The Summer Dragon (The Evertide, #1) by Todd Lockwood

Dear Todd,

Cut it out, will you? You're already an incredible artist (award winning, in fact), and  your art contains the very images that already populate the brains of fantasy readers when someone says "picture a dragon." Do you know how hard it is to walk into a bookstore and not see a cover by Todd Lockwood? Give us a break.

And then, if that's not enough, you're a nice guy. You actually talk to people at conventions, make friends, interact, and even get out there on the dance floor. Talk about being approachable. Jeez.

So now, you wrote a book. Well, actually, not just a book, but as the cover says "First Book of the Evertide", which I got, because I'm a friend, and thought you should have the support of those of us who know and like you. But come on, Todd, the book is in its third printing already, and it just came out in May 2016! I picked up a first edition, (pre-ordered, in fact) and when I heard how many had sold, I figured it was because of the kick-ass cover art or the drawings by the artist/author included inside.

But damn it, Todd. You can write. You can build worlds as well as draw them. You can craft characters with ink, and not just in your art, but with your words. I don't even like coming of age tales, but got sucked right into Maia's world, hopes, conflicts, and determination. She's an amazing young woman. There's even a touch of the philosopher in you, too. It's just not fair.

Plus, you broke my heart, right in two, with one of the drawings. You know, that father-daughter drawing at the start of chapter 22. The tenderness and love in his eyes, as he gazes down at his little one; her joyful posture as she stands below him balanced on her back legs, looking adoringly up at him. I love the personalities you've given your dragons.  There human fathers who yearn for what Malik had in that moment when his little qit gazed up at him in that drawing.

So anyhow, Todd, I'm kind of annoyed at you, because you've set a hard standard for us other artists to live up to. So, please put away your dreams of creating Dragon Symphony and Ballet, and give us a chance, okay? You don't want us to die of despair before the next Evertide book comes out, do you?

Thank you so much, and would you mind signing my copy?

tags: 2016-read, met-or-know-the-author, i-liked-the-pictures, creatures, good-worldbuilding, dragons, first-novel-or-book, great-cover, part-start-of-a-series