StarFire Dragons by Dawn Ross

4 stars

StarFire Dragons, book one of the sci-fi/fantasy Dragon Spawn Chronicles by Dawn Ross,  follows what happens when the crew of the Odyssey starship finds two child-warriors on a Cooperative planet and must decide what to do.

New in his role, Vice-Executive Commander J.D. Hapker makes a choice that sets the rest of the story in motion.

My favorite parts of the book were the interactions between Commander Hapker and Jori as they competed, compared beliefs and outlooks, and decided whether to trust each other. I also enjoyed the observations about how the Grapnes and Tredons viewed each other. 

Ross throws in funny and lighthearted lines like, “The man was as out of place as a worm in a salad”, without taking you out of the complex universe she created.

Her commitment to creating that intricate universe went so deep she included a thorough glossary explaining terms and phrases. I wish I had realized that there was a glossary before I finished the novel, but it was still helpful to discover and read it at the end.

Several reviews and the author herself note that this book is reminiscent of Star Trek. As someone who hasn’t been bitten by the Star Trek bug, I still found this book enjoyable.

If I had one suggestion, I would have liked a few more references to the physical features of the main characters throughout the book to help me more fully visualize their distinctions and interactions with each other. 

On the whole, this was an interesting read that builds a strong foundation for several more sequels in the series. I look forward to finding out what happens in the rest of the series.

Thank you to Ross for providing a free e-review copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

All three books in the Dragon Spawn Chronicles are available for purchase through the author’s website and Amazon.