Summary:
Andy lived a life of an average teenager until a beyond average experience: he was struck by lightning. Much to his behest, he did not inherit any superpowers other than the strange ability of having electronics freeze up in his presence. While searching for other ways to pass the time, Andy becomes friends with his next-door neighbor who teaches him archery…little does he know that this pastime would soon become integral for his survival.
One night, Andy is asked to deliver some documents to his Dad office, where he is working on trying to create a teleportation device. Yet, on that fated night, the experiment is launched and Andy unknowingly walks straight into the active field…and into another world.
The land of Ilanta is full of curious creatures and luscious landscapes...along with an equal share of cruelty. Before he can make sense of things, Andy is captured, sold into slavery, and forced to fight for his very existence. As time passes, Andy’s powers, derived from the lightning, begin to manifest, and he continually defies the will of his captors who seek to break his spirit. Condemned to a terrible fate, Andy decides to rally one last time and accidentally sets free a fellow captive dragon by the name of Karegar.
When Andy is fatally injured only one thing can save him….
becoming a dragon.
Problem is, no one in three thousand years has performed the Ritual…and survived. Will Andy be able to become a dragon and retain his humanity? Or is he be fated to be a Lord of the Sky?
Becoming the Dragon is a great start to The Dragon Inside series where Sapegin brings the classic elements of mysticism and folklore to modern YA readers. Sapegin’s world of Ilanta is weaved with the features of a quintessential fairytale narration, not in the ‘happily ever after’ sense, rather in a style similar to Hans Christian Anderson’s writings.
I enjoyed seeing how Andy’s contemporary persona blended in with the new world of Ilanta and easily became a part of Sapegin’s narration. Becoming the Dragon had many gripping elements such as the newfound relationship between Andy and Karegar, the awakening of hidden powers, and the unknown future of Ilanta.
I found Becoming the Dragon a fresh, original work of fantasy with a great plot that promises to develop throughout the series, and it holds enough action, adventure, and unpredictable twists to have readers yearning for more pages.
Highly recommend if you are a fan of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle or Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series.
Be sure to subscribe so you can save your seat at The Reading Corner for All!