It’s dangerous to make bargains with sorcerers. But what if it's the only way to save the ones you love? It’s foolish to betray the kingdom you serve. But what if it's the only way to end a reign of tyranny? It’s a waste of time to trust a stranger. But what if it’s the only way to end the one you hate? In the kingdom of Vitenne, a prophecy burns in the hearts of the ancient caverns and flies across the clouds with a promise. Humankind ignorantly awaits extinction, and there is nothing they can do to stop the nation from ending in fire. Unless a deal is struck between a dragon and a sorcerer. Prysta Kubine believes she is that dragon, and she takes it upon herself to keep the world at balance and save her brother from certain death at the hands of sorcery itself. And if all the dragons fall and die, she will teach the world to fly.
This world is absolutely massive! There is so much in this world that I loved. The characters had some charm to them and the fights were awesome! And those twists at the end were crazy. Looking forward to see more in this series!
A feat of world building. Incredibly immersive to the likes of Herbert and Tolkien.
If you like High Fantasy and diving head first into a new world then this is for you.
Before Red Fire in incredibly immersive and a page turner that would send any epic fantasy fan yearning for more.
(Pros) The character dynamics are so much fun and the lore so interesting, it was nice to feel a well paced adventure.
I loved the concept of dragon shifters and their place in the world and so many aspects of this worlds history is so interesting.
(Cons) Why not five stars? I had three small gripes with this book, all of course are just personal preference. (Even if you agree with my gripes, give this book a chance)
1) The Narrator. I struggle with loose narration. I like to be in someone's head and not floating around. Each character saw their world as something different but the lines between them blurred.
2) A Clear Goal This book is thicc and there were segments where I was confused about what the character's aim were. No doubt this was my brain focusing on the base premise of the book but we move.
3) The Watson Since this book was told from the perspective of a 300 year old dragon and military generals, it lacked the 'Watson'. Our introductory character. Someone to explain things to for the aide of the reader. That would have helped me in the more complex beats of the book
((In all fairness, when you open the book you are instantly immersed into the world which is a stylistic choice. An expository character may have hurt the flow and immersion.))
Cudos to you Rachel on forging this incredible world. Can't wait for the next!