My Book A Day: Blog Tour - The Dark Eagles: First Flight

Kief is a young man, whose whole life is ahead of him. He's about ready to head off to the merchant academy to follow his dream of becoming a captain of his own ship. First he has one last adventure at home, you see, his grandfather left him a treasure map. It's not just any old treasure map, it's written in a language that Kief can't even read, that must make it very important. Kief and his best friend Tarc, are able to find where the map leads, with the help of a very rare dark eagle. It leads to an awesome cave in the mountains that would be the perfect place to hide out for a day or two. Then Kief is off an his newest adventure, merchant academy. But he's no sooner settled in his room, than the city is attacked by the Country of Gar. The whole city is blown apart and Kief is able to escape with is friends, Luften, Clarin and Patin. But the friends are mistaken in thinking there is anywhere safe. Even Patin and Kief's home in the mountains are giving in to Gar. Will Kief, Patin, Clarin, Luften and their mountain friends be able to survive withstanding the invasion, or will they die in their fight, like so many others?

This was a really fun book. I loved the way the girls characters are able to participate in the rebellion just as much as the boys. This story is mostly told from Kief's point of view, but occasionally you see it from other's point of view, like Clarin. I really enjoyed the adventure of the book. These are basically just kids (well they seem like it, I think it said Kief was 22) but they are able to stand up for what they think is right much more than many of the grown-ups in this book.

“The book was wonderfully written. It is a book for all ages and gender. Boys may like that it is from a young man's point of view with all the adventure. I enjoyed the character development and the friendships formed from the adversity they faced.”

The Book Rack, Arcadia, CA

The Dark Eagles:First Flight
A Tale of Adventure and Freedom
Kief loves exploring the rugged mountains on his horse, Natch, with his best friend Tarc. But when he receives a mysterious map on his birthday, left behind for him by his dead grandfather, Kief is thrown into an adventure beyond even his imagination. Leaving home to pursue his childhood dream of attending the merchant academy on the coast, extraordinary events unfold propelling Kief, along with his friends and his map, toward the same perilous destiny.

“Author David R. Smith does a ﬁne job with his dialogue, which ﬂows smoothly and wittily throughout. His interactions between characters are genuine, and the portrayals of his young female characters in particular are refreshing.”

The Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT

David was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and spent most of his childhood on a farm in Heber City, located in the Wasatch Mountains. He loved exploring the mountains on his horse looking for adventures to follow. Growing up, he wanted to be a movie director and used his own Super 8 camera to make silent movies with his friends and brothers and sister. Instead he earned a Bachelors in Engineering at the University of Utah. While there, he met the love of his life, Jenelle, and they were blessed with three amazing sons: Josh, Tate, and Porter. David later earned his Masters in Business Administration from Northwestern University and pursued a path in the corporate world. But his creative side continued to tug at him for years until finally through the encouragement of his wife and boys, he realized that it’s never too late to follow your dream. So David set off to write an epic adventure of a boy and his horse and created a story of freedom, adventure, love, courage and sacrifice. When he's not writing, David enjoys outdoor activities with his family, and especially loves surfing with his three boys in Southern California where he resides.

Visit the website: http://www.thedarkeagles.com/
Or the facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/thedarkeagles