2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Struck by lightning as a teenager, and now prone to wrecking electrical devices when within reach, it’s clear from the beginning that Andy Kerimov is not your average boy. Because of his sudden immunity to computers and televisions, Andy must discover other ways to entertain himself. He picks up reading, finds a man who teaches him archery and becomes a rather remarkable chef for which his family is grateful.
When Andy’s father, a Russian scientist making gains on teleportation, forgets some important notes, Andy finds himself at the military base at the exact moment they decide to have a test run. Suddenly teleported to another world, Andy must quickly learn how to survive in a place with unwelcoming magical and fantastical creatures. Elves, mages, orcs, dragons, and gnomes occupy this strange planet, and it isn’t long before Andy is captured and sold into slavery. Tortured and starved, Andy finds his moral compass slipping sideways as he must do what it takes to survive. Later on, a situation arises that necessitates Andy to undergo a risky ritual that will potentially transform him into a dragon...
I had mixed feelings about Becoming the Dragon by Alex Sapegin. While I thought this story was carefully thought out, the actual execution left something to be desired.
The whole book felt a little disjointed to me. There were seemingly random events that left me feeling confused as to the significance, and flashbacks that weren’t clearly portrayed as flashbacks. The author also seemed to skip around a lot. Little parts were written from different characters perspectives which detracted from the overall flow of the plot.
In my opinion, too much time was spent on the world building of this new universe. Elaborate descriptions of things that didn’t directly impact the story were also a common occurrence. I found those long paragraphs difficult to visualize and wanted only to skip ahead to the action. While it seems rather impressive someone could imagine and put onto paper such a strange and unusual world, there were simply too many details and unfamiliar words that left me confused and bored.
I also found it difficult to connect to the characters. During the most profound and impactful parts of the story, the author seemed to skim over Andy’s emotions and reactions, causing it to feel passive and ungenuine. I don’t believe there’s a teenage boy in the world who would handle being thrown into another universe with relative ease and minimum freakouts. He quickly discovered ways to survive his brand-new environment, using the random assortment of skills he possessed in his previous life. The fact that he was trapped in this new world and would never see his family again didn’t seem to faze him all that much. So while his adaptability was impressive and convenient, it just didn’t seem plausible.
Multiple secondary characters were introduced to us at one time, and with such unusual names like Guynug and Grchok, I found myself rereading paragraphs in order to determine who’s who. The characters also came and went, and none of them really stuck throughout the book until the end when Andy moved in with his “adoptive parents.”
I noticed several mistakes and typos throughout the book, such as thoughts that should’ve been italicized, sentences that shouldn’t have been, missing punctuation and unneeded commas.
All things considered, I rate this book a 2 out of 4 stars. While I didn't necessarily enjoy reading this, if you’re interested in a sci-fi/fantasy story with an intricate new world, teenage boys becoming dragons, and themes such as discovery, transformation and mentoring, you may appreciate this book.
******
Becoming the Dragon
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Like Bonnie Shelby's review? Post a comment saying so!
