Trapped on Draconica

Title: Trapped on Draconica
Author: Dan Wright
Illustrator: Alexis M. Centeno

Ratings

Score: 7/10
Chart Entry Point: 24
Similar To: Prophecy of Zephyrus

Review

If you're looking for an easy to read story - you've found it. It's light-hearted, not too complex, yet still manages to stir emotion in the reader. There's not a lot I can say about it, because I enjoyed it - there's not a lot to complain about.

The characters reflect the spirit of the story, and while they aren't incredibly complex, they are quite enjoyable to read about. Except that I don't understand why Kalak wasn't just left behind as soon as the other characters met him. He stands for pretty much everything the other main characters are against. But he does become a more likeable character in time.

The main problem that I have with the characters is that they don't slowly develop, but every now and again have an emotional growth spurt - which means that they occasionally do things that they wouldn't have done before with very little warning.

The story itself is a nice one, kind of similar to Star Wars, but with dragons and swords instead of spaceships. There's not a lot I can say other than I enjoyed the story, although I was disappointed at who two of the main characters turned out to be towards the end. But people don't always get together when we want them to. There was a couple of Formatting errors - a few typos - no more than I would expect really, but the text was a little too close too the margin, which was distracting at first, although I quickly forgot about it.

The final thing I want to discuss before I finish is the illustrations. While the book would stand alone without them, I found that they added a layer of depth to the book that really helped intensify the emotions that the particular scenes convey. I also liked the fact the the style of the illustrations changed just enough to match the mood fo the scene it described - while staying cohesive overall. I spent the first ten minutes I had with this book just looking at the illustrations.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was easy to pick up after a break in reading, and the illustrations were a nice touch. The bad guy was a little too similar to Darth Vader, but the majority of the characters were easy to like. If you want to read something that doesn't require too much thinking - just enjoyment - then this is a good one for you.

More Information

Main Protagonist(s): 2 Male, 2 Female
Main Antagonist(s): 3 Male, 1 Female
Main Relationships: Heterosexual
Genre: Fantasy
Brief Synopsis:

Ben's just your typical teenager - loud, obnoxious and always getting himself into hot water. Coming from a troubled household, it's no wonder Ben's been on the wrong side of the tracks lately.
 
Little does he realise his problems are about to get a whole lot worse...
 
Soon after being mysteriously teleported to the world of Draconica, Ben gets caught up in a Baalarian invasion - who are hell-bent on capturing him. But when did Ben ever do to upset them?
 
With no idea how he got here - and with intentions only on getting home, Ben embarks on a fantastical journey. Joining forces with the Dragonkin sisters Daniar and Erowin, Ben must help them take down the empire before their dark grasp tightens across the land.
 
Little does Ben realise that his role in this battle is far more vital than he realises - and that his coming here was no accident

-Back of Book

ISBN: 9780956823021
Website: Pandragon
Amazon Link: UK | US
Pages: 400
Published: Jun 3rd 2011
Publisher: Pandragon Publishing