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M.M. Stauffer
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The Dragon Beshrewed (Tatterwing Book 1) Kindle Edition

by M.M. Stauffer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 135 ratings
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It's common enough for a book of dragons to center on a young wizard harnessing his power, or a knightly lad (usually a farmhand) learning to vanquish evil. The Merlins and Arthurs, if you will. Too rarely do we get to glimpse the other side of the coin. The Madam Mims and Morgan le Fays certainly had their own humble beginnings, but those stories are seldom told. Those climbs to power are somehow neglected. But within the pages of The Tatterwing Chronicles you'll find such a story. A story of a young girl taking her first steps to becoming a notorious witch known as Tatterwing. A story of her rise to power, her flirtation with the darkness, and her tendency to ride the line between hero and villain as the odds stack against her. Book one finds young Medo as a child of thirteen living deep in the bowels of the swamp, before she's seen the outside world. Before anyone has heard her name.
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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 7
    Tatterwing
  2. Print length
    429 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    April 9, 2014
  6. File size
    5624 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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From the Publisher

dragon
Tatterwing

Tatterwing Chronicles

This series is a coming of age story about the witch Tatterwing, her experiences with a book of black magic, and the consequences of pursuing that magic as a tool to accomplish various ends. The story begins somewhat light hearted but progressively gets darker as the series continues.

If you enjoy monsters, magic, witches, fairy tales and a blend of (80s style monster) horror, this series will be worth your time.

Evil Squirrel Publishing

M.M. Stauffer + the Evil Squirrel Pulp House

Follow Evil Squirrel Pulp House on Instagram or Facebook for more of the M.M. Brothers’ collective pulp fiction* and other endeavors

*though we strive for the quality and spirit of traditional pulp publications, most creations are digital

mist

A series nearly finished

The final book in this series is currently in progress and will release in early to mid 2022

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00JL4A1AK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Digital Services; 1st edition (April 9, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 9, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5624 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 429 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 179395285X
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 135 ratings

About the author

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M.M. Stauffer

M.M. Stauffer

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Depending on who you ask, M.M. Stauffer was born 1931, 1987 or 1990. The confusion here is due to the number of individuals who could be identified by that name. One, a rather reclusive Mortimer Montgomery Stauffer, died a few years ago in the comfortable home where he spent most of his strange life. It was from his scattered notes and scribbles that the Tatterwing Chronicles emerged. After Mortimer passed away, it was time for his nephews to take over.

The M.M. Brothers, Matthew and Michael Stauffer, coming from a modest background of achievements, including degrees neither were thrilled with and social lives lacking sufficient stimulation, took it upon themselves to sort out and catalog said notes. It is they who carry on their mad uncle's mantle, starting with the five-part Tatterwing Chronicles, and continuing into the bright future.

In their spare time they can be found writing, reading, pondering, or wearing their travel ponchos like a pair of studmuffins.

For more information on these matters, please visit www.tatterwing.blogspot.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
135 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Michael and Julie
5.0 out of 5 stars Well-told tale of adventure, heroism, loyalty, and self-realization, suitable for both teens and adults
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
When young Medo innocently (more or less) stumbles into black magic and gets herself exiled for it, she finds herself hunted by an evil dragon. Turned out by the people she loves, accompanied only by a pet squirrel (who used to be a human knight named Hewbert), she soon picks up traveling companion Owyn, a boy of roughly her own age. Owyn is suffering a different sort of exile; he saved the life of a rebel leader and is on the lam from authorities that want to execute him for treason. The trio (Medo, Hewbert, and Owyn) must face the dragon and its human servants more than once as they struggle to survive in a cruel and unsympathetic world, helped (somewhat) by Marlin, a not-especially-effectual wizard with his own problems.

"The Dragon Beshrewed" is a well-told tale of adventure, heroism, loyalty, and self-realization. The book is suitable for early teens and up, but may be a bit intense and scary for kids at the lower end of the age range. (And it's not a "kissing book.") As an adult reader, I can testify that it's a great read for not-so-young readers, too. Highly recommended.
4 people found this helpful
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Shawn K
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and Fun read.
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
Written well, I think it would read better in paperback (I read via kindle reader on an 8" Tablet). The story flows well, the characters are developed well for the most part, but towards the end, some events took place that deserved more "fleshing out" - (Spoiler Alert) - Hewbert's role and "fate" at the end needed to be spelled out. For the most part, enjoyable. The level of violence and sexual content makes it a clean read for ages 10+
One person found this helpful
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Ryan Stockton
5.0 out of 5 stars Very fun book! Well written...
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2015
Verified Purchase
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I usually just pick up books to read that are free because my budget is so small. I also realize that many authors will make their first book in a series free to suck you in to buying the rest of their books. I try not to fall for that, but in this case, I did. The Dragon Beshrewed was free as a promotional offer when I got it and I am already chomping at the bit to buy the rest in the series (when they are finished!). Very fun story, fun characters. I had a great time reading this one!
2 people found this helpful
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Jennifer Rose
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, looking fwd to the next installment
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
Picked it up as a free eBook so wasn't expecting much - boy was I wrong!! Highly engaging from start to finish; I had a hard time putting it down. Can't wait to see how the next books evolve the world and progress the storylines!
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Mark Reps
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
A tad disappointing
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Joshua
5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing new take on old fairy tale tropes.
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book is quirky, a mix of fairy tale and dark fantasy, and I loved it.

The action is fast-paced, the characters are well-developed, and you really do get immersed in the story. Dragons, knights, witches, fairies, trolls--it's got it all, but not necessarily in the ways you might expect.

But the strength of the book comes from following the main character's slow descent into darkness. Will she use her black magic for good or will she eventually take the big fall?

Anyway, pick it up and you won't be disappointed.
6 people found this helpful
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gonelly
4.0 out of 5 stars Good twist and turns
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
Enjoyed this book. Just when you think you have the story figured out the herione does something unexpected. Ready for next book in this story.
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Jeff J
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent witch origin story
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book was very, very good. I love the twisted magic system, and how the bad guys are following the insane dragon's orders because 'Holy crap its an insane dragon, better do what she says!' and everyone is trying to get into the mad dragon's favor by doing what she wants. Very good and worth reading!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A surprising dark fairy tale
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
I think this is what would happen if PoisonPoison by Chris Wooding had a love-child with The Edge Chronicles who grew up to be influenced by Disney's darker period - think Sword in the Stone and Black Cauldron. It is strange and dark and freakin' gorgeous; perfect for anyone looking for a darker than your average YA read without it being inappropriately so.

Plus it's illustrated in the most fantastical creepy fairy tale style, reminding me again of Chris Riddell and Tony DiTerlizzi's Spiderwick Chronicles.

It follows an unusual protagonist: Medo is your usual middle grade/young adult headstrong teenager, but the determined kind, not the snarky "feisty" sort. She's quiet, cunning, and destined for greater things than living amongst her swamp-dwelling people turning errant knights into toads and the like. Her discovery of a book of Black Magic sees her exiled for reasons she cannot comprehend, thrusting her into the dangers of an outside world she knows nothing about. An outside world where a dragon hunts her, a boy is on a quest to find a magic sword, and people are never quite as they appear.

I cannot praise this enough for having such a sensible main character. Medo's balancing act between what's right and wrong, and knowing what to feel when everyone's against you, is such a strong central theme and never did I feel like things went too far. Her questioning how evil Black Magic is when used for good reasons makes her a far more interesting character to follow. She's balanced out well by the good natured orphan boy Owyn, the boy who dreams of a treasure that will save him, and the comic relief that is Marlin the conman Magician (who, funnily enough, also dreams of treasure). I loved the warmth of the relationship that grew between them, even if they bicker sometimes. Plus Medo has a squirrel helper with a secret of his own - you cannot beat a good animal sidekick, and there's no romance storyline as such, just genuinely heart-warming friendships.

But the world is dark and full of terrors. The dragon rears her creepy head fairly often, and isn't your usual villain. Her cronies known as the Named are perfectly creepy enough to keep the threat level high when she's not around.

Now my nitpicks would be that while there is an amazingly detailed backstory to the kingdom, it's delivery could feel a tad confusing at times. I had to stop, re-read and make sense of it, possibly because it's delivered over the course of two close together conversations that cover both the world and the character backstories, so I might have gotten things mixed up. I also found some of the more action-based sequences hard to follow, but it's easy enough to just shrug and go along with it.

For anyone wanting a fast-paced story, this probably isn't the one for you. It's a slow simmering plot of buried secrets, betrayals and discoveries. I'm a fast reader and was surprised by how long it took me to get through it - not that I could resent the time. Any qualms I'd had seeing reviews of older editions being typo-riddled can generally be put to rest, as there were very few.

I am so happy that the ending is one of those Happy For Now/To Be Continued affairs. It wraps up the events perfectly but still leaves the promise of more. I fully intend to go on with the next book because who can resist the lure of a morally ambiguous fairy tale hero whose companionships make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? 4.5 stars.
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Hollie
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Amazing !!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2020
Verified Purchase
I can not emphasize how much I enjoyed reading this book. I could not put it down. A wonderful story and amazing illustrations. Highly recommended
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