Book Review: Shadow of Dragons by Jacob Peppers

 I'm usually a bit hesitant to pick up completely unknown authors on Net Galley, but for some reason, I decided I have not had enough dragons in my life. And thus, Shadow of Dragons made it onto my TBR. 

I am extremely grateful to Bookouture Audio and Second Sky Books for this audio version.  My eyes have been having a huge amount of trouble with the air conditioning required in summer these days, and I am reading but very very slowly, so having this on audio meant that I did indeed go on this dragon adventure in my car, while washing dishes and walking the dog. 

 Overall, I enjoyed this story which flows really well.  Our main character is Nolan, an orphan with a chip on his shoulder.  He also had a strange birthmark that occasionally warms his chest when he's upset. He knows that people say it's the mark of the cursed, and he isn't one to argue as his life indeed seems cursed. 

Nolan wants revenge against a man who killed a relative, but frankly speaking, I think Nolan is just angry and can;t find a place for that anger, so- revenge it is. He's living in an empire where dragons had vanished when a group of creatures who use ice and stone invaded and conquered. Life for Nolan is miserable, and one day when he attempts to change it in dramatic fashion he becomes one of the empire's most wanted. 

Luckily for Nolan, he is rescued by a talented Swordsman with a sharp tongued daughter, and together they travel to an area of secrecy- and Nolan learns that "he's got the magic in him" Shenanigans ensue. 

   I did overall enjoy this novel.  After listening to about 3 hours of the book, I really did want to know what happened to Nolan and Sarah, and the Empire.  The dialogue is a bit bumpy- and the honor and valor message is very heavy at times, but in general this is an interesting, engaging fantasy. 

STATS

First Published  August 4, 2026 

Pages: 392

Available as an Audio Book : Yes 

Trigger Warnings:  violence, murder, death, fire injury, parental death, child death, 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell

 

Many Thanks to Astra House Publishing/DAW  for an advanced E-galley of this novel. All opinions are my own, of course. 

This novel comes out July 14 in the US and July 16 in the UK. We do have a cover battle situation. I really was a fan of the US cover... and then out of an abundance of curiosity - I looked up the UK cover and now... I'm torn.  Of course, because I had an E-galley, I don't really have any cover at this point in time.  ALAS, AlACK, ALAY. I will eventually remedy that but will I find that UK cover?  I want that UK Cover, and I want that US cover. And I do not have that kind of book money. 

John Wiswell is an author that can really- really tell a tale. I was sure that "Someone you can Build a Nest In"  was going to win the Hugo last year. It did not but it was definitely in contention. 

I then picked up Wearing the Lion- and proceeded to just groan with laughter and love for our main characters. 

So- when I saw this choice from DAW, I was primed to wonder - what the heck is John Wiswell up to with a straight up dragon story. 

Reader friends, this is a dragon story with so much. So So Much, Heart, humor, drama, tragedy and joy that I had a hard time containing my heart.  BUT... it didn't start out that way for me. 

    It starts off with this very cantankerous 3 headed dragon that used to be a 4 headed dragon. As a dragon, our Main dragon character is beastly.  They smell bad, act cowardly and sullen, and are grumpy. Their body is broken and messy. They have terrible breath, and--- no one likes them.  I didn't even like them. They are it seems in some sort of war time situation with some dragons being tamed and pampered battle steeds for a human settlement, and many more resisting working with the humans.  Humans, of course, seem to eff everything up. 

   To be honest, I may have put this one down at this point, but Wiswell, that smart feller- he then hooked me in as our main Dragon character - MDC... finds himself wholly rejected by the Dragon community and in desperation, finds himself rescued by the humans after a battle. Once rescued, he is assigned a DISASTER HUMAN, Raina. 

    Wiswell had the nerve, readers- to write a character that was SO fully relatable that I thus was fully sucked right in and had to know what was going to happen to Raina, even though... she was so relatable-that I had a hard time really LIKING her. I recognized all of the parts of me that I am not particularly proud of- on display, in a book- that was not about me... but yet, was it? I had a couple of uncomfortable chapters there.  

 SO we start off with me feeling like our MDC is so despicable that no dragon will host him, and our MFC Raina is such a disaster that her kind also sort of shun her. 

NORMALLY- as readers, we generally....feel the pangs of sorrow and understanding for those underdogs of the pages.  Wiswell created such wretched creatures that I felt like I'd likely flinch away from both the dragon and the human.  AND THEN... HE MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH BOTH OF THEM. 

What the what.  What did he put in this one. 

 Chapter after chapter, I started to love the fantastic disaster that Raina honestly is, and the transformation of our MDC (Garrodigh) from a miserable broken creature into a focused, magnificent fearsome dragon. These two magnificent and imperfect creatures take on invaders who seek to destroy them, and uncover a secret that is even more fantastical. 

I had so many reactions and hot takes that I do wish I'd done a series of "video reactions" as I was reading, but alas, I do work a full time job - not in publishing or media- so you get this word vomit here. 

I was locked in until the very end. I will freely admit, there's something... in this novel.  I laughed, and cringed, and cried enormous tears. I shared one passage with a friend- one passage- and she was suddenly sobbing too. (ONE PASSAGE, not the whole book- she didn't know anything but that one passage).  I'd love to share that with you, but but but the book isn't out yet. 

PUT THIS ONE ON YOUR TBR. 

Firstly because the story - as it unfolds is marvelous.  There is some quirky, amazing worldbuilding and dragon lore which I am sure Wiswell got from somehow real time dragon interaction- no way he just made that all up in his head- (Dragon sleeping habits have to be observed)  An inventive floating city, aloft on dragon magic (I mean, yes please!) and more. 

Secondly because so many of us have said we want to read stories that represent all kinds of people.  And this dragon fantasy- has organic inclusion of disability, trans persons, elderly persons, mental health struggles and more. So many novels attempt to be "representative" and it reads as inaccurate, forced or performative inclusion. Not this one. All of this just flowed in a way that made me say- of course, yes, this is the way of things. 

Will I be lining up on release day?  It will depend on my book money situation, but I will definitely definitely be cheering this one on no matter what. 

First Published :  7/14/26

Pages: 400

Available as an Audio Book :  yes 

Trigger Warnings: death, xenophobia, fire, fire injury, bullying, war, war injury,  Alcohol use, injury, miscommunication "trope", (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review - Gogmagog by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard 2.5/5 stars

   I read Gogmagog (The chronicles of Ludwich #1) by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard as part of my Water theme for 2025.

  I was so excited when the audio came off hold at the library. I had seen this book on social media and it seemed like it was going to be amazing.  I mean:  a river journey with a 1600 yr old woman, a thrall (mechanical AI type being, a girl made of seeds, and more. A river that is sort of a dragon? The journey promises to encompass old folk tales and present them in strange and alien ways. 

SIGN ME UP. 

(in my imagination, this is the River....)

Hall, Sidney, Etcher. Draco and Ursa Minor / Sidy. Hall, sculpt. Ursa Minor, 1825. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002695394/.

Sadly, I'm going to have to say.... take me off this sign up list.  Especially in the audio book form.  

Things I really liked: 

 -Cady's character is refreshing and super enjoyable. 

-The river itself is like it's own character

- the mystery of it all.

-the writing is solid and makes reading it to be fairly easy. 

Now... for me there was a lot I just didn't love. The narrative is kind of jumpy which didn't prove to be an issue with me, but i didn't really love that particular choice.  I felt like I understood what was going on , but I also felt like all the characters were trying to be the main character, and thus in the end, no one was really the main character and the overall story was lost... was it about the dragon, the child?, the Gogmagog?, Cady's body changes? Lek finding robotic love?  I would have DNF this book, but I had this sort of tingle that said it would eventually sort itself out.  For me, it did not- I felt it was "Almost there" .  Noon did a nice job of showing and not telling, but I did want a bit of telling so I could connect the dots a little bit more. Perhaps that happens in the second book, but, friends, I'm not going to give this series another 12 hours of my listening time. The narration was not to my liking, as whomever was "doing the voices" just managed to make me feel that tinge of aggravation that one feels sometimes.

The best way for me to describe this is that the reader is the audience for a Dungeon's and Dragons type role playing game in someone's parent's refinished basement and each player is taking a turn at advancing their character's story.  They are paying attention to the other's stories but they aren't incorporating them in any meaningful way so it ends up being a very surface type experience overall.  

Did I miss the point?  Maybe - I have also had some trouble with James Joyce's works... and even some lesser esteemed novels. 

Is this a book for someone?  SURE.  The writing itself is very good, and the premise is great.  Let me know if you've read this one and what you thought?  Enlighten me to what I missed!  I may try to read more from these authors just to get further into the weird, because I mean, perhaps it's a me problem. 

 STATS

First Published : February 13, 2024

Pages: 368

Available as an Audio Book : YES 

Trigger Warnings:  pandemic, death, profanity, alcohol, parental death

As always - this is not a complete list, read responsibly! 

Book Review: Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver 5/5 stars

 I have been highly anticipating the release of Scythe and Sparrow- the conclusion to the Ruinous Love Trilogy by Brynne Weaver. 

 I was not disappointed by Scythe and Sparrow!  If anything, I am now more entranced by the entire series! This is not great literature, and it doesn't promise that- it's fun. It's raucous, bawdy, audacious, unhinged, and delightful fun. 

A couple of years back I was at a B&N and asked the nice lady at the desk about Butcher and Blackbird - a new book I'd heard about via the Tik Toks... I was desperate to read it-  I mean, He's a serial killer... She's a serial killer.. They meet, sparks fly, eyeballs also fly... what could go wrong? 

  The nice lady looked at me, told me she hadn't heard of "Brian Weaver" but that it appeared the book would be on shelves in a few months. I felt smugly ahead of the times. 

  I imagine if I were to go into the same B&N today that the nice lady would be well aware of this series, and definitely not mistake Brynne for a "Brian" because we are now 3 books into a NYT and USA today best selling series. 

   And while I liked Butcher and Blackbird, and Leather and Lark A lot - for some reason I LOVED Scythe and Sparrow so much more. 

This is probably because I knew all the main characters and having Lark, Sloane and Rose all hang out together knowing all the back story was.. delightful. 

  So I am sure there were glaring plot holes, but I didn't notice them at all.  Weaver made things I personally scoff at, hilarious.  I mean, 20 yr old me liked the idea of tarot, runes and astrology, not 20 yr old me has experience that these are not things that are helpful for me. 

   We follow Rose- who's been with the circus for about a decade, she's been travelling from town to town reading tarot, performing on a motorcycle, and helping women escape from violence. Recently she's been trying to take her help up a notch, instead of just providing the means for escape, she's been trying to eliminate the problem.  Thing is... she might not be that good at that job.  Not being very good at that particular job leads to her injury, and voila- enter the handsome, fitness obsessed Fion Kane. He's a doctor, and the youngest of the Kane brothers. And he's not looking for a relationship at all. Of course not.  But relationships and love find us in the strangest places, possibly on the end of a cocktail toothpick, or maybe due to an errant, but very persistent land mammal?  

   I was able to snag the audio and I really did enjoy both narrators this time around. It took me a while to get into the style - with dual narrators kind of sliding in-between chapters providing little sound effects here and there, but in the end, I enjoyed it, though maybe... maybe some of the schmexy scenes were maybe too much for this lady. 

  I find Weaver's humor hilarious, and the romance was heart breaking - though I think in the end you'll find your heart stitched right back up and in the right place. 

If you are looking for a romantic escape with some humor and (a lot of nonconventional) spice, this series is going to be one you'd like to pick up! This is not a series for everyone, and I can promise it will not change your life. BUT if it is for you, I can assume you'll be laughing and crying and ugly sobbing through Scythe and Sparrow. It definitely took me away from reality for at least 10 hours! 

No spoilers in this review, but, if you've read it,  please let me know in the comments your favorite part!!!!  If you got the audio, what did you think? 

 

Black history Month reading recs, but make it Epic Fantasy... ?

 As  I mentioned in January, I am always actively trying to diversify my reading, so when content creators- who do not normally promote anything diverse started to trot out their "What I'm reading for Black History Month"  I had a moment of eye rolling...and then I got over it. 

  Books about the Black experience  are important.  I feel like they are essential to understanding my American experience.  One that most influenced me was Isabel Wilkerson's  The Warmth of Other Suns. I also found that The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander was excellent  and Homeward  by Angela Jackson-Brown gave a great perspective on the Civil rights movement in the 1960's. 

    I recommend these books all the time; recently a friend of mine told me he was looking for books outside of the history/experience type genre, and that while he has read books like the 1619 project, and the autobiography of Malcom X, and James Baldwin, he is now reading a lot of epic fantasy.  He shops mostly at the large book retailer big box store and said he didn't really see black authors in that fantasy section.  So... of course... I had to let him know that there are black authors writing in all genres, not just the genre of the black experience.  I presented him with a copy of Rage of Dragons which he is reading and seems to be enjoying!

  And then, I decided perhaps more people would like to know about some black authors that write fantasy.  This will obviously be books I've enjoyed- and not a comprehensive list.  I've tried to promote authors I don't see quite as often...let me know who your favorites are!!! 

 FANTASY: 

Evan Winter is a Canadian author who has written a wonderful epic fantasy series. He originally self published but the series has since been acquired by Hachette - Orbit.  This is an African inspired fantasy world full of dragons (yes dragons!), magic, political conniving, generational drama and more.  With short chapters and an absorbing story, this series is hard to put down once you've absorbed the beginning set up. 

Tracy Deonn's Legendborn series has been a smash hit.  This book is marketed as YA, but I see many many adults enjoying it so much. Marketed as a fresh take on Arthurian legend, this book is packed with action, adventure, a little bit of romance, tied in with a modern collegiate experience. Hitting as an instant NYT Best seller, I can't say this is not a well known series, but, I feel it deserves the recognition. 

TL Huchu is the author of  The Edinburgh Nights series featuring Ropa Moyo a precocious go-getter living in Scotland, and learning - the hard way- all about Scottish magic. 

These books are set a bit in the future in Scotland and feature a melding of Scottish and African Magic. Also created for a YA audience, they still appeal to adults. 

For me Huchu is an author to watch.  He's inventive, and sometimes bizarre, but overall, I've enjoyed this series 

Roseanne Brown has a fantasy duology inspired by West African Folklore - A Song of Wraiths and Ruin .  Royalty and a refugee come into conflict in an action packed adventure filled with magic, PG romance, deception and intrigue. Definitely recommend! 

David Anthony Durham has The Acacia trilogy- High Stakes fantasy where characters rush to avenge a death and restore an empire to it's former peaceful glory. 

 This really has it all, a character centered story in a world that's being reshaped by conflict. 

NK Jemisin is a giant in Fantasy and Scient fiction. 

The Dreamblood  duology seems to be overshadowed by some of her other works, but it shouldn't be overlooked. We start in an ancient city-state  where Peace is the law, and it is kept by priests who will heal, calm and also eliminate those who are considered corrupt. As those story opens, dreamer are being murdered and our main character must find the source, protect the people, and restore balance. 

Indie  Author  Deston Munden brings us a duology complete with dragons (yes), pirates (yes!!!), dragon pirates?  yes!!!!

Complete with found family  and wild adventure this duology would be comfortable in any fantasy lover's collection. 

Marlon James is well known, and his Dark Star Trilogy has been awarded several accolades.  
  I had a pretty hard time getting into Black Leopard, Red Wolf, but once I got beyond the beginning which had me a bit alarmed for "the boy" this is a super engaging fantasy full of all the adventure, heroes and villains a person could want.  And the second book- totally flips the narrative around and gives the reader such a fresh perspective, surprising and entirely engaging. 

Antoine Bandele is a author of fantasy for both children and adults. I was of course captivated by The Sky Pirate chronicles.  Based on the cover, I initially though this to be YA but it indeed for adult readers!  I loved the Sky pirates and especially enjoyed a strong female pirate character! 

 So, in the realm of fantasy, there are tons of diverse writers creating amazing tales to take us away from present  times, inspire us to new heights, and give us those experiences that we probably shouldn't enjoy in real life. I'm SURE I missed tons and tons of authors, (maybe even you!)   let me know your favorites so I can add them to my never-ending TBR! 

What's on your reading list for February?