Scrapplings Children of the Dragons

By Amelia Smith

The dragon flying over Tiadun bay is the only thing that Darna loves in the provinces, and she’s also the only person she knows of who can see it. There’s nothing else she likes about life at Tiadun keep. When she learns that she might be the daughter of the prince, she’s afraid she’ll be trapped there forever so she flees to the city of Anamat. In the city, there will be others who can see the dragons, or so the minstrels say.

Along the way, she meets Myril, an older girl with frequent premonitions and an eerie sense of hearing. At the walls, they find Iola, so dragon-struck that she wants to be a priestess, and Thorat, her devoted champion.

Despite these newfound friends, life in the city isn’t easy. Darna scavenges for scraps and just about gets by, but when she's offered a sack of gold beads for a small bit of thieving, she takes her chances... and ends up angering the city’s patron dragon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amelia Smith
• Release date: Mar 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781941334065

Amelia Smith

Amelia Smith is a wife, mother, grandmother and author. She lives with her family in Georgia.

Reviews for Scrapplings Children of the Dragons

[urbanaudreye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a wonderful book. A little slow to start, but in my experience, I find the best ones are. This certainly holds its own against other young adult fantasies!Darna is the bastard child of a prince with the gift of dragon sight. Working in the palace kitchens, she could only dream of saving up the beads to get away, and when she learns of her heritage she runs away in fear of having her dragon didn't stripped of her. In Anamat she had options for her future, though still limited by her lack of beads she is destined to a season of begging and scrapping until she can earn enough to buy an apprenticeship or must succumb to a life as a servant. But the dragons have other plans for her.I am very much looking forward to reading more in the Anamat series.*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[sandifaulconbridge · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from LibraryThing in exchange for a review. I was really looking forward to this book. I love fantasy books and especially ones with dragons. The concept is great, Unfortunately I found it very disjointed and a difficult read. I gave up about two thirds of the way through. Even though the main characters are young teenagers I believe this book is aimed at a more adult reader. --------------------------------A very few people can see and communicate with dragons, whilst the majority of the population are 'dragon blind'. Four young teens from different regions leave their homes for various reasons, and meet up in the city of Anamat where they become 'scrapplings' - kids who fend for themselves on the scraps of the city whilst waiting to be accepted into a guild or as a priestess. The timeline moves between the 'now' and each teens history of how they came to be on their journey. Many other scenes also move backwards and forwards within the period of a day, or few days. --------------------------------There are times when we read books of different styles depending what 'mood' we are in. Maybe I was in the frame of mind for a more action-packed book when I started reading this one. As I mentioned, the concept is great and I'd like to pick this book up and try it when I am not trying to concentrate on too many other things.

[deshanya · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.I don't know how much of the story I can explain without this review becoming completely incomprehensible. The world that the story is set in has a city where all the stray children go. There they beg and steal until they have enough money to become apprentices or, if female, are old enough to become priestesses. (There's some implications that the priestesses are sacred whores.)The troubling thing about the story is the venality of it all. The main characters seek out this city because they're dragon-touched. They, unlike many, can see dragons. So they go to this city on an almost holy quest -- and learn to beg and steal and fight. The sense of it escapes me. I hoped that the book would explain what about being dragon-touched was so important or unveil a secret world of dragons and dragon lore, but it never did. It's like the story says, hey, you're touched by God, go on pilgrimage to the Vatican City or Mecca, but surprise, when you get there, you don't meet God, you become a thief and a gang member.The book is interesting, the plot keeps moving along and the characters are unique and memorable, but I can't like it, because it leaves a big question in my mind. Namely, why?

[chicalicious · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Darna after finding out something from a priestess, in her home city of Tiadun, and with the Prince and his men searching for her she sets off for the city of Anamat - where there are others who can see dragons. It isn't until she gets there, meeting Myril, Iola and Thorat along the way, that she learns the city seems to be as dragon-blind as the provinces they left. When Darna finds out how much an apprenticeship will cost, more than she will earn scavenging and begging, she realises she has to find other means. When she's offered a bag of gold to do a bit of thieving, she takes the opportunity and ends up angering the dragon Anara.I'm not sure what I thought of this book. The concept seemed good but it wasn't until I started reading how quickly I realised I might not like this book as much as I had hoped. The writing seemed slightly disjointed and for most of the book it didn't seem to be going anywhere. It picked up but it had too many long moments that just seemed to be there just because.I couldn't really connect with the characters. I just found most of them really irritating and the one I could put up with, Thorat, wasn't as involved in the story. Iola annoyed me with her aimlessly staring into space along with her naivety. Myril was a bit weird, it's hard to describe but if you read it you might understand. Darna made me at times want to put the book down. She was either as stubborn as a mule or a lost sheep willing to do as she's told. She never stuck to one or the other.I found the fact that it was written in the third person and then every so often a random first person, not spoken, sentence was thrown in rather irritating. I wasn't hooked on this book at all and come the end forced myself to read just to finish it.If it wasn't for the times it picked up slightly then for me this would have been a one star book.

[veronica.sparrow · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have always loved the fantasy genre (Tolkien/Eddings/Brooks etc) especially the creation of a new fantasy world. I loved the premise of the books: children otherwise known as scrapplings leaving behind the past and moving on to a new city where they can find their futures. I wish I had known more about the dragons that can only be seen by certain people but am sure there will be an answer in book two onwards. It is the kind of book (for me) that I need to sit down when I have time to finish in one go. I was unable to do that (families duties intruded lol) and I found it sometimes difficult to get back in the flow of things but again that was my own issue and not the author's. I was intrigued and cared about the main character and that is a big thing to me when I am reading a book. I am looking forward to the next instalment.