There Be Dragon – judged by Midwest Book Review

Every book has its readers and no book can satisfy everyone. Thus is it particularly gratifying for any author when the reader seems to enjoy the story. Yesterday, I’ve received a review from Midwest Book Review.

Here is an excerpt from the review from James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief of Midwest Book Review

“There Be Dragon” by Michael Tars is an impressively original, deftly crafted, epic fantasy set in a world of magic, greedy demigods, dark prophesies, hazardous romance, and featuring a unique hero and heroine. From start to finish, “There Be Dragon” is a fun and riveting read that will hold strong appeal for fans of heroic fantasy and is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library action/adventure themed Fantasy Fiction collections.

Established in 1976, the Midwest Book Review is an organization committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. The MBR publishes a number of monthly book review magazines specifically designed for community and academic librarians, booksellers, and the general reading public. The review on There Be Dragon is  currently scheduled to appear in the September 2026 issues of our two book review publications  Library Bookwatch, and Internet Bookwatch. 

You can read the official review in full below.

Review by Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review

The Fantasy Shelf

There Be Dragon
Michael Tars
BookBaby
979-8317834708, $18.95, PB, 376pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/There-Be-Dragon-Lord-Chronicles/dp/B0H8XG59NY
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/there-be-dragon-michael-tars/1150587656

Synopsis:

When the people of magical Kalador prayed for a savior, they summoned Kwe — a battle-scarred soldier from a futuristic Earth who is plagued by memories of his violent past. He’s told that an ancient Dragon’s spirit resides within him and that together they’re destined to protect the realm from hungry demigods plotting Kalador’s demise.
Now, voices of several Dragons crowd Kwe’s mind, each with their own agenda, all threatening to take over. Cut-throat court politics and strange magic, assassination attempts and threats of imminent war are bad enough; it’s worse to fall in love when romance is impossible. Though try explaining that to the amorous dragon within…
Common-born Kira didn’t expect to become the Chosen. Now she must bind the new Lord Dragon’s soul to Kalador. If only he’d see not just her duty, but also her love.
With threats multiplying, and Kira’s life on the line, Kwe’s only choice is to embrace the dragons — without losing himself in the process. He might be a pawn in some demigod’s secret game, but he won’t be broken or controlled.
With a nefarious demigod plotting from the bottom of the ocean, will Kwe’s newfound Dragon powers and battlefield experience be enough to keep the country and those he loves safe?

Critique: 

“There Be Dragon” by Michael Tars is an impressively original, deftly crafted, epic fantasy set in a world of magic, greedy demigods, dark prophesies, hazardous romance, and featuring a unique hero and heroine. From start to finish, “There Be Dragon” is a fun and riveting read that will hold strong appeal for fans of heroic fantasy and is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library action/adventure themed Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of “There Be Dragon” from BookBaby is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note:

Michael Tars (www.MikeTars.com) holds a doctorate degree in biophysics and a master’s in business administration. Besides his career in science, while in Russia, Michael worked as a translator of science fiction and fantasy novels, including works of Anne McCaffery, C.S. Lewis, Edmund Cooper, Christopher Rowley, Kevin Anderson, and others. After moving with his family to the United States, Michale kept working in life sciences, first as an academic researcher, then managing the company that he’d founded. “There Be Dragon” is his debut as a novelist.