Excitement at the Dragons' Geas House!

Pseudo-Dragon recently released on audio.  Zachary Michael did an exceptional job bringing out the booming resonation of the dragon voices.   I will have an interview up by him very soon.  He is previewing the questions even as I write.  I am excited to work with him and he will be doing the final release for the series.

Available on I-tunes, Amazon and Audible

For those that are unfamiliar, this is book four in the series.  Here is the publisher's summary.

When young Alador has mystical powers placed upon him, he sets off on an extraordinary quest to become a true pseudo-dragon, facing unspeakable danger from an ancient beast lurking in the shadows.

As part of his journey, Alador secretly helps the Daezun people without their knowledge and comes to rely on assistance from Rena, a young blue female dragon who is falling in love with him against her father's wishes.

But when Alador travels to the city of Silverport to take his tier test and prove his abilities, he discovers that many council members are scheming against him in a struggle to maintain control over their land. Can he successfully navigate the delicate balance of politics and the machinations of his wicked uncle without setting off any unintended consequences?

Fortunately, Alador has several contacts operating under cloak and dagger, including Nemara, who is working secretly with Jon, the death mage, to help Alador rescue all the dragons held prisoner by the evil mages of Lerdenia. In Alador's quest to end this senseless bloodshed and claim his destiny, failure is not an option.

Want to know if it is any good?  So far, it has a 4.5 on Audible.   It is scoring with both written and audio a 4.8 on Amazon.  Here are some of the more recent reviews posted from Goodreads.


KIRKUS REVIEW

In the fourth YA fantasy adventure of Matthynssens’ (Magic Scorned, 2015, etc.) series, a young water mage gains an immense advantage.

Alador has been training for the elite Blackguard in the Lerdenian capital of Silverport. There, he’s been taken under the wing of his villainous uncle, High Minister Luthian, who tolerates the lad, a half-breed Daezun, as he’s capable of wielding magic. Luthian’s goal, however, is to concoct foul weather to destroy the Daezun people’s crops and starve the villagers into submission. Alador, who now possesses the dragon stone of Renamaum, must fulfill the beast’s last wish before inheriting his lore and magical knowledge. Alador and his father, the mage Henrick, travel to Renamaum’s family cave and bring about a brief transformation that reunites the dragon with his mate, Pruatra.

Afterward, Alador and Renamaum merge; as a result, the lad becomes a pseudo-dragon and learns a startling secret from the beast. Meanwhile, Henrick gives Alador a tome of necromantic spells that once belonged to the deceitful wizard Rydanth Guldalian, telling him, “It is not the sword or the book that is evil my son, but rather the man who wields them.” Alador accepts it, knowing he’ll need every possible tool to end the enterprise of the Bloodmines, which bleeds dragons of their magic. For this latest outing to the world of Vesta, Matthynssens drops new and returning readers alike into deep narrative waters. The tale starts with a scene involving the Trench Lord, Sordith, as he battles his own men who attempt to assassinate his and Alador’s father, Henrick. Then there’s the Goddess Dethara, who’s darkened the horizon of Silverport by courting the recently manifested pseudo-dragon.

Certain narrative threads involving the characters of Mesiande (in Smallbrook) and Jon (in the Bloodmines) remain untouched until Matthynssens finally finds space for them in her methodical tapestry. Although the prose can be a bit bulky, it’s often evocative, as when Renamaum and Pruatra “broke through the clouds and...the stars shimmered in the cool, brisk air.” As the narrative tension grows, so does Alador’s power—but major resolutions await in a future volume.

The dense, emotionally fraught worldbuilding continues in this series installment.


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Bobby Rufener rated it it was amazing  · 

Well worth the wait...

Cheryl has delivered yet again! This time a masterful balance of character, intrigue, battle, and magic. Pseudo-Dragon will take you to the highest of highs and rip your heart in two, just in time for it to be mended again. My only prayer and hope is that it will not be quite so long until the next and last book of this series will be released to conclude this story about Alador and his geas.

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Daniel Dixon rated it it was amazing  ·  

Great story

If you are a fan of dragon fantasy, this book has them in perfect quantity. The dragons and humans have engaging relationships making this a must-read in this genre.