THE FIRST DRAGONEER by M.R. MATHIAS

The First Dragoneer by M.R. Mathias

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Self Published (August 8, 2010)

Length: 77 pages

Author Information:Website

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

The First Dragoneer is a short introduction to The Dragoneer Saga by M.R. Mathias. Never having encountered any of the books from this young adult series, I went into this read without any pre-conceived like or dislike for it.

As the misty haze begins to fade from a new reader’s eyes, two teenage boys, Bren and March, begin to take shape upon the pages of this tale. They have been friends for years, growing up together in a tiny settlement on the edge of nowhere, but now, it is time for them to be parted, as March prepares to leave the village forever.

Wanting to send off his best friend with good memories, Bren convinces March to take one last hunting trip together. And so, they trek off into the hilly countryside seeking laughter and adventure only to stumble upon unexpected creatures and a large, ominous cave that they can’t help but explore.

What will the two friends find inside the cave? How will it change their lives? And will they survive their last grand adventure together? These questions and more are answered in this novella!

While reading this one, I couldn’t help but compare it to another young adult fantasy with dragons and dragonriders. You might have heard of it; it is called Eragon. And whether it is fair for me to look at The First Dragoneer and view it as a simulacrum of Paolini’s work, I can’t help but do it. Teenager(s) out hunting in the wilds. Boy(s) find(s) mysterious object. This object changes his (their) life (lives) forever. And there are dragons involved. You have to admit, those are some fairly significant similarities.

But even with that being said, reviewing a story always comes down to “Was it entertaining and worth reading?”

And with that simple criteria in mind, I can say that I enjoyed The First Dragoneer. No, I didn’t love it. Nope, it isn’t on my all-time favorites list. Nah, I don’t believe it truly reflects M.R. Mathias’ storytelling abilities. Definitely, it could have used a bit more characterization. But, it was still a solid, straightforward YA fantasy with enough mystery and action to entertain a true Dragoneer fan, a YA fantasy lover, or just a bored reader looking for a quick fantasy fix. So feel free to give it a try, it won’t hurt at all.

Buy the story at Amazon.