Dragon Soul

Dragons in the Mist, Book 1

By: B.J. Whittington

Narrated by: Mike Ortego

Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Dragon Soul begins in a small village of the Palmir people. A quiet, productive, and peaceful clan with an almost forgotten violent history. The Plague from the North - an attack of powerful, evil creatures - virtually annihilated them generations ago. They defeated the Plague, with the help of mystics and dragons - but at great cost.

Hosting of Dragon Souls is not the only special calling of the Palmir people. Some are called to be Healers, a blending of practical and mystical powers. A rare few are Prophets. One Prophet has a vision that takes shape in a physical form and warns the Palmir people of an ominous event. Was it a just a reminder of the hellish past, or a harbinger of things to come?

What if the Plague returns? There are so few Dragon Souls. Could they defeat the monsters again? And what of real dragons? Will they ever again exist in their own form?

©2011 Beverly J. Whittington (P)2013 Beverly J. Whittington

Interesting ideas but goes nowhere

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes and no, I thought the ideas offered in this book were decent enough but the entire time I was listening it felt less like a fantasy novel and more like a documentary as every little thing that's said or done is described, some of it in more detail than necessary. By the end of the book nothing really happens as far as the main enemy, though they do come across one beast, many conflicts among the clan are left unresolved and there are times the lack of contractions in the way the people speak kinda grates on the ear and calls attention away from the story. That said I haven't listened to the second book as yet but I intend to if it comes out if only to get some resolution.

If you’ve listened to books by B.J. Whittington before, how does this one compare?

I haven't read or listened to anything else by this author to my knowledge.

What does Mike Ortego bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Another tricky one, I give him credit for a good reading, everything was clear and most of the voices were more or less different and most were identifiable though some of the older men and dragons sounded alike towards the end of the book. However I feel like he could have read some of the lines with more feeling and he ends some of the chapters and the end of the book on a less then enthusiastic note.

Do you think Dragon Soul needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It absolutely does, the entire book is a setup for the next and nothing gets done aside from one of the main characters learning to get along with his Dragon Soul.

Any additional comments?

Even if it is the first in a series I strongly feel this story needed some kind of greater resolution for the ending, it just seems that after seventeen hours nothing was really accomplished. The majority of the book was foreshadowing of a great menace that would surely wipe out the hapless Clans if the situation remains unchanged but only a few steps are taken towards these ends and even even in the face of a weaving telling the future it seems the greater concern of the people is more how much yarn and honey they have in storage. I really felt like this book could have trimmed down the narrative and spent less time focusing on wounded people long after they've been injured and more time focusing on finding a solution to the coming threat other than a few guards and clearing a tunnel. that however is just my opinion and like I said I will get the next if/when it comes out if only so I can see if anything comes of this seventeen hour setup

Very Engaging

What made the experience of listening to Dragon Soul the most enjoyable?

This audiobook drew me in to the world of the Palmir people and dragons with surprising speed. The pace at first was deceptively simple, reflecting tranquil village life (with dragons!) I liked the characters and the not very complex relationships. But the pace and the complexity of the relationships rapidly accelerated when that way of life was threatened. The characters, dragon and human, "grow" within their roles and they took me along with them. I forgot where and who I was, Lol.

What did you like best about this story?

This audiobook has me interested in what will happen next to these gentle, industrious people and intelligent dragons. The author creates a world that I easily and gradually slipped into. The battle scenes were exciting without being gratuitous with violence.

What does Mike Ortego bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I forget that I'm listening to a man! His deep, resonant voice convinces me somehow that I'm listening to a woman, a child, a dragon. And he portrays emotions in neither too much nor too little a fashion. I like his slower pace of narration; hypnotic in a way. And it takes me out of my oh so busy life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It DID make me laugh and cry. A dog is actually a main character too and very funny. Family life is very touchingly portrayed. I cared what happened to them all. I was surprised that I could have that reaction to a fantasy audiobook.

Any additional comments?

Well done, BJ Whittington and Mike Ortego. More, please!

A long bit of nothing.

This whole book just seems to be setup, over all it's slow lacks explanation with almost no plot development. The most of the characters don't act real at all, an example: in a tight knit community a woman was tied up, raped, beaten, and disfigured. the whole knows who did it but because the guy left the village before any one knew no one did anything but get mad. That's one of the bigger thing but things like this are littered over the book. One of the more annoying thing is the made up words use for days weeks ect makes it hard to keep a clear track of time. Could be better, could be worse my grab next one to see if it's gotten better.