| Title | : | Starlighter (Dragons of Starlight, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0310718368 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780310718369 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 |
| Publication | : | First published April 1, 2010 |
Starlighter (Dragons of Starlight, #1) Reviews
-
Video Review:
https://youtu.be/Wew-Ghpcz4Y
This was one of the very first Christian fantasy series I ever read (plus my first Bryan Davis series) back around 2016 or so, so it’s been a hot minute since I’ve read or even thought about these books, haha. And yet as I read this one again I remembered quite a bit which is surprising considering I had only ever read it once! A few spots or things mentioned I still feel as if I should know what they are foreshadowing for or mean and it’s driving me a bit nuts but that’s about it. 😂
I love how this series is fantasy yet has a bit of a sci-fi flavor with mentions of different planets, portals, and photo guns that you wouldn’t normally hear or see in most fantasy worlds. The characters grew even in such a short time and I can’t wait to rewalk this journey with them again and remember why I loved this series so much. Bryan Davis definitely has a way of writing characters you love but also want to strangle or bash over the head just because of how human and flawed yet lovable they are—I really love and appreciate that about these characters. 🥰
And while Christianity isn’t as overt or obvious in this series as in some other Christian fantasies, the author weaves truth and light into the story that is powerful and really makes you think without bashing it over your head or being preachy. Faith and what the Creator (God in this world) expects of the characters and us is more subtle and allows you to mull it over yourself which I really like. Or you can just read it as a pure adventure and pass over the harder stuff—both are possible!
I really enjoyed revisiting this world and characters! I’m super eager to continue on as I know the last three books I loved more than this one. 🥰
Also if you want to read this series alongside the adult Tales of Starlight series, here’s the author’s recommended reading order (I highly recommend doing this as it adds so much more to the overall story!):
1. Starlighter (Dragons of Starlight 1)
2. Masters & Slayers (Tales of Starlight 1)
3. Warrior (Dragons of Starlight 2)
4. Third Starlighter (Tales of Starlight 2)
5. Diviner (Dragons of Starlight 3)
6. Liberator (Dragons of Starlight 4)
7. Exodus Rising (Tales of Starlight 3)
‼️Content‼️
Language: wench
Violence: fighting with swords, bows, and a fantasy gun (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); a mention of a girl’s tongue had been cut out in the past; a man is murdered in his sleep—the dagger is shown sticking out of his chest (not detailed); lightning strikes a tree and nearly fries a character; a character is hit with an arrow (is fine); characters are attacked by a bear; people are burned alive by dragons (not detailed or shown); a character has a memory of a woman being burned at the stake; characters nearly drown; characters kill dragons (not detailed); a punch in the face; characters are nearly burned to death with light (not detailed); a dragon is mentioned to have been drowned; a man dies by being stung by bees and burned (not shown); characters blind a dragon (not shown); a mention that a dragon ate a human; slaves are whipped by their dragon masters (not detailed)
Sexual: it’s implied a character’s mother and other humans are forced to be “breeders” to produce more slaves for the dragons (never shown or detailed); kisses on the cheek and knuckles
Drug/Alcohol: slaves are drugged; a poisonous meadow makes people forget and puts them to sleep
Other: magic; magical creatures, places, objects, and abilities; people are enslaved by dragons; a character is framed for murder; characters are tied and chained up; characters use magically enhanced fingers for communication and direction -
I decided to reread a bunch of series, and this was the first one I have read. Love this books as much as I did before!
-
Jason Masters has trained his whole life, hearing the previously-unbelieved stories about dragons stealing humans and taking them to another world. Koren is a slave in the dragon's world, where any sign of disobedience equals death. Both passionately want to rescue the humans, but an old dragon prophecy stands in their way.
I would not have pegged this as being written by an established author; the problems are such that it felt like a new one in desperate need of editorial help or feedback.
The first problem is the setting. Davis does a horrible job of setting up Jason's world, the first one we're introduced to. Is it modern-day? The future? The past? Even once you finally get what it is (sci-fi setting; medieval-ish with technology for people in charge), it just doesn't fit well. There is a lot of telling, without the showing necessary for me to envision people, places, and events in my mind.
Characters are another problem. The main characters all feel one-dimensional and uninteresting. Even the dragons, though they (and their world) get slightly better treatment.
The book is the first in a quartet, but there's nothing to make you want the next book despite the fact that the story is nowhere near complete. You finish with a feeling of "I wasted my time on that?" -
Review by Jill Williamson
What if the legends are true?
Jason doubts the myths that people were once taken through a portal to another realm where dragons rule. But his brother gives him a message that proves something is wrong with the world he lives in. He snoops around, hoping to find out where his brother went and how he might get there too.
Meanwhile, Koren, a slave girl in the dragons’ realm, seeks the same kind of answers. Where did her people come from? Is what the dragons tell them true? Or were they really captives from another land? Koren tries to find out, and only her gift of being a Starlighter can save her from the truth she discovers.
This was an interesting premise. It got off to a slow start, but I enjoyed how Davis weaved Jason and Koren’s stories together. I liked the dragon world, but this story left me with more questions than answers. There were lots of threads left hanging that, no doubt, Davis will tie up in the sequels, though I would have liked a little more resolution to this story. Bryan Davis fans will be thrilled with this new series and be clamoring for the sequel. -
This story had a lot of potential, but it got lost in poor character and world development. Davis has set his story in another world and time, but he never brings it to life. I never felt immersed in this world or like I had any kind of sense of it. Add wooden, stereotypical characters and the author's penchant for dragging everything on way too long, and this plot never stood a chance.
-
This book was interesting, and I think that's the biggest thing it had going for it. I enjoyed the world about dragons, and wanted to explore more about that world, only to be dragged back to a more cliche fantasy world.
I actually kinda went in expecting this book to be more like the Dragonkeeper Chronicles by Donita K Paul, which is a fantasy series that I read when I was younger and absolutely loved. This book was more spiritual and darker than I had expected.
And I understand that this is like an allegory and all, and while I did appreciate the few nods to the Creator, there were just a few too many snags and dark elements for my personal taste.
I also want a fan of the split POVs between Jason and Koren, because half the time I felt like I was reading two completely different books mashed together... because of the split perspectives, I didn't feel like it gave enough room for me to really connect with either character. I'm fine with third person omniscient POV, but when you're already splitting up the POVs and then hop character heads in each world... it kinda makes it frustrating for the reader.
That being said, this was not a bad book. It just had a few elements in it that were a bit too dark to me personally and I didn't feel connected to either of the characters. -
The talking bears and dragons had me skeptical at first, but this was an interesting story and I will be reading book 2!
-
These two boring kids talk to each other through an egg. Soooooo, ya.
If you like dragons and YA you might dig this but it doesn't work for me. Not that I have anything against dragons. They are usually very nice. -
I read this series a few years ago as a fifteen-year-old. At the time, I was pretty enthralled--though I felt some character development and even just emotional depth was lacking, it was easy to gloss over that and get swept up in the intricate plot.
This time around, perhaps just because I'm older, I did not find it so easy to gloss over those issues.
Emotion is almost nonexistent in this book. A main character is reunited with a best friend he thought was dead, and the scene holds about as much emotion as could be expected of two acquaintances running into each other at Walmart. I'm sorry to say it, but there truly is a painfully dull void where there should be feeling, tension, energy, and drama.
There are some word choices and themes that are just...awkward. There is frequent and unnatural-feeling references to "warrior training" and "warrior skills". The wording used just doesn't sound right. It sounds artificial, and perhaps childish. This is a minor flaw of course, but it definitely distracts from the story.
I will also say that I couldn't help being annoyed with how Elyssa is portrayed. With her Diviner abilities and cleverness, she is more than capable of leading and making decisions. Yet she usually follows whatever the present male character says and does. Or she strokes his ego, and/or acts like the damsel-in-distress, desperate for a gallant knight to hold her hand.
The characters in general seem pretty flat. Arxad is the most intriguing character so far in the story, as he seems to occupy a gray area--good sometimes, bad others. But for the cast overall, it's hard to detect much personality or depth in any of them. Randall *almost* has a nice arc, starting out as dislikeable but becoming likeable by the end, but I would have liked to see it better developed.
I haven't quite decided if I even want to continue reading the series. Most likely I will, since I own them, and I do remember being very impressed with the plot. So while I'm afraid I can't offer much praise for the book, I'm hopeful that memory serves true and the storyline, as I get deeper, will help make up for the lack of character development and emotional depth. -
My mom has banned me from guessing outloud what is going to happen in TV shows because she thinks I spoil them. (I don't know how you can do that when you don't actually know what's going to happen?) I love to guess what's going to happen in TV shows, books, movies, and life. XD Maybe it's because I'm a writer analyzing plot or just because life throws me a lot of curveballs.
But in Starlighter, I had NO. CLUE. what was going to happen or how it was going to happen or when it was going to happen. And I loved it. Usually, I analyze world building and characters and plot in my reviews, but honestly what stuck out to me was the unpredictability.
Although I dragons and portals and a slightly insane old man do make for a fun book too.
I was also very intrigued by the Starlighter's and the Diviner's abilities. Very interesting.
Plot: Delightfully unpredictable
Writing: Could be stronger, but pretty good
Characters: It was a large cast, which made it difficult to create full arcs, but I suppose there are 3 books
Questionable Content: Dragon eats a person, sword fighting, murder, brief mentions of dragons forcing humans to breed, person almost gets burned alive, arrow gets removed from person, lots of magic, no real romance, no cussing. -
I can't quite say I enjoyed that, but it wasn't terrible either. It was pretty vague and confusing in worldbuilding and description (of people, places, actions, etc). I didn't know what was happening half the time and the characters' logic seemed silly at certain times. The only interesting thing to me was the egg's character and his perception of love and control. Koren and Jason were both too good if that makes sense. Also, I didn't like Koren. Everything was too convenient for them. The first time Jason and Koren meet is basically through soundproof glass, but apparently they're both expert lip-readers. Later when they meet in person, apparently Jason is able to discern entire sentences from one glance at Koren's eyes. See what I mean? Personally, I think that the actual plot did not correspond with what I had expected the plot to be based on the blurb, so I was confused about that too. I don't think I'll be reading this one again.
-
Two planets on opposite sides of the solar system are connected by a gateway that has been closed for centuries. One planet whose natives call it Starlight is home to dragons who have enslaved humans from the planet Darksphere. (Humans call their planet Major Four and Starlight is referred to as Dracon.) Since the gateway between planets has been closed, much controversy exists on both planets as to the truth behind the stories of the humans who are enslaved by dragons (the Lost Ones). But when Jason Masters stumbles into circumstances that force him towards the gateway, the adventure begins.
This book has a lot going on all at once. That, I believe, made it quite entertaining. It starts out with a bang at the warrior championships. Right away you're introduced to the main character and some supporting characters. Immediately following the tournament, you're introduced to Koren, the other main character-- our Starlighter.
The author does an excellent job introducing the background story-- how the Lost Ones were captured-- and developing it throughout the book. We find out early on the proximity of the planets through a poster on Adrian's wall. We also learn of the story through an underground newsletter and some of the finer points of plot, which I will refrain from revealing.
I think it's really tricky for an author to balance events in two places at once and Bryan Davis did a fantastic job of keeping on par with events on both planets. There was also a lot of traveling in the book, but it wasn't bogged down with long descriptions of travel-- just descriptions of destinations, which were transitioned into quite well. Each event advanced the plot and left some interesting strands of plot dangling about for future use. (Some of those "danglers" include Jason's brothers and the Bear Jason and crew fought... plus what happened to several other characters whom were introduced.) This series has a lot of potential and a lot of things that could be tied together from this first book. I'm very interested in seeing where the author goes from here.
I mostly enjoy the fact that this isn't the same old fantasy book with dragons that I've read time and time again. While the concept of a gateway has been done before (Stargate, for one popular example), I really thought the author put an interesting spin on it. Though, I did have a difficult time wrapping my head around the involvement of technology in both worlds-- Starlight seems to have so little by way of technology while Major Four has substantial technological advances... I found it slightly unbelievable when the photo gun was used later in the book, without any question or reaction from the Lost Ones. Do they have this same technology on Starlight? If so, why did the author not make the connection?
Also... I really hope we get more information about that finger and its role in the books soon. It was really not used much in the plot of this book, except the heroic deeds that make it change colour. (Forgive me, review readers, for being so vague.)
The only other thing I didn't like about this book was the brief introduction of Jason's brothers who are never mentioned again in the book... granted, there was a lot going on at the time, so I truly hope they'll be mentioned again in forthcoming books.
I love the complexity and depth of some of the characters-- Arxad, for example, is quite the enigma. You have no idea what side he's on or what his agenda is throughout the whole book. The author tends to use him one-sided and only at the end do you wonder where he really stands.
Koren, I have to say, I cannot stand as a character... but more because she's a character who I cannot relate to because she's so impulsive. I'm actually surprised at some of the situations she manages to squeak her way through... but I suppose that's the plus-side of being a Starlighter-- I'd explain, but that would kill most of the rising action of the book.
Jason is also extremely impulsive... and really thick-headed. I also wonder how he survives... but I suppose that's teenage logic coming into play. If I went somewhere new, I'd look about a bit more than Jason. He just goes charging in like Leroy Jenkins in World of Warcraft. (Forgive the WoW reference. I blame my husband.)
Those who don't like violence in books might want to avoid all the stabbing, blood, burnt bodies, drowning etc that is mentioned. The descriptions, though violent, aren't graphic. They are tastefully done. There is mention of "breeding" humans on Starlight... but aside from that, nothing to shy away from. I can't recall any swearing. Overall, I thought the book was pretty teen-reader friendly.
So, ultimately, the plot isn't very complex but the story is paced well and has enough action and interesting plot points to keep the story entertaining. It's a good, quick candy read... and an enjoyable one too. If you like fantasy and dragons mixed with a little science and sword fighting, pick it up. It's worth the read. Though, I warn you... it really segues into the next book of the series and, though it stops at a good place, the story is still left hanging.
To Meet FTC Guidelines, I'm disclosing that I won this book-- for free-- VIA Goodreads First Reads. -
If you are a fantasy lover who thinks dragons have no place in a good story (that was me) then don't read this book because IT WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND.
I read Masters & Slayers first (the adult companion to this series) and I loved Adrian's character. But I love Jason more. I was not expecting him to be as noble as he was because he starts off doubting and questioning. But his warrior skills are THE BEST. And his friendship with Elyssa is amazing.
Full Review on Substack:
https://momsmusings.substack.com/i/12...
Masters & Slayers fleshes out the dragon world more but this book focuses more on the adventure of getting there. It was kind of nice to already have a grasp of what the dragon world was like and it was more enjoyable to read once they got there. Loved this and can't wait to read more. -
Interesting idea. But I can tell this is a book in a series because there are so many questions that are left unanswered. I feel like I am missing a prologue for this book, but I guess I just need to read book two to find out. Guess I was in a mood for a whole complete story with an optional book two to further the adventure.
Dragons, sword fights, but a mix of science (yes science, not magic)to bring you into a place between worlds, Starlight the Dragon Planet, and the Fourth Major the human planet. You have legends between both worlds, human enslavement under Dragon control on Starlight and a government keeping dragons as a myth on Fourth Major.
Other than some confusion on how the science all played a part in this universe, I have to say that this book was a fun read, but only if you are looking for a series to get into. But it's got me hooked. If you want an interesting story involving our favorite fire breathing reptiles than by all means pick this book up. -
Something I've particularly enjoyed about this novel is how not one side sees history as legend--it's both sides who view the history of dragons/a world of freedom as legend. I like that the author took on this tactic because this made the story much more interesting, especially since most authors would've put that only one side viewed this history as legend whilst the other side knows the truth about history. Sometimes both sides have it tainted--a good view placed firmly here!
The author also makes use of both dialogue and setting to set this story off, and does this in a very balanced way. I did enjoy this. However, I felt that the author should've put more imagery into this novel, though that's just my personal preference (any author can write any way they want, really, it doesn't matter).
Overall, an interesting novel. -
Attention fantasy lovers, this is a new series that you will likely enjoy! It has a lot of the best things you can ask for in a fantasy novel, lots of action, great characters and a adventure. There was even a little romance thrown in to spice it up.
I have to say, I fell in love with one character, Koren. There was something about her right from the beginning that had me captured, and at first I couldn't place what that was. The more I read, the more it became clear, she was the true star of the book.
A really great read for people of all ages, though it is a young adult book geared to teens.
I want to add this is book one in a series, though the series is new and not named in the book. I think it is one to watch out for!
I have to recommend this story, it was awesome! -
***I was lucky to win a copy of this book through the GoodReads Advance program.***
This was an engaging high fantasy book, fast paced and with a lot of action. As expected, you know exactly who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. But I really liked Arxad (the only grey guy/dragon), as he was a loyal to his kin but he was also fair to humans. I would have liked to know more about Tibalt who was a very interesting character, but not very well developed ... but maybe this will happen in the next books. -
I still loves this book by Mr. Davis but I gave it four stars instead of five because I want to be clear that it is such a departure from the love and care I have developed for dragons as a result of Mr. Davis's previous series The Dragons in Our Midst/The Oracles of Fire/The Children of The Bard and I therefore could not attach myself to the characters quite as much. It was a strange feeling and I'm sure it's just me being weird but it was just not quite as great as the author's previous publications.
-
I loved this book! It tells the tale of several characters at once that find each other during this facinating adventure with dragons. There are so many lovely features of this book but instead of me telling you all about it, you should really go and pick this one up! The black egg, Jason, Koren, and the Starlighter will keep you entertained for several hours! It's a relatively quick read (just took me awhile because I was at a conference)!
-
Not a bad story, but the time era kinda through me for a loop here and there, hahaha... I THINK it's a medieval setting???
Still neat though.~ -
This book was just okay, the characters were trash, the story just was not good, and at the end I had felt no need to go read the next book. Yes, there were some things that liked about the book and the story, in fact for the first book I stayed up really late into the night reading it.
In general the book just was not what I was looking for, it showed promise, but no payoff. -
*2.5 stars
-
Wow. This was bad
-
Find this review, plus more, on my blog:
Booklikes OR
Blogger
Basic Info
Format: Audio
Pages/Length: 12hrs.
Genre: Young Adult; Fantasy; Dragon
Reason For Reading: Challenge
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: no
Cliff Hanger: Kinda
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 2 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 6
Plot: 6
Characters: 5
World Building: 5
Flow: 4
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 6
Ending: 5
Total: 5
In Depth
Best Part: Dragons!
Worst Part: Lame ending.
Thoughts Had: Really!?
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: Maybe
Recommending: eh
Short Review: Listen to the audio of this, and the narrator made the head dragon guy sound like Yoda and another character sound like a LOTR character and i couldn't see past that. The prison part kinda confused me, there was a maze in it? And you had to not trust the left turns, but then the guy is like nah bro, you gotta follow the rats because they live above that rule. It was gross and i cringed a lot. The not telling a lie thing was interesting, the thing glowed different colors if the dragon lied. The end thou, too simple, they want them in prison but will let them go if they just let them have the egg, and he was like yah go ahead i trust you even thou you were just trying to saw the key off to escape. Dumb.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: Pass.
Best Friend Material: Pass.
Review in GIF Form:
-
I read this solely because I have fond memories of Bryan Davis' other series Dragon's in Our Midst, which I read as a child. I've wanted to reread that, but have been worried about finding it not as good as I remember and ruining a piece of my childhood. So I tested the waters with this book instead.
And it's a terrible result. I've had to renew my library copy at least twice, and drag my way through the entirety of it. It's a lot of what's bad about Christian fiction. It's just bad fiction in general.
There are five areas where I think this really failed: Worldbuilding, Characters, Stakes, Plot, Message, & Writing. If that feels like all the areas a book has, you wouldn't be too wrong.
I can't keep my rant spoiler free, so if you want all the details, click here:
So anyway, I don't think I'll ruin my childhood and read Dragons in Our Midst again any time soon, or at least I'll do so while bracing myself for the train wreck it could very probably be if it's anything like this. -
EDIT: I've read the series now. It's not worth it. It just keeps getting weirder, adding more unnecessary things, and slowing down. Don't bother with it.
This book abides by one motto: "Make it weirder." The story starts with a duel to determine the best swordsman. I thus assumed a medieval time frame and was promptly proved wrong when the protagonist encounters a genetically locked voice recorder. The rest of the book proceeds in this fashion, introducing modern and sometimes futuristic technology alongside traditional fantasy elements. This facet is unexplained, introducing a pattern whereby important parts of the world aren't explained in the slightest. What is a Diviner, anyway? How big is a dragon? Why does no one carry spears?
Ironically, the biggest fault of the book was the overabundance of useless explanations. It felt like every character had to explain the logic for every action they took. It really slows down the pacing and bores the reader.
Still, this book does possess some major upsides. For one, it doesn't fall into the YA trap of awkwardly forcing two characters into a romance in a single book, though I suspect the rest of the series does feature a love subplot. The action (when there is action) is actually really exciting. Perhaps most importantly, the premise of the book is interesting as well. -
This book had a strange feeling to it. And I know I won’t be able to describe it well, but it reminded me of the feeling I get from watching the desert scenes in the
Return of the Jedi, kind of detached and barren. This makes no sense, I know, but it’s true. Anyway, Jason has grown up hearing myths about dragons stealing people from his world to use as slaves on their dragon world. When his older brother goes missing, he sets out on a quest to find him and ends up discovering the myths are true. Meanwhile, Koren lives on the dragon’s world as a slave. She is just discovering that she has talents as a visionary which will make the dragons fear her. Koren and Jason end up banding together to combine their talents to save the slaves. This is part one of four. -
I DNFed this book halfway through.
I really really REALLY wanted to enjoy this book. I really did up until they found Elissa and her Diviner status was revealed. I always pause whenever there is a witch character at all, and I'm not very comfortable with the whole "good witch" character (simply because I know that a witches' power always comes from low sources, and not from God).
RW Ratings (only applicable to the first half of the book):
Language: 4 1/2 stars. There may have been some mild language, I don't remember exactly. This is what happens when you put in your GR review weeks after reading the book.
Abuse: 4 1/2 stars. Mentions of slave abuse.
Lust: 5 stars. No lustful content.
Other Content: Positive portrayal of witchcraft (against 1st commandment) -
a wonderful well written book while it took me a while to read i was very happy with the way the story went and i can't wait to see what happens next :)
