When Michael Duncan is sent to investigate the disappearance of several dragon subjects, he finds himself in a bind. Locked in a dungeon, his only hope lies wrapped in a bundle of cloth tossed at his feet. One kiss and his life is changed forever. Hunted by his own people for crimes he didn’t commit, Michael has to learn a whole new life at the hands of a beautiful woman. Can she help him clear his name, or will just being in her presence get him sentenced to death?
Carissa Markel doesn’t know who this man chained to the wall is, but he’s her only chance for escape. She has power, but, born without a voice, she lacks the means to wield it. One choice, made in desperation, sends them running for their lives. Does she have the strength to help him clear his name? And what will her brother, the King of Dragons, do if he finds out what she’s done? The real questions is… can she keep her hands off him long enough to find out?
Julie Wetzel
Originally from Ohio, Julie always dreamed of a job in science. Either shooting for the stars or delving into the mysteries of volcanoes. But, life never leads where you expect. In 2007, she moved to Mississippi to be with her significant other.
FIND JULIE WETZEL
*****
My Thoughts
Okay, I'll go ahead and say it. I don't do dragons. I'm just not a dragon person. Well... I didn't think I was. Having only ever had one positive experience with the reptilian behemoths previously, I really didn't know what to expect from this latest series from Julie Wetzel. As any of my regular readers will know, I love me some Julie Wetzel. Her Kindling Flames series is an all-time favorite of mine, but could she follow up vamps with dragons and still have me love it as much? I'm admit, I was hesitant. I let this read sit on my TBR shelf for far too long before I took the plunge. After devouring the entire novel in just one sitting, I can safely say without hesitation that I am a dragon person.
Julie Wetzel has made a believer out of me!
While I will touch more specifically on the aspects of the plot later, the overall plot itself is that is more than difficult to describe without spoiling anything. Allow me to just say this, this was a quick read. Though I found myself flying though the pages of this story, I was not left disappointed. The plot is simple, with enough wrenches thrown in for good measure and plot development to keep even the hardest to please readers excited. No cliffhangers will be found here and the story really wraps everything necessary up into this single volume, while leaving the reader more than excited for the next installment. Nothing moves too fast or slow, and each chapter builds on itself, leaving the finale atop a summit of astounding writing by Julie Wetzel.
In true Julie Wetzel fashion, the characters for this novel were awesome. Each was written with the greatest of traits that was exemplified in their characters in the greatest of ways. Each had their flaws as well as their uniqueness that made them stand out. Each title bestowed resonated clearly with the characters voice. Incredible! Michael and Carissa may be my new favorite literary power-couple of 2015, but we'll get to that in a minute.
I will say this about Dragons, it was probably the most 'adult' novel I have read from Crimson Tree. There is cursing and some extreme adult situations. While there is no explicit sex, there is some very sexual content. Overall, I enjoyed it. It was such a step up from what I am used to reading from Crimson Tree and their counterpart Clean Teen Publishing that it did take me by surprise at first, but I was very excited to see this kind of content in one of their NA titles. Wetzel doesn't turn down the heat, and I can only imagine the flames will get hotter with each passing installment. Carissa and Michael's relationship was such a fascinating one from the beginning. Forced with a difficult decision, Carissa does what she feels is necessary in order to save not only her own life, but that of a complete stranger's as well. From there we see such a development in each of their characters that by the end of the novel I was shipping them hardcore. I can't wait to see more of them.
As I mentioned before, fantasy is not my genre of choice. Unlike other genres, it's very seldom rooted in reality, which usually makes it hard for me to follow. There are rules and history building, sometimes an entire world has to be crafted. While that works for lots of fantasy novels, Dragons was like nothing I've ever seen before. Are there dragons? Yes. Is there magic? Yes. Is this a fantasy? Of course. What makes it different? While other authors bog their fantastic writings with lore and governing laws, Wetzel washes her hands of the science behind her world and gets down to brass tacks. There are dragons and magic, and they coexist. End of story. The beauty of it is just how perfect it works. You don't need the grueling backstory to realize how the dragon shifters work, Wetzel has broken it down in the simplest of terms for her readers: just go with it. I don't think I could approve any harder of her tactic. For skeptical readers such as myself, this was an amazing literary device that Wetzel has utilized.
While this story does have some castles and kings and whatnot, it takes place in a relatively modern world, complete with helicopters, Harley's, and modern technology. Imagine Eragon mixed with 007. Right? The best of Paolini and Fleming tied into one. Interesting combination, no? Trust me, Wetzel writes it to perfection!
Another thing that really took hold with me were the themes that Wetzel was able to emanate in this story. While love was certainly a big one, others included accepting responsibility, fate, and family. It isn't that I was surprised that Wetzel was able to deliver on some hard-hitting themes, it was how comfortably her story moved around such delicate subjects. The end result was truly a thing of beauty.
While I may not know the authors long-term plans for this series, I do know there are several more coming in the near future. I can see a long and prosperous series on the horizon for Crimson Tree with Julie Wetzel at the helm. Prequels, sequels, and spin-offs are all possible in this world Wetzel has crafted. I cannot wait see what comes next!
While I will probably never be able to say that fantasy is my favorite genre, Julie Wetzel has proved to me through this novel that it isn't a genre to shrug off and for that I am grateful. To Mrs. Julie Wetzel, I bow and exalt. You ma'am are truly the queen of your domain. Through creative words, intricately woven plots, and reflective characters, Wetzel has crafted a fantasy novel for the ages.
It should come as no surprise to anyone reading this that I truly loved every page of this novel and haven't a single negative thing to say about it. I am anxiously awaiting more Dragons from Julie Wetzel. That being said, I am granting On The Accidental Wings of Dragons a near-perfect 5-star review. I may have been leery in the beginning but all my fears were abated after plowing through this incredible tale. A highly recommended read to all loves of fantasy and the new adult genre!
*****
Well readers, as you can see, I had lots of thoughts on On the Accidental Wings of Dragons by Julie Wetzel. I was extremely hesitant about it going in, but WOW I was blown away. Like I said in the beginning, this is my SIXTH 5-star read from Julie Wetzel, she's about half a second away from becoming my all-time favorite author and person on this planet. Seriously. You guys go add this one to your TBR and go give Julie a viral high-five. Tell her Ethan sent ya, she doesn't bite... hard! Until next time, Happy Reading!
-Ethan
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