Author Julie Korzenko contacted me about reading and reviewing her book, Dragon Dancer – The Awakening, which is the first in a trilogy.  I’m not 100% sure what category this book falls in to, but I think it is somewhere in the fantasy or paranormal genre.  I could be wrong, that is just my take!  The second book is The Heralding due out in December and the final book is The Reckoning due out next Spring sometime.

About Julie (from her website):

Born in England, raised in New England and subsequently settling in the South, my background has strongly influenced my eclectic taste in literature, art and life experiences.  A passionate advocate for nature and wildlife, I began college as a zoology major but ultimately graduated with a business degree in paralegal studies.  My career has run the gambit from law to network administration to marketing and back to law.

My fervent desire to “save the animals” feeds my writing as well as my ability to fall prey to half a dozen canines that rule my life.  My home in the North Georgia mountains provides an environment that infuses creative energy and a ten acre playground for my puppies. (And she told me she has quite a few dogs running around her place and they are a handful, but loveable!)

I write what I love. The environment. The paranormal. The law.

Synopsis:

Blood on the hand of evil, magic imprisoned by ignorance and success blinded by stubborness rule the lives of Ancient, Dragon and Dragon Dancer.  They have one chance to adhere to destiny before their lives are destroyed and futures darkened.  This has been written since 935 AD, but in present, it becomes an impossible mission.

Blood on the hand of evil, magic imprisoned by ignorance and success blinded by stubbornness rule the lives of Ancient, Dragon and Dragon Dancer. They have one chance to adhere to destiny before their lives are destroyed and futures darkened. This has been written since 935 AD, but in present day, it becomes an impossible mission.

MI-5 Agent, Trent Arnot has felt the call of his legacy. To fulfill his destiny, he must fight a nemesis that is wreaking havoc across the globe. Another murder, more grisly and gruesome than all the rest, has taken place. This time, however, Trent knows who the next victim will be. She is his past, his present and his future.

Thoughts:

I will be the first one to admit that I generally do not read books that fall in the fantasy or paranormal genre but I am always open to trying a book before forming an opinion about the whole genre.  As we know there are good and bad writers out there in all areas and you should never judge based on one bad experience!  That said, it did take me a few chapters to get into the book since the first chapter starts in the past and I was a little confused or lost…but some days it doesn’t take much for that to happen.  Once I understood the characters and the storyline the rest of the book flowed very nicely.  There was good interaction between all of the characters and I was in there rooting for the bad guy to be defeated.  There were also scenes that didn’t seem realistic…but I had to remember this was a fantasy book and after all Harry Potter isn’t realistic either! 

Overall I enjoyed the book and if you like fantasy/paranormal definitely check out Julie’s series I don’t think you will be disappointed!  Gracie & April give it 3 1/2 paws up.