Four Quibbles I Have with
Dave Freer's Storm-Dragon

Blazing Reader,

The last two parts of my review of the Prometheus-nominated novel, Storm-Dragon, have been all positive. Today, I'll share four quibbles I have with this story about a boy who rescues a dragon-like creature with telepathic powers.

One thing, however, that still deserves much praise is Cedar Sanderson's illustrations, such as this line drawing that precedes chapter one:

They remind me of the old block drawings that novels had in the 1800s.

Now, onto my four quibbles with this otherwise delightful read:

1. Line editing! The book needed more line editing. There were lines where neither my son nor I could figure out what was happening. Other times, it was unclear who said what. The story and characters were far stronger elements than the writing itself.

2. What the Ghat? The enemy of the story, the Ghats, couldn't have been much more vague. Little is said about them. Their leader only gets introduced passively at the end. At first, I thought information was being dripped slowly, but then the book ended, and my son and I felt cheated.

3. Aborted ending? The epilogue quickly sums up the climactic finish to the story, rather than showing it. The last twenty pages felt like the author got tired of writing the novel and tied it up quickly. This book sure could have used another hundred pages.

4. Character conflation. I found the characters of Podge and Skut almost indistinguishable in character, outside of one being a farmboy and the other a techie. Maybe this was intentional, but I would have preferred both had greater personality differences and maybe a few conflicts. They came across as far too similar and agreeable.

Maybe these points won't bother an eight-year-old as much as they bother this forty-eight-year-old.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story immensely. It contains great role models for children, teaching kids how to be independent, curious, adventurous, brave, loyal, and not to put up with abuse from anyone (whether it's the bullies at Skut's school, the corrupt council running their settlement, or the invading army holding them hostage).

And... it also teaches kids how to take care of their pet. That said, their miniature, telepathic storm-dragon is hardly the focal point of the story (despite the book's title). This fantastical extraterrestrial serves as a symbol of the children's own budding potential, talents and strengths.

That said, if you have kids who forget to walk the dog, this book might inspire them.

You can purchase a copy of Storm-Dragon through my Blazing Bookshop.

John C.A. Manley

PS To see if Storm-Dragon becomes one of the finalists for the Prometheus Awards, subscribe to the Libertarian Futurist Society's Prometheus blog.

PPS If you missed it, here's part one and two of my review of Storm-Dragon.

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona, All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of philosophical fiction that are "so completely engaging that you find yourself alternately laughing, gasping, hanging on for dear life." Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber.