Steel Dragon (Steel Dragon [Original] #1)
Published October 22nd 2019 by LMBPN Publishing, Kindle Edition 657 pages
Dragons rule the world. Their claws are into every aspect of human life, from government to industry. But Kristen Hall is about to throw a wrench into all of that.
Because she’s a dragon, too. She just doesn’t know it…yet!
A dragon raised by humans, in the human world.
After graduating from the police academy, she’s dropped right into the ranks of Detroit’s elite SWAT team. A rookie, in SWAT? Unheard of. But what the dragons want, they get.
The reasons behind their machinations become clear as her dragon powers begin to surface.
Will Kristen rise to the challenges her new life delivers? What designs do the dragons have for her future? And perhaps most pressing of all — how did she come to be a dragon with human parents?
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Started off okay but dragged later on. The writing style and story were kind of interesting but after the first OP steel skin death machine scene, I lost interest. None of the characters were all that great, besides the one who died. I just couldn’t really make myself care about the MC. I did like the setting of Detroit but that was about it. I DNFed around the 30% mark. 1.5 stars.
Rating: really liked it
I picked this book at random from Kindle Unlimited. The low rating is partially because it wasn't my bag of tea. Even though it features dragons.
Regardless, my two chief complaints are as follows:
1) Lack of world-building: our heroine is a dragon, who grew up believing to be human. Thus, she is in the unique position of getting to know both perspectives as to a conflict that is brewing underneath the surface. Unfortunately, we have no idea why this conflict is brewing other than the dragons taking little interest in the faith of man due to the difference in life span. Also, we only see the human side in this book. And since the book focuses mainly on building camaraderie with her team members, there is little to no information about that either.
2) Main character: I will admit that my dislike of the main character is partially due to the second season of Supergirl after it moved to The CW. Besides her always being cheered on for accomplishments that were the result of her dragon nature and not her hard work, she let's those get to her head. While she explains this as wanting to protect her team members, she is continually endangering them with her arrogance. And this arrogance already annoyed me in Supergirl.
On top of that, she had severe memory problems. Frequently people would tell her something, and when that became relevant, she acted as if it came as a great surprise. For example, her father told her that she might be a dragon. And then she keeps on wondering form pages without end, where this power is coming from. Because you are a dragon, you stupid twit. Your dad just told you so.
Honestly, I won't read the second one. There was too little of the world to determine if it was interesting. Instead, I have an unlikeable main character, slow pacing (I skimmed the text a lot), and forced camaraderie. It's like watching a nineties Schwarzenegger movie such as Predator.
But if you do like team members hazing each other and then fighting against overwhelming odds - though the others barely mattered - then this book could be for you.
Rating: really liked it
I quite enjoyed the first quarter of the book, it started really well and Kirsten looked like she was going to be a very interesting character. However once she realises she is a dragon it starts to fall apart, she becomes annoyingly stupid and the author just dragged it on and on. OK I get that she had survivor’s guilt but how long do we have to put up with her behaving like a complete moron.
Rating: really liked it
DNF 33%
After the "reveal" and the big battle I found that I'm not really interested in the dragon politics I assume will be a large part going forward, and the book is about 600 pages. Sadly the main character and side characters aren't enough to make me want to wade through the rest of the book.
Rating: really liked it
Plot holes big enough to fly dragons through. Rough read, skimmed much of it due to the whiny main character and odd world building.
Dragons control the world, yet no one seems to know how their rules work? A police Capt who is clueless as to how laws apply to Dragons vs Humans? A police Captain not knowing how dragon laws are different than human laws...
Dragon SWAT's (yes it's a thing) lead dragon has to explain it the main character, and everyone else, multiple times that human laws don't apply to dragons.
How can that NOT be a whole course in police academy?! Or just known cos ya know dragons rule the world?
MC is whiny, doesn't listen to authority, constantly endangers her team(they forgive her every time), and always over reacts. Heaven forbid she calm down, and just ask questions. Nope she's got to fly off half-cocked in a rage.
Her yo-yo of extreme emotional response from determination, to stupidity, to rage, to something else results in a constant state of her apologizing.
I liked the concept(hence skimming it), but I think it needs a serious overhaul.
Rating: really liked it
DNFThis was a great premise. That said, I found the dialog juvenile and Kristen's storyline stilted. The superhero attitude was cringeworthy, and at that point I couldn't finish.
Rating: really liked it
Action packed urban fantasyWow, this was so much fun! The concept was amazing, and seriously, who can pass up a dragon shifter book? Not this gal.
The characters were so much fun. I love the snarky attitudes of the SWAT team, and although it’s mot all sunshine and roses, the difficulties faced by the characters only makes them better IMO.
Really enjoyed the interactions between the humans and dragons, and can’t wait to read the next book to see what the Masked One is up to (his villainous plans, etc.), and what happens to the Steel Dragon as she integrates into dragon society.
4 stars ⭐️
Rating: really liked it
This is not the typical fantasy dragon book.
It is part coming-of-age, action, police procedural, urban fantasy, and dragon.
The length is the only thing that I was initially concerned about, but things all came together and moved along.
Rating: really liked it
Looking forward to more books in the series.
Rating: really liked it
It was okay The beginning was good, and the characters were well developed. However, the more I read, the more I despised the main character. She just got more and more cocky, and was under the impression that she needed to singlehandedly take on every bad guy in the book. The one dragon at the beginning...McCormick Kensington?...wants to be called Ken. He’s pretty, with blond hair. I immediately got the impression of a Ken doll. There’s only one scene that he’s in, and doesn’t reappear in the story as far as I can tell. I started to skip after about sixty percent of the way through. Main character was annoying, and finally became a dragon at the very end to defeat the villain. Honestly, I despised the main character so much that I felt I could empathize more with the villain of the story. I doubt that’s what the authors intended...
Rating: really liked it
When a Human Is More Than She Dreamed!I confess, I'm a huge dragon fan. In high school, my nickname was Dragonlady! I love a new twist to the care of Dragon lie being created by intensely imaginative people. Michael Anderle and Kevin McLaughlin have expertly crafted an alternative world in which drains and humans have coexisted for millennia. The beginning of this most enjoyable, action oriented series puts the reader in Detroit, following the protagonist, Kristen Hall, while she begins here career as a police officer - with a tough assignment - being a raw rookie in SWAT! Naturally, a recent graduate going straight into SWAT doesn't sit well with her new teammates. Then, she starts showing signs of being something very not human. A dragon. And you think you've had a hard day?
This book was a finely crafted, eye gluing, bite your lip at the non-stop twists, explains, and a giant chasm between dragons and humans. Well Kristen find a way to bridge this great gap between the species? More importantly, will she lose the humanity of family and friends, or start looking at humans like other dragons - as if humans are no better than cattle? Navigating life for Kristen had become about as easy as running a NASCAR race through a ten mile wide hedge maze!
Highly recommended for fans of Urban Fantasy, Dragons, and Alternate Universes. Fantastic collaboration by the authors, this is a series to follow!
Rating: really liked it
This is another one of the rather huge collection of books that Michael Anderle has his name on. His name has become more of a franchise than that of an author and I sincerely doubt that he has been much involved in the actual writing of this book. I picked it up because I found the book blurb somewhat interesting.
It’s a decent enough book. Far from great but it was rather enjoyable. Then it’s a kind of story that I like. Young protagonist who doesn’t know that he, or in this case she, is actually more than she is and is about to discover this.
The, somewhat alternate reality, universe where dragons rule is fairly interesting. I do like dragon stories as well by the way. The author certainly introduces some new twists on the origin of pixies and dwarfs.
There’s, not surprisingly, a underlying story that seems to be related to how and why Kristen is indeed a dragon and of which we get a few hints in this first book in the series. Enough to peek my interest.
There’s a fair amount of rather good action and plenty of development for the main protagonist. The writing is quite decent and overall this was a rather entertaining book. Not more than 3 out of 5 stars entertaining but still enough for me to put the next book in the series on my to-read list.
As a European living a couple of hours away from Italy I have to object to Kristen putting pineapple on her pizza though. There should be a death penalty on such atrocities.
Rating: really liked it
Just wow...Two notes to start this review. A) If you’re offended by strong, profuse language, this is not the book for you. B) If you’re not a fan of long books (good Lord, 160,000 words and for the first installment of a series no less!), definitely not for you. But if you enjoy a great action adventure from points of view that most dragon shifter books don’t usually cover, then this is definitely up your alley.
Straight up, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this novel when I started it. But by the end, I was won over. The fact that it incorporated SWAT into the main plot was an unexpected bonus, especially in Detroit. Many different points of view were explored and I truly loved that about the story. The gritty world in which it was set, while based on our own with addition of fantasy creatures, was wonderfully thought out.
All in all, I will be picking up the next book. Upon reading that the next installment is an even larger 180,000 words, my inner bookworm is quivering with wide eyes. But I think we’re up to the challenge. Here’s to hoping Steel Dragon 2 doesn’t disappoint…
Just a note to the authors Kevin McLaughlin and Michael Anderle. Just what did your editor say when you plopped a 160,000 words on their desk? If I did that with mine, I think she’d match a few more of the choicest curses Jonesy could come up with…
Rating: really liked it
Much better than expectedAfter reading the reviews,i want expecting to enjoy the book as much as i did. The bad attitude that was mentioned in many of the reviews I had was as part of making the character note realistic and believable. No one is perfect all the time and we all go through changes when forced too adjust to new elements in our lif. This is especially true when unexpected and/or life changing situations bring them on,especially those that are making the greatest changes in our life. When a character remains steady in his or her thoughts and actions dispite major and even minor plot twist, that character quickly becomes dull and unbelievable while dragging the story into one that is impossible for this reader to continue reading.
Love this introduction to a new series and appreciated that it was kept long so the story was told in a complete and satisfying manner.
Have come too appreciate almost everything I've read with Michel Anderle's name on out and always love to be introduced to new authors. This pair has proven to be a compatible pair that seem to work well together.
Will demonstrable definitely bee reading more in this series
Rating: really liked it
Awesome TeamworkThe more I read from Anderle et al, the better they write. What a team. Who knows where they will go as long as I continue to read their work? ;-)
The book was awesome, there's not much I can say without giving out huge chunks of spoilers, but there is a little.
Kristen is the daughter of a cop, at least that's what she thinks and how the Halls treat her. When she finds out she is really a foundling and the Halls never told her. Things get emotional and very intense. Things like tthis relationship can go to pieces in an instant because a comment taken wrong blinds and deafens everyone. From personal experience, I know. My Dad was adopted, he adopted me and I adopted my oldest son. But like the Halls, we were and are family.
The story of Kristen coming to accept who and what she is is well told, with adventures that don't normally happen to a rookie cop (yes, like in many police families, sons and daughters follow Dads and Moms into the business.)
You'll be pleased to know there is a bad guy, truly evil. At one point you think ... No. I can't say it, it's too big of a spoiler.
Read it, you'll be glad you did
