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Dragshi Chronicles #1
Dragon Destiny
If you've come to this version, please note, both the ebook and print of this release is out of print. A new version exists and it has brought friends. No longer a single book, it is now the first volume in the series, the Dragshi Chronicles.
For a human, a dragon form comes with more than just the freedom of the sky.
For more info, go to the author's website or the current version.
For a human, a dragon form comes with more than just the freedom of the sky.
For more info, go to the author's website or the current version.
496 pages, ebook
First published February 19, 2014
About the author
Helen B. Henderson
24 books18 followersAlthough I wrote fiction for myself as long as I can remember, and been a professional writer for many years, pursuing publication for my fiction is a more recent endeavor. As a person, I have tried to find a balance between my typical Gemini characteristics. My heritage is also a reflection of contrasts -- the descendent of a coal-miner's daughter and an aviation flight engineer. I grew up knowing the simple life on a farm, yet my professional career was designing computers.
This dichotomy shows in my writing which crosses genres. Fantasy and science fiction is written to the lilting tunes of Celtic harp and flute. While the Ashokan Farewell calls forth the muse for historical adventures and westerns.
My published non-fiction in regional and national publications covers antiques, travel, history, and several articles on battlefield archeology (yes, I do know the subject and have participated in digs using both traditional screen and trowel methods and the new-fangled metal detectors). I'm also proud of my local histories, "Matawan and Aberdeen - Of Town and Field" and "Around Matawan & Aberdeen," both published under the Arcadia Press imprint. The most-recent book, "From the Back Street to Main Street - A Chronicle of the Methodist Community of Middletown Point" celebrated 180 years of a local organization.
Join me as we journey among the stars, to the past both near and far, or to worlds of imagination. I love to hear from readers so feel free to use the buttons below.
This dichotomy shows in my writing which crosses genres. Fantasy and science fiction is written to the lilting tunes of Celtic harp and flute. While the Ashokan Farewell calls forth the muse for historical adventures and westerns.
My published non-fiction in regional and national publications covers antiques, travel, history, and several articles on battlefield archeology (yes, I do know the subject and have participated in digs using both traditional screen and trowel methods and the new-fangled metal detectors). I'm also proud of my local histories, "Matawan and Aberdeen - Of Town and Field" and "Around Matawan & Aberdeen," both published under the Arcadia Press imprint. The most-recent book, "From the Back Street to Main Street - A Chronicle of the Methodist Community of Middletown Point" celebrated 180 years of a local organization.
Join me as we journey among the stars, to the past both near and far, or to worlds of imagination. I love to hear from readers so feel free to use the buttons below.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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August 14, 2019SPFBO dnf
Shifter Dragons, Romance Fantasy.
This seemed like a pretty interesting world and spin on the shifter dragons. The race of dragons called the Dragshi share their souls with their human counterparts. Essentially, they’re two - the dragon and the human sharing a conscious and can shift between the two forms, though the dragon rarely comes forward unless needed. It’s a pretty cool idea and I liked the visual of how they shift from dragon to human.
Branin one of the last Dragshi born, has no mate. In three hundred years there has been no one since him. When he briefly connects to another in his mind, he is understandably excited and hopeful that he has found another Dragshi and possibly his mate.
Enter Anastasia of the clan Miller the possible mate. By 30% our two leads had just met and made plans to spend the following winter at the Eyrie (the Dragshi home).
I decided to drop the story here for a few reasons; all to do with personal taste. I have spent a good twenty-years devouring romance, I feel like I’ve read every trope out there, which means I do have some preferences.
There is instant connection between the leads, not quite insta-love but darn close, since they spend a lot of time thinking about each other after a brief mental greeting. I can understand him more than her because he’s lonely and desperate for a mate. It’s not a deal-breaker for me but it’s not a favourite trope either.
Broch - She is the villain of the piece and is one of those characters that is just cruel, catty and vicious. She proclaims she’s going to have Branin and the power (since the Dragshi are highly admired and respected) almost as soon as we meet her and we get a lot of stuff proving how horrible she is (this is something that might round out and we gain sympathy for her later, I am only speaking about the first third) but I prefer my romance story villains, a little more subtle in their nastiness.
The one thing I did like with her character, was the totally surprising stuff to do with Hicca (trying to keep this spoiler-free) it was a nice little bend to what looked like a certainty in path.
The timeline - I wasn't sure if a day had passed, a week, or an entire winter.
I did like in the little bit of time I saw of Branin, through conversations with others that he seemed to be considerate of Anastasia - her age and choices she wanted to make. Not the big alpha-male attitude (at least from the bit I read and generally that’s established quite quickly with those sorts of males in romance). I also liked the support cast that surrounded him.
If you like dragon shifters and romance this did have some neat ideas with the two souls sharing a form and might be just the right fit for you.
score for spfbo purposes 3/10
Shifter Dragons, Romance Fantasy.
This seemed like a pretty interesting world and spin on the shifter dragons. The race of dragons called the Dragshi share their souls with their human counterparts. Essentially, they’re two - the dragon and the human sharing a conscious and can shift between the two forms, though the dragon rarely comes forward unless needed. It’s a pretty cool idea and I liked the visual of how they shift from dragon to human.
Branin one of the last Dragshi born, has no mate. In three hundred years there has been no one since him. When he briefly connects to another in his mind, he is understandably excited and hopeful that he has found another Dragshi and possibly his mate.
Enter Anastasia of the clan Miller the possible mate. By 30% our two leads had just met and made plans to spend the following winter at the Eyrie (the Dragshi home).
I decided to drop the story here for a few reasons; all to do with personal taste. I have spent a good twenty-years devouring romance, I feel like I’ve read every trope out there, which means I do have some preferences.
There is instant connection between the leads, not quite insta-love but darn close, since they spend a lot of time thinking about each other after a brief mental greeting. I can understand him more than her because he’s lonely and desperate for a mate. It’s not a deal-breaker for me but it’s not a favourite trope either.
Broch - She is the villain of the piece and is one of those characters that is just cruel, catty and vicious. She proclaims she’s going to have Branin and the power (since the Dragshi are highly admired and respected) almost as soon as we meet her and we get a lot of stuff proving how horrible she is (this is something that might round out and we gain sympathy for her later, I am only speaking about the first third) but I prefer my romance story villains, a little more subtle in their nastiness.
The one thing I did like with her character, was the totally surprising stuff to do with Hicca (trying to keep this spoiler-free) it was a nice little bend to what looked like a certainty in path.
The timeline - I wasn't sure if a day had passed, a week, or an entire winter.
I did like in the little bit of time I saw of Branin, through conversations with others that he seemed to be considerate of Anastasia - her age and choices she wanted to make. Not the big alpha-male attitude (at least from the bit I read and generally that’s established quite quickly with those sorts of males in romance). I also liked the support cast that surrounded him.
If you like dragon shifters and romance this did have some neat ideas with the two souls sharing a form and might be just the right fit for you.
score for spfbo purposes 3/10
July 3, 2023
Reviewed by S. Coop
Once I "picked up" Dragon Destiny I found it incredibly hard to put it down! Not only was it well written down to the detail; it also had well developed characters and the ability to transport me to another world. The only negative to the story was I wasn't ready for it to end! I will be diving into book two as soon as possible.
Once I "picked up" Dragon Destiny I found it incredibly hard to put it down! Not only was it well written down to the detail; it also had well developed characters and the ability to transport me to another world. The only negative to the story was I wasn't ready for it to end! I will be diving into book two as soon as possible.
October 23, 2015
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Take a step back in time, to a world when dragons flew the skies, travelers arrived on horse or foot, and trading caravans of horse carriages still existed. Branin is one of a rare breed, a dragon shifter, of dragshi, he can change form from human to dragon and back, but he is the last. There hasn't been another born in over three hundred years, and Branin has been alone. The dragshi can mind speak, and one day in flight Branin hears someone in his mind, all he is able to get is her name, Anastasia. That is enough, he puts everything and everyone he can into finding her. Anastasia is a trader girl, of immense intelligence, but feeling alone and that she doesn't quite fit in. When she meet Branin, he life feels so much richer, but he keeps so much distance between them and she doesn't understand why. Dragon Destiny is Branin and Anastasia's story, of finding each other, and of awakening in her, the sleeping dragon that only Branin believes is there. Helen B. Henderson gives the reader a powerful tale of young love, of holding back, of understanding and of making life work.
Dragon Destiny is set to be the first book in a series and I can't imagine where the series will go from here! This book not only has Branin and Anastasia's love story, it has the jealous ex-girlfriend, although she thought she was more important than she was to Branin. Actually, she thinks she is more important than anyone, she takes the cake when it comes to narcissism, but she makes for some great reading at times. Author Helen B. Henderson is refreshing, in that this book takes you out of the modern world for a time. You can read and relax in the calm of a world with no beeps, bings or bells. There is a richness in her writing that allows you to get into the characters and feel for them, you want them to succeed, and not just Branin and Anastasia the other characters in the book, the old ones, or the true dragons and the other dragshi. You find yourself being pulled into the story and not wanting to put it down. There is no sex at all in the book, there is some violence, I'm talking highwayman attacks on the trail and animal attacks, but they are not graphic at all. I would easily recommend this to teen readers all the way up to adults. Worth reading and one enjoyable read!!
Take a step back in time, to a world when dragons flew the skies, travelers arrived on horse or foot, and trading caravans of horse carriages still existed. Branin is one of a rare breed, a dragon shifter, of dragshi, he can change form from human to dragon and back, but he is the last. There hasn't been another born in over three hundred years, and Branin has been alone. The dragshi can mind speak, and one day in flight Branin hears someone in his mind, all he is able to get is her name, Anastasia. That is enough, he puts everything and everyone he can into finding her. Anastasia is a trader girl, of immense intelligence, but feeling alone and that she doesn't quite fit in. When she meet Branin, he life feels so much richer, but he keeps so much distance between them and she doesn't understand why. Dragon Destiny is Branin and Anastasia's story, of finding each other, and of awakening in her, the sleeping dragon that only Branin believes is there. Helen B. Henderson gives the reader a powerful tale of young love, of holding back, of understanding and of making life work.
Dragon Destiny is set to be the first book in a series and I can't imagine where the series will go from here! This book not only has Branin and Anastasia's love story, it has the jealous ex-girlfriend, although she thought she was more important than she was to Branin. Actually, she thinks she is more important than anyone, she takes the cake when it comes to narcissism, but she makes for some great reading at times. Author Helen B. Henderson is refreshing, in that this book takes you out of the modern world for a time. You can read and relax in the calm of a world with no beeps, bings or bells. There is a richness in her writing that allows you to get into the characters and feel for them, you want them to succeed, and not just Branin and Anastasia the other characters in the book, the old ones, or the true dragons and the other dragshi. You find yourself being pulled into the story and not wanting to put it down. There is no sex at all in the book, there is some violence, I'm talking highwayman attacks on the trail and animal attacks, but they are not graphic at all. I would easily recommend this to teen readers all the way up to adults. Worth reading and one enjoyable read!!
May 19, 2014
Dragon Destiny is an exciting, extremely well-written fantasy romance. It is a fast-paced novel full of action and romance with well-developed main characters.
Lord Branin/Llewlyn is a dragon shape-shifter-a “dragshi.” His sanctuary is Cloud Eyrie in the Valley of the Mist. Branin is lonely. For three hundred years he has yearned for a soulmate. Through “mindspeech” a woman calls to him and he feels her loneliness. He senses there can be a true connection between them.
However, fiery-tempered, red-headed Broch desires Branin. He does not want her. She chooses to marry Hicca, another high-born human, but vows revenge against Branin for his rejection.
Anastasia is Branin’s choice, but she is only eighteen years old and a human. Branin senses she will come into dragshi powers, but until she does, he feels advances would be inappropriate. Stasia travels with a caravan, a wagon train of traders led by her father and uncle. She longs to teach children and feels trapped. She is also talented at martial arts.
There is much action and adventure in this novel. For example, early on, Branin saves Stasia from an attack by a pack of gryphlors. Broch learns of Anastasia and tries to buy the young woman from her father. When that fails, Broch arranges for an attack on the wagon train, which Stasia and Branin prevent from ending in disaster. Lady Eirwen, female leader of the dragshi, is impressed by Anastasia when Branin arranges for her to be presented. Lady Eirwen invites Stasia to study for two years at the Ceoltier Guild Hall, an honor normally reserved only for males. Branin is sent away for those years and the would-be lovers are frustrated.
In the meantime, Broch has not given up on her evil plans. She captures a dragshi, Crisiant, and holds her prisoner. Stasia is called upon to save the dragshi, but she needs the help of Branin. Will they survive the ordeal? Will love triumph over evil? You will likely wish to read this novel through from beginning to end and discover it is very hard to put down.
Lord Branin/Llewlyn is a dragon shape-shifter-a “dragshi.” His sanctuary is Cloud Eyrie in the Valley of the Mist. Branin is lonely. For three hundred years he has yearned for a soulmate. Through “mindspeech” a woman calls to him and he feels her loneliness. He senses there can be a true connection between them.
However, fiery-tempered, red-headed Broch desires Branin. He does not want her. She chooses to marry Hicca, another high-born human, but vows revenge against Branin for his rejection.
Anastasia is Branin’s choice, but she is only eighteen years old and a human. Branin senses she will come into dragshi powers, but until she does, he feels advances would be inappropriate. Stasia travels with a caravan, a wagon train of traders led by her father and uncle. She longs to teach children and feels trapped. She is also talented at martial arts.
There is much action and adventure in this novel. For example, early on, Branin saves Stasia from an attack by a pack of gryphlors. Broch learns of Anastasia and tries to buy the young woman from her father. When that fails, Broch arranges for an attack on the wagon train, which Stasia and Branin prevent from ending in disaster. Lady Eirwen, female leader of the dragshi, is impressed by Anastasia when Branin arranges for her to be presented. Lady Eirwen invites Stasia to study for two years at the Ceoltier Guild Hall, an honor normally reserved only for males. Branin is sent away for those years and the would-be lovers are frustrated.
In the meantime, Broch has not given up on her evil plans. She captures a dragshi, Crisiant, and holds her prisoner. Stasia is called upon to save the dragshi, but she needs the help of Branin. Will they survive the ordeal? Will love triumph over evil? You will likely wish to read this novel through from beginning to end and discover it is very hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews