Life sucks when you have an older brother like that, of the Prince Charming type, all bulging muscles and epic proportions of… heroism. This tale is told to entertain, and entertain it does.Įnter Tomkin Thornhewn, second son of little importance, who dreams of the storied heroes of the past and follows the larger than life exploits of his brother, Elton, with a wistful sigh, jealous of the missed glory. It is easy to visualise the animated reactions of the crowd as this outrageously over the top comedy of errors and hurrahs races through to the finale. What she discovers is the magic of words, the enchanting story of Tomkin and the Dragon, related by the Keeper to a cheering audience, and to us. Slowly, shyly young Lulu approaches him, desperate to know the truth about magic. A figure sits by the fireside, a Keeper no less. This is an excellent, well-written fantasy fairy-tale containing intriguing characters, interesting dilemmas, and a seemingly charming dragon. One of the plot twists was easy to work out for me but I don't think that will be the case for this tale's target audience. Just a quick review for a short fun tale. Although Tomkin is often stubborn, the draw here is how he uses his mind, deals with Mags and analyses the grave scenarios to maybe escape the dragon-fuelled predicament. It isn't action packed with showdowns galore. It's really well edited and during its brisk 200-pages, I only noticed 2 minor grammatical errors. This story is another reason of why I can argue against this point. Common opinion, which I ignore, is that self-published books are second-rate compared to trad-published. This narrative is about Tomkin and the Dragon and 80-percent of the action takes place amongst the castle ruins. It is ultimately story focused so don't expect exquisite world building yet, that isn't a negative. It was a pretty gripping and engrossing tale hence why I completed it within 24 hours. The descriptions given to describe the dragon are beautiful. We only really follow Tomkin, the mysterious Mags, the purple hat flaunting creature Wink, and the dragon. Although simple, the characters are engaging throughout. It was similar to King's Eyes of the Dragon (that I loved when I was 11) and the main flashback from his The Wind Through the Keyhole. Perhaps the sort that you and your children could read at the same time and both love. Simply put, this is a very well written, positive fantasy drama that would be a great introduction to the scene for young teens. Tomkin, with his grandfathers sword Scalebreaker, decides to investigate the castle ruins at Colbreth where the dragon is reportedly residing. Everything is in order and great until a dragon is witnessed hijacking and devouring local sheep. His hero brother, Elton, and the nation's armies are away doing typical military duty. He's a great strategist and administrator with a prompt, analytical mind. Tomkin is the youngest son of the Duke of Marshwell. Set in the world of The Keeper Chronicles which includes SPFBO semi-finalist A Threat of Shadows, this is an enjoyable fantasy fairy tale told to a crowded inn full of enthusiastic patrons, by a Keeper. I received a free copy of A Keeper's Tale in exchange for an honest review. Pick up your copy today and see why Tomkin's story is so well loved. It can be read at any time with respect to The Keeper Chronicles. This is the retelling of one of their favorite tales. The Keepers in The Keeper Chronicles are, among other things, storytellers. Now you can enjoy one of the Keeper’s most beloved tales: The Story of Tomkin and the Dragon, in this engaging, lighthearted novel.Ī Keeper's Tale: The Story of Tomkin and the Dragon is a standalone story. JA Andrews introduced the world to the magic-wielding, world-saving, story-telling Keepers in A Threat of Shadows. It’s too bad for the people of Marshwell that Tomkin is the only thing standing - or falling - in the dragon’s way. Not only does she refuse to be rescued, she refuses to even admit she’s in distress. The problem grows immeasurably worse when Tomkin himself falls off the ledge-also onto the dragon.Īnd his problem reaches its peak when Tomkin, after being captured, discovers a maiden locked in a tower. And instead of wielding his family’s great sword with valor and skill, he drops it-onto the dragon. Which becomes an obvious problem when he finds himself clinging to a ledge above a sleeping dragon. Regardless of his aspirations, the bookish, untrained young man is better suited to recording the deeds of heroes than being one himself. Tomkin Thornhewn, youngest son of the Duke of Marshwell, has a problem: he’s not heroic. Nominated for Best Self-Published Novel in Booknest's Fantasy Awards
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