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Draykon #3
Orlind
War has broken out between the humans of the Seven Realms and the long-lost draykoni race. Llandry's home city is under attack, its defenders scrambling to find a way to fight the draykon enemy. The outcome of the conflict seems certain - until the draykoni vanish. Where could they have gone, and why? Lady Eva Glostrum is convinced that this means bad news. The Lokant sorcerer Krays is still at large, and his mysterious projects centre on her world - and the draykoni. Could he have something to do with their disappearance? If so, why? And what will it mean for the Seven Realms when the draykoni come back? As Llandry fights to defend her home, Eva sets out in pursuit of Krays. Determined to learn the truth, she'll go to any lengths to prevent him from damaging the Seven. Her quest will take her right into the heart of Krays's Library - and there she will uncover another long-kept secret.
335 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2012
25 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte E. English
77 books353 followersEnglish both by name and nationality, Charlotte hasn’t permitted emigration to the Netherlands to change her essential Britishness. She writes colourful fantasy novels over copious quantities of tea, and rarely misses an opportunity to apologise for something. Spanning the spectrum from light to dark, her works include the Draykon Series, Modern Magick, The Malykant Mysteries and the Tales of Aylfenhame.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 3, 2015
3++
I rated it 4 stars a few minutes ago but I have thought about it since and I realized that I didn't miss the character (well, except maybe Pensould, Ori and Trenn...a bit).
The stars are mainly attributed to the world itself (interesting, innovative, complex) and to the improvement in the writing.
One has to have enough concentration to grasp the complexity of the Lowers, Uppers and Middle though. And I'm still not sure about that "Cluster" thing.
I had a lot of issues with Llandry, one of the main characters. I thought she would improve a bit. Well, she did but this oh-my-there-are-people-around-me and the ensuing knees weakening thing or the I-am-utterly-exhausted-but-anyway-I-have-to-save-the-world...gah...it was so annoying *sigh*
I rated it 4 stars a few minutes ago but I have thought about it since and I realized that I didn't miss the character (well, except maybe Pensould, Ori and Trenn...a bit).
The stars are mainly attributed to the world itself (interesting, innovative, complex) and to the improvement in the writing.
One has to have enough concentration to grasp the complexity of the Lowers, Uppers and Middle though. And I'm still not sure about that "Cluster" thing.
I had a lot of issues with Llandry, one of the main characters. I thought she would improve a bit. Well, she did but this oh-my-there-are-people-around-me and the ensuing knees weakening thing or the I-am-utterly-exhausted-but-anyway-I-have-to-save-the-world...gah...it was so annoying *sigh*
March 8, 2015
This is the final book of the Draykon trilogy - if you haven't read the earlier books, start with Draykon. If you loved the first two Draykon books as much as I did, I think you'll find this a perfect ending, which neatly wraps up various plot lines and mysteries from the first two books. It made me laugh, and it made me cry, and I didn't want to put it down until I finished. A perfect end to the trilogy - though I still hope there will be more from these characters in other stories.
November 2, 2016
This is the third and final part of the Draykon trilogy. I very much enjoyed the first two parts, ‘Draykon’ and ‘Lokant’, and this continues in the same vein, a wonderfully eccentric mixture of unique world-building, believable characters and an action-packed story. In the first book, I was very nervous that Llandry, one of the main characters, a diminutive person with wings, might actually be a fairy. In fact, I can safely say she is nothing at all like a fairy, and not in the least twee. During the course of the three books, Llandry transforms herself from a shy child-like girl who suffers from panic attacks into a self-reliant and formidable person. And by person, I mean draykon (more or less a dragon), of course.
The setting for the story is one of the most inventive I’ve ever encountered. I’m not going to attempt to describe it, but it’s a truly magical array of places, populated with some bizarre creatures and plants. Some of the animal life is, not unexpectedly, tending to the fearsome and toothy kind of monster, but there are also some charming little beasties. I love the way the upper and lower realms change dramatically in moments, so that the landscape is constantly roiling and flowing unpredictably. This book explains a great deal of why this happens. I love, too, that some parts are in constant daylight and some in constant night light, kept that way magically. That’s a really ingenious and (possibly) unique approach to world-building.
The plot continues without a pause from where book 2 left off. The draykoni are attacking Llandry's home in Glinnery, and villain Krays is cooking up some vague but evil scheme. There is high drama and action right from the start as everyone scrambles to find some way to protect themselves. The humans are trying mechanical weaponry. Llandry and her fellow friendly draykoni are exploring their new powers in the hope of finding alternative defences. And Eva and Tren are - well, this was the point for me where the plot lurched into implausibility. Eva dreams up a scheme so downright dangerous and with so little likelihood of success that, honestly, I don't know what she was thinking. It's not unusual in fantasy for characters to be set some impossible task, in order to accomplish some worthy outcome, but it's never very convincing, frankly, and in this case, it's not imposed on them, they decide to attempt it themselves. So I just had to switch off the logical part of my brain and go with the flow. This isn't so difficult, fortunately, since the story rattles along at unstoppable and unputdownable pace.
The second clunky moment is the transition from chasing around after villain Krays to haring off to investigate the mysterious seventh realm, Orlind. Since this is the title of the book, it’s not unexpected that this turns out to be the key to everything, but the way the characters are led there by the nose feels a bit contrived. But it really doesn’t matter. This is the book where everything boils to its dramatic conclusion, and there’s not a dull moment in it. The true nature of the Lokants is revealed in all its duplicitous glory, and the final confrontation is a wondrous explosion of creative magic and whimsy (believe it or not). I’ve never read a book before which so successfully blends together powerful magic, dragons, steampunk, sentient furry insects and multi-coloured mushrooms. It all makes sense, too. And there’s humour, even at the tensest moments. A thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced read, with some memorable characters, absolutely fizzing with brilliant ideas. Only the slightly not-quite-believable plot contrivances let it down. A good four stars.
The setting for the story is one of the most inventive I’ve ever encountered. I’m not going to attempt to describe it, but it’s a truly magical array of places, populated with some bizarre creatures and plants. Some of the animal life is, not unexpectedly, tending to the fearsome and toothy kind of monster, but there are also some charming little beasties. I love the way the upper and lower realms change dramatically in moments, so that the landscape is constantly roiling and flowing unpredictably. This book explains a great deal of why this happens. I love, too, that some parts are in constant daylight and some in constant night light, kept that way magically. That’s a really ingenious and (possibly) unique approach to world-building.
The plot continues without a pause from where book 2 left off. The draykoni are attacking Llandry's home in Glinnery, and villain Krays is cooking up some vague but evil scheme. There is high drama and action right from the start as everyone scrambles to find some way to protect themselves. The humans are trying mechanical weaponry. Llandry and her fellow friendly draykoni are exploring their new powers in the hope of finding alternative defences. And Eva and Tren are - well, this was the point for me where the plot lurched into implausibility. Eva dreams up a scheme so downright dangerous and with so little likelihood of success that, honestly, I don't know what she was thinking. It's not unusual in fantasy for characters to be set some impossible task, in order to accomplish some worthy outcome, but it's never very convincing, frankly, and in this case, it's not imposed on them, they decide to attempt it themselves. So I just had to switch off the logical part of my brain and go with the flow. This isn't so difficult, fortunately, since the story rattles along at unstoppable and unputdownable pace.
The second clunky moment is the transition from chasing around after villain Krays to haring off to investigate the mysterious seventh realm, Orlind. Since this is the title of the book, it’s not unexpected that this turns out to be the key to everything, but the way the characters are led there by the nose feels a bit contrived. But it really doesn’t matter. This is the book where everything boils to its dramatic conclusion, and there’s not a dull moment in it. The true nature of the Lokants is revealed in all its duplicitous glory, and the final confrontation is a wondrous explosion of creative magic and whimsy (believe it or not). I’ve never read a book before which so successfully blends together powerful magic, dragons, steampunk, sentient furry insects and multi-coloured mushrooms. It all makes sense, too. And there’s humour, even at the tensest moments. A thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced read, with some memorable characters, absolutely fizzing with brilliant ideas. Only the slightly not-quite-believable plot contrivances let it down. A good four stars.
May 1, 2012
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I have kind of been a massively huge fan of this series for a while now. Charlotte English is one of those authors that I truly believe give the world of indie publishing a great name. She's a diamond in the rough, the real deal, in fact I remember thinking when I read the first book "how is this book not published the traditional way?" Her books are edited fantastically, written in a manner than lets you know she put tons of time and effort into crafting a great experience for the reader, and this latest book is no exception to that. And seriously talk about some amazing artwork that brings the book to life!
The series has progressed really well, and so with this book being the final book, I'm not sure exactly how I expected it to end, but in true Charlotte fashion it ended just right. First and foremost before you read this review, read the other two books, because it's really impossible to talk about this book without giving away a lot of the previous two.
For me the second book was pretty much setting the stage for the culmination of events that take place in this book. The war that you felt was coming has finally started. And all the big players from the previous books are going to play huge roles. Llandry and Eva for me are the two main characters in the series, and their evolution throughout the first two books shines through in this third book amazingly.
When I look back and read about what Llandry was like in the first book, it's amazing the transformation she goes through, both emotionally as well as of course with the transformation to a Draykon. But really she started off as a girl who was more than willing to hide behind her parents to a woman who can start on her own two feet a world she probably could have never imagined.
Eva on the other hand, a woman in her own right when the series began, really finds out what is important to her. From early on in the series it was pretty clear to me that Eva was secure in who she was as a person. But even though she was a powerful woman in her own right at the beginning, she found herself in situations that required her to "rise to the occasion" so to speak. It's in this situations that we find Eva becoming more than I think she ever thought she could be. Although it's kind of my opinion that the last thing Eva ever expected was to find herself in love, so that is an evolution of the character I really enjoyed following along with.
Charlotte does a fantastic job and bring this series to a close. The book had more love and romance than the first two, but it all felt so organic to the characters. More over Charlotte still has the ability to surprise me throughout the course of a book, which let me tell you never gets old. When the book was finished a felt satisfied with how everything all ended, and was happy to have traveled this journey along side all the characters.
It goes without saying that I would recommend this book to just about anyone, seriously give this series a shot, you won't regret it.
I have kind of been a massively huge fan of this series for a while now. Charlotte English is one of those authors that I truly believe give the world of indie publishing a great name. She's a diamond in the rough, the real deal, in fact I remember thinking when I read the first book "how is this book not published the traditional way?" Her books are edited fantastically, written in a manner than lets you know she put tons of time and effort into crafting a great experience for the reader, and this latest book is no exception to that. And seriously talk about some amazing artwork that brings the book to life!
The series has progressed really well, and so with this book being the final book, I'm not sure exactly how I expected it to end, but in true Charlotte fashion it ended just right. First and foremost before you read this review, read the other two books, because it's really impossible to talk about this book without giving away a lot of the previous two.
For me the second book was pretty much setting the stage for the culmination of events that take place in this book. The war that you felt was coming has finally started. And all the big players from the previous books are going to play huge roles. Llandry and Eva for me are the two main characters in the series, and their evolution throughout the first two books shines through in this third book amazingly.
When I look back and read about what Llandry was like in the first book, it's amazing the transformation she goes through, both emotionally as well as of course with the transformation to a Draykon. But really she started off as a girl who was more than willing to hide behind her parents to a woman who can start on her own two feet a world she probably could have never imagined.
Eva on the other hand, a woman in her own right when the series began, really finds out what is important to her. From early on in the series it was pretty clear to me that Eva was secure in who she was as a person. But even though she was a powerful woman in her own right at the beginning, she found herself in situations that required her to "rise to the occasion" so to speak. It's in this situations that we find Eva becoming more than I think she ever thought she could be. Although it's kind of my opinion that the last thing Eva ever expected was to find herself in love, so that is an evolution of the character I really enjoyed following along with.
Charlotte does a fantastic job and bring this series to a close. The book had more love and romance than the first two, but it all felt so organic to the characters. More over Charlotte still has the ability to surprise me throughout the course of a book, which let me tell you never gets old. When the book was finished a felt satisfied with how everything all ended, and was happy to have traveled this journey along side all the characters.
It goes without saying that I would recommend this book to just about anyone, seriously give this series a shot, you won't regret it.
June 26, 2012
'You can change them,' he said in reply. 'But you can also change yourself.'
War has come to the Seven Realms, yet almost as suddenly as the draykon force appears, it vanishes. Convinced this is somehow the work of Krays, Eva sets off to infiltrate Krays's library, leaving Llandry (and the other draykon on their side) to defend her home.
Picking up where Lokant left off, with the war still raging and secrets still being discovered. Llandry and her draykon friends must find a way to battle the draykoni force. Meanwhile, Eva and Tren find what seems to be the root of the war between the libraries - Orlind.
The characters, wonderfully developed throughout the entire trilogy, continue to grow and change as they learn more about themselves, their past, and their abilities. The scenery is once again well described, and the romance in this book has increased as both Tren and Pensould pursue their respective ladies, and though subtle most of the time, it is quite entertaining at points.
A wonderful conclusion to the Draykon series, Orlind ties up loose ends while leaving the world of the Seven Realms open for exploration, which hopefully will spawn more books in this world.
War has come to the Seven Realms, yet almost as suddenly as the draykon force appears, it vanishes. Convinced this is somehow the work of Krays, Eva sets off to infiltrate Krays's library, leaving Llandry (and the other draykon on their side) to defend her home.
Picking up where Lokant left off, with the war still raging and secrets still being discovered. Llandry and her draykon friends must find a way to battle the draykoni force. Meanwhile, Eva and Tren find what seems to be the root of the war between the libraries - Orlind.
The characters, wonderfully developed throughout the entire trilogy, continue to grow and change as they learn more about themselves, their past, and their abilities. The scenery is once again well described, and the romance in this book has increased as both Tren and Pensould pursue their respective ladies, and though subtle most of the time, it is quite entertaining at points.
A wonderful conclusion to the Draykon series, Orlind ties up loose ends while leaving the world of the Seven Realms open for exploration, which hopefully will spawn more books in this world.
April 30, 2012
The entire Draykon series is absolutely well worth the read and this final novel is no different. You delve even deeper into the lives of the characters you have come to know and love while all around you the plot is taking twists that you never for a moment saw coming. It's very well written and edited and I enjoyed it from the first page. As the final book in a fantasy series it performs admirably, giving you everything you need to sit back and say, "Aaah, that was great!"
It has my recommendation!
-Beth Hobson {Ebook Apothecary}
It has my recommendation!
-Beth Hobson {Ebook Apothecary}
May 9, 2012
Wow! Epic! Truly, that's got to be one of my favourite fantasy series ever. I absolutely loved the third book of the Draykon series - maybe even more so, because I was coming back to characters and places that I came to love and while I was quite desperate to know what happened next, I also wanted to make it last as long as possible. I found "Orlind" all that is amazing, unusual, interesting, fascinating and unpredictable and I hope that we'll see more of Orlind - it was incredible - as well as Pensould and Llandry, Eva and Tren, Rikbeek and Sigwide and can I just say that I adored Galywis?
April 17, 2014
The first part of the book was slow--full of characters thinking about what they should do or talking about what they should do, but little actually happening. I seriously considered quitting and looking for a plot summary so I could find out the ending.
But the mystery made me curious enough that I did read on. Then the pace picked up and I really enjoyed it. The book was on it's way to being 4 stars.
And then the mystery was revealed and it was pretty weak. While I didn't see it coming it wasn't super shocking and it was too easily solved.
Not awful, but not exciting.
But the mystery made me curious enough that I did read on. Then the pace picked up and I really enjoyed it. The book was on it's way to being 4 stars.
And then the mystery was revealed and it was pretty weak. While I didn't see it coming it wasn't super shocking and it was too easily solved.
Not awful, but not exciting.
March 16, 2019
I thought Orlind was a fantastic conclusion to the Draykon series. I absolutely LOVE the world that English has built in this series, and I can't wait to check out her other books because I really enjoy her writing style.
The reason I gave this four stars instead of five is because of the pacing. This series is set in a high fantasy world, and in that genre it is completely acceptable to have a very long book, but at times Orlind felt rushed. Throughout the series there are several subplots, and in tying them all together in this ending novel I felt like the story was cut short in a few places. For example, when I got about 80% of the way through, it felt like the story was over and I was entering the "wrap up" stage, only to remember there was a whole other subplot that hadn't been addressed yet. That subplot had to wrap up very quickly in just a chapter or two, which made it feel rushed. It certainly didn’t help that the story got weird and convoluted, which just added to the frantic pace of the last few chapters. I liked the weirdness, and it never got so convoluted that I couldn't follow it, but it just felt like there should be a bit more. While the story was great, it just felt like the author has to fit within a certain word/page count and left out the details and exposition she normally would have included.
I definitely enjoyed Orlind and would recommend it highly to fans of fantasy. I just think it felt a little too "YA" in some parts, with the high fantasy themes being abridged in a way that worked, but not quite as well as it could have. To be honest this is one story that could benefit from an "unedited author's preferred edition" to allow a bit more freedom in expanding the bits that got cut short.
Also, Tren and Eva are perfection.
The reason I gave this four stars instead of five is because of the pacing. This series is set in a high fantasy world, and in that genre it is completely acceptable to have a very long book, but at times Orlind felt rushed. Throughout the series there are several subplots, and in tying them all together in this ending novel I felt like the story was cut short in a few places. For example, when I got about 80% of the way through, it felt like the story was over and I was entering the "wrap up" stage, only to remember there was a whole other subplot that hadn't been addressed yet. That subplot had to wrap up very quickly in just a chapter or two, which made it feel rushed. It certainly didn’t help that the story got weird and convoluted, which just added to the frantic pace of the last few chapters. I liked the weirdness, and it never got so convoluted that I couldn't follow it, but it just felt like there should be a bit more. While the story was great, it just felt like the author has to fit within a certain word/page count and left out the details and exposition she normally would have included.
I definitely enjoyed Orlind and would recommend it highly to fans of fantasy. I just think it felt a little too "YA" in some parts, with the high fantasy themes being abridged in a way that worked, but not quite as well as it could have. To be honest this is one story that could benefit from an "unedited author's preferred edition" to allow a bit more freedom in expanding the bits that got cut short.
Also, Tren and Eva are perfection.
October 11, 2019
Other half of book a bit boring, when it's mosltly about traipsing arounf in Orlind. Otherwise good fun.
November 29, 2016
Romance and war
Really good job of tying up almost all of the loose ends. Glad that this was a happily ever after series. Not going to buy the next installment in this series. I did enjoy all the excitement and new worlds. Loved all of the imaginative characters, scenes, and inventions. Great book. I can honestly recommend this series.
Really good job of tying up almost all of the loose ends. Glad that this was a happily ever after series. Not going to buy the next installment in this series. I did enjoy all the excitement and new worlds. Loved all of the imaginative characters, scenes, and inventions. Great book. I can honestly recommend this series.
March 25, 2013
This was a fun read. I needed a distraction from the daily hassels of the world and this was a fun escape. I am looking forward to the continuation of this story. Not a heavy read, but kept you thinking. I love anything with dragons!
January 4, 2016
Well wrapped ending to the series.
The world woven by Ms. English is fascinating and filled with great characters. The third book in this series wraps the package with a bow.
I hopp
The world woven by Ms. English is fascinating and filled with great characters. The third book in this series wraps the package with a bow.
I hopp
September 26, 2013
All three books were awesome reads. Loved the ending!
December 24, 2013
What a great story. I really enjoyed this one. The mystery, adventure, conflict and resolution. Very good.
July 4, 2014
Conclusion
Not as good as the first two books, but still worth reading. This book did not have the draw on my time that the others did.
Not as good as the first two books, but still worth reading. This book did not have the draw on my time that the others did.
November 26, 2014
Great conclusion to the series...really enjoyable light hearted easy read. Loved them! :)
April 15, 2024
Third time through or thereabouts since it came out a decade ago.
Yes, it's that good.
Yes, it's that good.
October 23, 2016
Good. Better than book 2, not quite as good as book 1. Full review after reread I think.
September 29, 2018
Good end to decent series.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews