3 out of 4 stars
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Dragon Spindle by Jethro Burch is the first installment in the Ningazia Balance series. It can be categorized in the young adult fantasy genre.
The story starts with an interesting twist when the battle between the evil black dragon, Beimouth, and the red dragon, Fingara, ends with the decimation of the dragon race. An ancient evil from another realm has upset the balance in Ningazia, and the end of the dragon race is just the beginning. But are the dragons gone forever? Wizin, the immortal wizard, has been tasked to locate and train the boy pointed out in the prophecy, the one who has immeasurable power to restore balance to the world.
Wolves raise Varian till the age of ten, which is when he is brought under Wizin’s wing and sets off to the latter's castle to complete his education. Taught by an elf, Roulade, a half orc, Tireytu, and Wizin himself, Varian is prepared for the mammoth task before him: to reach the Dragon Isle. Joined by his friends-cum-mentors, Varian embarks on a journey to fulfill his destiny. Will he succeed in his mission?
The universe of wizards, dragons, elves and other magical creatures is nothing new in the fantasy genre. What made this story engaging was how the author wove in multiple short plots within the broader narrative. The storyline is paved with a series of adventures, with Varian and his friends facing one challenge after the other. On the downside, it was slightly disappointing that Varian overcame all his obstacles rather easily, and none of them came across as a real challenge for him. Although it fits in well with Varian’s image as the savior of Ningazia, it made his character less appealing for me.
The other characters were more satisfying in several respects. For example, how a short time with his mortal wife caused immense grief to Wizin after she died, or how Roulade, who being an elf has a long life spanning centuries, faces a similar crisis in his relationship with Nikolaia, the high priestess of the night temple, or how Tireytu, is adopted by Wizin, because he is shunned by both orcs and humans; are all interesting plot points explored by the author. These characters also add to the humor quotient of the novel.
A lot of imagination has gone into creating the world of Ningazia, which made the story vivid and lively. The author provides a map which makes it easy for the readers to follow the story. Though it may have added depth to the story, I felt the length of the novel could have been tacked by chopping some irrelevant scenes. There were a few grammatical errors as well, which could have been avoided.
Since this is the first book in the series, I’m hoping that the succeeding parts would be better, especially as this one ended on an exciting note. Therefore, I rate this one 3 out of 4 stars.
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Dragon spindle book 1 of the Ningazia balance series
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