The Dragon Orb
by Mike Shelton
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Pub Date Mar 01 2017 | Archive Date Mar 19 2018
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Description
The fate of a kingdom rests on the shoulders of three young wizards who couldn't be more different.
Bakari is a brilliant scholar wizard who's more at home in a library than a battlefield. Alli is a beautiful young battle wizard whose grace in battle is both enchanting and deadly. Roland is a counselor wizard with a seemingly limitless depth of untapped power -- and the ego to match it.
Advance Praise
The Dragon Orb is an exciting, magical adventure that both young adults and adults alike can fall in love with. Mike takes readers on an exciting adventure through the wizards world and the politics that divide the wizards and normal citizens. The plot is new, exciting and you never know what to expect next. Mike brings the story and characters to life and makes you feel as though you are a part of the story, that they are your friends, your enemies and it is your home at stake. This is one of my favourite parts about his writing and this story - you are drawn right into the story and become one with the novel." - workingmommyjournal.ca
“Shelton does a great job juggling the characters and their own stories, while moving forward with the main plot...It amazingly intertwines fantasy and real world concepts like loss and politics, in a way that is both entertaining and insightful, but not too extreme. There's a lot of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and it was exciting to unfold each one and see where the road let do. I'm looking forward to picking up the next book in the series and seeing where each of the characters go." - Words, Phrases, Imagination
"As the first installment in a fantasy series, the author has laid the foundation of what is likely going to be something that readers of this genre will enjoy. The story has many characters apart from the three protagonists and the author has been able to seamlessly include these characters, who greatly contribute to the story's development. Each character is a diamond in the rough and the further into the story one reads, the more one will uncover the facets of those characters. The story has a lot of peaks and troughs that will keep one reading and turning the page to find out what happens next. Bring on book two!" -M.P Ceja InD'tale Magazine
"I loved how each character has their own unique personality. Roland is cocky and handsome. Ally is confident and enchanting. Bakari is nerdy and awkward. Put these three together and there was bound to be tension. I also enjoyed that there was enough action to keep the story engaging. The fighting and suspense were prevalent. Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of wizards, magic, and fantasy. This was a great read and I look forward to the next one." -Bethany W. and YA Books Central
"The first book of the Alaris Chronicles series brings a refreshing take on magic and politics in fantasy. The world feels very much alive as the wizards take on their new challenges, struggling with their personal demons as much as those of the land they are expected to protect. For people wanting a fantasy kingdom-based read that is more sorcery than swords with a depth of intrigue that goes well beyond blood and debauchery, The Dragon Orb is a solid new entry in the genre." -Self-Publishing Review
The Dragon Orb is full of magic and adventure, and a way for younger readers to get a peek into the world of politics. The book is a strange combination of a Dungeons and Dragons adventure with Game of Thrones, but with kids as the movers and shakers of the story -- and with a PG rating. It is a very easy read, a page turner. I love the fact that the protagonists of this story come in all colors, shapes and sizes, and that our leads are not your usual all-white characters. As mentioned before, the world our characters inhabit borrows from already established fantasy folklore; from Lord of the Rings to the Wheel of Time series. The biggest innovation on these series by Mr. Shelton is the inclusion of how politics work (hence the Game of Thrones reference), but accessible for a younger audience." - Erika Grediaga for Readers' Favorite
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9780997190083 |
| PRICE | $2.99 (USD) |
Links
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 236903
I really enjoyed this book, character building was great and the fact that the younger people had the power was a nice change. I look forward to reading more in the series.
Cherry-Ann L, Reviewer
Here we have two self-opinionated teen wizard apprentices, both full of themselves, but with good hearts, Roland is all about himself and for himself while Allison seeks to help others by trying to end the small pockets of fight the rebels were strategically starting. She wants to lessen the people's' sufferings, but with a rebellion fast approaching, such thoughts seem very elusive.
These young wizards needed to get their act together and focus on what was right and not just follow the way of the wizards blindly, even though their mentors were all in support of the fast approaching rebellion. Unknown to them things had escalated faster than they had thought, along with fellow wizard Bakari, they were thrust into an incoming war of which they had to choose sides. It was imperative that they save their homeland by protecting the barrier. They had never been outside of their realm, due to the protective shield that was surrounding their homeland but what was it protecting them from, was it from the other realms. There is that saying, that nothing lasts forever and it seems like their protective barrier which lasted for over one hundred years was going down. They were being pushed into the open forcefully by the masterminds of the fast escalating rebellion but was the rebellion a bad thing or was it the right way, is it best to allow the barrier to drop and allow themselves the freedom to explore other realms, or are they in danger from the other realms, so many questions unanswered. A great story filled with exciting action adventures, deceitfulness, greed, anger, hatred distrust all mixed in with a bit of young love.
Alicia R, Reviewer
This was a wonderful book. I found myself immediately drawn in by the way the author described the characters and the POV switching between the 3 main characters. I really enjoyed that aspect the most because the author was able to really build those characters up and you relate more to them when you see things from their points of view.
The three main characters are all quite different too. Alli is a beautiful and powerful apprentice battle mage, Roland is a suave counsellor wizard's apprentice, and Bak is a scholar wizard who remembers everything he has ever read but lacks the easy confidence that Roland and Alli both exude. Together they travel with their mentors and each other in an effort to support their Chief Justice against the wicked plots for a Wizard King. They will have to figure out where their loyalties lie and do it while facing betrayal, deaths, and political power moves that could destroy their way of living as they know it.
I like how the author wrote this to have intrigue, but also to be an easy read. That's why I'm drawn to YA books and I appreciate that here. There is an obvious bad guy, but with all the politics happening between the Chief Justice system and the ones who want their own system in place, it gives the reader a chance to kind of decide for themselves what they like and through the characters the benefits of it all and why they are fighting to keep their Chief Justice in power. As if political intrigue wasn't enough, the barrier that has separated the Elvyn and human world for 150 years is weakening... what will happen? You have to read it!
The only thing I would say is I don't know if I would categorize this as YA. It felt a little mature to me in some instances with Alli killing without hesitation and Roland being with a different maid each night. They are young for that kind of thing. Maybe if Mike had made them to be more like 19? I liked their characters and these qualities in them made them interesting to me, but I remember thinking to myself if this was truly a YA book or maybe I'm just getting old and they aren't like they used to be.
Natasha d, Reviewer
I just loved this book!!!! I enjoyed the characters and can't wait to see what is going to happen in the next book of the series. Even though this is a YA book, adults into fantasy will also enjoy the book. This was a very easy read. This was my first Mike Shelton book but definitely not my last.
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