Dragon Summer Decor - Handmade Dragon Statue for Home, Garden & Office Decor | Perfect for Seasonal Displays, Gifts & Fantasy Themed Parties

In my opinion, Todd Lockwood is the authority on dragons. For over fifteen years, since my nerdy high school days, I have been a fan of Lockwood's art. His artwork on Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition inspired me to create worlds of my own, his book covers were the deciding factor in what I purchased. And I just had to own a copy of his art book, Transitions, which required special ordering considering I couldn't find it in any store. Then to discover that he has written a book and it’s about what I already associate him with...Dragons! Um, yes please, I'll take 2. One to keep pretty and another to shred throughout multiple reads.To preface, it has been years since I finished a book in less than 2 months, let alone finish one entirely. I usually end up bored by chapter 10. However, that is not the case with The Summer Dragon. For most people, the hook is a line or a page or a chapter. Yet for me, the hook is always the characters. Action and intrigue fill the prologue to show you that Lockwood means business. Enter chapter 1 and you see the clear construct of design and character intricacies begin to develop. In a single chapter, Lockwood manages to assure you that the entire book is deeply thought out. After finishing the first chapter, I knew the dominos would align and fall with masterful technique.Maia. Enough said. Talk about a rounded, faulted, sympathetic, passionate, and bold character. Maia is the heroine every story needs, and she is placed as the Protagonist with expert execution. Come the end of the story, I cannot wait to re-enter her world in the second installment of the Evertide.Second to Maia comes the Dragons. The book revolves around Maia's family and their breeding of dragons for the military at war with a terrible threat. Lockwood's dragons and his interpretation of them is exactly how I would imagine it if it were in the real world. Yet, even still, he takes it a step farther and blows my mind with his detail. Writers write about dragons all the time, having little practical experience. But Lockwood writes about dragons with an impressive resume to back his knowledge. He has been designing dragons for years and it is clear that they are his babies in The Summer Dragon.The book is divided in two parts and 'Holy Fulfilling, Batman!' It honestly feels like two complete books with a beginning, middle, and end in each part, yet they both still collide to form a complete, rounded story. Lockwood hasn't just written a story, he has created a mythology. His story revolves around unknown histories and religious views that bring a level of political intrigue, the likes of which I have never encountered in a fantasy realm. Oh, and to top it all off, you get illustrations throughout the book that Lockwood, himself, created. They add clear insight to the beautiful imagery his words weave. There are characters you love, there are characters you hate, and there are characters you just aren't sure about... And that is how it should be. Mystery swells as you never know what other characters are thinking or scheming. Then it all blows up in your face and you end most chapters with a 'Holy plot twist, Batman! Okay, one more chapter.'I cannot recommend The Summer Dragon enough. Todd Lockwood has conquered the art realm and is moving on to the written realm. I absolutely can't wait for the release of the 2nd book of the Evertide!