Amazon Dragon Queen Book Trailer Category:  Fantasy Publisher: Synergy Books ISBN-10:  1933538465 Type: Fiction Pages: 584 Copyright: May 1, 2007 ISBN-13: 9781933538464 A legend of magick, adventure and courage. Imagine being summoned from the slumber of death, awaking in a shattered world you do not recall, betrayed by sibling, parent and lover…imagine your search for the truth. Imagine being summoned from the slumber of death, awaking in a shattered world you do not recall, betrayed by sibling, parent and lover…imagine your search for the truth. Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale is a legend of magic, adventure, and courage set in the mythical world of Ædracmoræ; a tale that explores strength and weakness, hope and fear, and what it means to be a guardian in a world where peace hangs by a fine, golden thread.Without knowledge of the past, Yávië and the Guardians stumble on a quest more filled with peril than any that have come before, a quest that will test the depths of their loyalties and which paths they will choose. Together they embark on a journey to discover the truth of Yávië’s birthright and a world they no longer remember.With the discovery that she was born of the Dragon Queen, Yávië is given knowledge of the powerful artifacts that will reunite the shattered kingdoms into a single world.However, with the rebirth of Ædracmoræ will come the opening of doorways that bring chaos and shadow to the new world – an evil that may be far worse than the original destruction of the realm of the Dragon Queen. It is within this darkness that the guardians and their young queen struggle to gain control of what they have unleashed upon the kingdoms.        Excerpt Prologue Red-gold fingers of lightning snaked across the eastern sky to fuse with their blue-white counterparts, culminating in a booming voice of united condemnation. With heavy heart and furrowed brow, the Sojourner Alandon watched his offspring vie for control of the dying world. It was his fault. A ripple of guilt raced down his spine and twisted painfully in his gut. Fear had led him to attempt the destruction of the House of Aaradan. It was fear that had directed the call on his twin brother Abaddon’s armies, setting in motion the final destruction now taking place at the fortress below, and it was fear that had caused him to steal the birthright from one daughter and give it to the other. Abaddon, thief of souls, now held Alandon’s wife captive and was lurking within the gathering gloom in the hope of adding the souls of his daughters to the collection gathering in his abyss. “Abaddon!” He cursed his brother. He should have known; he should have seen Aléria’s weakness, her jealousy and her desire for absolute power. Too late he had discovered his child’s wickedness and Abaddon’s growing control. It had already cost him the soul of his wife and, should he do nothing, would cost the soul of another daughter. The Sojourner Alandon howled in rage and frustration, whirled and flung out his hands. A flaming golden orb formed in his palms. Each potent globe surged forward from his fingertips into the seething caldron of storm clouds below. The fiery spheres detonated, releasing their cataclysmic strikes to extinguish the seven kingdoms of Ædracmoræ, leaving their shattered fragments to drift as dark flotsam under the final brilliance of the life-giving topaz star. Screaming curses and promised resurrection, Alandon swept the soul of his betrayed daughter into the heavens as an ominous and silent darkness cloaked the former realm of the Dragon Queen. "Until the willow weeps and the Age of the Ancients is upon you, you will sleep. When at last you awake, seek your forgotten truth. I shall leave the keys of restoration within your reach." As Alandon swung toward the cavern where he would await the call of his daughter, a movement caught his attention. Guardians—led by a tattered remnant of the hated House of Aaradan—who had sworn their service and pledged their protection, but who had failed, leaving his daughter alone to face her enemies. With a snarl of long-festering rage, Alandon tossed them away, but not before he wrenched the soul from the one they called Captain and swept it into the abyss. “You, Sorél, will remember! You will suffer the endless memory of your failure throughout the eternity of darkness with no hope of her forgiveness. Without her your House of Aaradan is dead.” And for a man’s eternity, the world was to remain lost in silence and shadows . . .

Midwest Book Review
Celtic history aficionado Jayel Gibson presents Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale, a high fantasy novel and the prequel to "The Wrekening". When Yavie, born of the Dragon Queen and rightful heir to the throne, awakens from deathly slumber, she discovers a shattered world, and personal betrayal by her lover, her siblings, and even her father. Only she can reunite the seven shattered kingdoms of Aedracmorae; together with her companions, she embarks on a perilous quest to seek the ancient artifacts necessary to fulfill her destiny. Yet dire threats of chaos and shadow are waiting in the wings of the Aedracmorae's resurrection, in this sweeping magical saga of one woman's struggle to set right a land rent asunder. Enthusiastically recommended for connoisseurs of epic fantasy.

IP Book Reviews
Dragon Queen by Jayel Gibson is the newest installment to the Ancient Mirrors fantasy series. In it, she takes us back in time before Cwen and the cast of characters we met in The Wrekening. In doing so, Gibson spins a mythological tale involving the creation of the world Ædracmoræ, which she has so meticulously imagined.

While focusing on that myth building, Gibson still performs the magic that readers are coming to expect from her. She creates a fast-paced story filled with intrigue and amazing characters that keeps our eyes glued to the pages long after we should have retired for the night. In the end, these plot threads are woven together nicely, but we are left with a strong suspicion that Gibson is not done, just yet, with the world of Ædracmoræ.

The events in Dragon Queen spin around the characters Nall, Rydén, and Yávië, the Dragon Queen. They are the Guardians created by the six Ancients to fulfill the ancient prophecies of Alandon, reunite the world, and recreate mankind. The book begins with the creation of these three Guardians and their subsequent training. The story then leaps into their quests to find ancient artifacts, gain the pledge of various species of dragons, and, of course, battle the dangerous denizens of their world (while falling in love and gaining a few allies in the process).

I think, for me, the aspect of Dragon Queen I enjoyed the most was the creation myth that Gibson has thought up. Most fantasy novels tend to occur, for some reason, in a sort of Post-Eden world; a world that was once great and powerful, but for various reasons has fallen into a state of decline. Gibson strays from that trend and pushes her fantastic world one step further--not only has her world fallen, but it is gone. Hence, it must be recreated, almost from scratch, by Yávië and her companions with the help of the Ancients and the Tree of Creation.

Now, is this world still simmering in a lair of darkness? You bet. The Guardians' encounters with Maelstrom are a perfect example. Is there strife and plotting in this newly created world? Sure, just wait till you meet Sybeth. Think of it like the first settlers in America: a new, clean land with a lot to overcome. That, in a nutshell, is the world of Dragon Queen.

After finishing the book, I asked myself one question, as I do with all prequels: Should you read Dragon Queen before you read The Wrekening? In my opinion, I would say no. I do think that it would all make sense (chronologically and otherwise), but I enjoyed knowing the goal and eventual end result of Yávië's actions. This seemed to add, rather than detract, from the action of the novel. Take it from me: whichever you do, read both The Wrekening and Dragon Queen!

So, for you Jayel Gibson fans out there, I strongly recommend Dragon Queen to you. It is a gem of a book that will leave you happy you spent some time with it. And for those of you who have yet to introduce yourself to Ms. Gibson, now is the time to do so. Something new is starting here and you'll be thankful you were part of it.


Mary E. Layton, Amazon.com
I had the pleasure and good fortune of reading an advance copy of 'Dragon Queen' and enjoyed every page. The events in 'Dragon Queen' take place before those of 'The Wrekening', when the Guardian Yávië and her companions quest to reunify the shattered worlds of Ædracmoræ. Filled with mystical creatures and wizened beings, 'Dragon Queen' follows the Guardians through the tasks required for the reunification spell, while Yávië discovers the truth of her past and future.

The chapters are not overly long, and give you a chance to follow several threads of the story without losing sight of the main plot, but you'll have trouble ending a chapter and being able to put the book down as this is one very engaging tale. The Ancients who gently guide the Guardians are some of the most endearing characters I have discovered in my recent readings, and you'll come away with a new respect for dragonkind.

I have just started reading 'The Wrekening' and is that Cwen ever a piece of work! I'm looking forward to seeing how her journey defines her.

In the tradition of Tolkien and Lewis, Jayel Gibson spins the tales of epic fantasy with skill. She is the modern Queen of Epic Fantasy!