Item - Moon Dragon Summer

After some initial disappointment (I thought "Moon Dragon Summer" would refer to an event, not the progatonist), I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this book. While one of the first options is the grating "Do you want to stay home and not go on the adventure?" dealies, most of the rest are actual judgement calls and not merely the self-confidence checks or questions of who to believe that brought down Lady of the Winds and Isle of Illusion. The romance aspect went right over my head, but the plot and writing were definitely above average for a HeartQuest book, and I felt like I was in control of what happened, the downfall of most of the books in the series. This is definitely the HeartQuest book to go for, making it a pity it seems to be the hardest to find.

More reviews by Fireguard

I finally got a chance to read Moon Dragon Summer, and like all the books in the HeartQuest series, it is much better than it has any right to be.

You play Summer, a young 16 year old girl pursued by a wealthy merchant's son. But you instead want to quest to avenge your grandmother and rid your country of the evil moon dragon. Like the last book, you play a swordswoman, who has won local contests.

There are two love interests: the merchant's son and a handsome young, bearded wizard, but it's clear your character has a preference (although you are offered options of stringing the feckless merchant along). It feels a bit more mature than other entries and in my opinion does a good job of conveying the rush of young love which often confronts young people to choose the candidate their parents might not approve of. It even offers an option of finding another companion to avoid distracting yourself from your mission due to your attraction. Despite not being the target audience, I found the book the right balance of romance and adventure. That said, there are a few silly scenarios, such as a trial courtroom of orcs, that detract a bit from the story. But these are few.

The interior artwork is top notch, giving the characters a renaissance style of dress, making it appear to take place in a slightly more advanced culture than the usual medieval setting. A fun read overall.

More reviews by Kveto

[Rating: 1/10]
[Recommended? NO]

Seriously missing out on its full potential, the HeartQuest series' "Moon Dragon Summer" happens to avoid the things which could have saved it the most. Sparingly conceived, romantically flat, narratively uninteresting save for a few moments, and with uncompelling characters (and a lot of tears from the protagonist), the lack of immersiveness, enjoyability or measurable interactivity weigh this book down into oblivion. Not recommended. ^^

(Mysteriously disappears into the shadows.)

More reviews by Shadeheart