Book Review: Dragon Song by Ava Richardson

Author: Ava Richardson

Title: Dragon Song (Deadweed Trilogy #3)

Publisher: Relay Publishing

Date: 2019

Plot: Their only hope for their future is to unravel her past. 

The Southern Kingdom is overrun with Deadweed and what remains lies scorched by dragon’s fire. Plagued by the choking menace and targeted by attacks from deadly Water Wraiths, Dayie has no choice—master her magic or succumb to it. But when she and the Dragon Riders seek help from neighboring Torvald, they find a Kingdom under siege and come to a heart-wrenching realization. 

They will not win the fight. 

The only option to restore the wasteland that was once their home is for Dayie to travel to a mysterious site that may hold the key to her birth and the tremendous power that drives the Water Wraiths. But what she discovers is more terrifying than the enemies she already faces. 

Armed with a link to her past and the song of the sea in her heart, Dayie must confront the truth of her birth in order to wield the full strength of her magic against powerful and untamable foes. 

Before all hope is lost.

Book Review: Dragon Magic by Ava Richardson

Author: Ava Richardson

Title: Dragon Magic (Deadweeds Trilogy #2)

Publisher: Relay Publishing

Date: 2019

Plot: They must either stand together, or the Kingdom will fall. 

The combination of Dayie’s magic and dragon’s fire has halted the advance of the Deadweed. But it is not defeated. Now, a new enemy lurks on the horizon: Water Wraiths sweep in from the sea, cutting their way inland, and assisting the invading plant’s onslaught deeper into the land. 

Killing everyone in their path. 

The new strategy against the Deadweed has proven effective, but Dayie grows weaker each time she uses her powers. It can only be a temporary fix. When she and her dragon Zarr are invited to train with the High Mountains’ Dragon Riders, Dayie eagerly accepts the opportunity. But it’s far from a warm welcome as the tight-knit riders of the High Mountains distrust the outsider and her unusual power. 

When the High Mountains leader suggests a compromise, a schism in the ranks threatens to tear the group apart. The loyal few must convince both dragons and riders of the Southern Kingdom to join forces against the Water Wraiths. 
But Dayie won’t be much use to them if she can’t figure out how to balance her magic usage and avoid depletion. 

To survive the growing menace, the Dragon Riders must set aside the things that divide them and unite. 

Before it’s too late. 

Book Review: Dragon Called by Ava Richardson

Publisher: Relay Publishing

Date: 2019

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Plot: In a kingdom that has fallen into chaos, one young woman—and her dragon—are thrust into the role of bringing balance to the land.

From the moment Dayie washed ashore as an infant, everyone in her tiny village treated her as… different. She didn’t belong, no matter how hard she tried. So when a vicious, invasive plant called Deadweed overruns her village, she’s blamed and sold to the Dragon Traders for fear of her powers and the mystery surrounding her origin. 

After years of service to the ruthless Dragon Traders, Dayie wants her freedom. To repay her debt, Dayie steals a dragon egg. But she winds up with far more than she bargained for when her egg hatches before she can get it to them. Now she must hide her hotheaded young dragon Zarr or risk losing him: either to the Dragon Traders or the Deadweed that’s creeping ever southward.

When the Dragon Traders travel further south to evade capture and Deadweed attacks, Dayie meets a mysterious Dragon Rider named Akeem, who tells her magic is behind the spread of the Deadweed, and that she’s been bonded with Zarr—for life. Now Dayie faces a choice: give up her dragon for her freedom or take her place with Zarr in the Training Hall of Dagban. There, she may have the chance to avenge her parents’ deaths and solve the mystery of ever-spreading Deadweed.

Dayie’s destiny awaits, if she’s brave enough to follow it…

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Book Review: Dragon Mage by Ava Richardson

Title: Dragon Mage

Author: Ava Richardson

Publisher: Relay Publishing

Date: 2017

Synopsis:To unite a fractured kingdom, a reluctant hero must rise. 

Neill has been charged with the impossible task of bringing the Middle Kingdom together to fight the burgeoning threat posed by the rogue sorcerer Ansall and his dragon Zaxx. Neill longs for his old life as a mere foot soldier for his father responsible only for his family’s well being, and is unsure about whether he is fit to lead an army. Neill’s contemplative nature forces him to consider every aspect of the problems he faces, but often makes it difficult for him to take action—and failure to act could mean the deaths of many. 

Now, echoing Char and their dragon Paxala, his duty beckons him to lead the Dragon Riders—and take his rightful place as king—but with doubt and new enemies creeping in, his resolve will be tested. When the mysterious Dark Prince arrives with an offer, Neill will have to make a decision that could change the course of history. As Ansall grows in strength by harnessing black magic, Neill must choose between his own desires and the welfare of the entire kingdom. Can he rise to the challenge before it’s too late?

Book review: Dragon Dreams by Ava Richardson

Author: Ava Richardson

Title: Dragon Dreams (The First Dragon Rider)

Publisher: Relay Publishing

Date: 2017

Synopsis: Sometimes, the past is best left behind… 

Char longs for peace and escape, preferring her dreams to the ugly realities of an uncertain age. As an illegitimate daughter of the North Prince, Char has always felt deep insecurity, but she must put that aside when Zaxx gives her the task of retrieving an ancient crown from her family’s palace. If she brings him this crown, he says, he will allow the dragon hoard to choose their riders. 

When her father sends for her to return home, fearing war, she senses an opportunity. But Char’s dragon Paxala has grander ideas—she wants to become the greatest of all dragons and defeat the ancient Zaxx. But she can’t do it without Char’s guidance and aid. Employing patience and skill, Char will have to learn the secrets of dragon lore hidden away in her father’s archives before Zaxx’s suspicions turn aggressive. 

With the help of her love, Niell, Char discovers the secret of the old queen’s crown in her father’s castle, learning a tale of dark magic steeped in blood. But when her father wishes to marry her off to the leader of the Wildmen, the fate of Torvald will depend on her difficult choice: accept the role she has always played, or learn to trust her own power.

Book Review: Dragon God by Ava Richardson

Author: Ava Richardson

Title: Dragon God (The First Dragon Rider)

Publisher: Relay Publishing

Date: 2017

Synopsis: The new world is calling…

Niell Torvald is desperate to prove himself—his father’s warlord kingdom depends on him. When a vicious attack on the way to the Draconis Order monastery nearly kills him, it becomes clear that grave trials await him on this path. Joreth, the wise monk who saves his life, advises caution upon entering the sacred halls. His mission is to learn arcane magic from the monks that will help to cement his father’s power, but Niell will need more than magical arts alone to navigate the challenges before him.

Among the monks’ students, Niell meets the lovely and mysterious Char, who senses evil deep within the ranks of the Draconis Order’s members. She takes him to a dragon she has raised, Paxala, and the three of them become fast friends. Niell soon grows in strength as he and his fellow students gain ancient knowledge, and his closeness to Char blossoms into something more.

But when Niell’s brothers grow impatient and attack the monastery in a bid to seize power, he will have to decide where his loyalties lie: with his warlord father’s domain, or the new friends he has made in the wider world.

Book Review: Dragons of Dark by Ava Richardson

Synopsis: Saffron’s resolve will be tested as the fate of a kingdom hangs in the balance.

 

Young Dragon Rider Saffron and her faithful comrade the rightful king Bower have survived their first battle, but the war for Torvald is far from over. She warns the scholarly prince that they must take action and adapt for the sake of their people, while their enemy—and her relative—King Enric waits in the wings. The powerful mage knows orphaned Saffron wishes for a family above all, and his offer to make her his heir may be too tempting to refuse.

As both dragons and Riders struggle to return to the ways of old, from before the land fell into darkness, the evil king undermines their every move with spies and sabotage. Bower knows their efforts are doomed without a final assault against the palace, but Saffron has doubts. Risking everything in a single attack isn’t what concerns her—it’s what victory may mean.

She knows she must overcome her Maddox nature to save her people. Toppling the ruthless Enric means an end to one deadly threat, but will she be able to resist the temptation to use her wild magic to seize power for herself?

Book Review: Dragons of Kings by Ava Richardson

Synopsis: The battle for Torvald begins. 

As the young heir of a noble house fallen into decay, Bower has reluctantly shouldered the mantle he was born with—that of Torvald’s rightful king. It is his destiny to throw off the shackles of King Enric and lead his people to freedom, or so he’s been told.

With the help of the wild and untamed Dragon Rider Saffron, he hopes to unite his downtrodden people. It will take an uneasy alliance with a rogue band of Dragon Riders and their charismatic leader, Ryland, to challenge the Dark Mage king, but distrust threatens to tear apart the force that he’s risked everything to build.

Now, on the eve of battle, Bower will have to fulfill a mystical prophecy and become the leader he was born to be, or risk his future kingdom falling apart. Surrounded on all sides by deadly foes, he must face not only the evil king, but his deep doubts about himself. 

Book Review: Dragons of Wild by Ava Richardson

Synopsis: In a time of darkness, unlikely heroes will rise.

The once peaceful kingdom of Torvald has been ravaged by evil magic, forcing Riders to forget their dragons and their noble beasts to flee to the wilds. Now, anyone who dares to speak of dragons is deemed insane and put to death.

Into this dark and twisted land, Saffron was born sixteen years ago. Cursed with dragon affinity and magical powers, she has been forced into a life of exile and raised by dragons—secretly dreaming of a normal life and the family she lost. But as her powers become more uncontrollable, Saffron knows she must find her family before she hurts herself—or worse, her dragon clan.

Scholarly and reclusive, Bower prefers to spend his days reading about the legends of the Dragon Riders—even if being caught means death. But as the son of a noble house on the brink of destruction, it falls to him to fulfill a mysterious prophecy and save his kingdom from the rule of the evil King Enric—yet all he wants is to be left alone to read. When fate brings him into contact with Saffron, Bower gains a powerful ally—but one whose wild, volatile magic threatens their very lives.

Their friendship might just have the power to change the course of history, but when the Dark Mage King Enric makes Saffron a tempting offer, their alliance will be shaken to its core.

Book Review: Dragon Bonds by Ava Richardson

Synopsis: The Darkening has risen… 

Agathea Flamma and Sebastian Smith now face an overwhelming enemy. The rapid spread of the Darkening, a threat arising from the mists of legend, looms over the entire land. With both their families torn apart by the conflict and betrayal lurking around every corner, one mistake could doom the kingdom.

They’ll have to decide where to put their faith: blood ties or newfound friends?

After the destruction of the Dragon Academy, it’s up to Thea and Seb to gather their loyal comrades—and forge uneasy new alliances—to quell the ancient menace and face the evil Lord Vincent. With civil war raging, the Dragon Riders must race against time to find the legendary Dragon Stone, the only tool they have to fight against the endless darkness that threatens to swallow them all.