Book Review: The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Evertide
Publisher: DAW (May 3, 2016)
Length: 512 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Todd Lockwood is one talented guy. Not only is he a professional illustrator and a painter of beautiful dragons, with his art gracing a number of science fiction and fantasy covers, apparently he’s one hell of an author too. For years I’ve been an admirer of his work as an artist, so when it was announced that DAW was going to be publishing his debut novel my interest was immediately piqued, especially when I found out that his book is about—what else?—dragons!
And so we have The Summer Dragon, first book of the Evertide saga. In a world where dragons are used as mounts in war, Maia and her family are breeders who supply the army with young dragonlings. For as long as she can remember though, Maia has wanted a dragon of her own to love and train and ride, but as Brood Day draws nearer it seems once again the army will be demanding their entire stock this year. A new threat is emerging, and it has already destroyed another one of the Dragonry’s most productive aeries. To fight the enemy, the army is going to need every single dragon they can get their hands on.
That is why when the mythical Summer Dragon suddenly appears to her and her brother Darian in the woods one day, Maia believes with all her heart that this is a sign that her luck is going to change. She was correct, as it turns out…though perhaps not in the way she expected. Determined to prove to everyone—herself included—that the appearance of the Summer Dragon means something greater for her future, Maia decides to risk it all and take matters into her own hands. She will get her dragon, or die trying.
At its heart, The Summer Dragon displays many characteristics of your classic girl/boy with her/his loyal companion creature story, but nevertheless I was beyond impressed. Lockwood’s writing style feels very smooth and polished, making it wonderfully easy to get into. It’s hard to believe this is his first novel, since he takes to storytelling like he’s been doing it for years. The plot is balanced with lots of action, intrigue, and even some gut-wrenching family drama, and of course we mustn’t forget all the dragon-y goodness.
No doubt dragons are extremely valuable in this world, but while the some in the army may regard them as nothing more than useful mounts during times of war, others recognize the importance of these creatures in all other areas of life. Dragons are deeply ingrained in this culture, featuring prominently in the mythology and religion. For example, the Summer Dragon is seen as a manifestation of one of the great aspects, and the sighting of any of these High Dragons is said to be a sign of great changes to come. People form deep bonds with dragons, and for breeders, they’re more than just a livelihood; they are friends and family.
Clearly, Lockwood has shown he can write dragons as well as he draws them. And speaking of which, he has also included about a dozen illustrations in this novel, each one gorgeously rendered and insanely detailed. That’s already enough for me to recommend picking up the hardcover to admire the artwork in all its glory; for me, it’s like an extra bonus to an already fantastic story. The Summer Dragon has the added benefit of feeling like the perfect coming-of-age tale that I think will appeal to adults and young adults alike. The story hooked me immediately, with a conflict that is straightforward but intriguing. Themes like friendship and family are explored in unique ways, and the action and adventure keeps the story moving at a quick and absorbing pace. Maia is a great protagonist, supported by a vibrant cast of characters who each have their own motivations and secrets, so that you can never really know for sure what might happen. Plus, who can say no to the dragons? Their personalities are absolutely enchanting, and I see them as the stars of this novel in their own right.
The Evertide is now poised to become another one of my favorite fantasy series featuring dragons, putting it up there alongside Marie Brennan’s Memoir by Lady Trent. I’m looking forward to the next installment with great excitement! If you enjoy fantasy and adventure and dragons, you definitely won’t want to miss this.
The BiblioSanctum 
I do like dragons 😉
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If you like dragon stories, this one was pretty awesome 🙂
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wow it’s great to see that this author is able to do so many other things! Lucky man! Mainly when it’s a good novel too!
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Yeah, I’m glad he decided to try his hand at writing a novel! Worked well for him 🙂
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A great story with some amazing art included as an extra. Sign me up!
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Loved the art. Wish it would become a feature in all novels. Hey, illustrations shouldn’t be just for children’s books 😀
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Coming-of-age tales always fascinate me, and since this one seems to be a deep and many-faceted one, I will certainly add this book to my list: there is such a strong thread of enthusiasm in your words about this book that is difficult to ignore 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
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Well, I always love dragons. 😀 And it’s also exciting to see an artist go from painting covers for fantasy novels to writing his own!
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Dragons and beautiful illustrations? Sign me up 😉
I haven’t read a dragon book in a while and I am really in the mood for a good one! I have an eARC of The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan and a copy of A Natural History of Dragons but, more is more 😛
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I love A Natural History of Dragons! Highly recommended 😀
I’m also looking forward to The Waking Fire, I’ll probably be hitting it closer to release date 🙂
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I’ll have to add this one to my TBR pile. I’m looking for more books where dragons factor in prominently. I wasn’t as taken with A Natural History of Dragons, but decided to give the 2nd a chance because maybe the character grows, as she says through the first book that he behavior was immature which is what grated on my nerves.
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Sorry to hear you weren’t a fan of A Natural History of Dragon! I really enjoy the series and the books have gotten better and better. Isabella does mature over time. Anyway, hope you have better luck with this one if you get a chance to give it a shot 🙂
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I LOVE the classic girl/boy with his/her faithful animal companion story so just with the sentence, you had me even more sold than I already am. If this wasn’t already on my tbr/wishlist, I’d be adding it now! That, combined with dragons, ILLUSTRATIONS of dragons and a polished writing style? I am SO IN! I can’t wait to read this for myself Mogsy 😀 Awesome review^^
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If you love those kinds of stories, then this one will be right up your street! It’s very adventure based, and the dragons in this are so wonderful and full of personality!
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I really enjoyed this one as well! And agree, the illustrations are a wonderful addition!
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Like I said in an early comment, I would love for illustrations to be a feature in all novels, not just books for children, lol. Some pubs in countries like Japan and China do this, and they always have some awesome art done by the best artists!
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YES! First review I’ve read for this and so excited to hear that his writing matches his art XD The plot sounds great too! Coming-of-age dragon story.
It still seems so strange and almost random that he wrote a novel, right? I don’t follow artists too closely, but he is one of my favorite cover artists, so I think somewhere along the way, I would have heard he was a writer also? Either way, I’ll be picking this up 🙂
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