Cover for The Pygmy Dragon

The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Pygmy Dragon

Because The Pygmy Dragon was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.

Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.

This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.

OloladeO

897297
Based on the cover and title, I would have read the sample because I find the cover attractive and I am looking for a read along the lines of its genre. From the sample, Pip is a pygmy who is three feet, eleven and a half inches tall. She was captured when she was little by a slave trader and she has lived in the zoo for seven summers. The zoo kept her in a cage with Hanagu, who is an ape. A dragon soon raided the zoo to free her from her cage for a reason so amazing, you would have to read the rest of the book for it. The book seems edited. The book has an OBC review which seals my wanting to read it.

First Ten review added on February 4, 2019, at 4:52 am by OloladeO.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Bianka Walter

502647
Pip is a very sweet protagonist. I like the way this story begins with a personal letter from her to the reader. It makes the character more relatable and I was immediately drawn to her. I’m a fan of fantasy stories, so I might have sampled this book without the first ten program. However, after reading the sample, I wasn’t too interested in reading further. The character concepts are very cool - I like the idea of pygmies and can’t remember reading a book with these creatures. The sample was well edited; I found no errors. As much as I found some nice qualities in the story, I didn’t find anything that made me want to read on. There was no draw for me, so I will not be reading this book. The OBC review didn’t sway my decision.

First Ten review added on February 4, 2019, at 2:53 am by Bianka Walter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mercelle

204747
Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, but the OBC review urged me on when it mentioned that the author narrates the story of a kidnapped pygmy. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that Pip decided to lead the children to the cave of warriors so they could find safety. The text needs a round of editing because I noticed wrongfully capitalized words on loc 349. That is the only thing I would change about the bit I read. I will, however, not read the rest of the book because it doesn't appeal to me.

First Ten review added on February 4, 2019, at 1:11 am by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

briellejee

309975
Based on the cover and title, I think I would have sampled the book. It literally screams fantasy and dragon on the cover, making it a sure choice for fantasy enthusiasts like me. As for the first few pages, I liked how it started with a prologue from Pip herself. It was like she's starting to introduce herself to the reader, making her character likable. Also, seeing that she's trying to enlighten the mood of her unfortunate circumstance as being traded to a zoo, I could feel nothing but sympathy for what happened to her. However, I wished the author used the first person narrative all throughout the book. Transitioning from Pip's perspective of the prologue to a third person perspective on the first chapter seemed to throw me off a little bit. Also, I liked the author's unique style of writing using the first persona. I am curious as to what happened and what will happen to Pip, and so I will be reading the rest of the book. I am also stoked to learn more about being a pygmy. There were no noticeable errors and the official OBC review was persuasive enough to tell me it gets better until the end.

First Ten review added on February 4, 2019, at 12:34 am by briellejee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Vickie Noel

249577
This book almost made me late for work. Yes, I love the cover art with its catchy title. I would have read it outside the program. I couldn't have been more convinced of this fact after reading a sample; I got to chapter 8 and had to fight off continuous reading so as not to miss the deadline of this review submission. What a story! I can't even say what part touched me the most: Pip finally being accepted by the Oraials, Hunagu defending her against his mother, mother ape's death, Balthion and family helping her know the ways of the big person, and Pip's impossible summoning back of Hunagu's spirit when he almost died. I can't wait to get away from here and back to my reading. However, I had raised eyebrows at the early stages of Pip's and Balthion's communication where Pip spoke clean, clear English even though she was raving mad at the man for not teaching her how to speak "big person speak." I guess Secchia got a little carried away there, not that that's a crime in itself anyway. The book had so few errors, I wouldn't have found them if I wasn't looking. On page 39, "sunshine" was spelled as "suns-shine" and "sidestepping" was wrongly hypenated on page 43. The OBC review had hinted that this was a thrilling read, but I had no idea just how engrossing it was until I read the sample myself.

First Ten review added on February 4, 2019, at 12:05 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Annelore Trujillo

97769
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be finishing this book. I liked the map at the beginning but not the story itself. It's just not my type of book. I'm not really into books about pygmies and dragons. I did like the view that was pointed out about how weird/mean "big people" are. It is weird that we lock up living beings to view them whenever we want. The book did seem to be professionally edited. It just isn't my type of book.

First Ten review added on February 4, 2019, at 12:03 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Fu Zaila

878840
The cover is amazing. I really liked reading the sample. It was well written and edited professionally. I liked Pip's lovely narrative style and joking about height, as well as her big unpronounceable name. There wasn't anything to dislike. I am looking forward to reading further.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 10:07 pm by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sahani Nimandra

385393
The Pygmy Dragon by Marc Secchia is a story of a young girl's road to self-discovery, but what's interesting is that she gets more than what she bargained for. The official reviewer didn't provide much of a clear image. The synopsis gave away what this story focuses on a girl's abuse and racial discrimination, and her journey to understanding the point beyond her human powers. I like Pip from the start, she had a voice of her own. She paints a good image providing an excellent visualization. At times, I felt Pip's a chatterbox, but I didn't mind it because I rather be a good listener. Her chatterbox humorous nature added a great sensation of a storyteller's ability so I wish to call Pip, the storyteller. I really like her ability to drag her audience along with her. I'm definitely adding this well-edited startling active Pip's life story into my reading shelf.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 9:51 pm by Sahani Nimandra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

KRay93

554551
The illustration of the cover is extraordinary and highly appropriate for the theme proposed by the blurb. The official review highlights the author's storytelling process and mentions that the characters in the book are memorable. The first ten pages include a prologue where the protagonist introduces herself, followed by the first chapter. Here, the protagonist finds her village on fire and tries to save the youngest. After engaging in combat, she ends up losing consciousness. The prose is fluid and appropriate for a genre book, while the editing work looks acceptable. While this looks like an engaging novel overall, I am afraid that the setting in Africa and the strong presence of dragons take me away from this book, so I will not continue reading it.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 9:12 pm by KRay93.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

AA1495

104697
Had I not read the sample, I would not have read the book. I usually read pure romance books. However, the cover (with the image of a woman, wherein a part of her face seems to be burning) caught my attention. Having read the sample, I thought that the author's description of scenes was perfect. It was in adequate detail to enable me to imagine the scene and was never excessive. However, the book does not seem professionally edited. One of the first things that I noticed upon reading the sample was that the first paragraph of chapter one was in a much larger font size (the same size as the heading) than the rest of the paragraphs. This distracted me a little. While the plot was different, it could not hold my attention. Since I do not read the genre usually, I will not be reading the book further.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 7:24 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sonya Nicolaidis

1005818
This seemed like a very professionally presented book, judging from the cover. The title is bold and eye-catching, and the illustration attractive. Even though the genre does not usually appeal to me, I might have picked it up out of a fleeting interest. Reviewers spoke highly of the charming story and of the delightful character, Pip, who is incarcerated in a zoo. I love the unique idea that Pip is a pygmy girl who can also change into a dragon - an idea I haven't ever come across before. Pip's pride in her small stature and the delightful way in which she narrates her story is quite appealing. The sample was grammatically correct and I found no errors in the the first ten. I did find, however, an almost childish style of language used, almost as if this was a story aimed principally at children and young adults. This might alienate more mature readers. As much as I enjoyed the sample, I wouldn't read the whole thing as it doesnt really interest me.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 1:50 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Gravy

60847
This book caught my attention. I most definitly would have clicked on this (had I come across it). The cover is gorgeous, I enjoy fantasy (and have a weakness for dragons), and the premise sounded interesting.
Sadly, the sample changed my mind.
I saw no typos or grammatical errors, and the writing is perfectly fine, just not to my taste (I enjoy first person when the story is present tense, but past tense first person tends to bore me).
I love the imaginative menagerie that makes up the cargo (though the thought of a snake closing its eyes made me wonder if the inaccuracy was intentional or just a mistake (if a mistake, please correct it!)).
Pip is an interesting character and I almost wish the type of narration didn't put me off so much. I would likely recommend this.
There was a review for this book, though that does not have an effect on my opinion.
Due to personal preferences I will not be reading this.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 7:50 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

va2016

119030
The title and the cover of the book clearly indicate the theme of the book. There are 249 Amazon customer reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is impressive! The Amazon summary of the book clearly describes the plot. As dragon stories, especially fantasies like riding on a dragon's back are not of my kind, I would have skipped reading the book if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the book rich in vocabulary, and teaching me many things that I didn't know, for example, the Runic alphabets. More than the story, I am intrigued by the ancient knowledge that this book contains, so i am going to read this in full. I found the book professionally edited. There are grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book is the ancient knowledge that it contains. I could not find anything that can be improved with the book. Although I found one OBC review for the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 6:45 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

ladycraic

356160
I would have chosen to read the first few pages of The Pygmy Dragon apart from First Ten for a few reasons. First off, the cover looked pretty epic and drew my interest immediately. Secondly, I was intrigued by the African character depicted on the cover - I'm a huge advocate for diversity and it's not something I see too often, even in the fantasy genre. Moving on to the blurb, I found it very promising. The plot seemed like an epic story waiting to happen, and that's pretty much what I look for in an ideal read. I really enjoyed the first few pages. Marc Secchia's choice to let Pip narrate was a brilliant one - or, at least, I thought so! Her humorous and light take in storytelling resulted in a fun reading experience for me. I like Pygmy as a character and I would love to see where her quest to be treated as the human she is takes her. The Pygmy Dragon seemed professionally edited and I didn't notice any grammatical errors.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 2:31 am by ladycraic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

CrescentMoon

56447
After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up because this doesn't seem like the kind of fantasy novel I enjoy. I generally do like fantasy but this seems really out of the world and I don't know much about pygmies, but this does seem to be a very unique and original premise and concept which I think is good. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors. I thought the prologue was very funny and enjoyable to read. I like how the main character described herself and spoke to the reader as if we were friends. I thought it was a humorous hook and start to the story and I like how the names and times are very personalized to the genre. For example, "seven summers" as a designated amount of time sounds very fantasy-like to me. However, I don't think I'll read the rest because this isn't really my kind of fantasy novel that I enjoy.

First Ten review added on February 3, 2019, at 12:31 am by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

CataclysmicKnight

67089
I love fantasy novels, and I'm always up for anything against bullying. The cover of this is terrific and would've drawn my eye, and then the Amazon description would've certainly made me want to sample it.

So far I'm loving the book. Pip is a very spunky, epic pygmy girl and a heck of a warrior! I absolutely loved the battle that took place, it's easily one of my favorite portions of ANY book. The author really captured the mix of someone battling on the burned rubble of their recently destroyed home with someone driven by rage and killing people for the first time. I didn't see anything negative, and there were no errors at all. With the humor and action in this book, I'll definitely read the rest!

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 11:36 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Chelsy Scherba

75151
I really like the unique lead character. Reading about Pip’s prowess with a bow and arrow and how she ended up in a zoo was fascinating. It’s even more interesting that she can shift into an actual dragon. The cover image is really what got me interested in this book. It looks amazing. I also like the title, and pygmies just sound cute because they’re so small. The writing is good with no errors to speak of. I enjoyed the description of the raid on Pip’s village and how she saved the children first before doing anything else. I don’t have any dislikes at this time. I will read the rest because of the positive review and fantasy elements.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 11:12 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

revna01

587493
Well, I can't say enough for this beautiful cover art! The title is nice as well. The first ten pages, which were without errors, introduced me to Pip, a pygmy warrior. She is telling her story about being enslaved in a zoo for seven years, then being rescued by a dragon. Chapter one discusses her saving children from the ambush of her people when she was eight. I liked the first person narrative in Pip's voice, followed by the third person narrative in chapter one. There is nothing I didn't like about my read! The Online Book Club reviewer raved about this book and really sealed the deal to read it. I can't wait to continue this read.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 10:46 pm by revna01.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Heidi M Simone

76506
Even if it wasn't for this program, I may have sampled this read on my own. I love the beautiful cover, the title, blurb, and fantasy. The fact that there is a positive OBC review and nearly 250 customer ratings convinces me this might be a good book for me. While reading, I did not see any glaring errors. The easy flowing and welcoming prologue simply put a smile on my face while I read. Pip seems like a very likable and sweet character as she introduces herself and her story. The opening sequence of chapter one was pretty intense. I can't imagine being so young and needing to act like a warrior like Pip had to when the jungle caught on fire. However, as I continued reading about Pip's capture and being in the zoo, my eyes did glaze over a bit. It might have been because Pip's capture happened so fast that I didn't feel like I understood her life prior to being captured. This might not be the point of the plot, but I just felt the switch to be rather quick. Due to this, I do not plan on reading the rest of this book.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 10:41 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

LV2R

708077
The book cover and title really looked professional and interesting. The Amazon Blurb summarized the book quite well about Pip being rescued from a zoo by a dragon and goes to a Dragon Rider school inside a volcano. This all interested me to read the book. In the first ten pages, Pip introduces herself and her background. I best liked how Pip seemed very friendly and talked about her really long name with different clicks, tones, and a bird-trill! We can call her Pip. I like that when Pip introduced herself and her name, she actually let the readers know about a different culture and language of the Pygmies. The book seemed to be edited well, as I did not notice any grammatical or punctuation errors. However, the formatting of the first paragraph of the first and second chapters has many extra lines between each line of text. For example, on page 4: “Fire rained down from the (then about 3 empty lines) night sky. Blazing orange caterpillars (about 3 empty lines) crawled amongst the trees.” The OBC review stated that the author was a good storyteller and developed the characters well. I want to read the book to find out how and why Zardon, the red dragon, rescued Pip from the zoo, as well as Pip shapeshifting into a bronze dragon.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 8:01 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

sarahmarlowe

812327
The cover of The Pygmy Dragon looks professionally done. The illustration is intriguing, and the title is clear and readable. It probably would have captured my attention. The sample is well-written, and I saw no editing errors. I like that the prologue is written in first person by the main character and the chapters are written in third person. That was a nice touch and helped the reader connect with Pip. Pip looks like an awesome character with a lot of courage and a big heart. She would have to be in order to be a warrior.

I won't be reading this one because I am not a big fan of fantasy. I have not read an OBC review of this book.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 7:04 pm by sarahmarlowe.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jsovermyer

1045410
I'm a fan of fantasy stories especially with dragons. The cover art is beautiful and I'm immediately drawn to this book. This is an exciting story and Pip is a very strong character. I did not like the other characters making fun of Pip's short stature. The book was professionally edited and I found no spelling or grammatical errors. The official review rated this book highly and I would agree. I have downloaded the book and plan to finish reading it.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 5:34 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

HRichards

741384
I might have picked this book up on my own as I'm interested in YA fantasy. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with this book as the reading level seems to be much more for middle grade readers. The sample deals with Pip, a pygmy who has been captured and put on display. The details of Pip's capture is recounted as are some fantastical animals that are also captured like Pip. The writing is very good and I didn't notice any grammar errors. Younger readers who like fantasy should like this book. I haven't read any other reviews of this book.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 5:32 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Alice Heritage

173569
I know that I would have sampled this book without the programme because I already own it; I had it prior to joining this site. The first ten pages made me want to read the rest of it because they introduce a strong female character with a lively and humorous voice. The OnlineBookClub review confirms that Pip is a dragon shapeshifter. This book seems to have been professionally edited as I noticed no errors. I liked the detail that Pip's name includes a bird trill, and her expressions like "off-the-island", which give her voice a realistic sound. There wasn't anything major that needed to be improved; a very minor point is that I could have done without the larger font that appeared in the first paragraph of each chapter.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 5:10 pm by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

psychopathycathy

104096
If I had not read the sample, I would have read the book as the blurb sounds interesting; I am not usually one for high fantasy, but the cover is intriguing as well. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I really liked how the narrator seemed to speak directly to the reader saying lines like "You need to take a deep breath." I also liked how the tone was a little lighthearted, which made the transition to the story about the slave traders attack much more jarring. The sample was professionally edited. I did not read the official review but that did not affect my decision.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 3:48 pm by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kajori Sheryl Paul

997537
'The Pygmy Dragon' is a book wriiten by Marc Secchia. The title, blurb, the OBC review, and the customer reviews in Amazon did a good job of convincing me to give the book a try.

The first ten pages of the book leads me to believe that it is a fantasy novel. The book revolves around a mahogany-skinned pygmy named Pip. Pip had been captured and kept in a zoo with an ape named Hunagu by the white “big people" for the past seven years. After seven years, she is rescued by a dragon who urges her to write down her story. I have to mention that I did not find a single error. This leads me to believe that it is professionally edited. I think Pip’s story is heart-wrenching. The way she is treated like an animal is really sad. However, her spirit is commendable. I loved her friendship with Hunagu. Overall, I loved this book. Hence, I will definitely give this book a try.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 3:34 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Yoli García

139064
I would have sampled this book at the library or a store because the cover is impressive. The OBC review made me curious about this story because the author is from South Africa and likes writing about dragons. I think the book was professionally edited. I liked that Pip is a brave warrior. She saved children from the fire burning her village. The whole idea the about Pip spending seven summers in a zoo with an ape did not appeal to me. Even though the cover is outstanding and I like some elements of the story, I will not read it because the premise of the book did not grasp my full attention.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 3:25 pm by Yoli García.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Cristina Chifane

418146
I would have sampled this book even without the first ten program because I think the cover is quite spectacular and I like reading fantasy novels. The book has good efitorial reviews and 249 customer reviews with an overwhelming number of 4 or 5 stars. I liked Pip's prologue and especially the introductory sentence: "Yesterday a dragon kidnapped me from my cage in a zoo." It is the kind of sentence that decides the fate of a book and sticks into the readers' minds. I also enjoyed the idea of a Pygmy girl recounting her adventures, but I found her language a bit too colorful to sound authentic enough. Chapter one changed to a third-person narration full of action and detailed descriptions. I mainly appreciated the original elements such as the name-tattoo marked in runic script and symbolizing Pip's battle name. I didn't notice any punctuation or grammar mistakes. I think older children could enjoy this story. For me, the story is not so intense to keep me fully tuned in. Despite the OBC review, I'll not be adding it to my reading list.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 1:52 pm by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sarah_Khan

89585
The cover of this book looks really cool. This is the first book in a series and I am not sure I am ready to commit to reading that many novels, so I don't know if I would have picked this up if it weren't for the First Ten program. The first ten pages were professionally edited. I liked that a map was included and it looked very unique. I also liked the introduction told by Pip. The overall story sounds refreshingly original, I appreciated the little details like the ceremony of Second Naming. Normally, I would not read a book that is this hardcore fantasy, but I find myself getting interested in how this story will turn out. Therefore, I look forward to reading the rest. The first ten pages were enough to convince me, so I did not feel the need to read an OBC review.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 11:57 am by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Laura Ungureanu

620179
"The Pygmy Dragon" is a fantasy dragon book about shapeshifters. Pip is a Pygmy girl who lives in a cage. She is a very friendly character and it reminds me of Charles Dickens's Pip because of the name. Pip waits for the Dragon to rescue her and her Ape friend. The world is called Island-World. I like the fact that it has a map at the beginning. I am not into fantasy books, so I wouldn't have tried this book without the program and I won't continue reading it. I didn't find any grammar errors.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 11:45 am by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

cpru68

517613
Pip has been taken captive and thrown into a zoo after her village was attacked. After saving three young children and getting them to safety, she fights valiantly as the warrior she has been called to be. However, after slaying a few members of the enemy, she is wounded and captured.

I liked the opening and how she explains her name and gives background information to the reader. This was nicely done and easy to understand. Sometimes, openings can have too much information, but just the right amount was given. I liked that for a girl with such short stature, she was portrayed as a mighty warrior proving that physicality doesn’t matter when it comes to strength.

I did not see any errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar, and it would seem this was professionally edited. However, I did notice rather large spacing at the beginning of chapters. I don’t know if it was designed this way or if it’s a formatting issue on my Kindle app. Because it was consistent at the beginning of each chapter, I assume it was intentional.

I think the cover is eye catching, but I probably wouldn’t have found this on my own search for a book to read.

I won’t be finishing this one as I read mainly non-fiction, and I am not fully interested in dragons and transmutation. I am grateful for the opportunity to have read this sample through the online book club, and I will send it out on my social media for others to take a look at.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 11:41 am by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

ritah

236447
I would have sampled the book because I love the cover, and I often read books in this genre. After reading the official review, I sampled The Pygmy Dragon. I liked the lengths to which Pip went to ensure the safety of the three children she rescued when the village was under attack, and that she went back to help the other warriors. The novel appears to be professionally edited as I did not notice any errors. Happy to have a copy and I will be reading the rest of the book for the adventure and intriguing plot.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 11:02 am by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kristy Khem

533451
The cover design of this book caught my interest immediately because it looked like an exciting fantasy novel that I would enjoy. The blurb, title, and Amazon reviews also encouraged me to buy and read this book. The sample was riveting. I liked the map of The Island-World which was included before the story started. The story itself immersed me in Pip’s fantasy world. Her conversational tone made me feel as if I were her friend who she was confiding in. For example she said, ‘First, let me tell you a secret”. I also liked the descriptions in the book. For instance, the author described the fire like ‘blazing orange caterpillars crawled amongst the trees’. Pip was also a very sprightly character which I liked. I admired her for saving the children and not instantly fleeing when their village was attacked. I did not spot any errors while reading so I think it was professionally edited. I enjoyed reading the sample so I will buy and read this book.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 11:01 am by Kristy Khem.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Camille Turner

553069
I don't think I would've sampled this book without the program because based on the cover, title, and Amazon blurb, it's a fantasy that centers around dragons, and those types of fantasy stories don't usually appeal to me. After reading the first ten pages, I believe the book to be professionally edited as I didn't see any grammatical errors or typos. My impression has stayed the same, as it's clearly a fantasy book that will talk a lot about dragons. I didn't really care for Pip's narration style, which was done in very short, simple sentences that address readers directly a little too much for my personal taste (like when she says "We're going to be good friends" and "Did you laugh?"). As such, I won't be reading the book since I didn't connect with the protagonist. I do think the book will appeal to other fantasy lovers with different preferences than me, so I wouldn't necessarily improve anything. One thing I did like was that the world the author created seems to be really unique and full of mythical creatures such as tiny Pygmies with their names tattooed on their legs and Oraials who are large apes who can talk. I love that all of the places in question are islands. That's a very unique setting.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 9:12 am by Camille Turner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

gali

50066
I would have sampled the book on my own, as I love dragon tales. The cover is beautiful and drew me in. The blurb sparked my interest, which was further fueled by the sample. A fantasy revolving around adventures of a Pygmy girl that turns out to be a dragon is right up my alley. Pip was kidnapped from her Pygmy village during a raid and put in a zoo with apes as companions . Later she was rescued by a dragon and finds out she can shapeshift into a dragon! I was mad by the way Pip was treated by the "big people", admired her guts, and liked the interactions between the her and the humongous apes. I didn't notice any glaring errors, always a plus. As I enjoyed the sample, I'll definitely read this book. The official review further strengthened my decision to read the book.

First Ten review added on February 2, 2019, at 8:23 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Total ~ 54%

The Pygmy Dragon earned a score of 54%.

In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 54% plan to read the whole book.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.

Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.

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