Book Tour - DRAGON MAGE by ML Spencer

Out of This World SFF is pleased to be just one of the many blogs participating in the Storytellers On Tour Book Tour featuring author ML Spencer and her fantasy book, DRAGON MAGE!  This book has been getting rave reviews since its release and I couldn't be more excited to be part of this tour with all of the other amazing blogs.  I will soon be giving you a synopsis of the book, followed by my official review, plus some additional links to connect with ML Spencer and her diverse catalog of books.

But first I'd just like to mention that Storytellers is currently running a spectacular giveaway in conjunction with this tour.  One person could win a hardcover copy of Dragon Mage!  And that's not all.  A few runners-up will also be chosen to win a paperback copy!  (US Entries Only) 

To enter, just click this link.  The winners will be chosen at random and the giveaway ends this Wednesday, June 23rd at 11:59pm, so get those entries in now!

And now here is a brief description of ML Spencer's DRAGON MAGE, followed by my review:

Book Blurb

Aram Raythe has the power to challenge the gods.  He just doesn't know it yet.  

Aram thinks he's nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world.  As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to make friends and be accepted by those around him, which is something he's never known.

But Aram is more.  Much, much more.

Unknown to him, Aram bears within him a gift so old and rare that many people would kill him for it, and there are others who would twist him to use for their own sinister purposes.  These magics are so potent that Aram earns a place at an academy for warrior mages training to earn for themselves the greatest place of honor among the armies of men: dragon riders.

Aram will have to fight for respect by becoming not just a dragon rider, but a Champion, the caliber of mage that hasn't existed in the world for hundreds of years.  And the land needs a Champion.  Because when a dark god out of ancient myth arises to threaten the world of magic, it is Aram the world will turn to in its hour of need.

Review

DRAGON MAGE is a book that has been on my radar for almost a year.  I had never read a book by ML Spencer before but from everything I heard, her previous books have all been incredibly well-received.  So I was already interested in picking this one up and luckily, Storytellers On Tour gave me the excuse (as they always seem to do) to finally read it.  I can't begin to tell you what I was expecting to be quite honest, but whatever it was it didn't even scratch the surface of what I ultimately got out of this book when all was said and done.  

The first thing I want to mention is that this book is roughly 900 pages in length.  Wait, wait!  Before you start breaking out in hives and shaking your head no, let me assure you that you will not care in the least about this book's length once you get fully immersed into the story.  I can pretty much guarantee it actually.  In fact, when I finished I wanted even more of it if you can believe that.  And now comes the difficult part, trying to touch on the multitude of amazing elements in this story and all of the shifting emotions that it engendered in me as a result.

DRAGON MAGE is a book that feels like a traditional high fantasy tome, but with a noticeably modern flare that gives it an added depth and originality.  How can a story be both traditional and wholly original at the same time?  Well, that's just one of the many things that make this book extremely challenging to describe, unless you actually take the time to read it.  And quite frankly, it's part of what makes ML Spencer a fantastic writer in my opinion.  

I'll start with the characters, the first of which is Aram.  We are introduced to him as an adolescent and as you can assume, things are pretty awkward.  Aram doesn't really fit in anywhere in the friend circles of the town and he often gets bullied pretty mercilessly by the local ruffians.  It's only when he stumbles across an older boy Markus, that he finds someone who he clicks with somewhat.  Speaking of Markus, he is everything that Aram is not when it comes to physical strength and skill with a sword, and yet their relationship is such that they seem to compliment each other in a strangely symbiotic way.  When a mysterious and charismatic bard named Ebra visits the town and shows an especially keen interest in the two boys, they soon realize that their simple innocent boyhood days are over.  It's at this point that the relentless story takes hold and really becomes one of the best coming of age fantasy tales I've read in a long time.

The world-building in DRAGON MAGE is utterly spectacular and is inextricably linked to a brilliant magic system.  There are two "worlds", one is The World Above, where our characters begin this story, and the other is The World Below.  The two worlds are split by the dark and dangerous Void, a plane of existence where vile monsters, Void dragons, and some of the most terrifying creatures imaginable roam, sometimes finding their way into one or both worlds through tears caused by those gifted with special power to open rifts.  If not properly harnessed and honed, an onslaught of death and destruction unlike any other could be unleashed.  I am very much a world-building guy, so this idea really captured my imagination and just made the book that much better, as it added another aspect of danger for these characters that kept me so invested every second.  Just a brilliant world, or should I say "worlds" that ML Spencer has created for this series.  

DRAGON MAGE completely recharged my reading batteries so to speak, as it frequently made me remember the things that ignited my passion for fantasy books in the first place.  It literally has all of the components of a story that you could ever want and then some.  It was so rewarding watching the evolution of each character and I felt myself connecting with them more and more as the chapters flew by. There are certain books that you feel fortunate to have had the chance to read, and DRAGON MAGE is one of those special few that invoke just that type of intense sentimentality.  

This book will change even the most jaded reader's opinion of what the genre is capable of when penned by authors the caliber of ML Spencer.  There really is no ceiling when it comes to where this series can go when the opening entry is this great.  I'll wrap things up by saying if you read only one epic/high fantasy book this year, it should be this one.  Come for the extraordinary world-building, magic, evil villains, and horrifying monsters of the Void.  Stay for the incredible journey that these characters will take you on in this once in a lifetime story.  I truly can't gush enough about how much this book hit me in the feels on so many levels.  Just read it.

Overall Rating:

You can purchase DRAGON MAGE now on Amazon.

About the Author

ML Spencer lives in Southern California with her three children and two cats.  She has been obsessed with fantasy ever since the days of childhood bedtime stories.  She grew up reading and writing fantasy fiction, playing MMORPG games, and living, as mom put it, "in her own worlds."  ML now spends each day working to bring those worlds into reality.  You can connect with author ML Spencer online via her Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.   

And that concludes my stop on the DRAGON MAGE book tour!  Hope you enjoyed it.  I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to both Storytellers On Tour and author ML Spencer for the chance to participate.  There are many more awesome stops on this tour, so if you would like to check those out, below is the official schedule.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by Out of This World SFF and for your continued support.  It really means the world to me (no pun intended).

Happy Reading!

-Nick