Dragons of Asred

Shadow and Ash #2

by H.R. Moore

Fyia and Cal head north in search of dragons, but the Five Kingdoms are in disarray, many still questioning Fyia’s rule, and contesting her new laws. Amid the chaos, Essa fights to make the Small Council repair the dragon clocks, and eventually takes matters into her own hands, travelling to the Temple of the Sea Serpent. But what she finds is shocking, even to her. Sensis assumes her role as Lady Altergate, visiting her new estate with the ulterior motive of keeping an eye on the troublesome Moon Kingdom. But Lord Sollow Antice, the Warden of Moon - and her childhood nemesis - has taken up residence in her new home. He's hiding something, slipping out after dinner each night, and Sensis follows him, determined to uncover his secrets. But when Fyia and Cal’s actions result in unforeseen and far-reaching consequences, they’re all thrown into disarray. Fyia is determined to finish what she started, but now she must weigh the cost to not only her own people, but the whole known world.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Romantasy

329 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2023

About the author

HR Moore writes romantic fantasy, romantasy, fantasy romance, and paranormal romance.

All HR's books contain strong women, high stakes, plot twists, adventure, found family and plenty of romance, with charaters willing to burn down the current order to change things for the better.

She resides in the UK, loves audiobooks, and lives for book club.

Reviews

[Kelsey Hammer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️’s. Overall good storyline and plot. But similar to the first one I feel like some parts moved too quickly without much elaboration. Just felt like here could be more details to really engage the reader.. took me a minute to finish. But still enjoyed the story nevertheless

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Shadow and Ash world, and our very powerful heroine Queen of the five kingdoms Fyia, who fights for women's rights and who believes she is the one to bring back dragons to her world. In this book she leaves her city of Selise in the capable hands of her aunt Lady Starfall and the spider whilst she goes off in search of the dragon eggs with King Cal of the Black Hoods, who is now her betrothed. They travel to the glacier, to the temple of the warrior/mother goddess and there they are tricked into using the metal balls they had been collecting from the clocks. Once these are used things start to unravel very fast but the dragons are back and they are bonding with the fire-touched. Though the rebels stop from further rioting once a dragon is sited, things take a turn for the worse, as with the return of the dragons the magma flows heat up, the ice in the north starts to melt, which is great for the Black Hoods, but a disaster for all the low lying cities which become flooded causing many to flee and seek refuge elsewhere. The Fae'ch are also forced to leave their home under the mountain as they are attacked by the children of the lake who come on land in search of the magic they feel with the coming of the dragons. However Fyia takes control and sorts everyone out by delegating the responsibilities for the five kingdoms to those deserving of the post. I love the perfect ending to this duology which has it's romantic episodes thrown in, and know I am going to miss reading further adventures with these powerful, magical characters especially now that the dragons are in the picture too.

[Brittany ( BookWyvernLovesTea ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of the Kingdoms of Shadow and Ash duology and the dragons are finally here! And once you let the dragons out of the bag there’s no going back. I really enjoy the world that Moore has created. It has such an interesting magic system and dragon origin. We learn so much more about magic and dragons in this book, and we see how arrogance, hatred, and oppression brought the world to its knees and nearly ended it. Also, I love the airships.
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It was fast-paced and character driven. Fyia will have to dig deep to find out what she really wants and figure out how she wants to rule over six kingdoms. Cal was a little less present in this book, which I was kind of sad over, but he remains the fearsome king of the north that turns to jelly over Fyia in any case. I think my favorites were Sensis and Antice. Good grief, these two were adorable!! I could spend a whole book with them. I wish I could have seen Sensis swing her sword a bit, but I remain delighted to have seen the romance between her and Antice unfold.
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There were so many things happening and so many cool characters with different parts to play. I’m actually a bit boggled over how much happened in just the span of this book. There was so much action, and yet there seemed a lack of struggle/peril to match the exhaustion the characters felt by the end. However, if you’re looking for fast paced, fun magic and dragons with a dash of romantic spice, and of course an HEA, then you would enjoy this duology!
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I also highly recommend the novellas that go with this duology because they really add a bit more to the Fae side characters!

[Anshul (stories.buddy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, the Shadow and Ash duology comes to completion and I couldn’t have asked for more. HR Moore has finished the book with perfection and straightened all the loose ends from every angle. A book with a dragon always attracts me and this one had some amazing creatures. The mysterious revelation of them is thrilling and kept me on the edge. There was so much happening at every place and with the third point of view writing, I got the front seat to all the drama and mysteries unfolding.

A lot of new characters are introduced and every one of them has their own set of thoughts and agenda to pursue and none are going in the right direction at first. The mystery is deepening with every chapter and I was not able to form any kind of assumption that what might happen next, and this all is coming as a surprise. Every ancient powerful leader is being over egotistical here. If somebody had thought to interfere or communicate well then a lot of worse things wouldn’t have happened. The communication gap is clearly visible but not from the lack of trying.

Discovery of long-lost creatures is written in wonder and gives me to be in awe of it. Especially when you don’t know anything about it and you have to introduce yourself to the creatures, one such incident is between Antice and Sensis and that dragon. After all the exploration the reunion of characters was as much exciting to me as to them. All and all I enjoyed the story and dragons and krakens and the course of action which Fyia took towards the end is highly appreciated.

It’s a 4.5⭐️ for me.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this book just seemed way too unbalanced. I think this should have been a trilogy instead of a duology. There were way too many POV's added and way too many side quests/stories. There wasn't enough time to really delve into all the reveals and characters and their relationships. It also felt like three separate genres smooshed into one book. The first part was science fiction, focused mostly on the clocks and infrastructure. The next part was just "how to train your dragon". And then it ended with wayyyy too many political issues that were magically resolved in just a few pages. Also, some of the main characters from the first book were completely forgotten in this one, and at the same time new characters were introduced that we didn't have enough time with. But the worst thing about this book was that I ended up kind of hating Fyia. She was just way too reckless and childish and selfish. She showed absolutely no growth and literally caused deaths because she was too hasty. But everyone always minimizes her bad qualities and excuses them. I was annoyed by everything she did, and once you stop rooting for the MC, it's really hard to enjoy the story.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the concept of this series. I would rate this a 3.5 if Goodreads allowed for that. I felt the pacing of the book was a bit rushed, whereas the first book in the series was perfectly paced. There was so much going on in this book; it could have easily been a trilogy. I love the characters, the world building, and the story line. It just felt like big chunks of the timeline were missing with important plot points happening off page. I would have happily taken a third book of these series. The author has a few more books that happen in this world, and I will be planning on reading them.

Highlights:
Dragons
Multiple POV
Supporting Cast Ensemble
Multiple Love Stories
A+ World Building

[Kacy A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fyia's problems are far from over. Uniting the 5 Kingdoms was only the beginning. Bringing the dragons back won't be an easy process. Once they are back, they must be trained. Thawing the North sounded great, until flooding wreaks havoc on the world. Secrets will be shared and hidden knowledge brought to light. Ruling 5 Kingdoms was never the goal, so what is Fyia's next move? What does she really want? And how can she make sure those close to her also get what they want.

Overall, I did really enjoy both books, however, this one felt a bit rushed. I could be use about 30-50 more pages to really wrap everything up nicely. I feel like some characters are still left suspended in limbo and I don't love that.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to Fyia and Cals adventure (among many other characters) to find the dragons and see the legend fulfilled now the five kingdoms are United. Action, politics, mythical creatures and love completes this duology.
I felt the ending was a bit too neat and quick and wouldn’t be surprised if other stories were in the works for several characters whose stories were left unfinished (e.g Edu, Leo and Alba, Storm and Gabriel).
Easy to read writing that sweeps you along in its journey - recommend for all fantasy romance action readers.

Received an ARC review and provided a voluntary review.

[I'll See Ya Luv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 is much better than Book 1! If you were able to get through Book 1 you owe it to yourself to read Book 2. It focuses on multiple POVs, not just Fyia and Cal. There are multiple plots leading to couples finding love/reconnecting, all intertwined and working together to help Fyia find dragons and help the Kingdoms. This book moves much faster than Book 1.

There is plenty of romance and steamy scenes.

Odd items to note, we don't see Adigos at all in Book 2, and I didn't care for the ending left open/unanswered for Edu. Maybe there will be a follow up or short story for him one day.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to see where the story went after the end of the first book. But this book felt rushed. Like everything was being crammed in and not explained fully. I think it could have been really really great if either the books were longer or if they were broken up into 3 or 4 books with more details and depth. The story had lots of potential and was very original. The characters were great as well but would have loved to see more development.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, more magic, fae, dragons, and a strong-willed FMC.
I can't complain at all with this book. It was great from start to finish. What made it even better is it actually followed on nicely from the first book, which I find is rare.
You get the magic and spice and to top it off?? A happily ever after, now I can't complain at that. Although I feel the last 60 pages were a bit rushed, it still wrapped the story up nicely.

[Kaija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man this book is bittersweet! It’s the ending of an amazing duet, and I’m sad it’s over! But man was it an amazing duet. I love Fryia and Cal, and this world, it is one I will frequently revisit!
I love HR Moore’s writing style and just like every other book I was hooked from the first page!
I highly recommend this diet for all my fantasy romance lovers, you can’t go wrong with these books!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of HR Moore for a few years now and let me tell you… I’ve not been disappointed!

The magic and relationships weaved between characters is always such a highlight and the ending to this duet was delightful but also sad?

I loved these characters and dragons… DUH

I can’t wait to see where the author takes us on our next adventure!

[Lindsay Weissberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope, absolutely not. I almost didn't finish this book for the sheer stupidity of it. But then once the mention of dragon scale dick (I'm paraphrasing) I had to continue and you know what? That was stupid on my part. The entire duology was bad. Nothing made sense, it jumped too quickly to too many views, the main character was annoying AF and didn't grow or develop at all, etc.

Just don't.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epic Fantasy ✨
Enemies to Lovers ♥️
DRAGONS 🐉
What more could you want from an adult fantasy duology.
This was a perfect read for when you’re feeling the need for little fantasy story in your life. I love the characters and the world building.
Recommend to anyone who loves a good dragon story.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book was fine. It felt like a lot was going on, and I don't think the politics that went into the resolution made any sense. World building is a bit more present in this book because we learn more about the history of the dragons, but it still felt shallow to me.

[Penny Galloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this second book also

This read is never slow, I did not skip any pages! The characters are great and I love the interactions. Highly recommend.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completed this 2 book set to try and get some more context and left even more confused. Still no world building, still no hero's journey, still very little character development.

[Chloé · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had a good plot overall, but felt a little confusing at times and super rushed at the end

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had so much potential. First book plot and pace was lacking. Second plot was jumping and disappeared into the ether then jumped ahead with no remorse.
I feel like it was just lacking overall

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book, but this one not so much. The plot was a little all over the place and the ending was incredibly rushed.

[Michelle Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild ride.
The action in this book doesn't stop, and Fyia is, as always, at the center of it all.
She takes her strength in trying to make the world a better place and throws it into every obstacle. She never backs down, and I love that strong, take no bull from anyone, attitude.
She is a force to reckoned with, and Cal sure has his hands full trying to keep up.
It was a fast-paced, dragon fuelled race to the end.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author

[Kerri Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two: must have read book one to fully understand.

That being said, my memory had lapsed a bit since reading Kingdom of Shadows and Ash. Moore did a great job and setting the stage for all the characters. It was a bit to re-remember and comprehend at first, but the development had me hooked from the beginning.

Fyia and Cal are on the search for the dragons. They need them in order to restore the magic balance in the known world.

There are plenty of hiccups and self doubt that go along with the process but I felt that Fyia handled th e situation like a real person who also happens to be a badass king slayer, Queen of the Five Kingdoms.

There are multiple love interests that get started and many that get closure by the end.

The ending made me very happy as Fyia was never motivated to be an emperor and a sole ruler. She didn’t want to be a King, but wanted to bring dragons back and change the laws to empower women kind as well.

Fantasy romance at its finest.

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love it but maybe I’ve lost interest because it couldn’t grab me as much as the first book.

[Kristens_korner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the characters and the storyline. Immediately, I went to find the next book to know what happened.