Slaying Isidore's Dragons

When I started thinking about writing a review about this book I thought to myself, how am I expected to say something of significance when even the author’s note at the beginning of the book is brilliantly written?
Cody Kennedy has the ability as a writer to break your heart and in the same sentence put it back together again.
I have to say Isidore’s dragons were big painful monsters and sadly close to his blood. When he meets Declan, a well manner boy, their lives change. Yes, because it wasn’t Isidore’s only, both of them.
Fighting the dragons it’s not an easy task, when you have been a victim of any type of abuse, having someone help you with the fight is immeasurable.
Declan and Isidore’s relationship was a slow built … patience, understanding and love take time to grow. When you have the terror of breathing daily because of your abuse none of those things are easy to come. But Declan dedicated his days to be there for Isidore.
In the midst of all, I found a real hero Sorcha, Declan’s mother, who in her own right suffered a terrible loss. But I think she is a true super mom. Sorcha made herself available for them, provided the motherly advice and most of all became their champion. It is imperative to mention how valiantly Sorcha opened the doors of her heart for Declan’s friends.
This book will take you on a journey of friendships, betrayal, abuse and heartache like no other. But also will teach you how to become a Survivor, how to lean on people that will become your allies. How to stand for yourself when you think you no longer have a voice and how to become the human being you let yourself be.
I must say Bravo to you Cody, you are BRAVE and your art of writing is a Blessing to the likes of me. Because thanks to you I learned that loving myself will open the doors of a life no one can take away from me.

If I could have given ten stars I would have done. All of the issues in this book, young romance, sexual abuse, rape, physical abuse could have made for a dreary read but Cody Kennedy did an absolutely brilliant job of integrating facts about each without making this book a tough read. I actually learned alot regarding the treatment of rape and abuse. This book isn't only a fiction/romance but a guide to knowing the signs to look for in abused people.
The two main Characters Isidore son of the French Ambassador and Declan the son of not one but two Irish Ambassadors. Each boy had one parent in the same vehicle that was blown up so there is yet another tie in to what happens later in the novel.
Declans mother Socha is a kick in the pants yet so real. I truly loved their relationship and how they acted together. Her humor can keep many a scene light yet meaningful.
This has espionage, Secret services, abductions and all kinds of things that keep this book moving along at a quick pace. The characters beg for a sequel or I do!
Be ready for a wild ride that is both emotional and exciting.

Calling this a book seems a bit unfair, so I will call it an experience. This is an experience in pain, betrayal, hope, love and redemption. C. Kennedy has done it again, he has put his heart and soul on the page and produced magic.
Isidore has been through so much, unspeakable acts have been done to him, and he has lost his mother, the one bright spot in his life. Through all this Isidore is not broken, he refuses to break and this is one of the many things that endears you to him! When he meets Declan on the first day of Senior year, he has no idea how his life will change.
Declan lost his father, but he has the love of his mother (you will love her, what a character!), and when he meets Isidore he is attracted to him, but more that, he is drawn in by Isidore and wants to help him.
What follows is a beautiful love story, but these two boys will have to whether many storms before they can be happy. The characters in this book come to life as they always do in a C. Kennedy story, perhaps that is because he leaves a little of his heart and soul on every page!
This is a must read friends, it will teach you lessons about life and love, but most of all about the strength of one boy who refused to be broken! Thanks Cody, for giving us a wonderful experience and with it a piece of yourself.

I always struggle when reviewing one of Cody Kennedy’s books because the experience is often so haunting, terrifying and beautiful that I am left speechless. So I usually set the task aside for a bit to mull it over and grope around for just the right words to describe this indefinable experience. This time was a bit different because I, along with my friend Timmy, walked through the genesis of this book with Cody. The agonizing submission, the editing and rewriting and editing and rewriting again… and again… and again.
When I read this book for the first time, I thought it was a beautiful piece of literature. But what I witnessed evolving throughout the rewriting process was indescribably breathtaking. Cody edits himself ruthlessly and with each rewrite the scenes begin to gel with a crystalline clarity into haunting images, sometimes utterly terrifying moments, scenes of mind-reeling action, and always overwhelming feelings of love and hope. You feel Isidore’s despair in the aftermath of his abuse, you hear the tinkling of shattered glass in the eerie silence after a gun battle, and you see the light shining from Declan’s eyes as he looks into the eyes of his “mo chroí.” It is truly a cinematic experience for all the senses.
Cody has once again introduced us to a cast of characters that illustrates everything that is wrong with mankind and everything that is right and good. Sorcha, Declan’s mum, the “beautiful, petite Irish flower with a radiant smile wrapped in sixty-grit sandpaper” is the perfect loving and fiercely protective mother juxtaposed with Jean-Baptiste, Isidore’s father, a man so indifferent to his son’s suffering as to render him the epitome of evil. The remaining cast of bad guys range from Isidore’s abusive and pernicious half brothers and their mother, the comtesse, to Declan’s close friend, Mason, who has a very misplaced sense of entitlement which turns him into an abuser. Declan’s psychologist, Mike, and his husband, Bobby, and Sorcha’s legal attaché, Jack, show us that there are indeed decent, caring adults in this world. Friends, Caleb and Jordan, add a depth to the story that complete the portraits of our main characters by showing us Declan’s and Isidore’s full range of emotions and sense of social justice.

Now for our main characters… this is where words don’t come easy. Declan is not perfect but he is perfect for Isidore. He is damaged by the sudden death of his father and has a fire burning inside of him that ignites into sudden, intense anger one moment to reasoned self-analysis the next, then to overpowering feelings of love and emotion for Isidore and his mum. His passion fuels the momentum of this book in a way that is captivating and spellbinding. His ferocity draws you into his moment and you feel his anger, his pain, his resolve and his love. He is the perfect savior for tiny Isidore.
Isidore is fragile, frightened, lost, and alone. Until Declan, his only solace is the “quiet dark”, the place he goes to shut out the pain and keep his mind from fragmenting. The depths of his despair are palpable and take your breath away. But little by little as he begins to trust and find his footing, we see the broken pieces gently falling back into place and a stronger, more determined young man begins to rise from the ashes. He is the perfect salve to restore Declan’s soul and give him a sense of purpose.
It’s really difficult to convey much about this book without giving away the story, so I opted to tell you how I experienced the book, how it made me feel. I’ve read this book five times in various evolutions. Quite honestly, I could read it five more and still feel like it was the first time.
Throughout his rewrites, Cody told me that he was “sculpting the story.” And that was indeed how it seemed. He would tweak a phrase here and add a layer there until the scene or passage was utter perfection. Slaying Isidore’s Dragons is a balm for the soul and a celebration of love, hope, and recovery. SID will have a place on my OMG shelf as it is Cody Kennedy’s finest masterpiece yet.