Reviewed by -- Jonel
Book Review of -- The
Curse of the Ice Dragon, Keepers of the Stones #1 by Tara West
Overall star rating
--- 5
About the book:
Born with mark of the
Mighty Hunter, Markus saves his village from the brink of starvation - for
whenever he releases an arrow, his aim is true. But despite his skill and
strength, Markus is unable to confront his tyrannical father. Shamed by his
cowardice, he distracts himself by needlessly shooting the forest creatures.
When Markus takes no
heed of the village prophet's warning that his actions will attract The
Hunter's Curse - for every animal Markus kills, his loved ones will suffer the
same fate - the Sky Goddess unleashes her ice dragon. Now, Markus must flee the
dragon without killing it ... or his beloved brother will be the next to
die.
Book creation ratings:
Overall total -- 26
out of a possible 30
-- Story &
characters -- 9
-- Cover & title
-- 7
-- Editing &
formatting -- 10
* based on a 1-10
scale with: 1-4, poor; 5-7, good; 8-10,
very good.*
The review --
I thoroughly enjoyed
the way that Markus, the main character, was developed. He was a multifaceted
character without readers finding out everything about him. At the same time, the way he carries himself,
I forgot how young he was at times; while at the same time, West never makes
him seem older than he is. The agelessness really allows everyone to connect
with him. It was really neat to see this well-developed main character come
into his own as an individual and discover his true self. It is a cautionary
tale through and through, with a very fable-esque feel to it; which may turn
some readers off, but I loved it. You can definitely see the battle between
morality and the human condition. Yet at the same time, it is a captivating and
adventurous fantasy for those of all ages. I actually felt a connection with
more than one of the supporting characters. They were all such fantastic
individuals, and developed as such, that you can’t help but enjoy them. My
heart broke for more than one of these characters. I found this story easy to
follow and this world to get lost in. This isn’t one of those stories where you
can read a few chapters here and there. Once you pick it up, you won’t be able
to put it down again. Will I be reading more from this series and from this
new-to-me author? You can bet on
it.
Reader Recommendations
Genre -- YA Fantasy
Age recommendations --
13+ Fantasy lovers of all ages will enjoy this one.
Sex content rating --
none
Violence rating --
mild
Links for the book:
Buy it on Amazon
Smashwords -
Author's Amazon page
Author's facebook page
Author's website
Just saw this review. So glad you enjoyed it. :)
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