{"title":"Donald Samson","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"dragon-of-two-hearts-book-donald-samson-9781888365931","title":"The Dragon of Two Hearts","description":"The wild dragon, Scorch, has devastated the lands surrounding the kingdom of Gladur Nock. He demands a steady tribute, which impoverishes the common folk and imposes upon them a mood of fear, desperation and want. The errant knight Michael hears of their distress and armed with his knowledge of dragons, travels to offer his support. On his way, he falls in with a community of townspeople living in the forest. They have sought refuge in the woods, but live in constant fear of discovery. They claim to be escaping not only the destruction of the dragon, but also the oppressive rule of the king of Gladur Nock. The knight realizes that the situation was far more complicated than he had first thought. Continuing on his journey, the knight is ambushed and taken prisoner by a troupe of mercenaries capturing men like himself traveling cross country. He is bound with the others and delivered to the dungeons of Gladur Nock. The dungeons are a training camp where the men are sorted out by their ability to fight. Soon, due to his skill at arms, Michael is sent to the Warrior Compound where only the best are trained. Princess Aina, a warrior maiden, oversees their training. He discovers that they are being prepared to go and face the dragon in single combat. In a rare visit, the king exhorts the warriors to be brave and bring him back the dragon's heart. Due to his exceptional skills, Michael is soon chosen as the next King's Champion to go face Scorch. Michael is guest of honor at a banquet, but is disgusted at how the nobility feast and place wagers on how long he will last before the dragon eats him. While awaiting his appointed day, Michael is in the care and guidance of the princess. He discovers that Aina is equally repulsed by how lightly the king and the aristocracy take each knight's sacrifice of his life. Her sympathies lie with the oppressed common folk who go hungry while the privileged classes feast. Aina takes Michael with her repeatedly on her outings to dole out grain to the hungry. Although Michael had at first viewed her as an adversary, he now sees that Aina is his one true ally. Michael rides off to battle with Scorch. When they meet and take their measure of one another, Michael discovers that his ability to understand Star's speech allows him to also communicate with Scorch. The dragon is surprised and intrigued to find a human being able to speak with him. The two engage in a duel of the words where the knight attempts to reform the wild dragon from his destructive ways. Scorch spurns Michael's efforts, and in the end they do battle with one another. With the skills he had learned from Star, Michael is able to befuddle Scorch's efforts to quickly make an end of him. But Star had always impressed on his young apprentice that in battle, the dragon will always, eventually come out on top. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, Michael succumbs. In true dragon fashion, Scorch does not kill his opponent outright, but drags him back to his hoard where he will slowly squeeze the life out of him. Lying beneath the dragon's crushing weight, broken and defeated, Michael reflects on his life and his teachings. Could it be that all dragons carry the same secret, yet elusive, opening to their hearts, available only to the knight at the moment of defeat and imminent death? In a final gesture of farewell to life, Michael connects his heart to that of the disgusting beast that has defeated him. At that moment of union, a transformation occurs, and the dragon is awakened as if from a slumbering nightmare. The dragon Scorch is none other than Michael's own beloved Star, distorted by exposure to the greed, violence and cruelty of the king and his court. Michael gesture has returned him to his peaceful state. Full of remorse for the destruction he has caused, Star sets about healing he countryside, and offers to counsel Michael how to depose the wicked king, without putting himself in danger of returning to his wild nature through exposure to violence. Aina and Michael gather to themselves men at arms from the encampment in the forest. They lay a trap for the king who has pursued him with an army in order to put an end to the rebellious forces and rumors of the knight who claims to have tamed the dragon. Michael and his forces are vastly outnumbered, but reinforcements from Nogardia suddenly arrive, led by none other than Aga and Michael's childhood friend, Colin. The king is routed and defeated. Aina is joyfully received by her people to free them from their oppressors. Michael's own noble past is revealed, and a royal wedding is planned. Star willingly places himself in Michael's care to bring blessings to the kingdom he had devastated as Scorch.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49513225388305,"sku":"CIN1888365935G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51821378240785,"sku":"CIN1888365935VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1888365935.jpg?v=1750995972"},{"product_id":"dragon-boy-book-donald-samson-9781888365849","title":"The Dragon Boy","description":"Orphaned twice by the time he was nine, he was living on the streets and did not even know his own name. He was not allowed to set foot inside the one place he was determined to find work. To complete the disaster of his young life, the object of his affections was Star, an immense, emerald-green dragon. But good fortune finally smiled upon him: Star was a Luck Dragon. Unexpectedly, he was admitted as a barn boy into the elite Dragon Compound. He was given three warm meals a day, work, and even a name. Accepted by some, reviled by others, the boy is nicknamed Straw. His days are a mix of welcome work and staving off the aggressive attacks of those who believe he does not belong there. Then one day he discovers that the aloof dragon oddly pays particular attention to him alone, and once this becomes recognized by the others, this raises the boy to new responsibility. With the dragon suddenly under his daily care, the boy discovers that Star can speak in ways that only he can understand. Star reveals to him dragon lore long forgotten to the world, and offers to train the boy in the ways of the warrior. Straw discovers that although an orphan, he descends from a long line of dragon keepers and has taken his rightful place caring for Star, although this is something he can neither prove nor ever tell the others. In this way, the boy enters into a secret apprenticeship under the careful guidance of the dragon. Years pass and, unknown to the rest, Straw is trained in the ways of a knight. Then one day, an army descends on the Dragon Compound, demanding a battle to the death between Star and their warrior king. A disaster would ensue were the otherwise gentle Star to be goaded to engage in battle. This would result in his abandoning the kingdom. When the knights of the realm fail in a tournament to curb the intentions of the warrior king, the dragon turns to Straw as his guardian to defend him. Straw, too young and inexperienced to openly challenge the king, meets him in the stables and provokes him into a fight in which the boy thrashes the far more experienced warrior. Soon after this, Straw's training with Star is accidentally discovered. He is accused of inciting to battle the otherwise peaceful dragon, a state which the peace of the kingdom depends. Disgraced, Straw is banished from the Dragon Compound and the kingdom. However, before leaving, Straw receives all he needs to become a wandering knight: a horse, a sword, armor, and a name.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49856740655377,"sku":"CIN1888365846G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50203983610129,"sku":"CIN1888365846A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50571312562449,"sku":"CIN1888365846VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53064892547345,"sku":"GOR005327507","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1888365846.jpg?v=1751346846"},{"product_id":"dragon-the-blade-and-the-thread-book-donald-samson-9781936367160","title":"The Dragon, the Blade and the Thread","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50235634188561,"sku":"CIN1936367165G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50307099132177,"sku":"CIN1936367165VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1936367165.jpg?v=1751413870"},{"product_id":"dragon-boy-book-donald-samson-9781732537262","title":"The Dragon Boy","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50389843280145,"sku":"CIN1732537267G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51048070381841,"sku":"NIN9781732537262","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52394193420561,"sku":"CIN1732537267VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52750827585809,"sku":"GOR014609110","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":53397864841489,"sku":"CIN1732537267LN","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1732537267.jpg?v=1751153518"},{"product_id":"yonder-book-donald-samson-9781732537231","title":"The Yonder","description":"Constance has lost her husband to the Yonder. Desperate to find him, she engages a monstrous mishap of a man, Magpie, as her Seeker. Together they cross over to a place where memories grow confused and identities are altered. To her horror, Constance discovers that in the Yonder, she is the property of a man who is determined to get her back. Relying on Magpie's guidance, she repeatedly escapes capture as they search for her lost husband, meeting along the way individuals with remarkable abilities, some friendly, others less so. Magpie, however, is carrying secrets of his own, and in the end reluctantly delivers Constance back up to her owner. This sets Magpie on a spiraling journey of his own. He engages in a game of chance where his own freedom is forfeit should he lose. All the while, he navigates a debt to Death, as well as walking a tightrope of restrictions, the result of a wager he has incautiously made with the Devil. In spite of facing the utter likelihood of failure, Magpie has one powerful advantage, and is not to be deterred from his goal to free Constance and reunite her with her elusive husband, while foiling Death and beating the Devil at his own game.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50400677462289,"sku":"CIN1732537232G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51048002584849,"sku":"NIN9781732537231","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1732537232.jpg?v=1751312264"},{"product_id":"dragon-of-two-hearts-book-donald-samson-9781732537248","title":"The Dragon of Two Hearts","description":"\u003cp\u003eAnswering a call of distress, the knight Michael finds the king of Gladur Nock surprisingly reluctant to be rid of the shadow of fear the dragon casts over his land. 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Has all his training with a Luck Dragon prepared him well enough for this moment?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51048003862801,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51048007205137,"sku":"NIN9781732537248","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52815831105809,"sku":"CIN1732537240VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1732537240.jpg?v=1751215567"},{"product_id":"at-the-hot-gates-book-donald-samson-9781732537293","title":"At the Hot Gates","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51048038433041,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51048041677073,"sku":"NIN9781732537293","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51842458091793,"sku":"CIN1732537291G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1732537291.jpg?v=1751247899"},{"product_id":"dragon-the-blade-and-the-thread-book-donald-samson-9781732537217","title":"The Dragon, the Blade and the Thread","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrustrated by his father's expectation to follow in his footsteps, Prince Corin prefers sewing to sword fighting. 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