3 out of 4 stars
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Becoming the Dragon is the first book in Alex Sapegin's The Dragon Inside series. The novel follows Andy, a brother to many sisters, and his unexpected life-altering transformations. One day, his older sister and her "Tolkieneer" friends joke about what it would be like to be transported to one of the worlds represented in their role-playing games, but the joke doesn't stay conversational as Andy discovers the true meaning of being uprooted: mind, body, and soul.
If only being hit by lightning as a child and never being able to use a computer again could be the most eventful transformation of Andy's life! Unfortunately (or fortunately for the adventurer like me), Andy is sent on an errand to deliver documents to his father (who just happens to be working to create teleportation). Andy finds himself in the middle of the test field just as his father warms up the machinery for a demonstration. Almost immediately, Andy is painfully sent to a new world of griffons, orcs, elves, and most importantly dragons. Andy undergoes two central transformations in this world: from Andy to A-rei (White Wolf) to Kerrovitarr (you'll have to read the book to find out what this one means!).
Sapegin's novel is artfully woven, and every part has a purpose. I found the beginning of the novel to be slow, but once Andy arrives in the new world, the pace picks up immeasurably. The reader, with Andy, stumbles into a world filled with magic and unique creatures. One of my favorite creatures is the "mrown." A family of these Chesire-like cats gives Andy a rousing welcome as he tries to orient himself. For me, this world (and the novel as a whole) finally become all-immersive as Andy begins to fight for a new life.
At times, I found the descriptions to be unnecessarily technical. For instance, Andy is continuously explaining exact estimates (see the oxymoron in this!). Many of these phrases distract from the magical world and sometimes seem unrealistically precise. An example of this comes as Andy approaches a rock cliff: he states, "It would be 2 miles to the ground." At other times, some of the wording seems a little off. Granted this is a translation, so I can be a bit more forgiving of a few awkward constructions. As a result of the creative storyline and the minor flaws in language, I give Becoming the Dragon 3 out of 4 stars.
Any fans of fantasy and especially fans of dragons will find the combination of ideas in Becoming the Dragon to be worth the read. Although, if you are someone who cannot stand a slow start, be forewarned that you have to work to get to the marrow of this story.
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Becoming the Dragon
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