Getting Deeper Into the World and the Dark Forces at Work
I thoroughly enjoy the young adult fantasy fiction this author writes. She builds complex worlds and yet is able to make them distinct from each other. The magic in each world she creates varies as well. This is the second book in the Dragon Defenders of Destia series. I'm a voracious reader (or listener), so I have always read or listened to many books between books in a series. One thing I like about this author is how she weaves in backstory from the prior book (or books effortlessly) so you get brought up to speed quickly, whether you’re new to the series or have read the prior book(s). In this one, our heroine is trying to find her way at the magical academy. She's older than most students there, having discovered her magical abilities and bonding with a dragon not long before the book opens. Most, if not all, other students are of a much higher social class than she is, and she is treated poorly by most people there because of it, students and some teachers alike. Everyone seems determined to throw roadblocks in her way constantly or not give her a chance. Not only is she of a lower class in society, but her dragon is a pack dragon, not a large battle dragon. Several strikes against this team!
However, she has unique abilities that emerge and grow in this book. It makes things more difficult for her to get along with the other students and society’s rules, yet it gives her unique insight and power. The workings of this world are complex, and in this book, we start to truly get an understanding of it and its history, as well as the troubles it is facing and that will become even more problematic soon. The heroine learns more about herself and her deep family history. She finds an unlikely ally in the highest social class. And as with all this author's books, the book has a budding romance. I don't want to give too much away, but if you enjoy YA dragon fantasy, it's hard to find a better author than this one. Highly recommended, though it would be best to read or listen to the first book to get a better sense of where exactly the heroine is coming from and what she has faced before this. You can still understand this book without doing so, but you will appreciate it more deeply with that background.
I received a promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.