Hello, friends! Today is release day for the final Secrets of Ormdale novel, Valley of Dragons. I was once again able to get an ARC of this book, and let me tell you, this is such a good conclusion to the series. I may or may not have stayed up until after one in the morning the night I finished it because I got so invested in the story, and that's something I haven't done in a long time. So, obviously, I have to share my thoughts!

Thoughts on Valley of Dragons

1. The story came full-circle in the best possible way. Secrets of Ormdale closes as it opens: with Edith learning something about her family that she never would have imagined, discovering the darkness hiding behind "the way it's always been," and choosing to find ways to push back against that darkness. However, the story still feels as fresh and exciting as it did in book one, and Baehr ties all the plot threads together marvelously.
2. As always, I love the blend of cozy vibes with intrigue and Gothic adventure. While the stakes are as high or higher than they've ever been and Edith and her friends and family still face danger, Baehr maintains a sense of warmth and coziness throughout the story. We still have the love and support between family members and friends; we still have humor to lighten dark moods; we still have kindness on display and confidence that good will win in the end. That coziness doesn't undercut the danger and excitement at any point (again, I read this into the wee hours of the morning because I had to know what happened next), but
3. It's lovely to see how the characters have changed since they were first introduced. As the last book in this series, Valley of Dragons has to wrap up all the character arcs satisfactorily . . . and I'm happy to say that it's not just satisfying; it's downright delightful. All of our favorites have grown so much, and while I'm not going to spoil anything, I will say that the end of this book finds them all flourishing, freed of what once bound them and able to pursue both new dreams and new responsibilities. I especially loved how Baehr worked out the arcs for Edith's cousins and for Simon Drake. They arguably had the most weighing them down and forcing them into particular molds at the story's start, and now we see them becoming who they were always meant to be. And speaking of that . . .
4. Edith and Simon continue to be the best couple. Their feelings may be out in the open now, but that doesn't mean their journey is any less difficult, as they both (but especially Simon) wrestle with the tension between love and duty. Baehr portrays that conflict and dynamic in a very realistic way, and I genuinely wondered how she was going to resolve it. Again, I won't give away any secrets, but I will say that I really liked how it was handled and how the characters dealt with certain related events and discoveries.
5. Even the antagonists are treated with compassion. Aside from the character arcs, this may be one of my favorite things about this book. Over and over again, Baehr and her characters find the balance between compassion and justice — appropriately, as so many of the antagonists in this series are victims of the same lies, traditions, and cycles of pain they've used to hurt others. Where redemption is possible, it's offered and often pursued, and I loved the fact that this made for so many happy endings. But those who refuse still face the full consequences of their actions, and that's equally satisfying.
   

I can hardly believe this series is over . . . but, happily, Baehr has teased that more stories from Ormdale may be on the way! I can hardly wait to find out what comes of that. In the meantime, are you excited to read Valley of Dragons? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

Hello, all! It's time to spotlight another release I'm super excited about: Christina Baehr's Castle of the Winds. This is the third book in the Secrets of Ormdale series, and you may recall my raving over book one, Wormwood Abbey, and book two, Drake Hall. Now we're back with my thoughts on Castle of the Winds, which sees Edith (and others) venture away from Ormdale, into the mountains of Wild Wales . . . and find themselves in a very unexpected sort of adventure altogether. Once again, I absolutely loved this book, and naturally I have to share my thoughts.

Thoughts on Castle of the Winds

1. Edith continues to be the most relatable protagonist. And no, I'm not just saying that because we're both writers — though I do love that about her, and I'm pleased any time it comes up. (There's one brief scene wherein she tries to solve a problem by considering how her protagonist would address her, only to admit that her protagonist never would've gotten himself in the situation in the first place, and . . . Girl, same.) But she's simultaneously sensible and eager for adventure, equal parts practical and appreciative of drama. She's intelligent, but she's still allowed to make mistakes — and, I'll admit, she flubs a bit more in this book than she does in others. However, at no point was I actually frustrated with her because every time, I had to admit that I probably would've done the same thing, probably for the same reasons (those reasons being dragons and responsibility, but especially the former).
2. I enjoyed seeing Edith and Simon's relationship continue to develop. I can't say a lot on this point because, y'know, spoilers. What I can say is that they make very good friends who support each other, protect each other, fill in each other's blind spots, and try to make the other better . . . and they're both aware of how they feel about each other (in a deeper-than-friendship sense), but they're handling those feelings like mature adults. Which is to say, they both also have lines they're not willing to cross, and they're not letting feelings carry them off into making foolish decisions, either in how they treat each other or how they relate to other people.
3. On that note, I also loved seeing Simon continue to come into his own. He is finally really having an opportunity to determine who he is and who he wishes to be, aside from the expectations laid on him by others, and I love that for him. Again and again, he has opportunities to display his character, and again and again he proves himself to be a man of quality (especially held up against certain others). In particular, he demonstrates a great deal of courage and trust throughout the book, sometimes in obvious ways and sometimes in less obvious ones, and . . . I just love him, ok?
4. Getting to see another part of Baehr's version of the world was so exciting. As I mentioned in the intro, this book takes us to Wild Wales, to the holdings of another family of dragon keepers, and this one is very different from Ormdale. Discovering this new area, with its unique dragon types, culture, and lore, was fun and fascinating — and I loved the inclusion of some Arthurian and Welsh myth references! Beyond that, though, this new region and its people allow Baehr to explore new facets of her series themes: the dangers of the lure of traditionalism and "the way it's always been done" and the ways family can build a person for better or worse.
5. Though it's more adventurous than other books in the series and has higher stakes, it maintains the cozy vibes. As you might have gathered from the last point, Castle of the Winds is a book of discovery that takes place mostly away from Ormdale, and the characters are often caught off-guard by the differences between this place and their home. This unfamiliar setting also brings new dangers, which are simultaneously more insidious and more threatening than what we've dealt with in previous books. The climax and ending of the story are also quite thrilling (and the very end of the book made me gasp). However, Baehr keeps the overall tone cozy through the narrative voice, through the focus on character relationships, and through the details she chooses to emphasize. So, this is still a low-stress read — relatively, anyway.
   

Are you excited to visit Castle of the Winds? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

Hello friends! Some of y'all may remember that back in October, I absolutely raved over Christina Baehr's Wormwood Abbey, a cozy gothic fantasy about family and dragons and tradition and change. Well, the sequel to Wormwood Abbey, Drake Hall, just released this week (the week of Dragon Appreciation Day, very appropriately), and I am here to tell you that it is every bit as delightful as the original — and in some ways, it's even better.

 

Reasons Why Drake Hall Is an Absolute Delight

1. It's grounded in family (for better and for worse). This was one of the things I loved best about the first book, and it continues here. Since Wormwood Abbey, Edith, her immediate family, and her cousins have all grown closer, and it's beautiful to see the bonds that have formed (and continue to grow) between them, whether that's Edith encouraging Gwendolyn as she steps outside of what was expected of her and towards her dreams of the future, Gwendolyn helping Edith navigate life as a keeper of dragons, or just George, Violet, and Una having their own adventures in the background. That said, this book also hits on the ways that family shapes you — and, particularly, how family can cause pain and hurt, whether that's intentional or not. We see this in multiple characters, particularly Gwendolyn, Una, and Simon. However, Baehr keeps the promise that there can be change and healing firmly in view, so this never becomes overly disheartening.
2. There are so many lovely dragons! Wormwood Abbey gave us a glimpse of a few notable dragons — but now that Edith, her parents, and her brother have been initiated into the secrets of the abbey, we see far more of these magnificent creatures. These include both the familiar — Francis and the wyvern both are frequently present on the page — to new types of dragon like the river dragon on the cover. We also see dragons from many different lands: European, Asian, and more — plus, more dragon lore! Y'all know I love lore.
3. It's simultaneously the perfect summer book and the perfect winter read. I have, to this day, only read one series that is quite as infused with the essence of summer as Drake Hall is. (That series, by the way, is the summer-vacation half of the Penderwicks books.) Baehr's description brings the lush warmth of this glorious season to life alongside the feeling of possibility that summer brings. Those qualities, plus the highly enjoyable voice, make it the perfect book for enjoying on a summer afternoon . . . or on a winter night, when the narrative will make you forget the snow outside and feel as if some of that summery-ness has found its way to you.
4. We get to know Simon Drake much better. We knew from Wormwood Abbey that he is, of course, an Excellent Gentleman well-versed in the secrets of the abbey and the dragons it guards. In Drake Hall, as one might expect, we see more of him than almost any character aside from Edith — it's not quite his book as much as hers, but it certainly comes close. As one might expect, that means we get to understand him — and the forces that shaped him into who he is — far better than we did when we started the book. And while I can't give spoilers, I will say that getting to know him more is a very pleasant experience . . .
5. The tension between tradition and change is handled very well. Aside from the family elements, the other big theme in the Secrets of Ormdale books seems to be the tension between tradition and change. Wormwood Abbey, Drake Hall, and Ormdale are very rural, traditional places, and some of those traditions are good . . . but sometimes, clinging to tradition because it's traditional or it's how things have always been can cause more hurt than harm, and we see that quite clearly in these pages. Baehr acknowledges both sides of this conflict, recognizing the good in each, and as with the family themes, she never lets the reader lose sight of the hope that things can be better than they are.
   

Are you excited for Drake Hall? What's another grounded-in-family fantasy that you love? And if you haven't read Wormwood Abbey and you're curious, you're in luck — the ebook is on sale for $0.99 through January 20, so make sure you pick that up!
Thanks for reading!

Hey'a, all! If you recall from my Fall 2023 Reads post, this season is absolutely bursting with magnificent reads, and one of the upcoming releases I was most excited about was Christine Baehr's cozy gothic debut, Wormwood Abbey. And if you read last week's Doings post, you know that this book did not disappoint . . . but I'm still so excited about it, and it's pretty much the perfect non-spooky October read, so guess what! I'm talking more about it! And giving you five reasons why you should absolutely pick up Wormwood Abbey this fall!

First, though, a quick side note — if you're in the Northern Virginia area, don't forget that I'll be at Cascades Library tomorrow, 11am to 2pm, for Eat Local, Read Local! I'll be selling and signing books alongside 70-ish other local authors, and it'll be a great time. You can find out more by clicking here. I hope I'll see you there!

You Should Absolutely Read Wormwood Abbey

1. It's gothic! With dragons! Honestly, for some of y'all, that's probably all you needed to hear. Or, quite possibly, dragons was all you needed to hear. But if you think spending time in an ancient, crumbling abbey (and an equally ancient, but less crumbling manor) that hides scaled secrets sounds like your cup of tea, well, you're in luck. This isn't a spooky read, but it's full of ruins and mysteries, of secrets long kept by oath and family tradition, of midnight ventures through dark hallways, of strange inheritances, of hidden dangers and the meeting of the supernatural with the natural. And, of course, full of strange creatures that just might be the dragons of legend . . .
2. Edith is such a lovely lead. I simply adore her, and that's a fact. Outwardly, she's a proper clergy's daughter — but at the same time, she's secretly a writer of sensational mysteries. Given that I am also a writer of (hopefully) sensational mysteries, I feel a proper kinship with her, and I wish she were real so we could be friends. Besides that, though, she's reasonably sensible and good-hearted, but not without a proper appreciation for drama and adventure. And while she does occasionally slip up or procrastinate on telling people things, there was never a point where I was genuinely frustrated with her.
3. The family elements are so wonderful. Edith has an excellent relationship with her immediate family — she loves and gets along with her parents and much-younger brother, and they support her in turn. I particularly loved the fact that Edith's parents are still an important part of her life, even though she's at the age where a lot of authors would have her be aching to be free of them. Her relationships with this part of her family grounds the book, providing steady footing as we and Edith explore the secrets of her extended family. I also enjoyed seeing the tentative friendship growing between Edith and Gwendolyn, her oldest cousin. Gwendolyn, we find, has borne the weight of her world for quite some time, so she's slow to trust, but it's lovely to see her and Edith eventually come to support each other.
4. The writing style is delightful. It's first-person narration with lovely little asides here and there — much like the style of Rowntree's Miss Sharp and Miss Dark books, it feels period-appropriate, yet still modern. And Edith is an excellent narrator — it's like hearing a story told by a new friend. (Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part . . .) Plus, she's both a writer (as already mentioned) and a reader, which means we get her occasionally doing things like referencing Austen and Bronte or considering how her lead character would handle particular situations. It's such fun!
5. It's just a lovely comfort read. The stakes are high enough to keep you from easily setting the book down, but not so high that reading this will stress you out. There's loveliness amid the mysteries and ruins and friendship and familial love despite the long-kept secrets. It's like the literary equivalent of enjoying a cup of hot tea-with-cream-and-sugar and several slices of pumpkin bread (or insert your hot-beverage-and-fall-treat combo of choice). And, truly, I couldn't recommend it more.
   

Does Wormwood Abbey have you intrigued? What about it sounds most interesting to you? What's a little-known dragon book or fall comfort read you love? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

My favorites list, whether speaking of authors or series, has changed quite a few times since I first got into fantasy. Wayne Thomas Batson, once in my top three favorite authors, now doesn't even make the top ten. J.R.R. Tolkien stood alone at the highest rank — until Anne Elisabeth Stengl and Brandon Sanderson proved themselves worthy to join him. I spent a heady six months obsessing over Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy, only for it to fall dramatically out of favor when I tried to reread it a few years later.

But amid all this, there are some authors and books that have consistently remained — well, if not in my top three, at least in my top ten. Chief among them (aside from Tolkien again) is Bryan Davis, particularly with his Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire series. These were two of the first non-classic fantasy series I fell in love with — and I think it's fair to say that I was really, really into them. I reread them multiple times; I even memorized some of the poetry. And about seven months ago, I decided to return to the two series, reread them, and see how they stood up to the test of time. For the results, well, read on.

 

On Rereading Dragons in Our Midst

1. Most of it is as good as I remembered . . . and some bits are better. I'm not going to claim that this series is the pinnacle of literary art, but it remains a genuinely enjoyable, exciting story with a lot of emphasis on family and some very deep, powerful themes. The things about the book that I loved originally, I still love. I also found that I could appreciate some elements of the book that I didn't really get (or didn't love) when I was younger. This is particularly evident in The Candlestone and Enoch's Ghost, which used to be my least favorite books in the double-series and are now . . . well, neither one is my new favorite (I still love Circles of Seven best), but they're both several places higher on the list because I finally get what the author was trying to say with them.
2. There's so much less angst and edginess than there could've been. I didn't appreciate this enough as a preteen/teen originally reading the series — but, of course, then I didn't have all the experience with other YA (particularly secular YA) to compare it to. Davis gives quite a few members of his cast enough tragic backstory to make the edgiest D&D rogue's story look like a comedy, so he'd be well within his right to make them equally angsty, and he just . . . doesn't. Is there introspection? Emotion? Of course! Do characters hit some pretty low lows? Absolutely. But it doesn't saturate the characters or the narrative, which is really nice, and the characters who would have the most reason for angst (namely, Bonnie, Sapphira, and Elam) end up the exact opposite character type. Granted, that can be frustrating for different reasons, but it's less frustrating than the alternative.
3. It's really fun to go back to a series that's so family-focused. Very family-focused indeed, actually, given that DiOM/OoF give Kendra E. Ardnek's Rizkaland Legends a run for their money with how large a percentage of major characters are related. And whatever else you say about this series, you have to appreciate how Davis makes a point of writing active, healthy parent-kid relationships into the story and having multiple generations taking on adventures, challenges, and battles together.
4. Bryan Davis really just does what he wants, doesn't he? This was less evident when I initially read the series, since (A) the YA fantasy genre and its conventions were still somewhat being established and (B) I hadn't read enough to really be aware of what conventions there were. But on rereading the series, it becomes very clear that Davis is a man who looked at trends, said "Nah," and proceeded to make a career out of writing what he thought would be cool. And so, in this series — You have dragons and King Arthur in the modern day. You have multiple variations of an afterlife and interdimensional travel between them, along with so many resurrections. You have sci-fi-ish stuff like Ashley's inventions and her supercomputer/AI, as well as (arguably) two different completely unrelated variations on people being grown in plants. You have everything about Abaddon's lair. And you know what? It works. And it's wonderful. (I would even argue that it works because everything is so all-over, but if I get into that, this point will end up being its own blog post.)
5. This is, if possible, even more spiritually in-your-face than I remembered. No one can deny that the way Christian fantasy is written has changed since the 2000s when these books were published. Even if you look exclusively at Davis's books, you'll see that over time, the stories lean less into allegory and get more and more subtle with their spiritual messages. So, going back to Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire, two series which I remembered as being extremely heavy on the Scripture and spiritual stuff even compared to the series' contemporaries, was a bit of an interesting experience. On one hand, the heavy-handedness of some sections and elements (and the emphasis on purity) can pull you out of the story . . . but on the other hand, it was honestly refreshing to read something that's so up-front about being based in Christianity and so saturated in Spiritual truth.

Whew! That was a bit longer than I intended. I had fun both returning to an old favorite and analyzing how I feel about it now, though. If you're still reading, please tell me in the comments what your favorite Bryan Davis book or series is (or which of his works you think looks most interesting). Also tell me if you'd be interested in that blog post about why I think the way Davis mixes so many different elements into his story works so well; I kinda want to get more into this now.
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah

Dragon Types That We Don't See Enough

Hey'a, everyone! This week's post topic comes courtesy of my lovely roommate, who suggested it when I said I was going to write a dragon-themed post this week. (Why dragons? Yesterday, if you missed it, was Dragon Appreciation Day! I celebrated by posting pictures of my cute dragon stuffies on social media and writing a D&D episode featuring a dragon that most of my players appreciate quite a bit.) Today we're talking about dragon types and interpretations that we'd like to see more frequently in books and other media. I'm including some wished-for dragon types from my roommate, some from me, and some from both of us. Of course, if I'm putting it on this list, it's safe to assume that I'd like to see it more often too, so . . .

 Dragon Types That We Don't See Enough

1. From my roommate and I: Asian-style dragons. Asian-type dragons, like a lot of Asian fantastical beings, are tragically underused in literature. I know they're featured in the Invisible Library series (yet another reason I love those books) and that's the only one I know for sure. But I feel like there's a lot of untapped potentials there . . . and I feel like certain authors (*cough*KyleRobertShultz*cough*) could have a lot of fun with interactions between Asian and Western dragons if they showed up in the same series.
2. From my roommate: More human-shaped dragons. In the sense that they're dragons that can take on a humanoid form as well as their dragon form but they still act like dragons and they're not under a spell or whatever. (And yes, I have told her about Invisible Library and the Afterverse.) This is actually a pretty fun trope, one I've used in a few of my yet-to-be-published books, and I agree that it's rather underutilized. (At least, outside of sketchy fantasy romance novels . . . And, on that note, I'd like more of these human-shaped dragons to be not primarily objects of desire or desiring after other characters . . . can they just be friends with their non-dragon companions? Please?)
3. From me: Dragons in more personalities and archetypes. At the moment, I feel like dragons get typecast a lot. You have the Kilgarrahs (ancient mentors who mostly give advice in varying degrees of crypticness), the Saphiras (loyal and dedicated companions who provide support and offer to eat antagonistic people), the Smaugs (villains of immense villainy), and the Celestes and Gymns (can be large or small but aren't on the same level as a human character). You do sometimes get dragons who play other roles, but those are comparatively rare, and I'd like that to change.
4. From my roommate and I: Dragons with unusual and non-traditional hoards. Ok, yes, Jessica Day George did this and did it super well, but why is no one else doing it? Give us a literal book dragon. Give us a dragon who hoards blankets, the softer and cozier the better. Give us a dragon who hoards replica dragons, everything from statues to paintings to stuffed animals. As my roommate suggested, give us a dragon who hoards emotions or experiences and whose hoards' physical element seems to have no unifying factor because everything is connected to something bigger than itself. Or give us a dragon who has an obsession in place of a hoard. There are so many things you can do with this and no one is doing it. It's tragic.
5. From my roommate and I: Intelligent pocket dragons. Look. We want all the other stuff on this list, yeah. But what we and everyone else really want? Tiny, brilliant, imperious dragons. Dragons that can fit in your pocket or ride on your shoulder but can think and communicate with all the devious, mischevious intelligence of a Saphira or a Smaug. Miniature grumpy librarian dragons. Mischevious dragon companions who get way too excited over puns and wordplay and riddles. The dragon equivalent of Bard Eanrin. Please, someone, make it happen.

What types or interpretations of dragons would you like to see more frequently? And have you read any books that feature dragons in the ways my roommate and I would like to see more of? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade) 

New Year, New World [A New Year's Short]

Happy New Year, everyone! I wasn't sure if I'd do a New Year's short story, but then I got this idea and it was so much fun that I just had to run with it. Hopefully y'all enjoy it too. If you're curious, my usual reflections-and-goals post will be going up on Friday. I just don't want to post TOO much in these two days.

New Year, New World

Tamison took a deep breath and smoothed the lapels of his wizardly robe. Fifteen minutes and counting until he’d leave for his first mission for the Council of Wizards. He'd been waiting months for an assignment, but his patience had paid off. This mission would prove his resolve, his ingenuity, and his subtlety without all the danger that some of the other young wizards had faced on their first assignments. There would be no tentacle-things from the Lost Realm, no mad werecats from the Forest of Midnight, and absolutely no bears of any kind. It would be perfect.

Tamison sorted through his satchel, making sure he had everything, then checked the clock again. Nine minutes left. He whistled to catch the attention of the pocket dragon perched on a nearby chair. “Myrd, why don't you slip through the portal and scout a bit? Make sure the coast is clear?”

Myrd rolled his eyes. A string of thoughts flowed from his head to Tamison's, mostly about how ridiculous Tam was. But he took flight anyway and disappeared through the portal with a flip of his silver-scaled tail.

Now alone, Tamison took a deep breath and reviewed the details of his mission. Seventeen years ago, an about-to-die wizard couple had portaled their one-year-old daughter to the Magicless Realm, Earth, intending to retrieve her if either of them survived. Neither had, and it had taken this long for other wizards to trace the girl's location to somewhere in the western part of somewhere called North Carolina. Tamison's job was to find the girl and bring her back. Undoubtedly, it would be a long and difficult search, requiring Tam to evade the notice of enemy forces and perfect his locating spells to the level of a master magician, but it would be worthwhile in the end — especially if he could manage to win the girl's heart along with the approval of his elders. Yes, she would surely be charmed by the suave and mysterious stranger simmering with hidden power . . .

Myrd flew back through the portal and reported the other side all clear. Tamison straightened, slung his satchel over his shoulder, and checked the clock. One more minute, then he could arrive at exactly midnight on the first day of the Magicless Realm's New Year.

Now! Tamison stepped into the portal. For a moment, dark nothingness surrounded him. Then he walked out the other side into cold air that smelled of dirty smoke and disappointment. In the sky high above, a firework went off with a bang and a flash of green. Ah, yes, this was a suitably dramatic entrance.

“You know,” came a contemplative voice from below him, “they say that if you drink a root beer at midnight on New Year's Eve behind the high school, adventure will find you.”

Tamison shot a furious thought at Myrd: I thought you said the coast was clear! He looked down to find a girl sitting there, her back to the brick wall, wrapped in a puffy green coat. A mass of black curls half hid her face, and she held a clear bottle of some kind of dark liquid. “And who says this, exactly?”

“People. Well, me, mostly. Just now, and about ten minutes ago when a dragon poofed out of thin air and started flying around.” She looked up and grinned at him, her teeth gleaming white in the darkness. “So, where do you come from, adventure?”

You let her see you? Tamison glared at Myrd, then stopped. This girl shouldn't have been able to see the dragon at all. Maybe he could convince her it was her imagination, nothing more. “I'm just passing through.”

“Sure.” She grinned again like she didn't believe him. “Just stepped out of thin air like that, you can't be sticking around long. But what's on the other side of thin air?”

“I did not just step out of thin air. You simply didn't notice me approach.” He gave her an annoyed look. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Someone I trust told me that if I came here at this time, I’d save someone a lot of time and energy.” She rolled her eyes and took a long drink from her bottle. “Also, I think I would’ve noticed you coming — you and your dragon and your fancy flickery robe, even if the robe kinda looks like a sports coat sometimes. How’d’you do that?”

Blast. Something must be wrong with his illusion spells. But this was fixable. “No, it's a . . .” What had she called it? “A sports coat. And there's no dragon. You're drunk.”
She snorted. “You don't get drunk on root beer. Don't be stupid. Anyway, I’m too young for alcohol and too smart for drugs.”

What kind of beer didn't get people drunk? Tamison made a mental note to investigate. “You're tired and imagining things, then.”

“Nah. I got plenty of sleep last night. I could stay up for hours now.” She gave him another lazy smile as more fireworks went off above them. “So? What's on the other side of your thin air — if it's air? It looks kinda weird, like if you turned a rainbow into fishing line and wove it into a sheet.”

So not only could she see Myrd and his robes, she could see the gateway too. Great. Just great. Tamison hastily adjusted his plans. He could do with an ally here, a guide to help him find the girl. Naturally, as she worked with him, her initial hostility would give way to respect, then love, but she would be left sorrowful when he returned to his own world with the wizards’ daughter . . .

“Your dragon's talking to me,” she abruptly announced, interrupting his thoughts. “He says you're on a quest to find someone. Maybe I know her.”

“Yes.” Tamison shot Myrd another look. The least the dragon could do was let him tell his own story. “Seventeen years ago, two great wizards sent their daughter here to hide her from their foes. Now I seek to find her and invite her to return to her homeland to receive training in the fabulous powers which she undoubtedly possesses.”

“Uh-huh.” She drew the last word out as far as it could go without breaking. “And how are you gonna know this girl when you find her?”

“Well . . .” Tamison considered this. “I will have several tests to see if she could be the one. The first sign, of course, would be that she can see through my illusions . . .”

The girl might’ve raised an eyebrow; her tone suggested she had. “Like I can, you mean?”

“Well, yes.” Tamison faltered. It couldn't be this easy, could it? “And then I would investigate more into her family heritage and history and see what she knew about her parents . . .”

“Birth parents? ‘Bout nothing.” She shrugged and took another drink. “I've been in the foster system since I was a baby; just aged out last July. I tried to find info on my birth family, but no one even has any records.”

“Oh.” This was a test. It had to be a test. Either that or a trap. “Well, the person I'm looking for has a birthmark roughly the shape of a heart on her left shoulder.”

“Like this?” After a minute’s struggle with her coat, she pulled down the shoulder of her sweater to show him. He bent, creating a ball of light in one hand to help him see.

The mark did indeed look like a heart, though an elongated one. Tam straightened up. More fireworks went off, and music came from somewhere off beyond the brick wall, then faded away. “I suppose the last test would be to see if she has any wizardly powers . . .”

The words had no sooner left his mouth than he felt his feet lift off the ground. The girl laughed as he rose a foot above the earth and floated there. “Wizard enough for you?” She smirked. “I started floating books off my shelves by accident when I was twelve. I've been waiting ever since for someone to show up and say, ‘Yer a wizard, Carrie, ’ but I guess it worked out the other way around. So, I get to go off to wizardland now?”

Blast it. Blast it. Could it really be this easy? Was this a trap? A setup? A test? He had to find a way to stall and recalibrate. “If you wish to return to the Living Realm, your homeland, you may, but you are not required to if you would rather remain.”

“Learn to be a wizard and live around dragons instead of spending my life working a lousy job to pay off student loans? That’s an easy choice. New year, new world sounds good to me.” She stood. “So we just walk through the rainbow-weave thin air and we're there?”

“Yes, but . . .” Tam scrambled for an excuse. “Do you need to gather any possessions or say goodbye to anyone?”

She shook her head. “I had a feeling I wouldn't be around much this new year, and my feelings like that usually aren’t wrong. I said my goodbyes and brought everything I care about with me.” She hefted a black backpack off the ground and onto her shoulder. “Well, are we going?”

“Um . . .” Tamison still hesitated until a noise like branches rattling behind them caught his attention. “What was that?”

Carrie shrugged. “An animal of some kind, probably.”

Tam allowed himself to relax. “Ah. Nothing to fear, then.”

She gave him another one of those smiles. “Nah. Not unless you’re afraid of bears.”

Tamison hastily reevaluated the situation. Bears, even non-magical ones, were notoriously resistant to anything wizardly, and in his current discombobulated state, he didn't want to mess with one. “Let's just get back through the portal, then.” He stepped aside and gestured. “Ladies first.”

“Thanks.” She paused. “By the way, you’re not my type, so maybe stop getting your hopes up.” Then she stepped through the gateway and disappeared.

Tam sighed. Apparently, he needed to guard his thoughts better — either that or find a dragon who didn't spill all his secrets. At least it was an easy mission. That's something. Then, with that in mind and Myrd on his shoulder, he followed Carrie through the portal.

Dealing With Dragons

It is an unfortunate truth that, in any fantasy world involving dragons (even normally-friendly ones), you or your characters will eventually have to face an angry attacking dragon. If you're particularly unfortunate, you'll have to face multiple attacking dragons at the same time. In either case, it's best to be prepared with some basic strategies beforehand. And that's why, today, I'm going to give you five tips that will hopefully keep you alive next time you find yourself facing down an angry furnace-with-wings.

Dealing With Dragons

1. Aim for the wings. Ok, look. This might not be the advice you'd find in the hundreds of dragon legends, myths, novels, and other forms of narrative, most of which recommend going at the underbelly or the neck or something of that sort. And, you know, that advice is fine . . . if you want to go for the one-shot-one-kill-almost-died-five-times strategy that works mostly because there's a million-to-one chance it won't. And, you know, if that's how you want to live your life, I won't stop you. However, if you're more interested in being effective than dramatic, here's my advice: aim for the wings first. Why? Well, let's take a quick look at some dragons.

What do they all have in common? That's right: scales everywhere except the wings. Instead, we've got a material that looks more like layers of skin, probably with blood vessels in it. That doesn't mean the wings will be easy to take out (they've got to be pretty strong to hold the dragon up), but they are a lot more vulnerable than the rest of the dragon. Plus, you know what happens if you tear enough holes in the wing? That's right, the dragon falls! If you're lucky, the fall alone will finish it off . . . but most of the time, the dragon will only be stunned. And that's when you grab your chance and attack the eyes, the neck, the head, anything, and put an end to the fight before the dragon comes to its senses.

2. Keep moving! Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule. If you've got, say, a ballista or cannon or proven-dragon-proof fortress, by all means, stick with it. But, in general, even for dragons, moving targets are harder to hit and catch. So, keep moving from cover to cover as much as you can . . . or else your battle will be over in very short order.

These people are going to die, but they've got the right idea, at least.

3. It's dangerous to go alone. Look, I get it. You want to be a hero and get the glory or prove your worth or whatever. So, you think you need to take on the dragon all by yourself. But what you don't realize is that this attitude is basically asking to get killed. Dragons are bigger than you, stronger than you, and much more deadly than you. Your best chance is to work together with people who you trust to have your back. How that works out is up to you. Maybe you all concentrate your fire on one spot; maybe a few of you distract the dragon while the rest take aim; maybe half of you focus on the dragon and the rest defend against threats on the ground. Just do it together. Remember: it's better to be alive than famous.

4. Do NOT try to make friends with the dragon. I know some of you would much rather befriend the dragon than fight it. I get that, and I honestly agree . . . but the time to befriend a dragon is not in the middle of a battle. That's what you do to prevent the battle in the first place. Sadly, unless you have a prior relationship with the attacking dragon, attempting to befriend it will probably end with you as a pile of ash.

5. Accept that everything will probably be on fire. Speaking of piles of ash . . . yeah. Dragons are big, they're powerful, and they have the destructive power of a whole guild of wizards. Just think of what Smaug did to Laketown! Even if you do everything just right to bring down the dragon, it'll take time. So, if you think there's a chance of a dragon attack, don't depend on your fighting abilities alone to keep local civilians alive. Have a plan to evacuate them that will keep them as far from danger as possible. And, after you've taken out the dragon's wings, don't hesitate to drop a building on it if you need to. Once again, keeping the maximum number of people alive is your priority, not fame, glory, honor, or your city. Keep that in mind and you'll go far.

What strategies would you suggest for dealing with attacking dragons? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Velone

About a month ago, my sister asked me if I had any ideas of what to knit next. I gave her the usual list- a hat, wristers, a cowl, and possibly some other things- and then added another suggestion: a dragon. This caught her attention, and I told her about the stuffed dragon pattern that I'd found a while back and never tried. She asked to see the pattern, and I showed it to her, and asked that if she did end up making dragons, that she make one for me as well.

Fast forward to last Sunday evening, and look what appeared on my bed:

Isn't he cute? His name is Velone, after a dragon in one of my stories. I actually specifically requested that my sister make my dragon to look like the character Velone, since he's pretty much my favorite of all the dragons I've written- and he's probably in or close to my top five of dragons in general.

Why? I'm glad you asked.

Velone, the character

Velone is a miniature ice dragon, which means he'll never get much bigger than a housecat. At the moment, being only about two weeks old (as of the end of Destinies and Decisions), he's small enough to fit comfortably in a largish coat pocket. In fact, he spends a good deal of time in a pocket, since it makes a good hiding/napping spot.

Velone is a Rider's dragon, bonded to Emma Alyron. Like Emma, Velone loves music. His favorite way to express himself is through humming: cheerful tunes when he's happy, slower melodies when he's thinking hard, and Emma's favorite songs for when he's trying to encourage her. When he's not trying to express a particular emotion or sentiment, his "default" tune is the first one he heard Emma sing in the moments before he hatched. Though she sang it as a lonely lament, it's since become a symbol of hope for both of them.

Velone might be tiny, but he has an enormous heart and a protective streak three miles wide. If something is threatening his Emma, he'll do whatever he can to stop it, and when she's feeling discouraged, lonely, or just not good enough, he'll hum, nuzzle her cheeks, and remind her of the truths she needs to hear. He doesn't entirely understand why Emma fears all the things she does, and he consistently nudges her to step outside her comfort zone, to be the person she could be rather than the person she sees herself as.

Writing about Emma and Velone is almost always really fun. Velone is very different from most of the other dragons in my stories when it comes to interactions with his Rider. For one thing, because he's so small, there's a lot more cuddling involved. (Yes, dragons do cuddle, or at least mine do.) For another, he communicates more through images, feelings, and humming than through actual words. This makes him a bit more challenging to write, but I enjoy the challenge. Also, as I mentioned earlier, Velone also serves as a catalyst for Emma's growth as a person, which makes their interactions doubly fun to write.

Do you have a favorite dragon or other mythological creature in your stories? Please tell me about him or her in the comments! As always, I'd love to hear what you have to say!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)  

P.S. Just in case, Velone isn't the only dragon my sister's made . . . she's actually been really busy. To demonstrate just how busy, here's a picture of all her dragons:

Dragon Appreciation Day!

Hello, everyone! Tomorrow is Dragon Appreciation Day! This celebration of dragons was started in 2004 by Donita K. Paul, an awesome Christian fantasy author, in honor of the release of DragonSpell. It's a day to celebrate dragons in literature, whether by reading about them, making art featuring them, or by doing something else dragon related. In honor of the day- and to help you figure out how to celebrate- I thought I'd tell you about some of my favorite dragon-related books.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. 

The best place to start is always with the classics- and anyway, who doesn't love Smaug? (Inasmuch as you can love an evil, fire-breathing dragon, anyway.) Or, if you like, you could also try "Farmer Giles of Ham", a short story Tolkien wrote concerning a farmer who's pushed into being a hero when a dragon turns up near his village.

Heartless or Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.  

Heartless especially. The Dragon is the most terrifying dragon I've ever encountered, and for that reason, he's also my favorite dragon (just barely beating out Smaug). Of course, both these books feature dragons other than the Dragon, though they're less terrifying because- well, fans of Goldstone Wood know why, and anyone else will just have to read the books to find out.

The DragonKeeper Chronicles or Chiril Chronicles by Donita K. Paul

Of course, we can't leave out the books that actually started Dragon Appreciation Day! My favorite part of both of these series is probably the minor dragons. They're so CUTE, especially Gymn. And I know that "cute" and "dragon" are not words one would generally put together, but . . . cute! dragons! It's like cute kittens, only better, because dragons. (Coincidentally, minor dragons also inspired certain dragons in my own writing. I squee over them- well, one of them- too.)

Dragons in Our Mist and sequel series by Bryan Davis

This is the series I'll probably be celebrating with, since it's been on my to-be-reread list for a long while. I love DioM and its sequel series; Mr. Davis is an amazing author, and I love the way he combines Biblical truths, ancient legend, and modern-day fantasy adventure into one great story. (Well, series of stories.) Also, the DioM and sequel series have the most dragons-as-major-characters of any book or series on this list.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

I mentioned this book in my Top Ten Books/Series of 2014 post, and what I said there still stands: Seraphina is awesome, and the dragons aren't quite like any others I've read. There are similarities, true, but they're still very much unique. The worldbuilding is also very good- not Sanderson or Tolkien level, but impressive all the same.

Are you going to do to celebrate Dragon Appreciation Day? How? What are your favorite dragon-related books? Please tell me in the comments!
Nai haryuvalyë melwa rë!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)   

Smoke Photography

It's been a long time since I've posted any photography here. This isn't because I've totally given up on it; I just haven't been doing quite as much. I've had more inspiration for writing, and certain ideas I've had required warmth and green foliage and such. However, last month, I discovered smoke photography- specifically, taking pictures of the smoke from incense sticks and then editing those pictures in various creative ways, like changing the color of the smoke, adding other elements to the pictures, etc.

You can probably guess one of my first ideas. After all, what's one of the first thing a fantasy lover thinks of when she thinks of smoke or fire?

That's right. Dragons.

I originally planned to have the smoke coming out of the dragon's mouth like fire, but the toy dragon we bought didn't have its mouth open. I ended up liking what I did instead much better, though.

From the Pages of Legend

The hardest part was getting the smoke to look like it was coming out of his nostrils. I wouldn't have been able to do it if my dad hadn't helped a lot.

While playing around with other smoke pictures, I happened across this one:

Admittedly, it doesn't look like much on its own, but I'd been listening to Howl's Moving Castle again, and the shape and color reminded me of something. So I did a little more playing around, added some other smoke images, and came out with this:

Calcifer

It's Calcifer! (Also, if anyone watched the movie and is thinking "What? Sarah, Calcifer is yellow and orange and looks like a normal flame!", I'm going by the book, in which he's mostly blue with green flames at the top like hair and orange flames for eyes.) This was actually a lot easier to do than it looks; the only really hard part was figuring out how to select smoke for the eyes. The rest was just layer masks and hue-saturation adjustments.

I haven't done much else with the smoke pictures, but I'm hoping to get around to it soon. I have a few other picture ideas I want to try sometime. I hope you enjoyed these two! Thanks for reading!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)