After much deliberation we have come to our picks for our Round One semi-finalists! This year was tricky, because each judge picked a different book as their overall favorite, meaning our second place book is actually two books! This is a review for one, you can find the review for the other here.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can learn more about the contest here.
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Dragon Mage by M. L. Spencer
Aram Raythe has the power to challenge the gods. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Aram thinks he’s nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world. As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to make friends and be accepted by those around him, which is something he’s never known.
But Aram is more. Much, much more.
Unknown to him, Aram bears within him a gift so old and rare many people would kill him for it, and there are others who would twist him to use for their own sinister purposes. These magics are so potent that Aram earns a place at an academy for warrior mages training to earn for themselves the greatest place of honor among the armies of men: dragon riders.
Aram will have to fight for respect by becoming not just a dragon rider, but a Champion, the caliber of mage that hasn’t existed in the world for hundreds of years. And the land needs a Champion. Because when a dark god out of ancient myth arises to threaten the world of magic, it is Aram the world will turn to in its hour of need.
Below are some selected thoughts from our judges on Dragon Mage.
A. A. Freeman
The story was typical fantasy made unique through its knot-based magic system and autistic main character. The plot really drew me in, and the worldbuilding was nothing short of fantastic.
Jennie Ivins
We were extremely lucky this year to get a bunch of books in our group with differently abled people as main characters. Dragon Mage was one of these. The main characters autism and how others reacted to it really hit home, as I have three autistic boys of my own. Being written by a person with autism, it dealt with the surrounding issues brilliantly and realistically on all fronts.
Aside from the main character the way the magic worked and the other worldbuilding were both fleshed out nicely and made it easy to sink into the book. And while I did like the story, it didn’t stand out to me as much as some of the other titles. However, if you like high fantasy, or would like to read something written by and starring a person with autism, I would highly recommend this book.
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
I absolutely love the autistic main character and how his autism is just a natural part of him. He doesn’t get magically healed or manage to become “normal” despite of it. He’s just a character who thinks differently, which is sometimes a strength. I enjoyed the classic feel, the dragons, and the slightly old fashioned style. In my opinion Spencer’s one weakness is character relationships.
It’s better in this book than in her other series, but it still feels like characters go from nothing to best friends, without any development. I didn’t mind it as much in Dragon Mage as autistic people go about relationships in a very different way anyway, and I actually enjoyed how it wasn’t overly emotional. For me it’s still a favorite, and I want more.
Kerry Smith
Though this a large tome I found it an easy read. I liked that the main character was autistic and his obsession with knots helped him get through obstacles. Though the first half of the story was highly enjoyable I was dissatisfied with the latter part due to female characters.
Whilst the young men were well fleshed out, I found the women rather stereotypical and two dimensional. The worldbuilding was great as were the dragons, but overall, it was a typical epic fantasy, and not as unique as our first place winner.
Lynn K.
Dragon Mage is one of the stronger books I’ve read in our batch in all facets. A very well-rounded work. Presentation, cover, editing, and writing that flowed quite smoothly. Honestly, I flew through it because I connected with the characters and was fascinated by the autistic main character. Also loved the dragons and how their relationships are featured. The magic system was quite unique. Classic high fantasy lovers will thoroughly enjoy this epic tale.
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Congratulations to M. L. Spencer for making it second place in our semi-finalists for this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off! If you are fantasy fan and love dragons and unique worlds, Dragon Mage is well worth the read and we highly encourage you all to check it out!
Our judges this year are A. A. Freeman, Julia Kitvaria Sarene, Kartik Narayanan, Kerry Smith, Lynn K., and Jennie Ivins (me). If you’d like to learn more about us, including our likes and dislikes, you can read about them here.
Any queries should be directed at me, Jennie Ivins, via DM (Facebook/Twitter).
Title image by PublicDomainPictures.
JC Kang