5-stars for ‘Dragon Thunder,’ by J. S. Burke

‘Great Fantasy Writing’
One knows immediately if they’re reading the work of a veteran writer. Ms Burke certainly qualifies. Dragon Thunder, book three of her Dragon Dreamer series, is just good, polished storytelling. And I can’t think of a better compliment to offer a creative writer.
Jenny Burke writes compelling stories that will keep young and not-so-young readers thoroughly entertained. Her characters are three-dimensional, the settings diverse and well-described and she mixes action sequences with character and plot development with finesse.
The story / What I liked:
For this review, I’ll avoid offering a detailed synopsis and simply describe what I liked. Drakor, the MC, is forced into a leadership role – one he may or may not be suited for. I liked this for many reasons – mainly because it’s real. She gave him a challenge, strengths and flaws, and left us desirous of finding out how he’d perform. She set the objective and planted the obstacles. And from there grew the conflict that all stories must have.
I also liked the dual storylines: Drakor and the Ice Dragons and Scree the octopus in her undersea domain. The friendship between the two with their mind-travel connection is delightful.
Additional thoughts:
Ms Burke is a professional writer. And this goes beyond story or character. She’s learned the craft and displays her talents in ways many will miss. Dialogue tags: He said, she said etc. She’s found the many ways to avoid them. They’re clunky and quickly give you away as a novice in the literary world. Paragraphing, chapter length, vocabulary… I could go on. It’s just clean, smart and easy to read.
And I just love how she almost surgically slips in bits of pure science – mainly Biology and Geology. Why not teach a little while you’re entertaining young minds?
Criticisms:
I have none. This was a delightful read.
Summary and recommendation:
Dragon Thunder, by J. S. Burke, is a sparkling story filled with meaningful themes and interesting characters. The writing is crisp, the goals are clear, and there is ample conflict to make the story engaging.
I give Dragon Thunder by J. S. Burke 5-stars and my highest recommendation for readers from eight to adult.
Review by: T. E. Mark – Writer / Screenwriter