Before she was a prisoner in Marianne's crystal mines or just another face among the multitudes in the city of Seven Skies, Maddy had a different name and everything she could want—governesses, gowns, and gold to fill her pockets. And though she wasn't the son her father had wanted, it was inevitable that one day she would inherit his title. But Maddy's predictable world is turned upside down when an extraordinary servant girl challenges everything she's ever known; there's a wider world beyond the comfortable confines of her castle, full of wonder and magic, and Maddy finds that the one thing she doesn't have is the only thing she really needs.
Josh de Lioncourt was born and raised in California and enjoys writing projects in a wide variety of fields, including fiction, music, software, blogging, and tech articles. He has written on Apple accessibility for Macworld and Maccessibility, hosts or participates regularly on several podcasts, and writes and records music with Molly, his wife. Josh enjoys the works of Stephen King, the music of George Michael, Masters of the Universe, Los Angeles Kings hockey, and home-roasted coffee. He currently lives in Pennsylvania.
I really enjoyed this Dragon's Brood Cycle short story. It focuses on Maddie, a bad-ass character from the novels whom I have always admired and wanted to know more about. I won't say more about the plot except that the world and character buiding are every bit as intriguing as the novels, and I appreciate these shorter but insightful glimpses into Haven and its characters.
In the interest of full disclosure, I've been friends with Josh de Lioncourt for over 20 years. However, rather than influencing me to heap vast quantities of overenthusiastic praise, that fact can influence me to be more critical of his work, in an effort to avoid falling into the "friend trap." I tell you this so that when I say "Treasures and Trinkets" is possibly his best work yet, you will not dismiss that out of hand. This is one of those stories that grabs hold of the reader's imagination and refuses to let go, even long after the story is finished. The characters leapt off the page (or in this case, out of my earbuds) and into my heart. I can only hope we don't have to wait too terribly long for more stories involving Maddie and Lessa. There are things I want to say, but I won't; I hate reviews that contain spoilers. But they're all good things. I can't recommend this story highly enough, whether you've read the books of the Dragon’s Brood Cycle or not. I promise you, though, that if you haven't, by the time you finish this story, you'll _want to read the rest of the series! You'll _need to read the rest of the series! ... Pardon me; my passion provoked a bit of Jack Nicholson to come out.) Seriously, give this a listen or a read. Or both! You'll be glad you did.
Treasures and Trinkets is a great addition to the Dragon's Brood series. I have to admit I always love seeing one of my favorite side characters get their own story (even a short story). I'm glad this was just as well written as the main stories (nothing worse than a side story that's a disappointment in my opinion). Although you don't have to read the other stories, after reading this you'll want to!
Treasures and Trinkets is a wonderfully written story; the novella is a perfect addition to The Dragon's Brood Cycle series. Josh de Lioncourt is a talented author capturing the attention of his readers/listeners with his incredible imagination and fantastical world and characters. The narration by Reay Kaplan was outstanding; I loved the accent and her portrayals of the characters. I definitely enjoyed the story, the characters, and the narration.
This story is a wonderful addition to the Dragon’s Brood Cycle. I fell in love with the setting, characters and the way the author always leaves you wanting more!