Review by CTookie -- Becoming the Dragon by Alex Sapegin

[CTookie]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Becoming the Dragon" by Alex Sapegin.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Becoming the Dragon, by Alex Sapegin, sets up the story of Andy Kerimov, a regular teenager with a unique relationship to electricity. After accidentally wandering within range of a military experiment, Andy is hurled from our world into the fantastical land of Ilanta. Forced to overcome the challenges of this new environment, Andy quickly discovers that there’s more to him – and his destiny – than meets the eye. Filled with colorful characters and endlessly inventive creatures, Becoming the Dragon is a welcome and notable addition to the fantasy genre.

Sapegin excels at providing a backstory for every character and location. Even background characters, only present for a scene or two, possessed the full weight of individuals with their own distinct past and personality. Andy’s resilience and sense of humor made me excited to cheer for him, and the supporting cast all had their own unique characteristics. When the pace of the plot slowed, I continued reading because the characters had become individuals that I enjoyed spending time with. The action scenes were thrilling, and the world-building alone easily set the book apart from other fantasy series. The ending was enticing and succeeded in making me look forward to the next segment of Andy’s adventure.

Minor qualms would include slight inconsistencies with the voices of the characters, including anachronistic language, and a lack of explanation as to how the nuances of electricity and programming fit so seamlessly into Ilanta. In the first third of the book, the plot focuses heavily on the activities of Nirel, rather than Andy. While I found Nirel to be an entertaining, if somewhat flat, character in his own right, I was disappointed to have missed out on so many of Andy’s formative experiences in his new world, especially given the importance that Karegar would come to have in Andy's life. I also found the out-of-sequence storytelling jarring and unnecessary, as re-reading the scenes in chronological order conveyed exactly the same information in a less confusing way.

While I occasionally became mired in heavy-handed exposition, the overall feel of the story is one of refreshing originality and enjoyable adventure. Of particular note in my memory is the scene after Andy arrives in Ilanta and encounters several members of the local wildlife. It is easy and tempting to rely on tired tropes when writing fantasy, but Sapegin ignored this crutch and instead created fauna that was original and intriguing. I caught myself glossing over multiple pages of backstory, but when presented through casual speech, the minutiae of Ilanta were easy to absorb.

Fantasy novels give the reader an opportunity to lose themselves in strange new worlds, and Becoming the Dragon felt like going on a somewhat limited, guided excursion to a different planet. The choices of the narration made it difficult to become completely invested, and there were several aspects that I would have preferred to explore further, but the plot remained entertaining and the journey was a memorable one. While a tighter focus on the environment and the main character could have made the story truly remarkable, fans of fantasy will still find Becoming the Dragon an enjoyable and original read. I therefore rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

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Becoming the Dragon
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