This past week we gave the spotlight to Dragon Mage, ML Spencer’s High Fantasy novel, the first in the Rivenworld series! Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews and other posts. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content.
Shall we?
ML Spencer lives in Southern California with her three children and two cats. She has been obsessed with fantasy ever since the days of childhood bedtime stories. She grew up reading and writing fantasy fiction, playing MMORPG games, and living, as mom put it, “in her own worlds.” ML now spends each day working to bring those worlds into reality.
Aram Raythe has the power to challenge the gods. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Aram thinks he’s nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world. As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to make friends and be accepted by those around him, which is something he’s never known.
But Aram is more. Much, much more.
Unknown to him, Aram bears within him a gift so old and rare that many people would kill him for it, and there are others who would twist him to use for their own sinister purposes. These magics are so potent that Aram earns a place at an academy for warrior mages training to earn for themselves the greatest place of honor among the armies of men: dragon riders. Aram will have to fight for respect by becoming not just a dragon rider, but a Champion, the caliber of mage that hasn’t existed in the world for hundreds of years. And the land needs a Champion. Because when a dark god out of ancient myth arises to threaten the world of magic, it is Aram the world will turn to in its hour of need.
Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!
JUNE 16TH – THE KICKOFF
Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spotlight
JUNE 17TH
The Sword Smith – review
“It is wonderful in how it develops, the amazing characters you will journey with and meet. A deep and wonderfully created magic system and an epic world which wonderfully built and described, this is a room for one final point which is how wonderfully accessible M.L’s prose is. It flows along the page and you as a reader will hopefully do the same!”
Beneath A Thousand Skies – review
“Dragon Mage is a beautiful book inside and out (I mean look at that cover) and it really is a sum of all its parts, the author balancing all the different elements and weaving them into a story that is everything I love about fantasy and MORE. The prose flows throughout, whether delving into the worldbuilding, the details of blacksmithing, or weaving action sequences that sweep you away into magical clashes or aerial battles, and it really is a long book that doesn’t feel long. I loved every moment I spent in this world – and hope to spend many more in the future, and this will certainly be one of those books that I come back to over and over again because as I said, this was a book that consumed me.”
The Bibliophile Chronicles – review + IG spotlight
“The world of Dragon Mage is a dark one, and there’s plenty of action scenes to keep the reader hooked. I really enjoyed Spencer’s writing style and it was so easy to get lost in this world for hours at a time. There were definitely moments I sat down to read a chapter or two and glanced up and I’d been captivated by the story for several hours. Dragon Mage is a brilliant, gripping read – one that classic fantasy fans will adore.”
JUNE 18TH
Out of This World SFF – review
“This book will change even the most jaded reader’s opinion of what the genre is capable of when penned by authors the caliber of ML Spencer. There really is no ceiling when it comes to where this series can go when the opening entry is this great. I’ll wrap things up by saying if you read only one epic/high fantasy book this year, it should be this one. Come for the extraordinary world-building, magic, evil villains, and horrifying monsters of the Void. Stay for the incredible journey that these characters will take you on in this once in a lifetime story. I truly can’t gush enough about how much this book hit me in the feels on so many levels. Just read it.”
Lost in Storyland – spotlight
JUNE 19TH
I Can Has Books? – review
“Dragon Mage is a book you don’t want to put down, it sucks you in and next thing you know you have almost read a thousand page in no time. I can not wait for the next book.”
Under the Radar SFF Books – review
“Dragon Mage has everything you could ever want in an epic fantasy novel from: great characters, cool magic system, war, interesting world, and Dragons.”
HighhFantasy – review
“I swear, I must’ve been smiling the whole was through Dragon Mage. Everything about it made me happy. Spencer nails the tropes, the world, the story. But for me, the clincher was Aram. I’ve never felt so close to a character or related with one so much.”
Sean Reads Books – review
“This book is an emotional one, with Aram and Markus’ emotions constantly bared. Both Aram and Markus go through a lot of turmoil; the trauma leaves them vulnerable, but with each other’s help they’re able to overcome the mental and emotional scars. Aram somehow retains a sort of innocence throughout the book, even at the end. It’s rare for a protagonist to not lose this (if they even started out with it) by the end of a book or series. I found this spoke of Aram’s character, how even the worst things couldn’t change at least part of his self for the worst.”
JUNE 20TH
Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub – review
“Dragon Mage is everything I love about the fantasy genre. This book is unforgettable, and I’m going to be yelling at everyone to read this for a good long while. It isn’t too often that I call a book perfect, but that’s what Dragon Mage is. It is absolutely perfect.”
OneReadingNurse – review + IG spotlight
“Plotting that you’d never guess. Family ties. Found family. The cutest tiny hint of romance (100% clean) ever. Did I say sentient quasi magic horses? More evil plots? 1200 year old snarky old men? Oh, warrior and mage training! Battles that never get boring? Heart breaking tortures and no feelings spared on the paths to redemption, alternated with *just* enough warm fuzzies to make everything beautiful? Balance is everything in this novel.”
Rusty’s Reads – review
“There was an intangible aspect that I want to end with. There were times when I felt as though this book could have been written just for me. It felt like the right book at the right time … and for me. If I had read it 6 months earlier, or two years from now, who knows, but it is what I needed to read now and I am so grateful that I did.”
JUNE 21ST
Book & Nature Professor – review + IG spotlight
“Dragon Mage is beautiful, masterful epic fantasy. M. L. Spencer has given us a story of the reluctant hero who becomes a champion, his loyal friend, powerful magic and rich world building. All of these components come together to form to unique and powerful story. Aram Raythe is a brilliant and moving character. He draws the reader into his story and by doing so, the world of Dragon Mage opens up to us. We care about the characters and their world. We feel Aram’s joy, we feel his pain, and ultimately, we come to love him. He is character that simply comes alive and leaps off the pages. Dragon Mage is on par with the best fantasy books I have read. It has all of the elements to be a classic in the genre. I highly recommend this book to anyone, not just fans of fantasy. It is that great.”
FanFiAddict – review
“Dragon Mage is one of those books that offers more than the original package is supposed to; a glorious adventure filled with an inventive magic system and a splendid world filled with dragons and three-dimensional figures. For anyone looking for a fantasy-driven story built from rich characters this is a must read.”
“From an intriguing magic system involving the tying and breaking of knots to an insanely imaginative world, this tome packs in everything that makes fantasy such a rich genre. It is one that can be a bit tropey at times, but the way in which Spencer takes those tropes and adds her own ingredients is something you have to see for yourself.”
Ebookwyrm’s BlogCave – review
“What really impressed me with DM (apart from the size and the cover art) was just how visual the whole thing was. It takes a special kind of author to not only take me into the story but also to put me side by side with the characters and scenery, to make the whole thing a living, breathing experience. The moment I stood on the cliff edge and looked down into the chasm below really sealed the deal for me. “
If you are interested in Dragon Mage and would like to get in contact with ML Spencer, you can find her on social media:
Find out more about Storytellers On Tour or join our team:
Grab a copy of Dragon Mage!
Leave a Comment