The Chronicles of Dragon: The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons

Chronicles of Dragon, Book 1

By: Craig Halloran

Narrated by: Lee Alan

Length: 2 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Welcome to the world of Nalzambor...

Nath is a special warrior. He is a man destined to be a dragon. In order to become a dragon, he must save the dragons. For countless years Nath has been on a quest to become a dragon, but his meddling with the other races tends to get in the way. The way of men is not the way of Nath Dragon his father has warned him. Yet, Nath, unable to control his fascination of the world men, elves, dwarves and even the despised orcs, tends to get caught up in their affairs. To earn his scales, there is a high road he must follow. With his close friend and ally, Brenwar the Dwarf, Nath, armed with a magic sword he calls Fang, travels to the Mountain of Doom, the Free City of Narnum and to Orcen Hold where nothing but trouble awaits. Will Nath Dragon, hero of the realm and protector of dragon kind choose the right path or wind up on a dark one?

*Note: This series has something to offer for fantasy listeners of all ages, but was written with younger listeners (tweens, teens) in mind. There is no profanity or sexual content. Also, Narrated by industry legend Lee Allan, this 10-book audio edition includes some tantalizing background music and special effects designed to enhance an already lively story filled with countless dragons and endless action. It is recommended that you sample this different medium of audio before purchase.*

©2012 Craig Halloran (P)2014 Craig Halloran

Fantasy Fiction at it's best

What made the experience of listening to The Chronicles of Dragon: The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons the most enjoyable?

I am big fan fantasy fiction, and this story has a classic fantasy fiction narrative

Who was your favorite character and why?

the dragon

Have you listened to any of Lee Alan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first one I heard

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I enjoyed the book more then I expected to

We loved these books and the sound effects

Where does The Chronicles of Dragon: The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's different because it has sound effects but very fun. It's a young reader story and my kid liked it more than having to read it. It was a fun experience.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Chronicles of Dragon: The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons?

When Nath fights the the trolls in the cage who are attacking the dragon and goes berserk with his sword Fang! Incredible battle scene!

Have you listened to any of Lee Alan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, a bit old fashioned like a radio show from Prairie Home Companion, but otherwise cool!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laughing at the humorous sports, especially Brenwar the Dwarf. He has good lines.

Any additional comments?

All and all a great start for us on our audio adventures and looking forward to see what happens to Nath Dragon now the he's cursed and has to fix himself.

WOW!! Kept me on the edge of my seat!

If you could sum up The Chronicles of Dragon: The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons in three words, what would they be?

Good, Clean, Fun

What did you like best about this story?

A lot of action and the characters continue to grow.

What about Lee Alan’s performance did you like?

Clear, concise and professional. A good fit for the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend for young readers/listeners. I am an older reader/listener and it entertained me.

Not Your Traditional Fantasy Dragon

The Hero, the Sword, and the Dragon is the first book in a fantasy series by Craig Halloran, the author of the superb urban fantasy series, Supernatural Bounty Hunter. While it’s my understanding that dragons are becoming increasingly common figures in urban fantasy romances, in classical fantasy they are usually the bad guys, so I was interested in seeing how Halloran would handle building a series around one.

First up, the dragon of the title is the hero—not the anti-hero—and he’s not quite a dragon yet. He’s descended from one, but whatever makes dragons grow their scales hasn’t happened to our hero yet. He’s stronger and faster and hardier than normal humans, but he’s not a fire-breathing lizard yet or even close to becoming one.

The second interesting twist that Halloran has put on the series is that classic fantasy activity—heroes slaying monsters and bad guys—threatens to get our hero into trouble. Blood lust is bad for dragons—although we’re not told why at the beginning of the book. This means that our hero has to find a non-hack-and-slash way of winning the day—or else. Now before you start thinking of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (“Violence is not the answer!”), let me assure you that there is a ton of action in this opening book. It’s just that there is also a ton of consequence that is clearly going to fuel the entire series. I’m anxious to see where it takes him.

amazing performance

Where does The Chronicles of Dragon: The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

the story is not the best but the narrator, sound effects and music all make it fantastic!

This is one of the coolest stories

If your doing a book report I highly suggest you read this book
So get this book to entertain or get lost in suspenseful magic wonderland

A Must for Younger Fantasy Lovers

This novella tells the story of Nath a young (200 year old) half dragon trying to earn his scales and assume his true dragon form. To do this he needs to perform "good deeds" for dragons without killing anyone.

The plot is uncomplicated and the writing style simple due to the intended audience. For teens and older children, this book deserves a 5 star rating however for adults, although an enjoyable adventure, it only rates 4 stars.

The narrator does an excellent job of adapting his reading to the circumstances. The story is a dramatised version (has sound effects and music) which probably will be popular with younger listeners and some adults. Personally I would have preferred the story without. If the effects annoy, simply increase the player speed which will take care of the issue.

This audiobook is a nice way to pass a few hours.

Story is Great. Narration is Subpar

Loved the story but the narration had background sound effects that were distracting. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a classic fantasy coming of age story (of a person who is over 2 centuries old) with dragons and mages but that adds a whole new element....

The background sounds are annoying!

What did you love best about The Chronicles of Dragon: The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons?

I like the take on dragons and the story line itself. Some good battles and an interesting idea of what Nath has to do to become his father's successor.

What three words best describe Lee Alan’s performance?

I loved the enthusiasm and different inflections and tones he did for various characters but at times I think he lost the competition to the background sounds

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

the background noises are infuriating!! It made me loose my concentration and stop focusing on the story from hearing crickets and other night sounds or the battle sounds etc. I frequently found myself spacing out and loosing track of the story line. The book would be so much better without this nonsense

Any additional comments?

I wish I could remember more of the book. The idea really intrigued me but i lost focus so often with the various background sounds the whole book became background noise to me and I barely recall most of it just a day after reading. Don't purchase the audio file. Buy the real book. I am sure it would be much better.

I got this at a discount in return for my honest review.

Enjoyable

I absolutely loved every single bit of the story. The characters and the plot were well matched. The narrator did a great job of making the story easy to understand.