Review: The Dragon Gem: Book One of Korin's Journal by Brian Beam

“With nothing to go on but a vague dream which may or may not be memory, Korinalis Karell has traveled Amirand for three years in search of his birth parents. With a magical Contract to fund his journey and a magic talking wizard cat named Max to keep him out of trouble, Korin has made his way through the world with no success in finding them. However, what starts out as a seemingly simple Contract job to find a stolen gem for a count quickly turns into a fight for survival that brings about revelations about Korin's life that turn his world inside-out and upside-down. With the aid of a mediocre wizard who happens to be the daughter of the most powerful wizard in Amirand, a chatterbox Kolarin, and Max, Korin sets out to discover the secrets of his past so that he may live to see his future. This is a firsthand account of Korin's journey as he chases down thieves, is chased down by a dragon and gods-forsaken creatures of death, and finds out that life just never seems to get easier.”

After being raised all his life by a simple farmer and his wife, Korin is on a mission to find his birth parents. When he takes a Contract job to find an ordinary gem to fund his journey, he thinks nothing of it and feels sure that it will be a simple retrieval task. However, he soon learns that the gem is no ordinary stone and there are secrets about his life that he never even knew existed. Now, he and his friends will have to fight for their lives if he ever hopes to find out the truth about his parents. The Dragon Gem will keep you entertained with its suspense and humor until the very end of the book. 

I rate this book: 

I really enjoyed how the characters hook you from the very first page in this book. Korin is a rather endearing character to read about and it’s interesting to see how things happen from his point of view. But I have to say that my favorite character had to be his magic talking wizard cat, Max. The interactions between the characters in this book alone should be enough to recommend this book. But what seals the deal is the fact that nothing is ever what you think when it comes to the plot. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, something comes along to throw a wrench in the story, to turn the plot in a surprising direction. It’s like that from beginning to end. Even when there are slow parts (and most books typically have them), the pace picks back up rather quickly. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning, then you should definitely check out The Dragon Gem: Book One of Korin's Journal.

Brian Beam was born and raised in Kentucky and is a proud husband and father. He holds degrees in marketing and nursing, following his passion for writing in his free time. Having the pleasure of being a stay at home father for the latter part of 2011, he took the opportunity to write his first book, The Dragon Gem, between diaper changes, feedings, and playtime with his pride and joy. His writing has been influenced and inspired by some of his favorite authors including Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, Patrick Rothfuss, and Terry Goodkind. Feel free to check out Brian and his book at: http://www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor; http://www.goodreads.com/bbeams32; http://www.brian-beam.blogspot.com or shoot him an email at bbeams32@gmail.com.