4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Becoming the Dragon is a sci-fi/fantasy book written by Alex Sapegin that follows Andy as he copes with an unexpected side effect gained from being struck by lightning. Anytime Andy is within 5 feet of a computer it freezes, so Andy had to learn to live life without such technology. He picked up several hobbies such as cooking and bike riding and had become an apprentice of a bowman.
One day, on his way to deliver important documents and files of information to his father, Iliya, who works as a scientist on a former military base. Iliya’s research in transportation, like in Star Trek, is the most comprehensive in the world and is funded by a private investor and not the government, despite the location of the practice. As Andy goes on to the last leg of the trip to his father, he is caught up in the adult’s poorly timed experiment, resulting first in Andy’s especially painful headache, then his disappearance. This was all caught on video, so Iliya had the privilege of knowing that he sent his own son anywhere in the world. What he doesn’t know is that the world he sent Andy to was not his native Earth, but a world that supports griffons and equally fantastical animals.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars for its jaunty turns of phrase and witty dialogue between wholesome characters. I think Andy’s family is realistically portrayed, having their own quirks and annoyances, even if they are only briefly introduced, and their interactions give the reader a feeling of familiarity. The internal dialogue Andy has with himself acts as a great comedic relief as he seems to find a witty line for any situation he’s thrown into.
The fantasy aspect, in the form of unearthly beasts and the presence of another planet in the sky, is introduced rather early in the book but is almost overlooked by the protagonist’s need for survival. I thought it was amusing how true to life the author made his protagonist react, that even in the face of something that should be intuitively incorrect, Andy rolls with each new danger in his fight for survival.
It was gratifying that the protagonist already started the story with a useful skill set, such as cooking and being handy with a bow and arrow so when he is thrust into a life or death situation he isn’t totally useless, making it easier to envision him surviving on a new planet. I also think that it makes his growth as a character that much more impelling that he still has so much more to learn.
******
Becoming the Dragon
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Like GabbiV's review? Post a comment saying so!
