Todd Lockwood

The debut novel from the acclaimed illustrator--a high fantasy adventure featuring dragons and deadly politics. Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she anticipates a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon--one of the rare and mythical High Dragons--makes an appearance in her quiet valley. Political factions vie for control of the implied message, threatening her aspirations, her aerie, her entire way of life. The bond between dragons and their riders is deep and life-long, and Maia's desire for a dragon of her own to train, ride, fly, and love drives her to take a risk that puts her life at stake. She is swept into an adventure that pits her against the deathless Horrors, thralls of the enemy, and a faceless creature drawn from her fear. In her fight to preserve everything she knows and loves, she exposes a conspiracy, unearths an ancient civilization, and challenges her understanding of her world--and of herself."

The Summer Dragon

Judy Hudgins

Dragons! 

This weekend was my second MisCon, which is basically four days of nonstop panels with authors talking about writing. In other words, paradise.

But there are drawbacks. Like when you picked up a book because you have met the author at last year's MisCon. And it is so good you want to hide in the closet and forget all the panels you want to attend and all the autographs you want to get and just read.

So instead, we came home a day early and I spent it in bed...

With Todd Lockwood...

And his debut novel.

I was aware of The Summer Dragon via Shawn Speakman and his posts about the book. If Shawn and Terry Brooks endorse the book, it has to be at least ok. And I will admit, Mr. Lockwood is not only a nice looking gentleman, he also has this great voice and a wonderful sense of humor. I loved hearing him speak on the panels in 2015. So I plunked down my money and trotted off to have him autograph the book.

I rarely get so caught up in a book I don't put it down and read a bit on something else and then come back to the book. I could count on one hand the number of authors I will devour their books in one sitting. This was definitely a case of "Go away! I'm reading."

It seems the hope Maia has of getting her own baby dragon, or qit, out of the current broods her father has raised, is slipping away. All the hatchlings are needed by the Emperor, especially after another aerie of dragons was recently destroyed by Horrors. However, fate, or the appearance of the Summer Dragon, spins the wheel of fortune and Maia is thrown into the deep end.

It was a good thing I could read this book in bed. I was exhausted by the time I got halfway through. And I thought about setting it down and getting an early night's sleep, but I had to know what happened next. I couldn't sleep with things still up in the air.

Another good thing about this book is Todd Lockwood has illustrated not only the cover and the end plates, but also there are illustrations throughout the book. So it's really a two-for-one deal -- fantastic story and equally fantastic artwork.

The only drawback? I need the next book!

The Summer Dragon

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