Seventeen year old Chastity Blake knows the Sandman is just a silly children’s story parents tell their children to get them to sleep. At least she thought it was, until the day a mysterious, light golden sand appeared in her hands during a high school prank that went horribly wrong. A sand that has the power to send anyone it touches into a deep, sound sleep.
Fearing she had lost her mind, Chastity soon discovers the shocking truth of her heritage — she is a Dream Caster. Chastity was never supposed to be raised on the Domain, or what humans call Earth and she is forced to return to her true birth place, Revera — the world of Dreams.
However, in Revera there is no balance between good, the Light Casters, and darkness, the Shadow Casters, and Chastity is caught square in the middle. She soon learns that there is no place for anyone containing both the light and the darkness within them, and the shocking truth that if anyone in Revera ever discovered her shadow self, Chastity would be thrown into the Oblivion — the world of Nightmares.
Dreams are always more than they seem, and this time Chastity is going to discover just how different they can be.
This world has magical beings called Dream Casters. They have their own fairyland called Revera and Oblivion, which is apart from the mundane world which they call Domain. If so, don't they also have other magic users? Angels and demons? Vampires and witches, in it? Just wondering...
For some reason, I feel that Chastity, that's our heroine, has this emotional disconnect from events in the story. Like she is acting like she is suppose to respond in the situation but she isn't feeling it... hmmmm, I wonder why that is...
What this story is... Chastity kind of fell into a hole (like the "rabbit hole" in Alice In Wonderland) and ended up in Rivendell. Except they don't call it Rivendell, they call it Dombeya. And then onto Hogwarts. And then "Peter Pan in a The Lost Boys bonfire" got thrown in there too... Huh!? Somebody's been reading too many fantasy/fairytale books... Anyway... it is a typical battle between good versus evil and the good guys won, but... there is book 2, so the bad guys are not down yet. Knocked out but not down, and round two is published already.
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = (9 hrs & 37 mins listening time)
Plot = 2.5
Narration = 4.5
Adrienne Woods is a USA Today Bestselling author.
She published her first novel, Firebolt, in 2013, followed by Thunderlight, Frostbite, Moonbreeze and Starlight.
Her second series Dream Casters followed and Millue, the third and final part is scheduled to be released early 2019.
She is currently working very hard in getting the Dragonian Series translated into many languages and hope to reach new goals on the long run.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting another character, a beautiful girl named Elena. This is what she had to say.
Me: Elena, welcome, tell us a bit about yourself.
EW: (She looks at the carpet, a bit nervous.) What can I say, I’m 16, have moved around more times in my life that I can count on my fingers and toes, and as much as dragons frighten me, I sort of dig them.
(We both give nervous laughs.)
Me: I know exactly what you mean. How did you land in the world with all its dragons and riders?
EW: (Her eyes start to tear up, but she sniffs, and wipes a strand of blonde hair from her face.)My dad used to tell me stories about them when I was little. For some reason I can’t remember all the details, but I do remember that it was a special world hidden from the human realm where dragons and magic are real, like you are in front of me. We used to run away every three months. I never knew from what until that night. (She looks at the carpet) It wasn’t an easy life, and as much as I hated every single time we fled, I would gladly do it again if it meant having my dad back.
(My throat tightens up.) Me: You mean that your dad is no longer with us anymore?
EW: (She shakes her head.) He died the night five dragons attacked us on Interstate 40.
(I fell emotional with her, even though I never met her father.) Me: Is that how you ended up in Paegeia?
EW: (She nods). I didn’t know the ins and outs of how I got to the infirmary in Dragonia Academy, only that a guy, or should I say a dragon, named Matt rescued me and took me to Paegeia because of my dark mark.
Me: So you have the mark of the riders too?
EW. Yeah, it’s not so great knowing that soon you’ll have to fight a dragon that is twenty times your size, but how can I share my fear with my two best friends? One is part of a dent, something that is way out of this world. I mean her dragon, George, used to hate her, but after she claimed him, he started to hang on to every word that crossed her lips as if it was the last thing she would ever say. The dent thing is still a bit confusing, but they say it’s rare, and a bond like that can never be broken. My other friend, Sammy, is a Fire – Tail. A dragon that can incinerate your butt on the spot. I don’t think she would do it though.
(I give her a small smile.) Me: So you don’t want to be a dragon rider?
EW: Would you like to claim something that can breathe fire, or acid. Not to mention flying on one. I did it once, not so cool. I thought I was going to die.
Me: You flew on a dragon?
EW: Yes, it was a dumb thing to do, and I will never do it again. I will die if my friends find out that I’m afraid of heights.
(I give a small laugh.) Me: I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh.
(She laughs too.) EW: You understand now why I don’t want to be a Dragonian. (She sighs.) I’ve got no choice though. My mark is very dark. They’ve say they never seen one this dark, although plenty of the board members of Dragonia Academy think I don’t belong inside their school because of what my father was; a dragon. I’m the first offspring of a dragon that’s been born with the dragon rider’s mark.
(My face grows in terror.) Me: Your father was a dragon? ( I look at my charts. They should’ve told me that she was a dragon.) Are you a dragon?
EW: (She giggles) No, although my father’s one, a human and dragon offspring doesn’t have a dragon form. I’m human. As far as my father being a dragon, I guess I should’ve seen that one, but I never did. He was really good hiding it. He was one of the Metallic Dragons, the good type, and they say that the Metallics can go years without their dragon form. So I guess that’s what Dad did.
Me: Okay, let’s move over to the lighter side. Do you have a special someone?
EW: (She gives me that smile, the one you give whenever you think about your special someone.) Yes, but he’s royalty and I’m just a commoner. I’m sure they used to hang people like me in the old days.
Me: Is his name Lucian?
EW: Have you met him? (She seems to be a totally different person. Her face lights up and her smile would go all the way around her head, if it wasn’t for her ears.)
Me: I had the pleasure. He is a true gentleman.
EW: He is.
Well, Elena. I guess that was it. I would love to chat more with you and how you feel about everything but our time is up. So I guess I just have to find out more about you in Firebolt. Thank you so much for joining me today and I wish you all the luck with riding on dragons.
EW: Me riding on dragons that will never happen again, but thanks for having me here. It was nice talking to someone normal.
We both laugh and she gets up, gives me a wave as she exits and vanishes.
Dragons. Right. Teenage girls don’t believe in fairy tales, and sixteen-year old Elena Watkins was no different. Until the night a fairy tale killed her father.
Now Elena’s in a new world, and a new school. The cutest guy around may be an evil dragon, a Prince wants Elena’s heart, and a long dead sorcerer may be waking up to kill her. Oh. And the only way Elena’s going to graduate is on the back of a dragon of her own.
Teenage girls don’t believe in fairy tales. Now it’s time for Elena to believe – in herself.
Source: Info in the About Firebolt was from the press kit from the publicity team. Buy Link(s):
Meet The Author
About Adrienne:
I was born and raised in South Africa, where I still live with my husband, and two beautiful little girls. I always knew that I was going to be a writer but it only started to happen about four years ago, now I can’t stop writing.
In my free time, If I get any because Moms don’t really have free time, I love to spend time with friends, if it’s a girls night out, or just a movie, I’m a very chilled person.
My writing career is starting with Firebolt, book one with the Dragonian Series, there will be four books in total and two to three books that is about the stories taking place inside The Dragonian Series.
I do write in different Genres, I have a woman’s fiction called the Pregnancy Diaries, but it would be published under another name. And then I have a paranormal series, called the Watercress series. There are about ten novels in that one.
So, plenty of novels to come out, so little time.
I hope you are going to embrace the Dragonian Series as much as I loved writing them.