Review by Kendra M Parker -- Becoming the Dragon

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Kendra M Parker
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Review by Kendra M Parker -- Becoming the Dragon

Post by Kendra M Parker »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Becoming the Dragon" by Alex Sapegin.]
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2 out of 4 stars
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Becoming the Dragon (The Dragon Inside Book 1) by Alex Sapegin sounds from the blurb like it will be a fascinating tale of a human coming to terms with his transformation into a dragon at his deathbed. I had high hopes for the concept behind this book, but sadly, it did not live up to my expectations.

At the start of the book, readers meet Andy, a sixteen year old boy who had been struck by lightning two years prior. As a result, electronic technology tends to misbehave around him and he had to learn to enjoy more mundane activities such as archery and cooking. When he accidentally stumbles into his father's teleportation experiment during a test, Andy gets thrown into a fantasy world where he must learn to survive against strange creatures he had previously thought mythological. Once in this world, he discovers he has magical talents when he gets sold as a slave. As a slave, he eventually gets fatally injured and his only way to survive is to accept a ritual transformation into a dragon.

As I read this book, I kept wondering when the dragon transformation that had been promised would occur. Not until nearly two-thirds of the way through the book does this actually happen. When the dragon transformation does finally happen, the book's style changes from a narrative to a more confusing stream of consciousness diary interspersed with narrative from other characters. I give the author some credit, as this does help the reader feel a bit more of the strangeness of the transformation, but the language and jarring nature of the entries seemed out of place with the rest of the story. The remainder of the story often feels like a world building dump as Andy's adoptive family tries to educate him in all the things he needs to know about the world where he lives.

Another complaint that I have with this story is that Andy seems very reactionary and has very little personal drive to change things in the fantasy world. On earth he showed drive to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow, but after that, I see very little evidence of any desire to change his circumstances. Plenty of things happen to Andy, and he responds in various ways that seemed in character, but he did very little to change anything. Even the points where he made enemies and decided to become a dragon were almost forced upon him. Andy shows very little personal growth, seeming much the same emotionally at the end of the book as he did at the beginning.

From a world building standpoint, it seems that much of the world has been built on RPG foundations, such as mana as a source of power for magic. The author assumes that readers are familiar with these foundations and does little to explain them. Orcs, goblins, elves, gnomes, dragons, and many of the other high fantasy types are present, and there is very little unique about the world. Many Viking mythologies are also incorporated, though readers will not learn why until about three-quarters of the way through the book. At times, this was frustrating, since it seemed out of place to have these mythologies referenced, though toward the end my questions about this were answered.

Overall, I will give Becoming the Dragon 2 out of 4 stars. The book has some interesting moments, and I did enjoy parts of it, which earn it two stars. Technically, it could probably use another professional edit to help clear up some repeated phrases, comma and apostrophe usage, and a few other plot issues. That could help get the book to at least the three stars level if done right. Young adult readers looking for some big adventure without commitment to character growth might enjoy this novel more than I did

******
Becoming the Dragon
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Dolor
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Post by Dolor »

Your review gives me the clearer view about the book. I'm so sad for the too late transformation and the confusion.

Is Becoming the Dragon (The Dragon Inside Book 1) by Alex Sapegin a series?
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Jackie Holycross
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

I considered reading this book, but now I'm glad I did not pick it. Thanks for the honest and informative review.
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Kendra M Parker
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Post by Kendra M Parker »

teacherjh wrote: 24 Apr 2018, 09:43 I considered reading this book, but now I'm glad I did not pick it. Thanks for the honest and informative review.
I was really hoping for more from this book, so I was disappointed with its execution. I think you’re probably right to be glad you did not pick it. It's a shame, really. There was so much promise here.
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Post by ScoutWrites »

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was excited by the blurb, but let down by the book itself. I hated how long it took for the dragon transformation to happen.
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Kendra M Parker
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Post by Kendra M Parker »

ScoutWrites wrote: 13 May 2018, 00:47 I'm glad I'm not the only one who was excited by the blurb, but let down by the book itself. I hated how long it took for the dragon transformation to happen.
Same here. It just kept dragging until he finally took that plunge and then even the transformation was slow.
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Post by Espie »

The book has some interesting moments, and I did enjoy parts of it
It's notable how you've tried to go out of your way to identify the redeeming qualities of this piece. Thank you for your honest yet well-founded and well-written review.
"Life has many different chapters for us. One bad chapter doesn't mean it's the end of the book."-Unknown
"To err is human; to forgive, divine."-Alexander Pope
"Put GOD first; He'll bless your efforts with success."-Proverbs
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