Ben the Dragonborn (The Six Worlds Book 1)

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Preview — Ben the Dragonborn by Dianne Astle. He never knew his mother. There is no one to help fourteen year old Ben understand the memories that are surfacing through his dreams. The principal is about to expel Ben, but instead sends him through a portal to another world. Ben is chosen by the Guardian of the Six Worlds to stop a war between humans and mer. Paperback , pages.

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Published November 24th by CreateSpace first published November 20th The Six Worlds 1. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Ben the Dragonborn , please sign up. Lists with This Book. Sep 22, Tally Pendragon rated it really liked it.

If you scroll down through the Amazon reviews of Ben the Dragonborn you'll see that there have already been many written, so my intention here is not to recap the story, rather to take readers on an emotional journey to Dragonhood. The beginning is so captivating that I found myself glued to the screen as the words scrolled past, wide-eyed and rapt. A lot of the things that happen to Ben are fairly obvious developments plotwise and I expected them, things like his fear of water playing out on a world that is mostly waterbound, and the obvious clue in the title could have ended no other way, but the ways in which these things happened filled me with childlike wonder and were pleasantly surprising.

I didn't like some of the creatures the trio, Ben, Charla and Jared, met at various junctures, but I think that was rather the point: Everything ties off satisfyingly, with big emotional tugs at the heartstrings when both Charla and Jared are rewarded not only by their steep emotional learning curves on the journey, but also in the positions afforded them as a result of their bravery and heroism; and for Ben and his family on his return to his own planet. Needless to say, he is very keen to do well in subsequent swimming lessons, and I am very keen to know what he'll get thrown head first into in the next story, and what the other four planets have in store for him.

If I lived closer to my 8-year-old grand-daughter I'd be reading it to her every chance I got, but I'll definitely be sending the Amazon UK link to my own grown-up baby so that he can buy it for her himself and read it to her. Apr 05, Lucinda rated it really liked it. Similarly to Harry Potter and other similar young adult fantasy stories, this story contains a strong heroic main protagonist who leads the way in an epic adventure.

Ben is an ideal role model, whose compassion and heart is commendable in the face of adversity and danger. This impressive novel of substance builds bridges through the use of imagination and thought-provoking meaning, which instils a sense of adventure for the reader to search within themselves.

I found this story utterly compelling to read, plus it was interesting to see the characters grow and develop as more secrets were revealed and the detailed plot unravelled. The engaging narrative contains not only extensive, well-conceived world building but also a cast of colourful characters who keep you entertained. Aug 03, Peggy McAloon rated it it was amazing. The storyline is well-written and the characters have some flaws, which kids today need to realize.

Regardless of our abilities, life is going to hand us situations that require far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed. That is the message Dianne Astle's book provides to the reader, and it is quite possibly the most important lesson any of us have to learn. The fantasy world was believable as were the vari "Ben the Dragonborn" is a delightful book, especially for Middle-Grade students. The fantasy world was believable as were the various creatures which inhabited it. The other lesson readers will learn is to maintain your persistence to accomplish a task, regardless of your previous experience with the problem.

These are critical lessons for Middle-graders to learn. As the book cover implies, Ben's mother is from a world of dragons, but he doesn't yet know that he's half dragon or that there are other worlds. He's been raised on earth by his father. He attends a private school that trains "special" students who are chosen to travel between worlds and help when there is trouble.

These students are also blessed with 3 gifts that they can use on their quest. Ben finds out he is one of these chosen ones but has a hard time accepting it.

Ben the Dragonborn

Ben is a young man I cou As the book cover implies, Ben's mother is from a world of dragons, but he doesn't yet know that he's half dragon or that there are other worlds. Ben is a young man I could relate to. He has an unexplainable fear of water. But that doesn't make it any less of a problem. People have tried to teach him, but no matter how hard he tries or flogs around, he sinks like a stone. So when he is chosen to go to Lushaka to help restore peace between the Mer-people and humans - a watery world where only small islands of land exist - he is instantly thrust into his worst nightmare.

He doesn't believe he could possibly be the right choice for the task at hand and most others agree with him. Despite Ben's fear and lack of confidence, he ends up finding the courage to go. Ben's story is filled with adventure, danger, and suspense. The young hero is joined by two others on his journey. A Lushakan human and a Mermaid. They must put aside their prejudices and learn to work together to fight against all the dangerous creatures along their journey in order restore the Mer King's crown that was stolen and avert war between their people.

Unhappily, the island where they are headed is more dangerous than the much larger ocean Ben is so afraid of. There are enough scary monsters and poisonous creatures to fill up Australia: Ben the Dragonborn is the 1st in the Six Worlds series, so I look forward to learning about the other worlds and following Ben's adventures as he explores his gifts further and learns more about his dragon heritage. I'm confident middle graders and up will enjoy and get caught up in this thrilling new young adult adventure.

Dec 29, Wendy C rated it really liked it. The author has given its readers a book that is fresh, fun and interesting. Ben the Dragonborn is a book that can hold the attention of its reader; Ben the Dragonborn Six Worlds, 1 by Dianne Astle Ben the Dragonborn Six Worlds, 1 by Dianne Astle is a great book for boys ages , but older people will enjoy it as well.

Ben the Dragonborn is a book that can hold the attention of its reader; not only because of the writing but because of the content. In Ben the Dragonborn we are introduced to Ben, who attends Fairhaven a special school that trains their students and sends them to other worlds to help solve problems. Ben has a problem with water and is unable to learn how to swim and gets sent to the Principals office.

During his time in the office, the Principal and the Guardian chose him to go to Lushaka to help disperse the war that is brewing between the mer people and humans. Up until his meeting with the Principal, Ben knew nothing about the real reason for the school and how the students aided others on different planets.

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Ben, along with Charla mermaid , Brina merman , and Jared go off to find the crown that was stolen and return it to the King so there would not be a war between the mer people and the humans on Lushaka. During their adventure they encounter strange fantastical beasts that try to stop them. This story was a wonderful fresh story that any adventure seeking reader would love. I would highly recommend this book. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book.

Apr 12, Dee Strawbridge rated it it was amazing. Love, love, love this book. The fantasy genre is hugely popular with children, tweens, and teens ages As a teacher, I read a lot of books that fall into this genre. I am always on the lookout for books that are worth recommending to my students. Dianne Astle has delivered a fast paced, well written story that young readers will enjoy reading over and over again.

Ben Taylor, t Love, love, love this book. Ben Taylor, the reluctant hero, gets caught up in something bigger than himself and has to dig deep to find the strength and courage he needs to complete his unasked for mission—two character traits he has no idea that he possesses until he has to draw on them.

Ben's journey is one of self-discovery on many levels that draws the reader into his adventure. The message is positive--the only way to fail is to give up. The subplots are skillfully woven into the story so they enhance the main plot line rather than distract from it. I could go on and one, but really, I said everything that future readers need to know in the first sentence: Feb 17, Bruce Gargoyle rated it liked it Shelves: I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads a First Reads program.

Teenager with a fear of water unexpectedly finds himself cast int he role of world-saving hero. This would appeal to those who like new and different fantasy worlds that feature a range of familiar and created mythical creatures. The creation of the six worlds and the rules around I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads a First Reads program. The creation of the six worlds and the rules around the Chosens' travel between them was a unique plot device, which is always good to see in a genre in which certain elements have been done to death.

I had a bit of trouble with the writing - there's a lot of explanatory detail which could have been better written as dialogue or action to prevent the story from dragging in places. Also, I didn't really believe that a physically-able teenager taking one-on-one lessons would be utterly and completely unable to learn to swim, at least in a rudimentary way, so that part of the story didn't quite ring true for me.

Overall though, fantasy buffs should enjoy this take on between world travel and mythology. Feb 17, Mark Venturini rated it really liked it. A rope with three strands is not easily broken. In Ben the Dragonborn The Six Worlds by Dianne Astle, we have three unlikely strands that bind together to make up a very strong rope indeed. And finally, Jared is a human who is determined to find his brother.

Humans are oath bound to kill any mermaid they find. This is an enjoyable story for children ages 8 and up. The themes of friendship, teamwork, and overcoming entrenched prejudice explored here are universal. His interview by the principal, to decide if he should leave the school, takes an unexpected turn and Ben finds himself going through a portal to another world Unfortunately, Ben can't swim! He is rescued by a disparaging mermaid, sent off on a mission across the ocean, attacked by weird and scary! I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in book 2 of The Six Worlds.

Excellent fun and very readable! Oct 03, C. Gray rated it it was amazing. I took some time reading Ben the Dragonborn, but only because I thoroughly enjoyed reading it to my nine year old daughter! We both loved it and it made bedtime a special time to cuddle down and see how Ben was going to cope with the realization that he was not just a normal boy, fantastic! Very well written and totally engaging for both of us, I commend Dianne Astle as a top story teller with a really original story that touches on some important 'coming of age' concepts, we are both looking forw I took some time reading Ben the Dragonborn, but only because I thoroughly enjoyed reading it to my nine year old daughter!

Very well written and totally engaging for both of us, I commend Dianne Astle as a top story teller with a really original story that touches on some important 'coming of age' concepts, we are both looking forward to the next book! Mar 13, Meg Dendler rated it it was amazing. Oct 18, Ami rated it really liked it Shelves: I enjoyed this adventure very much. I truly can't say anything about how good it is without spoilers so you will just have to read the book to find out for yourself.

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I highly recommend it to anyone that breathes. Intriguing story Full of adventure. Jun 08, N. Eccles-Smith rated it liked it. A received a copy of Ben the Dragonborn in exchange for an honest review. This was an unexpected find, and quite a delightful and fun adventure to read! The story has an interesting premise that is sure to capture the interest of the age group it is aimed at. There were a few issues with the writing t A received a copy of Ben the Dragonborn in exchange for an honest review. There were a few issues with the writing though. Some awkward sentencing unfortunately jarred me out of the story a couple of times.

There were a few formatting errors as well. Some chapter headings were in full caps, other were not. There were a lot of missing quotation marks from both the back and front of dialogue sections. A few niggling things like that. Nothing really to detract from the story itself, but it does detract from the presentation and quality of the book. I think the things that annoyed me the most were the haphazard POV jumps. A few times it worked, but most of the time it did not—at least not for me.

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But younger readers may not find this too distracting. I also had a big problem with the fact that view spoiler [Ben, the main character, knew NOTHING about the Six Worlds or anything important about the special school he was attending, until the plot demanded it so. They train the students at Fairhaven in unusual things: Ben's reactions were believable and well-written, but I find it irresponsible and ludicrous that the teachers, especially the principal, would do that to a child.

You would assume she would, seeing as most of the older students are aware of their purpose at the school and what being a Chosen of the Guardian is all about. His father was a previous student at the school!

It makes no sense to keep such important things a secret from his own son. As a side note, I love the Celtic symbol on the front cover of the book. It looks nothing like the dragons described in the story.

And yet, despite my grievances, I still really enjoyed this story, which says a lot for its natural appeal. It was an easy read, fun, adventurous and at times surprisingly clever. What Ben the Dragonborn needed to truly shine was a better plot-assessment, copy-edit and formatting. Otherwise, this is a great little story, which will appeal to many young fantasy-lovers! I actually wouldn't mind reading the next book, when it comes out.

Dec 03, Will Wortner rated it it was amazing Shelves: Interview with Diane Astle: Boys between 8 and 12 will absolutely love this book; it is written perfectly for this age group.

Ben the Dragonborn is a fun and exciting read that fiction-fantasy fans of any age will be able to get into. The story reads very quickly and is easy to follow. This is the kind of story you will want your children to read if you want to show them that reading can be fun; and not like all the awful books teachers ma Interview with Diane Astle: This is the kind of story you will want your children to read if you want to show them that reading can be fun; and not like all the awful books teachers make you read in grade school.

Ben the Dragon born is a great new fantasy series. The book has a recipe of successful concepts and ideas that are familiar to a YA fantasy reader, but in no way does this book seem like a copy. It is unique and original in every way. Portals to unknown worlds; gifted children chosen for quests; an array of imaginative creatures; and a school that is magical and secretive.

Fans of the Cupboards series, Fablehaven, Percy Jackson, and Harry Potter will find something to love in this book. Ben is a regular student at a not so regular school. He knows the school is different, but he and his friend cannot figure out why. A meeting with his principle turns into a quest to another world. Ben has to decide if all this is real, and if he really has what it takes to save another world from a disaster that the natives cannot fix themselves.

Her story is not bogged down with too much detail or unnecessary back-story. The story reads very quickly, and the characters move very fast through the story. My only critique is a budding romance between 2 characters. They go from despising each other to putting up with each other in a few chapters.

Ben the Dragonborn (The Six Worlds Book 1)

Then you turn the page and one is saying she loves the other. This happened over the course of a day, maybe two, in the story. It was just way too fast for those feelings to develop like that. That said it did not detract from or get in the way of the story, and is probably a believable progression of feeling for a very young reader. He goes through most of the story with 2 companions around his age, Jared and Charla. Ben and Jared seem very average, no over the top emotions or character flaws.

It is nice to see main characters who are normal, rather than super nerdy or over defiant. Charla is over confident and a little arrogant, which plays well into the adventure. This is a must read for boys. Books like this are what get you into reading at a young age.

Books 1, 2, 2. Assassin Wings of Fire: Escaping Peril Wings of Fire, Book 8. The Soldiers of Halla. The Pilgrims of Rayne. The Wrath of Mulgarath. Art Lessons by Bess. Sorcerer The Secrets of Droon: The Story of the Blue Planet. Power of the Fire Dragon: A Branches Book Dragon Masters 4. A Lion In The Meadow. Once Upon a Swine. Pete's Dragon Junior Novel. How to write a great review. The review must be at least 50 characters long. The title should be at least 4 characters long. Your display name should be at least 2 characters long. At Kobo, we try to ensure that published reviews do not contain rude or profane language, spoilers, or any of our reviewer's personal information.

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