The Dragon’s Trail by Joseph Malik

As I like to do things in weird order (arse about-face, as we say in Ireland), I read the sequel to this, The New Magic, back in 2018. I really enjoyed it, giving it four stars (in retrospect, I think it was worth five). Anyway, the author was so pleased with my review, he sent me an ARC of the first book in the series. It only took me two years to get around to reading it, and another year to write a review, which is a win for me. Anyway, the author’s appreciation fits in nicely with the theme for the week, as a number of book bloggers have banded together to create Self-Published Author Appreciation Week. It is fitting that I will show Joseph Malik my own appreciation by using his book for my inaugural post. Enough with the touchy-feely stuff – on with the review!

Disclaimer – I read this in October, so forgive me if I’m a little hazy on some of the details.

So, what’s it all about?

The New Magic is the story of Jarrod Torrealday, Savate (French kickboxing) expert, swordfighter par excellence and current stuntman and HEMA tournament attendee. Jarrod had scaled Olympic heights for fencing and being named the deadliest man alive but had fallen on hard times. He’s been drinking hard and bouncing from job to job. However, when a man with a strange accent offers him a job, he takes it, unaware he will be going to not just another place, but another planet, to a world akin to our Middle Ages, but with monsters from Earth legends. A world that seems designed just for Jarrod Torrealday. Jarrod is brought to take out a magician, one who is striving to take over the other world.

Is it any good?

Simply put, yes. This is a story that features all the best attributes of portal fantasy. It was an interesting experience, having read book two first. In The Dragon’s Trail, we can see the positive effect the new world is having on Jarrod as he learns the ropes. As the story progresses, we start to see how he impacts the new world. This is even more apparent in book two as he uses earth tactics to fight earth tactics, but we can still see how his new life has changed him. You see, Jarrod is a jerk – brash, cocky and mouthy, but we like him all the same. He’s funny, honourable, and he takes his lumps just like everyone else. However, he soldiers on, and though he knows the odds are increasingly stacked against him, he doesn’t back down from a challenge. The story itself is interesting, such as the link the new world has to Earth and the medieval society that has stood pat for far longer than in our world. The fight scenes are expertly done, while one can tell the author loves his medieval weaponry, portraying each sword or piece of armour in great detail. I remember referring to this as ‘sword porn’ back in 2018, and while some people might find it over the top, I have to see it was interesting (I almost said “nice”) to see weaponry and combat as forms of art as opposed to dealers of death. If you like fantasy in any form or even historical fiction, I cannot recommend either of these books enough. 

Verdict

Portal fantasy at its finest.

• Format: E-Book
• Obtained from: Author
• Print length: 390 pages (pb)
• Publisher: Self-Published
• ISBN: 9780997887556