I found it difficult to get into for the first half of the book, I also was uncertain about the magic in it. I did enjoy the overall plot. ( )

Review of The DragonSlayer’s Sword by Resa Nelson

This highly detailed, quick-paced novel will keep you on the edge of your seat always wanting more. It is an original tale of a girl who gets eaten by a dragon as a young child. The dragon did not like the taste of her so it spat her out and left her heavily scared with dragon bites for the rest of her life. As the story unfolds great adventures keep the plot swiftly moving as you desire to read on and on with no spoilers in sight. If you like tales about dragons, this needs to be on your must read list. This book was a gift for a review and I have it online. ( )

I just finished reading The Dragonslayer's Sword and I have to say I'm very tempted to go back and read it again.

I'm going to be honest here. I was completely out of my comfort zone with this book. First of all, I don't think I've read a lot of books with medieval themes. So I didn't really knew what to expect. Also, I know nothing about blacksmiths. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Ms. Nelson managed to combine the fantasy details with the historical details. Another thing I loved was how the author described the process of sword making and how she made it sound somewhat easy. Of course, I know it's not easy, but it didn't sound like something impossible to learn.

I also loved the new take on shapeshifters and dragons. It was refreshing, because it's so unlike any other fantasy novel I've read, it's different and new. I liked that a lot, because I didn't feel like I knew what the dragons or shapeshifters would be like.

In this book we watch the heroine, Astrid, grow up and become an amazing woman. Despite her childhood, she manages to move on with the help of DiStephan, the dragonslayer, and her best friend, Mauri. Most of the book is told from her perspective, but at the end, we get to see some of the scenes told from the perspectives of other characters and I liked that.

I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this book was the balance in it. The descriptions weren't too big or too short for me, the action scenes were great and the dialogues were well written and they had the perfect length. The book also fast-paced and I loved that. There wasn't a moment when I felt that the story was in one scene or place more than it should.

The only thing I was hoping was to be inside other character's perspective a little more. There is one scene with Astrid and some other blacksmiths when Astrid realized how she was truly seen by those men and it makes her more confident in herself and in who she is, so I think it would've helped her more to see things from another angle.

I think this was a great start for a series and I'm very curious what happens next, in The Iron Maiden ( )

Dragonslayer's Sword by Resa Nelson

The Dragonslayer is a unique novel, Resa writing is fantastic I was drawn into this world and couldn’t believe I just about passed it up. Resa has created a world of unlike anything that I have read, I would say this novel would be classified as a medieval, fantasy novel. She brings us dragons, shape shifters, ghosts, thieves, dragonslayers and Astrid.

Astrid is a blacksmith who makes swords and weapons for the dragonslayers; she lives a solitary life and does not know anything about her family or life. Things start to change for her and in she has to question everything she things she knows about her past and future. This novel is about Astrid and we get to see her transform into a strong amazing young woman. Her journey is exciting to watch as her confidence grows and her character develops you are cheering for her along the way. I love that Resa has written Astrid with flaws and scars and is not beautiful as most characters in today’s books. This book is worth reading just to experience Astrid.

I have rated these book 4 stars as Resa Nelson has and a creative mind and the inner strength she given Astrid is truly amazing. To me this book wasn’t just about dragons and shape shifters are was about a young woman who rises above her circumstances and becomes her own strong independent woman.
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This book was well-written in terms of keeping the reader interested. The characters were interesting, DiStephan and Lenore especially. I found the setting to be very unique; the concept of what it means to shapeshift as well as the role of the dragons. I also approve of the very concise writing style. Nelson leaves a strong impact when she writes a one sentence paragraph.
It's written like this.
I would like to point out that she does do it often. Personally, I had no problem with it but some people might not like this style so here's a heads up.

I would love to give this book more stars but there were some things that detracted from my reading experience. I felt that the plot was very lacking in some ways. It felt too forced and hesitant, which made it hard for me to really commit. Too much detail was given about things that didn't matter and too little about things that do. For example, when the secret that Astrid was hiding is revealed, the effect was ruined because there was little to no foreshadowing. I couldn't bring myself to care mainly because I didn't even know what being a (SPOILER) even meant! In general, I felt very little sympathy for the characters. Aside from a few of them, I couldn't understand why the characters did what they did. One character pledged to go wherever Astrid goes but it doesn't make sense since she (or he) never showed any sign of loyalty to her. I especially can't understand what's going through Astrid's head half the time. Even the final battle was such a confusing mess because of the inconsistencies.

Overall, this book is great for a rainy day when you just want to read a quick action-packed story. There is a bit of dismemberment going on so it might not be the best pick for children. Anyway, the book is not perfect and might not become one of your top favorites but it's certainly a fun read.

Won in a giveaway in return for an honest review ( )