<a href="https://aramblingreviewer.wordpress.com/2018/11/19/dragon-god-by-ava-richardson/">Full review here</a>

have a strange relationship with Ava Richardson’s books, and Dragon God is no exception.

Technically, the books are riddled with errors. The main character was both fifteen and sixteen years old at one point. There are niggling inconsistencies – the book could do with one final edit and a lot of these would be caught.

The grammar and punctuation are used in a strange way – at times, there isn’t enough, so you have to read a sentence twice to work out its meaning. There is also the classic ‘show-don’t-tell’ theory, with rambling descriptions of emotions, feelings and plans. Exact phrases are repeated within a few pages of each other, hindering the progression of the story line.

Character naming conventions have rules of their own as well. The characters are referred to by both their surnames and their first names throughout. But there is no pattern: one paragraph will have the main character calling his friend by her surname, the next by her given name. At the start of the book, this can mislead you while you still get to know the characters.

But here’s the catch…. Despite the inaccuracy and the issues, I always enjoy reading her books.

Maybe it is the dragons?

There’s something innocent about her main characters, and Neill and Char were no exception this time. They are always the underdog and we watch Neill attempt to make his father proud even while realising he could make friends and be his own man. The main characters are always true of heart: Char risks everything to care for her dragon and Neill’s loyalties are torn between his family and his friends.

There are always the loyal friends – those talented but not quite good enough to shine on their own; they need the position of side-kick. These sidekicks often drive the main characters, making them realise what they have to lose if the forces of evil are allowed to win: the main characters want to protect their friends.

There is refreshingly little deception in these books: you know who the bad guys are because they are extreme in their attitudes towards the ‘good guys’. The Abbot, Prince Vincent and the Quartermaster are cruel from the start, while the good tutors are there with bandages and advice. You know who is on whose side.

This series is taking a different approach to the previous ones: so far, it’s unclear whose side the dragons are on and what part they will play.

Also, having read the other series, I feel like I know where this is going to go simply because of the names of the characters – I know their legacies, which gives away where this series is going to go. I might be wrong.

I think the series is aimed at a younger audience than mid-twenties, which is why I’m picking up on the technical errors rather than just being swept away. Still, it’s an easy and fun read and you know what you’re going to get with these books.

Fun and reliable characters, beautiful world-building, and a fast paced plot! I enjoyed reading this, and am excited to see what happens next in this series!

I was sucked into a wonderful world with great characters that left me wanting more.
A great Fantasy read.

To start off I liked this book. Great storyline and characters. Now the buts. Who was the target audience? The story itself was a great read for middle readers, grades 4th and up. Her is the but the usage of the word bastard is not appropriate for grade school readers. Did it really make a difference that some of the characters were illigenerent? My answer is no. Using that word the author tried to make this a young adult novel. Now I have a book that is good for middle readers but not quite a young adult book. Take a lesson from JK Rowling, a good story does not need crude language. Good story but hard to give to the right age reader.

Char and Niell are two very interesting characters that I wasn't truly expecting. Mostly because I don't normally read YA or kids fiction. This book might get me back into it, for the sheer fact that it was so incredibly entertaining, even for an adult like myself. Some of the writing was a tad amateur for me, but that has less to do with the book and more to do with my tastes in reading. And it is a kids book, after all, so I can't really fault it too much for that. I will definitely be buying this for my nieces and nephews.