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Steel (Rent-A-Dragon #1)
Steel (Rent-A-Dragon #1)
Terry Bolryder | 2020 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
81 of 200
Kindle
Steel (Rent a dragon book 1)
By Terry Bolryder

 
A dragon as a handyman? Ridiculous.

At least Liam Steel thinks so. Sure, he and his crew of newly-awakened metal dragons are experts at building things, but after being sunk at the bottom of a frozen ocean, all they want is to find the mates they were sailing in search of in the first place, and Liam isn't sure how that can happen while he's playing in the dirt. Until he meets his first client, a sweet, curvy, no-nonsense business-woman busy taking care of everyone but herself. His heart screams 'mate', and he's ready to get his hands on more than her yard.

Kate Hinton doesn't know what to make of the beefcake Rent-A-Dragon sent over to help with her yard. Impossibly tall with soulful teal eyes, dark hair, and the features of a male model, she's pretty sure he should be walking a runway rather than digging trenches in her yard. And the way he looks at her? Like nothing else matters in the world. But the more she gets to know her kind, friendly, amazingly efficient handyman, the more she is realizing he's not from her world.

He lives in a remodeled castle. He doesn't know certain modern words. And he definitely doesn't understand the rules of modern courtship. But somehow, Kate is finding herself falling in love with this 'dragon' all the same, and finding out there is a whole other world outside her own. One full of secrets, and danger, and maybe even the love of a lifetime.

I’m unsure of where to rate this as on a whole there was nothing bad about the book except the story just very predictable. Saying that though it wasn’t to bad to read and it was a quick read too! I read at the beginning from the author that although it follows on from an earlier series that you wouldn’t have had to have read it, this is a little misleading as I really recommend reading that 1st series! Decent Dragon shifter books are hard to find and I would recommend this one!
  
Pete's Dragon (2016)
Pete's Dragon (2016)
2016 | Family
8
7.8 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Pete’s Dragon is a staple of my childhood. It was one of the three movies I would always choose to watch. So, naturally, I was a little worried when I heard about the new movie earlier this year. The teaser trailer didn’t give much to go by, but it looked promising. I trying something new this year where I do not watch anything beyond the teaser trailer (believe me, it’s killing me not to watch the new Rogue One trailer), so that’s all I had going into this. And I was pleasantly surprised.

 

39 years after the original, David Lowery brings us the re-invention of Pete’s Dragon. His aim was not to remake the original film, but to reinvent it. And that he did. PD opens up with a family traveling through a forest on a road trip. The young boy, Pete (Levi Alexander) is reading from a book about a lost puppy name Elliot. A tragic accident occurs, which leaves Pete by himself in the forest. As he starts to wander, a pack of wolves begins to close in on him, only to be thwarted by… you guessed it. A dragon.

 

Flash forward 6 years, and we now see an older Pete (Oakes Fegley) running around through the forest with Elliot, the dragon who he bonded with over the years. Pete happens upon a forest ranger, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) as she is scouting the forest, unmarking trees that were marked for cut down. She’s not a rebel, just protecting the habitat of an owl. Turns out her fiancé, Jack (Wes Bentley), and his brother, Gavin (Karl Urban), run the company that is tearing down the forest. One day, they happen upon Pete and bring him home, but Pete misses Elliot, and Elliot misses Pete. In an effort to get back to him, Elliot is discovered by Gavin who wants to hunt down Pete and bring him in. Grace seeks assistance from her father, Meachum (Robert Redford), who was always thought of as a crazy old man with his wild story of a dragon he met so many years ago. Can they help save Elliot from Gavin and his men?

 

While a little darker than the original, I found that I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. There are some plot holes to consider, and a little unbelievable on how fast the story develops in time passed in the universe set up here, but you have to understand that this movie is geared toward children. And I think they did well in creating an entertaining film for children and nostalgic adults alike. In fact, this screening was the quietest family screening I have ever attended. There were plenty of kids in the audience, but they were captivated.

 

Keeping in mind that this is truly a children’s movie, my biggest gripe was the absence of my favorite scene from the original (scorched apples, anyone?). But all in all, it is definitely something to get out to theaters to see. Lowery had indicated that he chose the appearance for Elliot as he did because he wanted to portray a dragon you could hug. Success, Mr. Lowery. Success. Pete’s Dragon is good fun for the whole family, so what are you waiting for? Go see it, already.
  
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>

This is the first book of the children’s series <i>The Land of Dragor</i> by Julia Suzuki. Dragor is the land inhabited by dragons, hidden from the rest of the world, away from the evil humans, with the smoke produced by the The Fire Which Must Never Go Out. Dragor is where it is safe. The dragons are forbidden to leave. However, it may not be as perfect as it seems.

The story begins with the birth, or hatching, of a dragon named Yoshiko. Unlike all other dragon births, Yoshiko’s egg was a variety of different colours, which led to speculation as to whether this young dragon was cursed. Other than being a late developer, Yoshiko is physically well and attends school like all the other youngsters where, unfortunately, he experiences bullying from one of the other dragon clans – something the reader may be able to relate to through their own school experiences. Each clan is a different colour, but one day Yoshiko realises he has the ability to change the shade of his scales. Horrified by his discovery, he seeks help from an old, but wise, outcast, who, whilst supporting Yoshiko as he learns to control the colours, helps him discover his destiny.

The initial two thirds of the book felt like a really long introduction with the final third being a hastily written climax. Despite this it was an enjoyable read and would be particularly entertaining for children. Some of the language though may be a little too advance for the younger readers. Despite the introduction/climax issue, the story contains enough information to understand the way the dragon’s small world works and ends by setting the theme of the next installment. It will be exciting to find out what happens next!
  
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Lindsay (1706 KP) rated Marine in Books

Apr 9, 2019  
Marine
Marine
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Marine takes place about three years after Neb is on Halley's Casino. This book takes you on an adventure of it own. It also talks about Neb parents home planet and more about his parents. I gives you lesson about history or at least a bit about Neb's history or his parents for that mother. There seems to be something going on that makes Neb go after a star chart.

What is this star chart and why does everyone want it. There seems to be a dragon that guarding it and only one person who is to receive it. Mark put you in the story and you go for a ride. It adventures and filled with action.

Who are friends and who are foes? What is an Air-heart? What an Ice dragon? Whatever happen to here home? What or who is a water moon? It all started on Halley's Casino when Neb see two guest acting strange. I believe Mark doe a wonderful job with this story. I can not wait to pick up the next book.
  
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
2014 | Action, Animation, Family
In 2010, the most unlikely Viking proved that dragons and humans can co-exist in the first How To Train Your Dragon film. Set five years after the original movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2 opens up on the Village of Berk where Vikings and dragons have developed a fond relationship. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the nerdy chieftain’s son, is now a few years older and has made himself a winged suit and spends his days soaring the skies with his beloved dragon, Toothless. This film brings together the original gang of friends, Astrid (America Ferrera), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Snotlout (Jonah Hill), and twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut (Kristen Wiig and TJ Miller). Still at odds with his expectations, Hiccup’s father Stoick (Gerard Butler) demands that he begins the preparations and training to follow in his footsteps and become chief of their Village. This is not the future Hiccup sees for himself, he and Toothless flee the Village and explore the world and stumble upon a cave full of dragons and encounter a Mysterious Dragon Rider (Cate Blanchett), with a similar affinity for dragons. Hiccup has realized that war still exists between dragons and men beyond the borders of his Village. He attempts to negotiate peace with dragon-hunter Drago (Djimon Hounsou), who is threatening to invade the village with his army.

Writer/director Dean DeBlois helms the reins on this one; he has opened up the story without losing the tone of the original. The true delight is in the details, the visual effects are stunning; a prime example of how much computer generated animation has progressed in such a short amount of time. From the diverse landscapes to the design of the characters were absolutely breathtaking. Even the most minute details, such as the texture from the armor, to the scales on the dragons, even the battles scars on the soldiers are so vividly expressed, they assisted in creating the most dramatic and heartfelt moments.

The overall theme has matured from the first film with a continually surprising plot. In the first go around, Hiccup learned to be himself; in this installment Hiccup is taught to become a better version of himself when those unbreakable bonds are tested, and the line between good vs. evil is skewed.

I wouldn’t say there is much training in the sequel, however there is still a wonderful message of friendship, love, and loyalty. Some of the material may be a little too dark, and there were moments that spent way too much time developing the characters which can be pretty taxing for young children.

A worthy follow up….