Rachel Aaron

As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don't cause trouble, and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek behavior doesn't fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has finally reached the end of her patience. Now, sealed in human form and banished to the DFZ--a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit--Julius has one month to prove he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are considered monsters to be exterminated, he's going to need some serious help to survive this test. He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons...

Nice Dragons Finish Last

Sade A

I'm just going to cut through the whole rigmarole and say it as it is. This book is well, nice. It's not going to make you re-evaluate your favorites shelf on goodreads, you're not going to get post book depression and wonder why you didn't pick this book up sooner and bless your life with this awesomeness. You're not even going to feel like your life has been blessed with some form of awesomeness by the book gods except you're Marci and you smile at Julius in which case, your day is pretty much made - but i digress.

Nice dragons finish last is a book that manages to keep it's head above water thanks to the supporting cast. This book is really all them. Julius and Marci were just disgusting (and honestly if book 2 keeps going on about Marci's smile, i'm rating it one star) Also, there's nice and then there's Julius's nice, which is just some form of naivety and hoping to god shit works out by some sort of miracle and you don't killed in the process.

...All in all not a terrible book, not a fantastic book. just bobbing along nicely somewhere in the middle.

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!

Rating: 3.5 stars. 

Sometimes, it doesn’t pay to be nice. But it’s always the right decision. Even if you’re a dragon.

Julius Heartstiker is having a hard day. His mom kicked him out with nothing but the clothes on his back, and has threatened to eat him if he doesn’t mend his ways. By mend, she means stop being so darn nice. Why is being nice a problem, and what kind of mother threatens to eat her child? Well, the answer to both of those questions is DRAGON, because that’s what Julius and his mother and his dozens upon dozens of siblings are: dragons! However, Julius’s draconic form has been sealed, leaving him helplessly human in the only city in the world where dragons are illegal. Understandably, chaos ensues.

Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres for when I’m stressed or tired or just need an escape. The genre doesn’t tend to be as literary as a lot of the fantasy and other fiction I choose to read, which is absolutely why I enjoy it. It gives me a compelling story with interesting characters, but in a way where I can just sink into the story without having to think too deeply. Urban fantasy and romance and middle grade books are what I read for fun, and to give my mind a break.
 
That being said, I still expect a certain quality of writing in my urban fantasy, and this first installment in the Heartstrikers series left something to be desired. The writing felt novice, if that makes sense. There was a lot of "said wearily" and "scoffed angrily" and such, which is a writing pet peeve of mine. Show me what the characters are feeling; don't overuse adverbs to describe their tones! Aaron did a lot of telling instead of showing, and because of that I never engaged as deeply with the characters as I would have liked. One of the things about urban fantasy that I used to dislike but now appreciate is the use of first person narrative. It’s not my favorite perspective to read; however, it imbues the main character with more, well, character. I feel more like I get to know the protagonist, and some writing choices that I would generally view as lazy become more like character quirks in my eyes, actually making the protagonist sound more realistic. I think Julius, our main character in this series, would have benefitted from this treatment. However, I’ve heard that Aaron’s writing improves as the series progresses, which I look forward to experiencing.

While I didn’t fully click with the characters, I did enjoy them. Especially Bob. Bob is quite possibly the most eccentric character I’ve come across in urban fantasy, and that’s saying a lot. I can’t wait to learn more about him!

I didn’t immediately fall in love with this series, but I am intrigued. Dragons aren’t very predominant in the UF genre, and the whole premise is interesting. I have multiple friends who adore this series, so I can’t wait to see where it leads!

Becky

I loved this book. I wasn't certain at first as I figured out what was going on in the first couple of chapters, but once I got going I was hooked. I didn't want to stop reading, I even ended p sacrificing sleep to make it to the end. It was just such a fantastic read.

I think what makes this book great is Julius, sure he is uncertain and makes stupid decisions as he listens to others, but he has a conscience and a good head on his shoulders and you like him despite his families insanity. It's not often you get a genuinely nice guy in books and having him be a nice guy when he's a dragon and part of a family who is actively encouraging him to be more conniving and cruel and he's nice anyway and you have a sign this will be an interesting book. Create some tension as his mother has manipulated it so that he is likely to be eaten by her if he doesn't prove he is capable of being a dragon and you're ready for a great read.

The book has so many twists and turns and it really keeps you on your toes. It was just really totally awesome. And then you have all these really fab characters and you basically have the best and most addictive read and I think that's partly because it's funny. The writing worked for me because it as my kind of humour and I just loved it basically. great final book for January.

dead line

Unexpectedly good.

The two main characters are 24 and 25, but they feel more like teenagers. Not really a complaint though.

I like the world being openly magical.

I would think that a spirit who runs a city, with a hard 'No dragons allowed' rule, would take notice of multiple dragons owning multiple buildings in the city.

Nickie Mohler

This story follows Julius, the youngest in the largest dragon clan. His family are all ruthless, dangerous, and they feel that humans are there to do their bidding. Julius doesn't feel that way, so he usually locks himself in his room and avoids them as much as possible. His mother, Bethesda feels that that has gone on long enough. She strips Julius of his ability to shift to his dragon form and sends him to the DFZ (Detroit Free Zone). He will either prove that he can act like a dragon, or she will kill him and eat him. 

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the magic, the world, and the characters are great too. I especially like Julius and Marci. Bob(Brohimir) is very entertaining, and the rest of the Heartstrikers are ruthless, yet fun to read about. I really enjoyed the humor and plan to continue this series.

Nice Dragons Finish Last

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