“The Dragon” by Dustin Archibald

• 10/02/2023
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The Dragon: A Hero Will Rise

Dustin Archibald
Random Seed Press (2018)
ISBN: 978-1775188902
Reviewed by Ephantus M for Reader Views (09/2023)

In “The Dragon: A Hero Will Rise,” Book 1 of the Asha Anderson Saga by author Dustin Archibald, every bad situation certainly has a positive side, even when one can’t see it yet.

The South Common Mall, where some of her preferred stores are located, is one of Asha’s favorite leisure spots. She is visiting the food court in the company of Lily and Mick, and together they find themselves engaging in a stirring discussion regarding the likelihood of some students working for The Dragon. In the blink of an eye, Asha is knocked off her feet by a thunderous blast. The place is in chaos and people are terrified. She notices that her two colleagues are covered in chunks of plaster and dust, and immediately begins digging them out.

Before long, a man appears in front of her and Asha immediately recognizes him from an incident that happened months ago, robbing her of her mother. With rage and hot adrenaline pumping unceasingly into her veins, she runs towards him and slams his chest, causing him to crash into the men behind him, and sending them together through a hole in the wall.

In this novel, readers are introduced to a young protagonist who discovers her extraordinary abilities amid a disruptive drawback crisis. She is fifteen years old when she comes face to face with a villain, who unknowingly sets her up for a breathtaking discovery. He is certainly her mother’s killer, who during a visit to the Ascension’s Cross forced her life to take an unexpected turn after her nervous system became severely disarrayed from an electrocution incident.

“The Dragon: A Hero Will Rise” features scenes that are tense and will leave readers uneasy and on guard, as a sense of tangible danger begins to loom in the atmosphere with the opening of every new chapter. Dustin encourages readers through the protagonist’s sense of perseverance and making the best out of a bad situation, to remain hopeful, and believe that such situations are a blue song waiting to happen. Conversations between the characters are warm, engaging, and informative, and consistently tease twists and turns, making the read even more captivating.

A look at the cover of this book shows that the plot is hugely character-driven, and readers will find the characters’ skills and dialogues to competently place it in the five-star rating category of present-day superhero classics. Teens and young adults will find the characters’ lines of thought and speech to be relatable and will want to walk the journey with them throughout the series for the utmost thrill and enjoyment.