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V. R. Cardoso
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Dragon Dodgers: A Novella (Wounds in the Sky Prequels) Kindle Edition

by V. R. Cardoso (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 153 ratings
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Dragons rule the land and mankind hides underground. Only a brave few dare to cross the great outdoors - Surface Runners.

Enrig of Saggad longs to leave his underground home, seeking adventure and freedom on the surface, far away from the caves of his youth and the reprimands of his addled mother. Joining the Watch seems promising, but what he really dreams of is becoming a Surface Runner, evading Dragons and running across the land for treasure and glory. It is a far-flung wish for one as young as he, until a chance encounter lands him in the lap of the Dragon Dodgers, a Company of Surface Runners on a very special mission. Will Enrig be allowed to join them? And if he is, will he find anything other than death?

Dragon Dodgers is a prequel novella in the critically acclaimed Wounds in the Sky series. Grab your copy now and join Enrig in an action-packed, fast-paced adventure that will keep you turning the pages until the very end.

“I was unable to put the book down.” - Joan Richmond, Amazon reviewer
“I never, ever saw that ending coming. Never.” - L.K. Evans, author of The Keepers of Arden
“Awesome dragon fighting book!” - Lanny Terrel Pruet Jr., Amazon reviewer
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  1. Print length
    98 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    October 24, 2014
  5. File size
    10127 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

The surface is ruled by dragons, so people have to live in caves. Dragon Dodgers is the name of a group of Runners that carry messages across the surface for money. Led by Captain Targon, the Dragon Dodgers have been Surface Running for many years. Targon's dream is to be filthy rich, and he believes he has found the job that will make it happen. Tired and yet to be paid, Targon's Runners, however, are losing their patience.

Readers are introduced to a young Watcher named Enrig. The Watchers guard over a group of farmers who are brave enough to gather food from the surface during harvest season, before the dragons notice them. Yet Enrig's true intention is to be a Runner; being a Watcher is just a stepping stone. Dragon Dodgers (Wounds in the Sky Prequels: Book 1) by V.R. Cardoso has an excellent premise that grabbed my attention instantaneously. With deft prose and flawless narration, it was easy for me to immerse myself in the story.

I easily gravitated toward the characters; Enrig, Targon, and Anweh, just to name a few. Sick of dwelling in caves, Enrig longs to be on the surface, despite the danger. Targon, on the other hand, is struggling with his Runners, and keeping the vital details about the lucrative job from the Company makes it worse. The twist at the end is brilliant; I absolutely look forward to the next installment in the series. On the whole, fantasy fans should not overlook Dragon Dodgers; it will surprise you.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00OW2ATIK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 4th edition (October 24, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 24, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 10127 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 ‏ : ‎ 98 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 153 ratings

About the author

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V. R. Cardoso

V. R. Cardoso

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I remember writing short stories on my dad's old Mac SE 30. He would then print a few copies at the office so I could distribute them to my class. This was in elementary school. I mostly ripped off everything that I read or watched. I remember having a hero that was suspiciously similar to Indiana Jones, except his name came from a book cover standing on the shelf behind the computer.

I grew up on a healthy diet of fantasy novels, video games and daydreaming. After graduating in business, I spent a few years cranking out headlines, scripts and silly ideas in an advertising agency in Lisbon. Having written about pretty much everything, from laxative pills to car insurance, I decided it was time to start writing about what I truly enjoy. So I've taken the plunge and I'm now self publishing my works of fiction.

I also eat a lot of crepes.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
153 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ami A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction sequel!
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
Who doesn’t like an action packed dragon adventure? Dragon Dodgers filled all of my requirements for that very reason. The characters don’t have a lot of background but, there’s enough to make you want more of the protagonist’s story, especially after this thrill ride.

Please note that the dragons are not the good creatures that they sometimes are in this tale.

Purchased from Amazon
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L. K. Evans
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story idea...
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2015
Verified Purchase
I’m straddling 3 and 4 star rating. I’d say the first half of the book was a bit rough, but after the middle it smoothed out some and I really liked it. I rounded up because I enjoyed the premise of the story. Had a few things been different, it might have even moved up to 5 stars.

First, the dialog formatting. Now, this could very well be a cultural difference in styling, but, for me, it was highly bothersome while reading. First, the dialog tags were as follows:
“You have to take me.” Enrig Said.
Or: “You want excuses,” He told Merriqh. “fine.”
When you’re so accustomed to reading dialog formatted a certain way, any variance becomes distracting. And there was a lot of dialog. I couldn’t ease into my reading trance because it didn’t flow right and my brain kept pausing to say “What? Oh, okay. Continue.” Another issue was that the paragraphs were not indented. This made reading short dialog sections difficult. It jumbled together and sometimes you had to go back because you got off from who was talking. These things are simple fixes that would ease the flow of reading dramatically and would have easily solidified this as a 4 star without ever looking back. Again, this could be a cultural difference, but I’ve never read a book that had it formatted like this one. And as I said, when you read tons of books, it’s going to throw you a bit.

Second, it felt rushed, especially in the beginning. The initial dialog felt a tad bit forced in order to get things moving. I wish there had been more setting and slower scenes. This does not mean I wanted more description, but would have liked everything to unroll a bit slower so I could adjust to this new world. It’s an incredibly short book so it had room for it. It would have helped developed the story more in the beginning and had me concerned for the characters from the get go. That said, the middle smoothed out a bit and the scenes were more detailed, especially toward the end.

Which brings me to the all things I enjoyed about this book.

First, the entire story idea was brilliant. Dragons rule the land and people live in caves. Dragon Dodgers is a group of Runners that carry messages across the “surface” for cash, also sometimes venturing into trinkets or goods. Since not a lot of people travel—because of the hungry dragons—Runners are basically badasses. The Dragon Dodgers are a motley group led by the Captain. Fun so far? You bet! Then it gets better. He’s not loved by all his people, so there’s some dissension in the ranks. It keeps you on your toes. Of course you’re rooting for the Captain, but the people disagreeing with him had some valid points. So it makes Captain a likable, flawed character. Half way through this book I was definitely a fan of the story. Again, if those distracting errors hadn’t been there and the book slowed down and flowed a bit better, I would have been all over this.

Second, there were two characters whose backgrounds were explored, and I found each to have an engaging history, especially the Captain. What they’ve been through is heartbreaking, and Captain’s situation is understandable and I felt a huge swell of pity for him.

Lastly, I never, ever saw that ending coming. Never. So kudos for throwing me for a complete loop! Love that!

So overall, I recommend reading a sample on Amazon. If the dialog tags and formatting doesn’t bother you, give it a go. I can say that I will definitely be checking out the next book because the story was engaging and different.
3 people found this helpful
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tammy
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2016
Verified Purchase
Very good read
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Mary Enck
5.0 out of 5 stars Care to run with the Dragon Dodgers? You can feel as if you are right there in this novel.
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
After reading another novel in this series, The Dragon Hunter and The Mage, I read Dragon Dodgers again for the first time with eyes on a new perception of the story. Both are written so that a reader can find themselves locked in a different time and place. This kind of writing fills me with excitement of the adventure, immersed in the surroundings and completely taken with the action. If you read this one, you likely with have the same impulse as I did to continue and read the next in the series.

Here is what I had to say about the next book:

"I will not attempt to write a synopsis of this wonderful novel. There are reviews enough here, as there usually are, of the storyline. I like to focus on the skill of the author and how he handles characters, action, and a prose that is like opening a door leading into the setting. The Dragon Hunter And The Mage is a splendid story that left me caring about the characters and getting mad at some of the others. Perfect for conflict and action. I loved this novel. It has everything about it that I enjoy. There are many things I look for when reading and I do that a lot. This story has them all, and then some. Surprises are there and it has all been constructed to leave the reader satisfied. I feel as good as a cat with a bowl of cream right now.

When I came to the ending, I noticed the mention of the author's prequel, Dragon Dodgers. I grabbed it and loaded it into my Kindle. So I escaped, for a time, that empty feeling when finishing such a novel. It captured me to run alongside the dragon hunters, mages and dodgers. As I was reading the prequel, I soon realized by the storyline, that I had read it before. Never mind, I kept going because I liked the writer's way with words so much.

I am not a "Young Adult" but I write in that genre myself. I think each of these novels could easily be enjoyed by young and old alike. I am eager to see more of Mr. Cardoso's fascinating way of dragons and how they interact with humans. Perhaps there is another story there from the dragon's point of view.

Keep them coming."
3 people found this helpful
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William B
4.0 out of 5 stars A great start to a series...fun read
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
Genre - Fantasy/Novella
Pages - 80

Oh what gems I find on my Kindle from days past. I’ve had this little story on my Kindle since 2015 and just got around to reading it. “Dragon Dodgers (Wounds in the Sky, Prequel) by V.R Cardoso was quite a lovely, enjoyable, and a very quick read. Fast paced story and interesting characters throughout. A very nice start to this series. V.R. Cardoso does a splendid job in developing a world of make believe that is easy to digest and get lost in along with some unique and unusual characters. I am looking forward the next book in this series “The Dragon Hunter and Mage (Wounds in the Sky, Book One)”.

Synopsis (from back cover): Life on the Ground, Death in the Sky.
Dragons rule the land and mankind hides underground. Only a brave few dare to cross the great outdoors - Surface Runners.
Enrig of Saggad longs to leave his underground home, seeking adventure and freedom on the surface, far away from the caves of his youth and the reprimands of his addled mother. Joining the Watch seems promising, but what he really dreams of is becoming a Surface Runner, evading Dragons and running across the land for treasure and glory. It is a far flung wish for one as young as he, until a chance encounter lands him in the lap of the Dragon Dodgers, a Company of Surface Runners on a very special mission. Will Enrig be allowed to join them? And if he is, will he find anything other than death?
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 Report

Top reviews from other countries

LAURA
5.0 out of 5 stars nice story
Reviewed in Spain on January 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
I'm not used to reading these types of book especially not in English but I really enjoyed reading it!!!
I'm waiting for the next!!!
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
ok
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