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Trouble With Dwarves
Dwarves may be small, hairy and easily flammable � but they’re still dangerous�
Castellan the Black, former mighty dragon warrior and former mouldy old has-been, is now reconciled with his family � including his capricious and clever mate, Ekaterraina. So as the oldest living dragon, Castellan should be looking after his delightfully feisty grandchildren and going wind-spinning with his mate.
Instead, he and Ekaterraina discover a frost giant child translocated to the foot of a dormant volcano with a dwarven mage responsible for this piece of wicked spite. Unfortunately, even intelligent dragons tend to underestimate dwarves, overlooking the pests� sneaky cleverness, tunnelling skills and greed.
Finally, the horde at Wyvern Peak realise they’re facing far more danger than a few pesky dwarven warriors and turn to Castellan to save the day. When frankly, he’s not sure if he can get them through the night�
Castellan the Black, former mighty dragon warrior and former mouldy old has-been, is now reconciled with his family � including his capricious and clever mate, Ekaterraina. So as the oldest living dragon, Castellan should be looking after his delightfully feisty grandchildren and going wind-spinning with his mate.
Instead, he and Ekaterraina discover a frost giant child translocated to the foot of a dormant volcano with a dwarven mage responsible for this piece of wicked spite. Unfortunately, even intelligent dragons tend to underestimate dwarves, overlooking the pests� sneaky cleverness, tunnelling skills and greed.
Finally, the horde at Wyvern Peak realise they’re facing far more danger than a few pesky dwarven warriors and turn to Castellan to save the day. When frankly, he’s not sure if he can get them through the night�
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 27, 2023
2 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Higbee
15Ìýbooks40ÌýfollowersBorn the same year as the Russians launched Sputnik, I confidently expected that by the time I reached adulthood, the human race would have a pioneer colony on the Moon and be heading off towards Mars. So I was at a loss to know what to do once I realised the Final Frontier wasn’t an option and rather lost my head - I tried a lot of jobs I didn’t like and married a totally unsuitable man.
Now I've finally come to terms with the fact that I’ll never leave Earth, I have a lovely time writing science fiction novels and teaching Creative Writing. I live in Littlehampton on the English south coast with a wonderful husband and a ridiculous number of books.
Now I've finally come to terms with the fact that I’ll never leave Earth, I have a lovely time writing science fiction novels and teaching Creative Writing. I live in Littlehampton on the English south coast with a wonderful husband and a ridiculous number of books.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 14, 2024
When Castellan could hope to enjoy his time with his reunited family and mate, trouble comes knocking again. The hairy and foul mouthed kind.
What was a lingering suspicion turns out to hide a bit more and of course as a veteran, Castellan is best suited to the task.
But he can't do this alone, and here it is very well done, because the main character being a hero does not make him flawless and overpowered, even in facing a challenge that ought to be more within his capabilities given his war experience.
Teamwork is much needed, even hampered as it can be by all sorts of disputes, slanders and all the agitation resulting of Castellan's unexpected return and involvement.
Not only his direct entourage is well depicted and given life, but all characters participating to the plot are given an appropriate share.
Underlying, are still the musings of Castellan over past choices and mistakes, the fact they might have been unavoidable and that what happened, including the painful parts, might have been for the best.
So he focuses on what he can do of the present and future, well aware that looking at the past with regrets brought no good in his life.
As each book had a focus in this character evolution, the conclusion of this installment promises yet another kind of challenge that should be very appealing.
So far this series reminds me of "Dragon Fires Rising" by Marc Secchia (at least its first 3 installments) for the humorous with serious undertones story of a protagonist being shaken out of a self-pitying slumber, and starting to do the right things not necessarily for the right reasons. Picky Eaters extends this with a constant presence of more philosophical topics around relationships to oneself and others, neatly woven in the story in a way that never feels intruding or contrived.
Enjoyable series with several levels of reading, from the humorous adventure, to neatly plotted challenges, to more philosophical aspects.
What was a lingering suspicion turns out to hide a bit more and of course as a veteran, Castellan is best suited to the task.
But he can't do this alone, and here it is very well done, because the main character being a hero does not make him flawless and overpowered, even in facing a challenge that ought to be more within his capabilities given his war experience.
Teamwork is much needed, even hampered as it can be by all sorts of disputes, slanders and all the agitation resulting of Castellan's unexpected return and involvement.
Not only his direct entourage is well depicted and given life, but all characters participating to the plot are given an appropriate share.
Underlying, are still the musings of Castellan over past choices and mistakes, the fact they might have been unavoidable and that what happened, including the painful parts, might have been for the best.
So he focuses on what he can do of the present and future, well aware that looking at the past with regrets brought no good in his life.
As each book had a focus in this character evolution, the conclusion of this installment promises yet another kind of challenge that should be very appealing.
So far this series reminds me of "Dragon Fires Rising" by Marc Secchia (at least its first 3 installments) for the humorous with serious undertones story of a protagonist being shaken out of a self-pitying slumber, and starting to do the right things not necessarily for the right reasons. Picky Eaters extends this with a constant presence of more philosophical topics around relationships to oneself and others, neatly woven in the story in a way that never feels intruding or contrived.
Enjoyable series with several levels of reading, from the humorous adventure, to neatly plotted challenges, to more philosophical aspects.
December 30, 2023
Vibrant, lively cast of characters makes this series a delightful read
This series is defined by its wonderful cast of dragons, each with their own distinctive personality and habit that make everyone memorable individuals. Castellan keeping his temper in check by mentally crunching math is hilarious, as are Betty Ann's frequent outbursts with her every other spoken word emphasized. Not to mention Becky Jane dropping her propriety as the aerie's Teacher to protect Barry Ron, whom a period of self-reflection and self-sufficiency has also changed. Many characters undergo growth and learning throughout the books, and I'm kept on my toes to find how they would react to new situations and develop further.
Exploring Wyvern Peak and its inhabitants through Castellan's point of view is a pleasant experience. I particularly enjoy his snarky remarks and thoughts, especially those not meant to pass his lips in response to certain ridiculous developments. Those thoughts and other inner dialogues reflect Castellan's individuality clearly, and I find him a very likeable character as a result. I'm excited to continue following him into book 4 and learn what would become of his family and his relationship with Ekaterraina.
This book continues to be a great recommendation for its humorous family drama and adventure, with a big draconic splash on both.
This series is defined by its wonderful cast of dragons, each with their own distinctive personality and habit that make everyone memorable individuals. Castellan keeping his temper in check by mentally crunching math is hilarious, as are Betty Ann's frequent outbursts with her every other spoken word emphasized. Not to mention Becky Jane dropping her propriety as the aerie's Teacher to protect Barry Ron, whom a period of self-reflection and self-sufficiency has also changed. Many characters undergo growth and learning throughout the books, and I'm kept on my toes to find how they would react to new situations and develop further.
Exploring Wyvern Peak and its inhabitants through Castellan's point of view is a pleasant experience. I particularly enjoy his snarky remarks and thoughts, especially those not meant to pass his lips in response to certain ridiculous developments. Those thoughts and other inner dialogues reflect Castellan's individuality clearly, and I find him a very likeable character as a result. I'm excited to continue following him into book 4 and learn what would become of his family and his relationship with Ekaterraina.
This book continues to be a great recommendation for its humorous family drama and adventure, with a big draconic splash on both.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
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