Zealots and Zeniths

The Weary Dragon Inn #7

by S. Usher Evans

Summer has arrived in Pigsend, and it’s not just the sweltering temperatures putting everyone on edge. It’s the sixth anniversary of the war ending, and a cadre of soldiers is camping north of town to keep the peace and monitor for strange activity. Rumor has it a rebellion is brewing, one that threatens to plunge the country back into war—not that anyone in Pigsend is keen on that.

At the Weary Dragon, Bev’s playing host to the usual set of travelers, including butcher Vellora’s old commander Andres. The retired kingside soldier came to visit with his dear friend as well as provide some insight into Bev’s mysterious past. But when the queen’s soldiers find themselves the victim of mischief in their encampment, they’ve got one Andres.

Bev’s on the case to clear his name, but things aren’t quite as simple as they seem. Could Andres really be fomenting rebellion in plain view, or is there something else more magical happening?

Zealots and Zeniths is the seventh book in the Weary Dragon Inn series, a cozy follow-up to Veils and Villains.

Genres: Fantasy, Cozy, Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy Fantasy, Fiction, Cozy Mystery

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2024

About the author

S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

Typical Pigsend madness. And guess who's stu k solving the problem!! Guess who always solves the problem... It's Bev!! 

Another story with a new layer of characters, older, beloved characters... And of course, Rosemary Bread. 

I love these stories, the problems are so strange but the ending... Yes!!! I love this ending. Can't wait for #8! 

[Tara Kat (MagnoliaPigeonBookBlurbs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy to be back in Pigsend for the 7th installment of the Weary Dragon Inn series! It’s the summer solstice and things are getting a bit wonky around town. An overflow of magic is causing magical chaos at the worst possible time! With some unfortunate visitors in town, it’s up to Bev to solve this conundrum before it’s too late!

🍞 Rosemary Bread
✨ Magic
🧠 Amnesiac Innkeeper
🐾 Pawsome Magic Detector
☀️ Summertime
📚 7th in the Series
🔍 Cozy Mystery
🫶 Friendship
💥 Magical Chaos
🏡 Small Town

Zealots and Zeniths was an absolute blast! As always, The Weary Dragon Inn series is the perfect combination of cozy mystery, cozy fantasy and LitRPG. From the unique & lovable characters to the overarching mystery - these books have me 100% hooked! I love this series so much and can’t wait to see what awaits the residents of Pigsend in Campaigns and Curses!

Thank you S.Usher Evans for the advanced copy!

[Ashleigh Mattern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading another instalment of the Weary Dragon Inn! I love the town of Pigsend and all the characters that inhabit it. I feel like I know them personally, and I'm a fan of Bev and her no-nonsense approach to life. It still bothers me how much everyone chuckles, but I can overlook some grammatical snobbiness on my part in favour of the fun storytelling. My eyes were practically popping out of my head during the heavily magical climactic scene! It was like sensory overload in the best way, if you can get such a thing from reading. I'm looking forward to book 8, and I'm so glad to see there's a book 9, 10, and a prequel for me to read yet!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Solstice is coming soon to Pigsend and Bev has all a full Inn with more oddball characters. Vellora’s old commander Andres is visiting, so now is Bev's chance to ask him about her past and the King's side of the war. Since no visit to the in is complete without a mystery, the town is also being flooded with magic. The crops, well all plants even the grass, are growing out of control and everyone with even a hint of magic in their blood is seeing some kind of effect or symptom.

Bev needs to figure out what's going on, since Alan's, Queen's Guard, Father is visiting as well and he wants to arrest whomever is responsible. I love this series and that while magic may raise eyes, same sex couples and nonbinary characters just are. It's like a hug in book form and the stakes are usually fairly low.

Totally recommend for fans of a cozy low stakes mystery series, but do read them in order.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello from Pigsend! It's the summer solstice and Bev is hosting a whole passel of different folks. As she goes about dealing with summer heat and yet more Queens soldiers, she realizes something is up with the magical river that runs through town! Can she figure out the cause before the overload of magic causes a catastrophe?

I loved this one. More hints to Bev's path, new characters, more world building! I even got a kick out of the current antagonist, Zed, Allen the baker's long estranged father who walked away from kingside to serve the anti magic Queens government. I particularly liked the inclusion of older townsfolk characters that hadn't been mentioned much past the first 2 books! Biscuit continues to be a delight as well.

I didn't really have a dislike for this installment! It was fun!

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 bk 120. The tale continues. When a veteran who might know something of Bev's memory loss arrives, it turns out to be at a time when the river and moon are running high with magic. This sets off a storm of magic acts that make the Queen's men (the baker's father is back) very suspicious. Bev has to act to protect her friends and village while trying to learn more of her own past. Well done!

[Chetana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

This installment of the adventures of Bev included a lot of action. I absolutely loved this book. A lot of things are coming to a head what with the Queen and King sides are ramping up for another conflict. And knowing Pigsend and Bev, both will be right in the middle of it. I liked the call back to the 1st book in the series with the magical river. And seeing Zed again I have to say I am even more annoyed at him now.

[Chels · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, this series is a lot of fun. This one was EVEN SILLIER than the others with an overflow of magic causing all sorts of shenanigans (like giant evil chickens??). This was a great addition after the stress of the wedding from the previous book. Plus who doesn't need some ridiculous fun once and a while?

Zealots and Zeniths was full of silly chaos and I was living for it.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine entry to what has quickly become one of my favorite series.

Summer has arrived in Pigsend, and brought with it soldiers, excess amounts of magic, and another mystery for Bev to solve. I enjoyed the little touches showing just how crazy things can get when too much magic is involved, and more small hints at Bev's past have me craving the next book.

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting reading this book while in the midst of a heatwave here in LA. As the summer solstice arrives Bev's in becomes a hub for guests and mayhem as the magic in the town goes haywire as the temperature rises.

[Doug Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series

I am addicted to the fun wholesome and mysterious antics of the characters of Pigsend and the Weary Dragon inn. I can’t wait to see what happens next. These books are an addictive, but easy, enjoyable and relaxing read.

[Carolyn Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer Solstice gets weird

Loved this book and learning more about life in Pigsend. This time the summer solstice is coming, and things are getting a bit too strange. Just another set of problems for our favorite innkeeper to solve with the help of her friends.

[Vaishnavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I crave this series like I crave a warm hug. This was an enjoyable instalation. I liked seeing the side effects of all the magic on Pigs End. The Inn's characters weren't my favorite batch, especially Andres. That being said, I had a great time reading it.

[aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the seventh book in the Weary Dragon Inn series and as usual I really enjoyed it! We really seem to be coming to the overall mystery of the series as some things really start coming to a head in this book. I loved this story with Bev and crew as she goes about solving a new mystery.

[Bryan Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite in the series!

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just as good as the previous books in the series. Bev has another mystery to solve and magic is acting up leading to all sorts of unusual things, which just makes things even more fun.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t remember why or how I started this series but I am fully invested now.

[Karen Kersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read. A lot of magical mishaps leading up to the summer solstice and as usual Bev has to solve it. It all works out in the end and there is a little more information about her past.

[Jennifer Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great cozy mystery!

I loved this one as much as the others! Pigsend is full of fun, quirky people with no end of secrets to hide!

[Emily Lonsdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things getting a little darker but no less enjoyable

[Cori'sCorner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Audio Length: 06:24:00

[Phi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cozy story in this lovely world! This one may be my favorite so far, but I can't really put my finger on exactly why. I just loved the mystery and the interaction with so many characters!

[Selina⚔️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of all the books, this one was obviously just a filler and I don't like how you can literally have the story be under 100 pages for the conflict to be over.

[Chara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book in a beautiful series. I love Bev.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite character is rosemary bread

[Jenna Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ☆ Cozy still, a slightly bit different turn of events, and enough hints about Bev's elusive past to make me keep going.

[Shan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Iris Otterloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m here for the Bev & Rosie arc

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. Interesting and engaging

[Paige Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5