The Pre-Loved edit from Shopbop
To share your reaction on this item, open the Amazon app from the App Store or Google Play on your phone.
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
OR

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Dragon Sword: An LGBTQ+ Fantasy (The Usurpers Saga Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 141 ratings

All he ever wanted was his father’s love. Instead, he inherited a sword of legend, a destiny he never desired, and the fate of The Known World.… Calibot thought his miserable childhood was over. The Known World’s mightiest wizard had no time for a son interested only in poetry. But when his father is murdered and bequeaths him the fabled Dragon Sword, he finds himself saddled with a quest that could cost him his life. Forced to claim the body and lay to rest the parent he loathes, Calibot journeys to the heart of the killer’s stronghold. But he soon discovers the sword is enchanted with the secrets of his father’s stolen magic. And greedy sorcerers, his power-mad uncle, and a vengeful earth fairy will stop at nothing to wrest the blade from Calibot’s hands. Can he come to terms with his anger and regret in time to master the legendary weapon’s magic, or will his father’s only gift seal his doom? The Dragon Sword is the thrilling first novel in The Usurpers Saga sweeping LGBT epic fantasy series. If you like complex characters, insidious intrigue, and plentiful magic, you’ll love John R. Phythyon, Jr.’s enthralling tale. Buy The Dragon Sword to join the quest for redemption today!

Shop this series

See full series
See included books
Shop this series
There are 4 books in this series.
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

This option includes 3 books.

This option includes 4 books.

Something went wrong.
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Addictive from page one! . . . a wonderfully written fantasy that will keep you glued to the page."

--Amy Brantley, "A Girl and Her eBooks"

From the Author

The Dragon Sword means a lot to me, personally. It is dedicated to my wife, Jill, and its themes -- struggling to come to terms with the death of an emotionally distant father, and the transformative power of love -- were written with her in mind. It is, in essence, a novel-length love letter to my beloved.

This novel is an adventure tale featuring magical swords, wizards, fairies, and dragons. But it's really a love story, and I hope you find something uplifting within it.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HI9YMF0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ John Phythyon (January 7, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 7, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3194 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 232 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 141 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
John Phythyon
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

John R. Phythyon, Jr. wishes he were a superhero or a magician, but since he has not yet been bitten by a radioactive spider or received his letter from Hogwarts, he writes adventure stories instead. He is the author of the Wolf Dasher series of fantasy-thriller mashup novels, the epic fantasy series The Usurpers Saga, several modern fairy tales, and a series of comical memoirs about his childhood ("My True-Life Adventure" series). Prior to becoming a novelist, he was an award-winning game designer.

He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, their children, a dog, and a cat. It is rarely quiet, but it's often entertaining. His current projects include world peace, desperately wishing for the Cincinnati Bengals to win a Super Bowl, and acquiring more cool socks.

Connect with John on his website, www.johnphythyon.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @JohnRPhythyonJr, where he live-tweets SURVIVOR and Bengals games, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/johnrphythyonjr, where he links cool sci-fi/fantasy stuff and cute cat videos. Or email him at john at johnphythyon.com. He writes back.

To be the first to hear about new books by John, cover reveals, and release dates, subscribe to John's mailing list at http://bit.ly/PhythyonML.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
141 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book an enjoyable read with an exciting story and well-developed characters. They appreciate the vivid descriptions and vibrant colors that enhance the reading experience. However, some readers felt the pacing was slow at first and felt it should have been more engaging.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

18 customers mention "Readability"18 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it a fun and engaging read with colorful characters that enhance the reading experience. The story is well-written, quick, and not too complicated.

"...I thought The Sword and the Sorceror was a light, fun read. My only complaint is the author's tendency toward over-description...." Read more

"Again I found a good read in this book. I would not mind more stories in this series." Read more

"...It's not a complicated read, but I think if you like fantasy novels about magic without a lot of explanation of how the magic happens, this book..." Read more

"This was quite a fun book to read. It was slow going at first but I rather enjoyed it...." Read more

13 customers mention "Story quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the exciting tale with an engaging plot and interesting characters. They find the book hard to put down, with action scenes that keep them hooked until the end. The author's skill for creating thrilling action sequences is praised as a rare accomplishment in the fantasy genre. Overall, customers find the story satisfying and enjoyable.

"...I even got the rest of the series! There story was well planned out, the characters were fully fleshed, and it just drew me in!" Read more

"...But he resolves the various plot threads in an original and satisfying way. And hey -- dragons. What's not to like? ***..." Read more

"...The characters were interesting and fleshed out enough to get me involved, so a pretty good romp by the end." Read more

"Mystery, exciting, action, adventure, well made characters, magic and supernaturals...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters interesting and well-developed. They say the book has exciting action and adventure, with colorful characters that enhance the reading experience.

"...There story was well planned out, the characters were fully fleshed, and it just drew me in!" Read more

"...The characters were interesting and fleshed out enough to get me involved, so a pretty good romp by the end." Read more

"Mystery, exciting, action, adventure, well made characters, magic and supernaturals...." Read more

"Calibot is an interesting character who seems rather shallow at the beginning but his lover helps him retain his humanity as the story reaches..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's pacing slow at first. They say it takes a while to get going and there should have been better development of the characters.

"This was quite a fun book to read. It was slow going at first but I rather enjoyed it...." Read more

"Took a while to get rolling, and there should have been better development of the characters, but worth the read." Read more

"Slow start but okay..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2019
    I will be completely honest. This is not the type of book I usually read. Not even a little bit. But wow did I enjoy this! I even got the rest of the series! There story was well planned out, the characters were fully fleshed, and it just drew me in!
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2014
    The Sword and the Sorceror is somewhat of a rare thing in epic fantasy these days: a hero's journey in which the hero isn't a young adolescent.

    The book opens with Gothemus Draco's death scene. He's poisoned by Lord Vicia, a power-hungry member of the Council of Elders of Eldenberg, and his end comes at a dinner with the whole council, the other members of which are clearly okay with this. And why not? Gothemus is the most powerful wizard in the Known World, after all. And with him out of the way, they can seize the Eye of the Dragon, with which Gothemus has kept evil subdued, and rule the Known World their own way.

    But as is usually the case, it's not just the council that wants the Eye of the Dragon. It was a gnome named Elmanax, who claims Gothemus stole the gem from him, who convinced Vicia to poison Gothemus. He wants the gem back so he can go home. And then there's Gothemus's brother, Zod the Fearless, who had always expected to rule the Known World with Gothemus just as soon as Gothemus finished fiddling with the legendary sword named Wyrmblade and turned it over to him.

    But Gothemus has a son. And although Calibot rejected his father's legacy years before, Gothemus isn't done with him yet. Calibot has built a nice life for himself in the neighboring city-state of Dalasport; he's chief bard to Duke Boordin and has found happiness with a courtier/soldier named Devon. Then Gothemus's intern, the hapless Liliana Gray, shows up, with posthumous orders from Gothemus to turn over Wyrmblade to Calibot -- and the reader just knows nothing in Calibor's life will ever be the same.

    I thought The Sword and the Sorceror was a light, fun read. My only complaint is the author's tendency toward over-description. For example, I did not need to be reminded every time Gothemus's name was mentioned that he was the most powerful wizard in the Known World. But he resolves the various plot threads in an original and satisfying way. And hey -- dragons. What's not to like?

    ***
    Originally published at [...].
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023
    Again I found a good read in this book. I would not mind more stories in this series.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2017
    It started off with a bang, and moved swiftly enough to keep my interest to the end. It's not a complicated read, but I think if you like fantasy novels about magic without a lot of explanation of how the magic happens, this book would be good. The characters were interesting and fleshed out enough to get me involved, so a pretty good romp by the end.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2019
    Mystery, exciting, action, adventure, well made characters, magic and supernaturals. Would have been more but there was some misspellings, grammatical errors and some phrases were repetitive. Still a good story so I think I will read the next book in the series.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2020
    This was quite a fun book to read. It was slow going at first but I rather enjoyed it. This style of book is so hard to come by and I tend to cherish them all.

    My only change would be to have less extreme emotion from the main character. It seems every time his dad is brought up he has to keep bile out of his mouth. That was a little weird and seemed a bit extreme. Still overall I loved it a lot!
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2014
    In The Sword and the Sorcerer John has written an standard coming of age story with an oblique twist. Taking time tested themes in the genre and blending them with current and relevant story arcs John has broke new ground with this novel. I have always liked his writing. Very few in the business have his deft touch with descriptive narrative. Well worth the time to read it...which won't take long. This is an exciting story that I did not want to put down.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2019
    Just didn’t do it for me. Calibots decision at the end while admirable was very short sighted. Disappointing. This didnt entice me enough to read the rest of the series. Good attempt though.

Top reviews from other countries

  • heather
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved loved this book
    Reviewed in Canada on June 20, 2019
    great book.
  • li cran
    5.0 out of 5 stars Adventure, revenge and the most powerful of magicks
    Reviewed in Italy on January 25, 2019
    Although the son of the greatest magic wielded of The Known World, our hero is not at all interested in following his father's footsteps. Except that... a set of circumstances and magical bending of fate change his and the world's destiny, crashing like a tidal wave over everything he's ever believed it wanted.
    The fun, adventurous, and, yes, also loving companions in his unsoughtfor quest take the reader through a fascinating and sometimes more intricate than would seem possible take of love, betrayal, hunger for power, and conquest.
  • Sean ohara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 4, 2018
    The dragons sword was a fantastic story. I loved it.

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?