Critics say Magical Fantasy Novels Perfect Gifts for Wiccan and Pagans
Traverse City, MI With Black Friday kicking off the holiday shopping frenzy, people are once again searching for the perfect gifts for their family and friends who enjoy reading the fantasy genre. With critics giving, Theresa Chaze's Dragon Clan Trilogy four and five stars, these novels would make ideal gifts for Wiccan and Pagans as well as anyone who enjoys an excellent fantasy novel.
Compared to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey, Theresa Chaze creates worlds of magic, suspense and romance for the adult reader. However, unlike Bradley and McCaffrey, Chaze chose to incorporate her Wiccan faith into her fiction. Although the results have been fictionalized, the rituals and spells in Chaze's novels are authentic. C
Currently, Chaze has two novels in print, the first two books of the Dragon Clan Trilogy, Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain as well as an ebooks, Nict For Ure Selfe (Not for Ourselves). All three books are available on both Chaze's website (www.theresachaze.com) and through the Amazon Kindle program.
Awakening the Dragon -- Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy ISBN-978-0-9798406-0-9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fy7KEOE3AQ) -- is a story of magic, suspense and karmic justice combined in a tale of horror. Rachael moves to Coyote Springs to find a home and open her bookstore. Instead, she becomes the catalyst in exposing a murder and the target of a violent cult. She is forced to awaken her dragon spirit prematurely to save herself and all she loves. Will she be able to control the power of the dragon as it rises giving her the power to save all she loves or will the flames from within destroy her?
In Dragon Domain -- Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy ISBN 978-0-9798406-1-6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvK7RjM9QRQ) -- Cheyenne and Celeste came to Coyote Springs to save a child; instead, Cheyenne found a home. With the help of their new friend, Jane, they created a spiritual sanctuary. But when Celeste stopped running, her past caught up with her. Dominic arrived with promises of love and passion. Instead of love, he reawakened Celeste’s dark side, turning her against those she loved the most. With the aid of the dragons, Cheyenne was barely able to ward off their first attack. With each soul they bound to them, Celeste and Dominic’s greed and hatred grew until they would not settle for less than totally destroying Cheyenne and all she loves. How do you protect yourself from someone who knows how to steal your soul?
Nict For Ure Selfe (Not for Ourselves) a paranormal suspense novelette that ties the present with the past as karma awakens an old blood feud. Alyssa attends a local Pagan festival, only become the target of the local deputy's bigotry and hatred. Unable to understand way she was singled out, she performs a ritual asking Bridget for her help. Instead of gaining wisdom, her spirit is transported back to a time before the Celtic Goddesses and Gods gave way to the Christos and when clan traditions could mean life or death. The book trailer can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jk8S7AVw5E.
Chaze’s growing reputation as a fantasy writer is evident by what others say about her:
Follow your heart; awaken the dragon, November 3, 2008
By Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas)
Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (10/08)
Rachel lives her life by what leads her. She landed in Coyote Springs by asking the Goddess where she wanted her to go, then threw the dart. It is there in Coyote Springs where she will open her "New Spirituality" store, Dragon's Den. Being drawn to a small cottage on the outskirts of town she crosses paths with Kevin Mitchellson. Kevin is the owner of the home in which his grandmother was killed.
Being like many small towns, Coyote Springs is a place where everyone knows of, or about, everyone there. In this town there is great turmoil between the House of Christ church and those who choose to follow otherwise. "Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy" focuses on this turmoil and resolution prior to the opening of Dragon's Den....I eagerly await "Book Two" to continue the story.
"Awakening the Dragon" is quite intriguing and will have you also waiting to see what happens next. With few editing errors that do not distract, this story is raw energy. "Theresa Chaze and her writing are based on her philosophy that all people live together in peace as long as we come from respect, not only for ourselves but those who follow different paths or beliefs." This is such a profound philosophy that would greatly benefit many. I often ask myself, "How does one know if what they personally believe is correct?" Life would be much less negative if everyone just accepted what the other believe to be correct for them and our own belief is correct for us, there is no wrong. In "Awakening the Dragon: Book One" you find yourself compelled to root for the characters and look at your own actions toward others.
Very entertaining..., October 11, 2008
By Debra Gaynor "Debra Gaynor" (Hawesville, KY USA)
Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy
Theresa Chaze
Valkyrie Publishing, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 10/08
4 Star
Very entertaining...
Rachel felt as though the cottage was calling to her. It was lonely. The church people wanted to burn it down, because a witch once lived in it. They now target Rachel for her beliefs and practices. When she attempts to open a new book story she becomes the mark of bigotry.
This is not the type of book I normally read. Once I began, I could not put it down. There is a strength and yet innocence in Rachel. From the beginning, I sensed she had a secret. I wanted to see romance between Kevin and Rachel. Kevin is a wounded character. While this book is a fantasy and very entertaining, it also has an agenda, to teach the dangers of bigotry, close mindedness, and lack of love for people that are different. Unfortunately, this book needs proofreading. There are a lot of grammatical mistakes. Awakening The Dragon would make an excellent movie. Fans of fantasy will enjoy Awakening The Dragon.
Author Catherine J. St. Amour
Ms. Chaze shows colorful, visual language that will even keep the romance novel buff obsessed in finishing this novel in one read! The pacing is excellent, the main character strong and likeable, with the hint of romance to come in the final installments of the trilogy. I must say I'm already addicted to Ms. Chaze's writing style! A guaranteed page turner! Bring on the rest of the trilogy!
Michael Gleason
For the past several years I have been bemoaning the lack of quality, adult, Pagan fiction. Sure, there's lots of fantasy stuff out there. But good, set-in-the-real-world Pagan fiction is hard to come by. This book is one of less than a handful I have seen recently (Darksome Thirst and From the Ashes are two of the others, and Fallen Angels is one which is less Pagan-oriented but still enjoyable books which fall into this category [see my reviews at http://www20.brinkster.com/gleasonreview for reviews of all these books]).
As I said in my original review of Dragon’s New Home, this is a well-told story with characters that are both believable and familiar. By familiar, I don’t mean you’ve seen them in books before, but that you know people like them in your own life. There are no “over the top” characters here.
Even though some of the fantasy elements have a touch of Hollywood about them, the story relies on character development to hook and hold the reader. And let’s be honest – if you don’t care what happens to the characters, a book is a failure. This book is most definitely NOT a failure.
This book was a pleasure to read (even with the glitches noted above). The story is compelling and fun and the characters are individuals. I’m sure you will enjoy it.
Author Linda Rucker
“Theresa Chaze captures the imagination as well as the heart of her readers. Dragon Domain is an open door to a world of wonder, and from the first page to the last, you will be hard pressed to put it down.
Joe Murphy of the popular The Dragon Page website:
I found myself smiling when I finished the last page of Awakening The Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy (formally Dragon's New Home), by Theresa Chaze. I've read a pretty good number of books in my life, but none have given me quite the mix of emotions that this book has.
Dragon "drama" for Coyote Springs, November 19, 2008
By Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas)
Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (11/08)
"Awakening the Dragon: Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy" was a very intriguing book and had me eagerly anticipating "Dragon Domain: Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy." As I became familiar once again with the interesting characters in the series I was once again drawn into their lives and was gripped with anticipation in their trials.
Coyote Springs is a town torn. Reverend Marshall and the House of Christ church have helped to turn this quite little town upside down. The forces collide, leaving the town in turmoil and hatred for each other. As the story of Coyote Springs continues we learn more about life on the farm that Celeste, Cheyenne and Jane call home. Dominic (the same Dominic that gave you a not-so-good "vibe" in "Awakening the Dragon") becomes more and more controlling of Celeste and brings out the worst in her. He awakens the evil dragon within her and many dark events follow. They find that their hatred destroys, but not in the manner they thought.
Much darker than the first installment of the "Dragon Clan Trilogy," you will again find yourself engulfed in the writing of Theresa Chaze with "Dragon Domain: Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy." Being described as a woman that plays with dragons, especially the dragons of the mind, she takes this book beyond the realm and runs with it. I truly enjoyed this book just as much as the first book; please overlook the very few editing hiccups, and just enjoy a good gripping read. When you read the final paragraph, you will probably wonder as I, what will happen next? Will book Three follow Cheyenne, Rachel and the gang into lighter times or will Coyote Springs continue down the path of darkness? Like the author's bio reads in the closing of this book: "Her work is based on her philosophy that all peoples can live together in peace as long as we come from respect, not only for ourselves but those who follow different paths or beliefs." Here's hoping Coyote Springs can resolve their issues of hate and live in peace.....or would that be a fairy-tale.
Mike Gleason
This second book in the Dragon Clan trilogy is a darker work than the first. Whereas the antagonists in the first book (Awakening the Dragon) were, for the most part, merely misguided albeit sincere believers in their faith’s rightness, the antagonists this time around have made a conscious decision to embrace their darker sides for the simple’s pleasure of power.
Theresa writes a compelling story with characters that are, in the main, believable without too much “Hollywood special effects” about them. Oh, for sure, there are those moments, but they don’t dominate the plot lines.
This book suffers from some of the shortcomings of the previous work (dropped words, homonyms slipping by, etc.), but as with that previous book they don’t affect the enjoyment of a well-told story. While I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for the younger reader, it can be enjoyed by adult fans of Harry Potter, Eragon, and other series which dip into some of the darker sides of human behavior.
Some of the solutions are a bit too pat and, obviously (since this is the middle book in a trilogy), there are issue which remain unresolved. The third book should bring all the disparate stories and energies together. Nonetheless, this book is a good enjoyable read. Let the story sweep you along, and don’t worry about the minor bumps along the way.
I am hoping that the author will be completing the concluding volume relatively soon. I hate having to wait to find out what happens to characters I have become attached to. On the other hand, the longer it t5akes, the more time I have before I have to say goodbye to them.
Fans of the Dragon Clan Trilogy..., October 16, 2008
By Debra Gaynor "Debra Gaynor" (Hawesville, KY USA)
Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy
Theresa Chaze
Valkyrie Publishing, 2008
ISBN: 9780979840616
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 10/08
4 Stars
Fans of the Dragon Clan Trilogy...
The lead character in Dragon Domain is Cheyenne. Her past comes back to haunt her. Dominic speaks of love; he turns her against those that care for her.
This is the second book in the Dragon Clan Trilogy. In the first book, Awakening the Dragon, the focus was on struggle between Reverend Marshall, his church, and Rachel. Rachel is a minor player this time. The struggle is between forces of evil and the Dragon. I enjoyed the first book, but found Dragon Domain lacking the same attraction. This book is much darker. Fans of horror will enjoy this book. The interrelationships between the characters make this book. The characters are strong and well developed.
Mike Gleason
This second book in the Dragon Clan trilogy is a darker work than the first. Whereas the antagonists in the first book (Awakening the Dragon) were, for the most part, merely misguided albeit sincere believers in their faith’s rightness, the antagonists this time around have made a conscious decision to embrace their darker sides for the simple’s pleasure of power.
Theresa writes a compelling story with characters that are, in the main, believable without too much “Hollywood special effects” about them. Oh, for sure, there are those moments, but they don’t dominate the plot lines.
This book suffers from some of the shortcomings of the previous work (dropped words, homonyms slipping by, etc.), but as with that previous book they don’t affect the enjoyment of a well-told story. While I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for the younger reader, it can be enjoyed by adult fans of Harry Potter, Eragon, and other series which dip into some of the darker sides of human behavior.
Some of the solutions are a bit too pat and, obviously (since this is the middle book in a trilogy), there are issue which remain unresolved. The third book should bring all the disparate stories and energies together. Nonetheless, this book is a good enjoyable read. Let the story sweep you along, and don’t worry about the minor bumps along the way.
I am hoping that the author will be completing the concluding volume relatively soon. I hate having to wait to find out what happens to characters I have become attached to. On the other hand, the longer it t5akes, the more time I have before I have to say goodbye to them.
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