Betrayal
Dracon Part One
A very peculiar book Betrayal is a mix of science fiction and fantasy that shamelessly draws from both genres yet ultimately appeals to neither one. The author is very good at dialogue decent at characterization and reasonably adept at pacing. Unfortunately Myers is downright dreadful when it comes to developing a credible plot or captivating storyline. While protagonist Thomas Reid is quite likeable it is hard to care about the hero when the settings are so outlandish and the writing so unoriginal.
What overdone plot hasn’t this author chosen to mash together with others and re-hash into this unpalatable concoction? The hero is an earthman who is captured by aliens and transported to another planet. He discovers not only that magic is real but also that he’s unparalleled at tapping into the Star Wars-like “life-force generated by all living beings” in order to use it. Because of his inherent abilities the alien slavers cannot control him so rather than being shoved out an airlock he is released unharmed and handed over to a Hogwarts-style academy where he can train in magic and martial arts in order to save the galaxy.
This school is run by the Draconaa beings who ostensibly fight on the side of good against all manners of evil in the universe. Of course Thomas excels in his training quickly becoming so good that even his instructors can’t hold a candle to his skills. Like Wesley Crusher in Star Trek The Next Generation his out-of-the-box thinking lets him succeed in areas that no one had ever considered before.
Because Thomas is the top student in hand-to-hand combat and magical fighting everyone naturally becomes jealous of his talents and wants to kill him. The supposed “good guys”-in-training display shockingly petty xenophobic and downright evil tendencies without much reason behind their behavior&61630;other than the fact that it makes for some semi-interesting challenges that the hero must overcome. But it’s really tough to kill someone with ultimate fighting abilities who can generate a perpetual magical shield and has dragons for guardians so they’ve got to get really creative in their attempts.
Along the way he falls for a beautiful fur-covered alien female with whom he has a Captain Kirk-like affair (although the parts don’t actually fit together so they’ve got to be imaginative). And he’s adopted by Pern-style dragons too…
The author clearly has some talent yet it is not showcased here. There are far too many stereotypes and overdone elements for this work to capture readers’ imaginations and hold their interest long enough to finish the book. Tasteless and unoriginal this book is an altogether forgettable read.
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
