Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight by Maggie Kirton is an epic fantasy in every sense of the word. Kessler, a half Fae, half mortal has a bond with the great black dragon Ilona. As Kessler lies dying on the battlefield, Ilona makes the ultimate sacrifice, taking Kessler’s place and giving up her life so he may live. When a dragon-mortal bond is broken, the survivor will grieve deeply for their lost partner for two months and then will die also. However, Ilona gives Kessler’s grief to a young boy Shai, and instructs Kessler to find her as yet unborn egg and form a bond with her newly-born son before the two months have elapsed. An unlikely trio of Kessler, Shai, and a sworn enemy turned friend, a Vergrandi who goes by the ironic name of E’diot, embark on a hazardous journey to find Ilona’s precious egg; a journey where they will meet weird, wonderful, and incredibly dangerous creatures. Still, the problem remains; only Kessler or Shai can bond with the new dragon. One or the other must die.

It is a long time since I’ve read an epic fantasy novel and Sagaman Kessler is the perfect example of why I should still be reading them. The story is thrilling, the action is non-stop, and the characters and creatures are fascinating and endearing. Author Maggie Kirton has done the most amazing job of world-building. The creatures and the journey our heroes undertake are like nothing I have read before. This story is straight out of the author’s vivid imagination and for that she deserves a lot of credit. Equally important is the plot and the sequences of the various arcs, which all slot into place impeccably and pull the reader along in a breathless race as the trio battles all sorts of tests and travails to reach the dragon’s egg before the end of two moons. I particularly enjoyed the relationships between Kessler, Shai, and E’diot. There was a real, tangible familial aspect to their love and deep respect for each other that gave the story a warmth and feeling of realism. I appreciated the underlying message about the difficulties of being different and straddling two worlds; that of the Fae and the mortals but not fitting into either of them. Some of the creatures are simply magical with clearly much thought and effort in their creation. An additional joy was the beautiful and professional illustrations that allowed a glimpse of what the characters may have looked like. I am thrilled that there is a sequel coming and I very much look forward to it. If you love fantasy or a good adventure, then this is the story for you. I loved it and highly recommend it.

Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight is an epic fantasy novel by Maggie Kirton. Kessler is a mortal-fae warrior bonded to the dragon Ilona. On the battlefield of the endless Leri war, Ilona takes Kessler's mortal wound upon herself, and, with her dying breath, passes on Kessler's grief to the war child, Shai. Before two moons have passed, Ilona's son will hatch. Kessler must now undertake a dangerous quest with Shai and reach Dreki Isle to meet Ilona's father and bond with her yet-unborn son. However, they must traverse treacherous terrain and battle monstrous creatures, including reikas, jaimy's moles, ransakas, and slangas. On their journey, the two unlikely heroes find other companions: E'diot, a Vergrandi, and Brynja, a mortal-fae. Additionally, Kessler must find a way to save Shai's life. But to do so, he will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Epic, dark, and gritty, Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight provides thrills galore. With an action-packed narrative, Maggie Kirton delivers a fantasy tale that will have you on the edge of your seat for most of the book. This is epic fantasy at its very best. Kirton has built a rich and sprawling world featuring magic and diverse terrains with danger lurking around every nook and corner. There are some terrifyingly unique magical creatures and races featured in this story. The characters have layers to peel back, and the author masterfully uses backstories to lend added emotional weight to their story arcs. The battle scenes will have you biting your nails because the stakes always seem so high, and you don't know if your favorite characters will make it out alive. This is a world any fantasy fan will love to become immersed in. Highly recommended.

In the fantasy novel Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight by Maggie Kirton, the first book in the critically acclaimed series of the same name, Kessler, a Mortal-Fae, embarks on a harrowing journey following the death of his dragon companion, Ilona. Tasked with ensuring the safety of Ilona's unborn son, Kessler, alongside the young warrior Shai, sets off to Dreki Isle. Along the horrifically treacherous path, Kessler grapples with the knowledge that forming a bond with the dragon hatchling will result in Shai's demise, burdened by the grief transferred from Ilona. As they make their way through both danger and revelations, Kessler is faced with an agonizing choice: fulfill his promise to Ilona and save himself or sacrifice his own survival to spare Shai's life.

From the onset, The Boy Will Fight by Maggie Kirton is a richly imagined world with a fantastic system, various races, cultures, the unique abilities of dragons, and laws governing Fae society, all contributing to a fully realized fantasy. Kirton uses prose that breathes life into the story with descriptions like, "Three Vergrandi Elders have offered to lead us up and out of the Jaimys Escarpment through the shortest route: the one filled with the Reika that have already tasted the flesh of Mortals." This is classic, quest-driven high fantasy. I loved the intensity of Kirton's themes of sacrifice and redemption, particularly through a completely selfless decision Kessler makes toward the end and a confrontation of the consequences of his actions and the seeking of atonement. Well written and fully engrossing. Very highly recommended.

In Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight by Maggie Kirton, Mortal-Fae Kessler faces the consequence of a broken bond with his dragon, Ilona, after she sacrifices herself, and gives all to ensure Kessler's “Ellipsim.” Entrusting Shai, a war child, with Kessler's grief, Ilona's dying wish is for Kessler to bond with her unborn son, a dragon wetling set to hatch within two moons. Together, Kessler and Shai have to journey to Dreki Isle, where a new bond must be formed. However, the harsh reality dawns on Kessler that a dragon can only bond with one mortal at a time. The choice between bonding with Ilona's son for survival or letting Shai perish from the grief of a broken bond weighs heavily on Kessler's shoulders as they approach their destination.

Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight by Maggie Kirton is chock-full of mythology that underlies its quest, with elements such as the dragon bond, the conflict between the Queen of the Fae and the Usurper King, the significance of the Ellipsim, and dream sequences with the likes of Ilona that reveal a father's fate and force another to come to terms with their heritage. If the dream sequences are what anchor the flow of the story, then the cinematic visual settings are what lead. The best was the Boreal, a foreboding place with namesake wolves, a wind that howls, relentless insects, and darkness descending without warning. The book ends with several unresolved plotlines and a shock twist with hair-raising questions on who may or may not be involved. Luckily the second book in the Sagaman Kessler series, The Old Oak Grows, is out so there is no wait to see what happens next!

Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight is a work of fiction in the high fantasy, action, and adventure genres. It is best suited to the adult reading audience and contains some scenes of graphic violence. Penned by author Maggie Kirton, the plot follows Kessler's quest to bond with his dragon's unborn son after the death of his dragon companion, Ilona, on the battlefield. Should he fail to make this bond within two moons, he'll succumb to grief, as will Shai, the war child burdened with Kessler's pain. What results is a fascinating, emotionally charged fantasy novel with a message of strength at its heart.

Author Maggie Kirton utilizes both imagination and emotional intelligence to craft an immersive journey into a world where the bond between mortal and dragon carries life-or-death consequences. Kirton's storytelling is confident and smooth in both narration and plot, bringing together elements of fantasy, adventure, and profound emotional depth with ease. The impending doom of Kessler's grief and the stakes for both him and Shai kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, and the close narrative style allows for a deep psychological exploration of the impact of these feelings, which was highly effective. As the characters grapple with the weight of their choices, the broader themes of freedom and its intersection with destiny bubble under the surface without ever overtaking the action and challenges of the moment. Kirton masterfully explores the complexities of sacrifice, loyalty, and the power of choice, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next installment of this gripping tale. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight to fans of uniquely penned fantasy fiction everywhere.

We all know the sting of sacrifice for those we care about. The Sagaman Series takes that struggle to epic proportions. It will make you feel and open up your mind to a deeper understanding... that the price we pay to honor our bonds is a fair price. Kirton's flowing narrative easily takes you there without you knowing it. An unforgettable series that just keeps getting better and better with each book. If you liked Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and The Witcher, this series is highly recommended.

Maggie Kirton is a multi-award-winning author of My Firefly – Walls of the Storm, a true story creatively narrated by the house whose walls witnessed a child (herself) sexually and mentally abused, and the follow-on story, My Firefly – Death of a Hornet, which is the actual journal she kept during her ordeal and later transcribed for publication.

As demonstrated in these two previous non-fiction books, creativity is a magnificent, obvious, and demonstrable trademark of Maggie Kirton that she delivers in spades with her first fantasy fiction series, Sagaman Kessler.

Her sense of epic creative fantasy and skill in writing this fascinating first book in the four-book series rivals the work of the famous masters in this popular, world-building book genre. Sagaman Kessler – The Boy Will Fight is easily comparable to the works of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher and George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. However, Kirton further takes her Sagaman Kessler series out of simple commercial fiction into upmarket fiction, a relatively new "genre" that combines beautifully written, literary-style prose with the thrills, imaginative characters, scenes, and pace of a top-notch commercial fiction/epic or high fantasy tale.

The Boy Will Fight is an outstanding character-driven story as the lead character, Kessler, overcomes various obstacles en route to Dreki Isle. At the same time, his inner self struggles with the certain knowledge that his potentially new lease on life will also be the end of Shai. How Kessler handles the obstacles and the inner struggle, how his character arc develops only Ms. Kirton knows, and it behooves future readers to find out!

It is an easy task as Maggie Kirton's creativity, literary prose, imaginative scenes, and locales combine for a remarkable high fantasy book and series that, should justice be served, place the Sagaman Kessler series in the top tier of best-selling epic fantasy fiction novels.
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Well known author Maggie Kirton does an excellent job with this entire series. Intricately woven tales of human foibles and other-worldly skills, this series fully engaged me with its sorrows, its joys, and its inescapable truths. I've never seen a writer able to deliver fantasy that fully embraces the realities of our lives today while dragons roamed the skies and the dead could return. I have all three of these easily read and very well-done books and anxiously await the 4th and final installment.