for print).
– Positioning images within the text and adding captions.
7. What are other Advanced Formatting Tips?
Inserting Drop Caps:
– Drop Caps are large initial letters at the start of a chapter or section. You can do this with a text-heavy book to enhance design.
Pull Quotes:
– Pull quotes highlight key sentences or phrases by enlarging and styling them differently. They are used in non-fiction books. It is rare to find them in fiction books.
– They are placed within the text to draw the reader’s attention to a key point. They are popular in textbooks.
Section Breaks:
– Use section breaks to start new chapters on odd-numbered pages.
– Differentiating between section breaks and page breaks.
8. What are Proofreading and Pre-Print Checks?
The Importance of Proofreading:
– Proofreading is eliminating typos, grammatical errors, and formatting inconsistencies.
– You need multiple rounds of proofreading by different people to ensure you have not missed anything.
Consistent Formatting:
– Ensuring chapter headings, page numbers, and other elements are consistent throughout the book.
– Using style guides and templates for uniformity.
Generating a Print-Ready PDF:
– Ensuring all fonts are embedded to prevent substitution issues.
– Checking image resolution and color settings (CMYK for print). Communicate with your printer to ensure you have the right page layout sizes.
9. Working with a Printer
Printer Specifications:
– Talk to your printer and make sure you have specific information on how to set up your Print PDF. Understand terms like bleed (extra margin for trimming), gutter (binding space), and CMYK (color model for print). This way you will have professional images in your book, and no text will be cut out in the final proof.
– I cannot emphasize this enough. Please, overcommunicate with your printers to get specific requirements and guidelines. It will reduce friction and ensure you have a book you are happy with.
Requesting a Proof Copy:
– Before you sell your book, ask the printer for a sample, an initial proof copy. Read it carefully. Review the physical proof to catch any errors not visible on the screen.
The proof copy is also used to check binding quality, paper quality, and the overall layout of your content.
You may be starting your self-publishing journey, or have been here for a while and looking for information. It is important to note that book formatting takes time and loads of practice. The more you do it, the better you get at it, you will find and develop your own particular style. Each book is different and may have different needs and require something different from you. Be creative, but always consider your end product is for the reader. The reader determines if you did a great job.
Most of all, enjoy the moment you finally hold your printed book in your hand and there is nothing to change. Smile wide and tell yourself, ‘I did a good job’. And you have. You did well.
Keep learning and experimenting with different formatting techniques.
There are amazing women artists in the world of Manga. Today, let’s discover more about Ai Yazawa, the memorable Nana and Paradise Kiss creator. Both mangas have adaptations into anime and live-action movies.
About Ai Yazawa
Ai YAZAWA (矢沢あい) is a Japanese manga author. Her pen name comes from Japanese singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan.
Yazawa started her manga publishing life in 1985; throughout 15 years of publishing, she wrote over ten series on Ribon magazine. While most of her manga continues to be published in Japan by Shueisha, publishers of Ribon and Cookie (in which Nana is serialized), series like Paradise Kiss now appear in other magazines such as Zipper, published by Shodensha.
Yazawa's most famous manga include Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai (I'm Not an Angel), Gokinjo Monogatari (Neighborhood Story), Paradise Kiss, and Nana. In 2003, she was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for Nana. Some of her manga works were made into anime, and live action movies too.
Yazawa's works are most popular among women and young girls. The storylines generally are centered on young women and their relationships, something with which her young fanbase identifies. The characters are always very stylish, and she is known especially for her hip sense of fashion. Yazawa herself attended a fashion school after high school but did not complete her studies there. Another key point is her strikingly unique, often rebellious characters, who tend to be juxtaposed against the more traditional ones.
Nana Komatsu is a young woman who’s endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she’s hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She’s looking for love and hoping to find it in the big city.
Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo’s underground punk scene. She’s got a dream and won’t give up until she becomes Japan’s No. 1 rock’n’roll superstar.
This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties.
All Art by Ai Yazawa
The most endearing part of this story is the friendship that grows between Nana K. and Nana O. They are vastly different women, from their fashion style to their beliefs and their past. Despite boyfriends, career decisions, and an unexpected pregnancy, these two young women are determined to keep their friendship going. The most tragic thing about Nana is that it remains on hiatus after 21 volumes.
All Nana fans eternally hope that Ai Yazawa will one day complete this beautiful saga. Despite the hiatus, Nana has two compelling live-action movies (Available on Apple+ or Viki) and a very entertaining anime (Available on Netflix or where you get your anime fix). Nana is a great story to check out and the art is so beautiful, the characters come to life with every panel. Nana has mature themes and is recommended for ages 16- 18. Grade 10-12.
Yukari wants nothing more than to make her parents happy by studying hard and getting into a good college. One afternoon, however, she is kidnapped by a group of self-proclaimed fashion mavens calling themselves “Paradise Kiss.”
Yukari suddenly finds herself in the roller coaster life of the fashion world, guided by George, an art snob extraordinaire. In a glamorous makeover of body, mind, and soul, she is turned from a hapless bookworm into her friends’ exclusive clothing model.
Paradise Kiss has a truly tumultuous relationship between George and Yukari. The decisions they both make at the end of this five-volume series are realistic and very human. Yukari and George fall in love and must decide what to do with their relationship to fulfill their dreams and gain what they most want. Paradise Kiss has a live-action movie and an anime too.
Ai Yazawa has a fantastic body of work. Her art is always unique, and colorful, using sharp, elegant lines. She depicts stories rooted in a realistic world and characters that are easy to relate to. Check out her other work Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai (I’m No Angel).
Clamp, stylized as CLAMP, is an all-female Japanese manga artist group that was formed in the mid-1980s. Many of the group's manga series are often adapted into anime after release. The Artist Group currently consists of their leader Nanase Ohkawa, who provides much of the storyline and screenplay for all their works and adaptations of those works respectively, and three artists whose roles shift for each series: Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi. Almost 100 million Clamp tankōbon copies have been sold worldwide as of October 2007. (Source: Amazon.com/CLAMP)
CLAMP has a long list of works often discoverable as Anime with a very distinctive art style. I first met them through Magical Knight Rayearth. This artist group has been a favorite since. Here is my list of three unforgettable favorite mangas by CLAMP.
Kimihiro Watanuki is haunted by visions of ghosts and spirits.
He seeks help from a mysterious woman named Yuko, who claims she can help.
However, Watanuki must work for Yuko to pay for her aid.
Soon Watanuki finds himself employed in Yuko’s shop where he sees things and meets customers that are stranger than anything he could have ever imagined.
I always love the art found in xxxHolic. I read the manga first before I watched the anime. The manga is much more detailed, so check it out if you get a chance.
Childhood friends Princess Sakura and Syaoran, the son of an archaeologist, become entangled in a series of events that force them to traverse through alternate realities on an action-packed and unforgettable adventure!
In the Kingdom of Clow, an archaeological dig unleashes an incredible power, causing Sakura to lose her memories. To save her, Syaoran must follow the orders of the Dimension Witch and travel alongside Kurogane, an unrivaled warrior; Fai, a powerful magician; and Mokona Modoki, a curiously strange creature, to retrieve Sakura’s dispersed memories! But first, there is a price to be paid…
Tsubasa is an adventure manga. Syaoran and Sakura end up on an unforgettable journey accompanied by their friends, Kurogane, Fai and Mokona. Syaoran works at getting stronger through each arc. This is an easy, fun read. You can also watch the anime if you prefer to watch it. The manga is full of gorgeous art pieces. Check it out when you can.
After moving from the countryside into the big city, poor college student Hideki Motosuwa finds himself down on his luck. All he wants is a good job, a girlfriend, and his very own “persocom” – the latest and greatest in humanoid computer technology.
Hideki’s luck changes one night when he finds Chi – an adorable, but seemingly broken, persocom thrown out in a pile of trash.
After taking her home, Hideki discovers that Chi is more responsibility than he expected – and that there’s much more to his cute new persocom than meets the eye.
Chobits is so memorable and another CLAMP production that pulled me into the world of manga. Chobits is a sci-fi story that tackles the theme of ‘what it means to be human.’ Hideki picks up Chi who is a persocom (humanoid computer) from a pile of trash and takes her home. Chobits explores their adventures as Hideki gets used to taking care of Chi. The Anime does have filler episodes, but the manga is so full of story and beautiful art and is definitely worth a read.
Chi from Chobits
CLAMP remains one of my favorite manga-kas. The artist group has a massive body of work. Once you fall into their manga world, you will definitely have discovered endless adventures. Most of CLAMP’s manga is available as Anime. So, if you prefer to watch instead of read, then check out the artist groups body of work here.
Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.
Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti’s stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.
If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself ― but first, she has to make it there, alive.
It’s been a year since Binti and Okwu enrolled at Oomza University. A year since Binti was declared a hero for uniting two warring planets. A year since she found friendship in the unlikeliest of places.
And now she must return home to her people, with her friend Okwu by her side, to face her family and face her elders.
But Okwu will be the first of his race to set foot on Earth in over a hundred years, and the first ever to come in peace.
After generations of conflict can humans and Meduse ever learn to truly live in harmony?
Binti has returned to her home planet, believing that the violence of the Meduse has been left behind. Unfortunately, although her people are peaceful on the whole, the same cannot be said for the Khoush, who fan the flames of their ancient rivalry with the Meduse.
Far from her village when the conflicts start, Binti hurries home, but anger and resentment have already claimed the lives of many close to her.
Once again it is up to Binti, and her intriguing new friend Mwinyi, to intervene–though the elders of her people do not entirely trust her motives–and try to prevent a war that could wipe out her people, once and for all.
A beautiful earth woman is kidnapped by Yargo, the incredibly attractive ruler of a distant world, and begins a romantic adventure to exotic planets.
A tale ensues:
I read this book when I was in grade school so many years ago. It was on the home library shelf and the story is not very difficult to read, so I loved it then and still reread it when I remember it. This year the reread was triggered by a total eclipse event. The visual of the moon covering the sun lets you know there are planet-sized mysteries beyond our skies. Anyway, I caught a glimpse of the event and happened to clean out the bookshelves, and voila! Yargo came to mind.
Yargo is quite fascinating as Jacqueline Susann wrote it in the 1950s as a romance novel with a sci-fi twist. The main character Janet Cooper goes camping in the sand dunes of Avalon, searching for the meaning of life as she knows it. She’s out in the evening, staring at the stars, and reminiscing about teenage dreams. When lo and behold one of those stars suddenly hangs lower than normal. Janet Cooper is promptly kidnapped off the planet by aliens.
The first time I read it I went out to check whether the stars could do this (I was thirteen, excuse my excited imagination). You can also imagine my disappointment when none of this happened. The stars did not hang low for me, at all. Damn you, Janet Cooper. The idea felt possible at the time.
Still, I loved the adventure of this story.
It turns out the aliens made a mistake by capturing a human from planet Earth. We’re imperfect, but the aliens are lightyears ahead of our planet and consider themselves evolved to perfection. Now, the aliens who botched the job had to figure out where to take Janet Cooper. The planet that finally agrees to take her in is called Yargo. Yargo is considered a utopian world full of perfect beings. Incidentally, Janet who had been wondering where to find the ideal man, (as earlier mentioned ‘reminiscing her teenage dreams in the dunes‘), meets him on this planet.
Reading it now, I don’t think it is truly a romance story but a metamorphosis story for Janet. I loved how imaginative Yargo is and it is a great sci-fi read, especially for someone not looking to dig too deep into a sci-fi world. Instead, it takes on a philosophical outlook on utopias and the beauty of imperfections.
The great powers are stirring, and Holt and Ash are ready to return to the fight.
A summons from the Life Elder sets them on a perilous mission, leading to steaming jungles and blistering islands where ancient secrets will challenge everything they know of magic and dragons.
Talia, the Red Queen, is beset on all sides by pirate raiders and marauding mercenaries. Empress Skadi has abandoned her, battling uprisings in her own lands. As the noose tightens on Feorlen, Talia faces a difficult choice: let her people suffer or turn her powers against mortal foes?
Osric Agravain has found hope with his newly bonded black dragon, but some wounds run deeper than flesh and bone. Along the Fallow Frontier, he seeks the inner peace that has long eluded him.
And within the sanctum at Falcaer, Paragon Adaskar is struggling to unite the fracturing riders. If he fails, ruinous chaos will break across the world.
For when Elders and Paragons quarrel, kingdoms will fall.
Thoughts:
I’ve been on a binge with this series. Three books down, and the adventure is still amazing. I like the pacing, although the multiple POVs in this book three have been challenging. Defiant contributes to the exciting existence of dragons, leadership, and a quest to protect.
I’ve enjoyed the journey. There was a deliberate setup for books four and five, which is fine even though it may take me time to return to it. All in all, this is a great series to read with younger readers.
He was his own worst critic, but he could admit one good thing about himself, the soldier, the general, the monster; when he decided on a thing, it got done. Do the job and do it well. ― Michael R. Miller, Defiant
Holt and Ash saved the kingdom of Feorlen against all odds. Now they are outcasts, alone on an impossible quest to unite the Elder Dragons. But they are children playing in a game of Dragon Lords. Trapped between the riders, servants of the Sovereign, and the scourge, even their luck cannot last forever. Their only hope is to advance their bond by any means necessary.
In Feorlen, Talia faces a world unaccepting of a rider queen. Her councilors will not heed her warnings of Sovereign. Foreign powers threaten war and bloodshed. Pleas sent to rider headquarters fall on deaf ears.
All the while, Sovereign regathers his strength in an ancient fortress. Enthralled cultists swell his ranks. Disillusioned riders flock to his cause.
And his unwilling servant Osric Agravain scours the land for dragon eggs. There are new types of magic to be discovered, and Sovereign intends to control them all.
Only the mysterious half-dragon Rake has a plan to stop Sovereign. To pull it off, he’s going to need a team.
Thoughts:
The fantasy journey continues in Song of Chaos Book Two. Holt and Ash continue on a dangerous quest. They still face prejudice over what is considered a weakness. Holt focuses on growing strength in this book. Talia faces a different type of prejudice. She must prove herself in a world that refuses to accept a rider queen.
The big bad grows stronger too. The most exciting part about this story is that the good stays good, and the bad is very bad. It is a classic good vs. evil story which I appreciate.
Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. He has always served the Order Hall of the Crag dutifully, keeping their kitchen pots clean.
Until he discovers a dark secret: dragons do not tolerate weakness among their kin, killing the young they deem flawed. Moved by pity, Holt defies the Order, rescues a doomed egg, and vows to protect the blind dragon within.
But the Scourge is rising. Undead hordes roam the land, spreading the blight and leaving destruction in their wake. The dragon riders are being slaughtered and betrayal lurks in the shadows.
Holt has one chance to survive. He must cultivate the mysterious power of his dragon’s magical core. A unique energy which may tip the balance in the battles to come, and prove to the world that a servant is worthy after all.
Thoughts
What a great adventure story! It reminded me so much of Eragon. Ascendant is a fantasy story about dragons and dragon riders. Holt is not meant to be a dragon rider. He serves the Order Hall of the Crag, working in their kitchen. One day, he rescues a dragon egg meant to be destroyed but Holt cannot bring himself to do the deed. So, Holt breaks the rules and rescues the imperfect egg. It hatches into an imperfect dragon. Ascendant is a story about a struggle to fight against the status quo, an adventure filled with dragons and amazing fantastic magic.
In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword—representing both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey. In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…
When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father—and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.
This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home, Breen Siobhan. It’s time you came home. Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies—through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny…
Thoughts:
The Awakening is book one of the Dragon Heart Legacy series. Breen Kelly is an unsure young woman doing her best to pay for her student debt while working a job she does not enjoy. She has personal struggles and manages cases of anxiety. Breen is doing the best she can with her life. Then, she discovers her mother has hidden a secret from her. One that would have changed her life, a secret that does change her life. Breen then embarks on a journey to discover her true passion. I love how we meet Breen in a moment where she is doing her best with what she has known. When she discovers her mother’s secret, she has to have the courage to take the next step. The key to her choice to make changes in her life is courage. Courage that sends her on an unforgettable journey. I loved the world-building. The series is at the start, and hopefully, it will get even more amazing.
Stories and Book Talk 