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The Moth Saga #6
A Legacy of Light: The Dragon War, Book 1
The people of Requiem, an ancient kingdom, can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. For years, Requiem's holy stars have blessed the kingdom with light and magic. But now a darkness falls.
General Cadigus, traitor to the crown, has captured the throne. Bloodthirsty and cruel, he rules with an iron fist. He crushes his own people under his heel. He burns all foreign lands. The noble kingdom of Requiem fades; a dark empire rises.
In the wilderness, a small light kindles. Rebellion brews. The rebels are haggard, outnumbered, and desperate. They hide in forests and ruins. They fight for the memory of Old Requiem, for a legacy of light.
The Resistance is small, but its cry is "The tyrant must fall."
General Cadigus, traitor to the crown, has captured the throne. Bloodthirsty and cruel, he rules with an iron fist. He crushes his own people under his heel. He burns all foreign lands. The noble kingdom of Requiem fades; a dark empire rises.
In the wilderness, a small light kindles. Rebellion brews. The rebels are haggard, outnumbered, and desperate. They hide in forests and ruins. They fight for the memory of Old Requiem, for a legacy of light.
The Resistance is small, but its cry is "The tyrant must fall."
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First published March 9, 2013
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About the author
Daniel Arenson
148 books877 followersDaniel Arenson is a bookworm, proud geek, and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. His novels have sold over a million copies. The Huffington Post has called his writing "full of soul." He's written over forty novels, most of them in five series:
EARTHRISE — They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win. Start reading with Earth Alone, the first novel in this military science fiction series.
REQUIEM — Welcome to Requiem, an ancient kingdom whose people can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem is explored in six trilogies, which can be read in any order. If you're new to Requiem, you can start reading with Requiem's Song (you can download it for free). For fans of dark, gritty fantasy like A Game of Thrones.
MOTH — Discover Moth, a world torn between day and night—its one half drenched in eternal daylight, the other cloaked in endless darkness. For fans of classic fantasy worlds such as Middle Earth and Narnia. Start reading with Moth, the first novel in this epic fantasy saga.
ALIEN HUNTERS — Got trouble with aliens? Call the Alien Hunters. A group of scruffy mercenaries, they'll remove the pest for you. Low rates. No questions asked. Start reading with Alien Hunters, the first book in this space opera series. For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
KINGDOMS OF SAND — Enter a world of sand and splendor, a world where gladiators battle in the arena, where legionaries and barbarians fight for glory, and where empires rise and fall.
EARTHRISE — They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win. Start reading with Earth Alone, the first novel in this military science fiction series.
REQUIEM — Welcome to Requiem, an ancient kingdom whose people can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem is explored in six trilogies, which can be read in any order. If you're new to Requiem, you can start reading with Requiem's Song (you can download it for free). For fans of dark, gritty fantasy like A Game of Thrones.
MOTH — Discover Moth, a world torn between day and night—its one half drenched in eternal daylight, the other cloaked in endless darkness. For fans of classic fantasy worlds such as Middle Earth and Narnia. Start reading with Moth, the first novel in this epic fantasy saga.
ALIEN HUNTERS — Got trouble with aliens? Call the Alien Hunters. A group of scruffy mercenaries, they'll remove the pest for you. Low rates. No questions asked. Start reading with Alien Hunters, the first book in this space opera series. For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
KINGDOMS OF SAND — Enter a world of sand and splendor, a world where gladiators battle in the arena, where legionaries and barbarians fight for glory, and where empires rise and fall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
December 23, 2016
*Sigh* Another dragon book by the most interesting Daniel Arenson, and, honestly, I can only tell it's different from Blood of Requiem by the names of the characters, and the increase of violence and villains.
This review is going to be rather garbled, so I apologize beforehand. Also, there may be slight spoilers ahead, so you’ve been warned. Y'know one of the main things that annoyed me in this book? The use of whore! Looking to insult a lady who spilled soup on your robe? She's a whore! Need a handy name for the woman who can't fight as well as you? She's a whore! Searching for a nasty appellation for that pesky fly on the wall? It's a whore! How about a curse word for--oh I know!--WHORE!!!!! Stars, that's the only word anybody ever uses!!! Oh, and stars as well. Did that soup burn you when it spilled? Stars! That less-than-worthy woman fighter catch your eye? Stars!! That fly buzzing around your head? Stars!!! The constellations should issue every character in the book a summons!!!
The Dumb:
Another problem I have is the characters. They're divided into three groups: Dumb, evil, and dumber. What kind of idiot sees his farm burned down, his father (at least as he knows him) killed, his best friend whisked away to join the regimes of psychotic murderers, and can’t think of anything other than his next girlfriend???!!!! Also, he keeps changing his mind about what he wants to do. Does he wish to get revenge against the corrupt rulers who destroyed everything he’d ever known? Yes! (Wait, nah.) Wait! Maybe…? He acts like this throughout the entire book. Main characters of this sort ought to have a bit of sense by now…
The Evil:
The villains in this world are so evil (EVIL) and vile that my nose almost fell off from being wrinkled too many times in disgust at their actions. All they do is rape and kill, rape, lick HUMAN blood from their swords, rape, kill their servants for hailing them (and if their servants don’t hail them they get killed anyway), rape, kidnap, rape, torture their oppressed subjects, and RAPE!!! I suppose it could be that Arenson was trying hard, but they honestly have no humanity. They’d literally eat people on a whim if the idea crossed their minds. Only a few chapters into the book, a group of villains round up a group of young adults to recruit them (against their wills, of course) to fight in the corrupt army. During said recruitment, they stab a girl in the throat (because she was afraid of them, you know? And when she told them so (after being asked) they didn’t like it and killed her.) After which, the woman who killed her mutilates her body WHILE HER PARENTS AND THE ENTIRE TOWN WATCH. Stars!! (Could she have been a whore?)
The Dumber:
Tell me, in what world does an entire population that possesses the ability to shift into fire-breathing dragons allow themselves to be killed, raped, tortured, raped, and killed, by the vile leaders WHOM THEY VASTLY OUTNUMBER???!!!!!! WHO???!!!! What kind of people watch their children get killed (and raped) in front of them, and just cry?? Come on!!! Oppressed humans always revolt. Always. Even if the effort is doomed. Nat Turner, The Zanj, Hebrews, the list goes on and on— and they weren’t even able to turn into dragons! In this world, the vast majority (if not all) of the population can turn into dragons, and they still let themselves be stepped on!! I almost burst an artery (stars!) when I read some of the parts where the people allowed themselves to be oppressed. That’s one of the things I just couldn’t reconcile!!
Lastly, the other main problem with this book is the overall writing. It’s choppy and full of awkward and repetitive smiles. It’s violent, and often rather senseless. It goes something like this: As she looked at the reflection in the mirror, she snarled. Her hair was getting too long. It crawled down her neck like snakes of steel. 'I look like a freak. A monster. A deformed thing. I could have had father cut it off, but I didn’t want him to touch me. He thinks I don’t know about his secret? He likes my sister’s hair, the little whore!' She gripped her lank red strands, squeezing them in her fingers. 'Soon, my sister, soon it will be your neck that my fingers squeeze.' With a howl, she smashed the mirror. At the noise the maids standing at attendance by her door started. She caught the movement.
‘So, you think me a freak too?’ she hissed, coming toward them.
‘N-no, my lady—‘ began the first maid but stopped. She staggered back as the dagger her mistress had thrust into her chest shattered bone. She gasped. She fell.
‘You will hold your tongue!’ her mistress screamed, spittle flying. ‘You are nothing, whore!’ She knelt and stabbed the body again and again, red covering her eyes. Then she went back to the broken mirror. 'You see me as a freak, father, because of this hair. You will pay. I will slay you, and my whore of a sister.' Still snarling, she sawed at her hair with the dagger, staining the red strands with blood.
Stars! I hope you get the picture. I have nothing against Mr. Arenson. That is his style, and enough people seem to like it. Just not me. I’m sorry. Well, there’re my thoughts. I’m done. (Stars, that was long.)
This review is going to be rather garbled, so I apologize beforehand. Also, there may be slight spoilers ahead, so you’ve been warned. Y'know one of the main things that annoyed me in this book? The use of whore! Looking to insult a lady who spilled soup on your robe? She's a whore! Need a handy name for the woman who can't fight as well as you? She's a whore! Searching for a nasty appellation for that pesky fly on the wall? It's a whore! How about a curse word for--oh I know!--WHORE!!!!! Stars, that's the only word anybody ever uses!!! Oh, and stars as well. Did that soup burn you when it spilled? Stars! That less-than-worthy woman fighter catch your eye? Stars!! That fly buzzing around your head? Stars!!! The constellations should issue every character in the book a summons!!!
The Dumb:
Another problem I have is the characters. They're divided into three groups: Dumb, evil, and dumber. What kind of idiot sees his farm burned down, his father (at least as he knows him) killed, his best friend whisked away to join the regimes of psychotic murderers, and can’t think of anything other than his next girlfriend???!!!! Also, he keeps changing his mind about what he wants to do. Does he wish to get revenge against the corrupt rulers who destroyed everything he’d ever known? Yes! (Wait, nah.) Wait! Maybe…? He acts like this throughout the entire book. Main characters of this sort ought to have a bit of sense by now…
The Evil:
The villains in this world are so evil (EVIL) and vile that my nose almost fell off from being wrinkled too many times in disgust at their actions. All they do is rape and kill, rape, lick HUMAN blood from their swords, rape, kill their servants for hailing them (and if their servants don’t hail them they get killed anyway), rape, kidnap, rape, torture their oppressed subjects, and RAPE!!! I suppose it could be that Arenson was trying hard, but they honestly have no humanity. They’d literally eat people on a whim if the idea crossed their minds. Only a few chapters into the book, a group of villains round up a group of young adults to recruit them (against their wills, of course) to fight in the corrupt army. During said recruitment, they stab a girl in the throat (because she was afraid of them, you know? And when she told them so (after being asked) they didn’t like it and killed her.) After which, the woman who killed her mutilates her body WHILE HER PARENTS AND THE ENTIRE TOWN WATCH. Stars!! (Could she have been a whore?)
The Dumber:
Tell me, in what world does an entire population that possesses the ability to shift into fire-breathing dragons allow themselves to be killed, raped, tortured, raped, and killed, by the vile leaders WHOM THEY VASTLY OUTNUMBER???!!!!!! WHO???!!!! What kind of people watch their children get killed (and raped) in front of them, and just cry?? Come on!!! Oppressed humans always revolt. Always. Even if the effort is doomed. Nat Turner, The Zanj, Hebrews, the list goes on and on— and they weren’t even able to turn into dragons! In this world, the vast majority (if not all) of the population can turn into dragons, and they still let themselves be stepped on!! I almost burst an artery (stars!) when I read some of the parts where the people allowed themselves to be oppressed. That’s one of the things I just couldn’t reconcile!!
Lastly, the other main problem with this book is the overall writing. It’s choppy and full of awkward and repetitive smiles. It’s violent, and often rather senseless. It goes something like this: As she looked at the reflection in the mirror, she snarled. Her hair was getting too long. It crawled down her neck like snakes of steel. 'I look like a freak. A monster. A deformed thing. I could have had father cut it off, but I didn’t want him to touch me. He thinks I don’t know about his secret? He likes my sister’s hair, the little whore!' She gripped her lank red strands, squeezing them in her fingers. 'Soon, my sister, soon it will be your neck that my fingers squeeze.' With a howl, she smashed the mirror. At the noise the maids standing at attendance by her door started. She caught the movement.
‘So, you think me a freak too?’ she hissed, coming toward them.
‘N-no, my lady—‘ began the first maid but stopped. She staggered back as the dagger her mistress had thrust into her chest shattered bone. She gasped. She fell.
‘You will hold your tongue!’ her mistress screamed, spittle flying. ‘You are nothing, whore!’ She knelt and stabbed the body again and again, red covering her eyes. Then she went back to the broken mirror. 'You see me as a freak, father, because of this hair. You will pay. I will slay you, and my whore of a sister.' Still snarling, she sawed at her hair with the dagger, staining the red strands with blood.
Stars! I hope you get the picture. I have nothing against Mr. Arenson. That is his style, and enough people seem to like it. Just not me. I’m sorry. Well, there’re my thoughts. I’m done. (Stars, that was long.)
May 29, 2013
Writing: 2
Story: 1
Satisfaction: 0
Readers of YA fantasy might like this book more than others but even they might not be able to stomach the heavily good/evil division in the characters. The evil characters are ridiculously evil and the good characters play with the incredibly stereotypical farmboy saving the world trope. Each character is more annoying than the last and even when you think you've seen the most annoying one, another bland and inconsistent character is introduced.
The story begins with Kaelyn, the daughter of the Emperor Cadigus, running through a forest being pursued by flying dragons blowing fire at her from above. It's a promising start, especially when she realizes that one of the dragons is her royal sister and she transforms into a dragon herself and takes off into the sky. They're both heading towards Cadport, looking for someone that is repeatedly referred to as "the boy."
Then we meet Tilla and Rune in Cadport. Tilla has just turned 18 and, as all 18 year olds are, is drafted into the army to fight the Resistance. They reminisce about the past, before Cadigus took over the kingdom. Rune and Tilla are best friends and they kiss before parting, swearing to see each other again.
In the next scene, Kaelyn's sister, Shari appears with soldiers to gather the new recruits. She picks a random girl and kills her for no reason other than that she can. Kaelyn shows up in Rune's house and surprise surprise, he's "the boy" that they've come for and she's taking him back to the Resistance.
The story then diverges into Kaelyn and Rune running from Shari and her minions. Tilla has her own arc as her tortuous training begins. We're also then introduced to Kaelyn's twin brother, Leresy, who has just been given command over the fort that Tilla is assigned to. Leresy is also evil and rapey.
This brings us to the halfway point in the book and I honestly don't even care about the rest. The only insult that any of the characters seem to know is "whore" and they throw it around like candy to anyone around. All of the bad guys carry around a cat-o-nine-tails like whip thing and they beat everyone within sight and they're just so ridiculously bad that there's no depth to them at all. They rape, kill and torture because they feel like it and that's about it.
The good guys aren't any better though. Rune - as any other 17 year old - is obsessed with sex and even when his entire life has been shifted upside down, can only think about how good Kaelyn would look naked. Kaelyn tries to be both rough and consoling at the same time and the changes in her mood are jarring and weird.
And all of the characters speak in phrases. Like this. And they constantly speak in parallel sentence structure. Like this. And it's awkward. Like this.
I'm disappointed. I'd heard so many good things about Daniel Arenson but this book feels juvenile and undeveloped.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.
Story: 1
Satisfaction: 0
Readers of YA fantasy might like this book more than others but even they might not be able to stomach the heavily good/evil division in the characters. The evil characters are ridiculously evil and the good characters play with the incredibly stereotypical farmboy saving the world trope. Each character is more annoying than the last and even when you think you've seen the most annoying one, another bland and inconsistent character is introduced.
The story begins with Kaelyn, the daughter of the Emperor Cadigus, running through a forest being pursued by flying dragons blowing fire at her from above. It's a promising start, especially when she realizes that one of the dragons is her royal sister and she transforms into a dragon herself and takes off into the sky. They're both heading towards Cadport, looking for someone that is repeatedly referred to as "the boy."
Then we meet Tilla and Rune in Cadport. Tilla has just turned 18 and, as all 18 year olds are, is drafted into the army to fight the Resistance. They reminisce about the past, before Cadigus took over the kingdom. Rune and Tilla are best friends and they kiss before parting, swearing to see each other again.
In the next scene, Kaelyn's sister, Shari appears with soldiers to gather the new recruits. She picks a random girl and kills her for no reason other than that she can. Kaelyn shows up in Rune's house and surprise surprise, he's "the boy" that they've come for and she's taking him back to the Resistance.
The story then diverges into Kaelyn and Rune running from Shari and her minions. Tilla has her own arc as her tortuous training begins. We're also then introduced to Kaelyn's twin brother, Leresy, who has just been given command over the fort that Tilla is assigned to. Leresy is also evil and rapey.
This brings us to the halfway point in the book and I honestly don't even care about the rest. The only insult that any of the characters seem to know is "whore" and they throw it around like candy to anyone around. All of the bad guys carry around a cat-o-nine-tails like whip thing and they beat everyone within sight and they're just so ridiculously bad that there's no depth to them at all. They rape, kill and torture because they feel like it and that's about it.
The good guys aren't any better though. Rune - as any other 17 year old - is obsessed with sex and even when his entire life has been shifted upside down, can only think about how good Kaelyn would look naked. Kaelyn tries to be both rough and consoling at the same time and the changes in her mood are jarring and weird.
And all of the characters speak in phrases. Like this. And they constantly speak in parallel sentence structure. Like this. And it's awkward. Like this.
I'm disappointed. I'd heard so many good things about Daniel Arenson but this book feels juvenile and undeveloped.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.
May 29, 2013
I really enjoyed this. Daniel Arenson's books are generally light on character depth but he writes wonderful descriptions that are really vivid and paint a picture of the environments and creatures he writes about.
If you've read his earlier dragon books (also good!), this is a little bit of a departure. This is dragons vs. dragons, dragon a mano, as it were. Also, the gruesome creatures and magic weapons and such are largely gone in this trilogy. Aside from the ability to shift into dragons and these Taser kind of things the bad guys have, there's not a lot of magic.
Bottom line: if you're looking for an action-packed fantasy, give this a try.
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you've read his earlier dragon books (also good!), this is a little bit of a departure. This is dragons vs. dragons, dragon a mano, as it were. Also, the gruesome creatures and magic weapons and such are largely gone in this trilogy. Aside from the ability to shift into dragons and these Taser kind of things the bad guys have, there's not a lot of magic.
Bottom line: if you're looking for an action-packed fantasy, give this a try.
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2015
Honestly I read a few chapters of this and couldn't finish it. It was heavy with old fantasy tropes that, by now, are boring and unoriginal. Bad guys dress in black and have superior force and funds, they chase the good guy to show that they are the aggressors, and are unquestionably evil and have no motivation other than that they are bad. Good guys are fighting for the "little guy" and dress like peasants. They want to save people. There are no real consequences for doing magic, which people seem to be able to do without expending energy. People turn into dragons just by thinking of doing it. People wear tunics instead of shirts. They all have vaguely Anglo/Irish sounding names gussied up with interesting spelling. I'd like to think there's a lot more to writing interesting fantasy than that. These things made it hard for me to keep reading, so... I stopped.
May 31, 2013
thoroughly enjoyable read. Can't wait for the next installment.
December 13, 2018
Flat characters, uninspiring and tired plot, ok writing. Not something I'd recommend, and quit reading about one third through the book.
August 31, 2013
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
When I was checking out some reviews on Goodreads, I noticed people mentioning that this book was YA. This book is not a YA novel, this falls more into the fantasy realm, just like the books it’s compared to LoTR and Game of Thrones. The subject matter deals with things a bit darker then a YA novel should address, and the gore is also much stronger, but as an adult fantasy novel it have my highest praise, even if I’m not a fan of excess gore. This novel, though unlike his other novels, so I’ve heard, doesn’t deal with use of magic, but with the uprising. There are rebels and there are oppressors. The majority of the plot focuses on that core idea, illuminating the evil vs good dynamic that every fantasy epic has. The evil in this book is so very evil and that’s where the the gore comes in. There’s rape, murder, killing of pleasure, and killing to prove a point, but therein lies the reality too. You don’t need to tame down a story because you believe it shouldn’t deal with the amount of violence. Violence is a part of life, especially a part of the life presented in Requiem. I am glad Arenson didn’t shy away just because he was worried about catering to a specific set of readers. He wrote the book honestly, and with great passion and it shows.
This book is well organized, well written and definitely takes you for a wild ride. It has all the twists and turns and suspense you expect from a fantasy novel. If you love dragons, like I do, this book is definitely for you. I couldn’t put it down. I kept reading late into nights, and I loved it! I will be going back and reading his other books, and waiting eagerly for the other books in the series as well. I’m definitely a fan for life now, even if it does not include Dragons. Arenson crafts an amazing world in this book, and I’m sure it would be just the same for any other book!
I will have this series on my shelf!
** I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **
When I was checking out some reviews on Goodreads, I noticed people mentioning that this book was YA. This book is not a YA novel, this falls more into the fantasy realm, just like the books it’s compared to LoTR and Game of Thrones. The subject matter deals with things a bit darker then a YA novel should address, and the gore is also much stronger, but as an adult fantasy novel it have my highest praise, even if I’m not a fan of excess gore. This novel, though unlike his other novels, so I’ve heard, doesn’t deal with use of magic, but with the uprising. There are rebels and there are oppressors. The majority of the plot focuses on that core idea, illuminating the evil vs good dynamic that every fantasy epic has. The evil in this book is so very evil and that’s where the the gore comes in. There’s rape, murder, killing of pleasure, and killing to prove a point, but therein lies the reality too. You don’t need to tame down a story because you believe it shouldn’t deal with the amount of violence. Violence is a part of life, especially a part of the life presented in Requiem. I am glad Arenson didn’t shy away just because he was worried about catering to a specific set of readers. He wrote the book honestly, and with great passion and it shows.
This book is well organized, well written and definitely takes you for a wild ride. It has all the twists and turns and suspense you expect from a fantasy novel. If you love dragons, like I do, this book is definitely for you. I couldn’t put it down. I kept reading late into nights, and I loved it! I will be going back and reading his other books, and waiting eagerly for the other books in the series as well. I’m definitely a fan for life now, even if it does not include Dragons. Arenson crafts an amazing world in this book, and I’m sure it would be just the same for any other book!
I will have this series on my shelf!
** I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **
January 1, 2015
I received an electronic copy of this book as part of the EPIC: Fourteen Books Of Fantasy boxed set in exchange for an honest review.
This book does not suit my taste in fiction, but it managed to engross me nonetheless. There was one major plot point I disliked, which is that everyone has the ability to transform into a dragon whenever they want, yet they live like simple villagers and allow themselves to be oppressed by a guy who uses them as his recruits into the army that does the oppressing. I find both parts of that difficult to believe, that dragons would want to live as peasants and that the tyrant hasn't been faced with a lot more opposition.
In any case, it's the story of several people on both sides, the young girl conscripted into training, her boyfriend who turns out to be the lost heir (and who, of course, must face each other across enemy lines) and various vile villains who apparently enjoy rape and torture. And yet it's a story that makes me want to finish it. I particularly enjoyed the story of the girl in training. While the training was brutal, I could see a resemblance to other works, like G.I. Jane. The people doing the training are villainous, to be sure, but their recruits are brainwashed into serving them loyally nonetheless.
A surprisingly good read. If the material was something I genuinely liked, it would have been five stars for sure.
This book does not suit my taste in fiction, but it managed to engross me nonetheless. There was one major plot point I disliked, which is that everyone has the ability to transform into a dragon whenever they want, yet they live like simple villagers and allow themselves to be oppressed by a guy who uses them as his recruits into the army that does the oppressing. I find both parts of that difficult to believe, that dragons would want to live as peasants and that the tyrant hasn't been faced with a lot more opposition.
In any case, it's the story of several people on both sides, the young girl conscripted into training, her boyfriend who turns out to be the lost heir (and who, of course, must face each other across enemy lines) and various vile villains who apparently enjoy rape and torture. And yet it's a story that makes me want to finish it. I particularly enjoyed the story of the girl in training. While the training was brutal, I could see a resemblance to other works, like G.I. Jane. The people doing the training are villainous, to be sure, but their recruits are brainwashed into serving them loyally nonetheless.
A surprisingly good read. If the material was something I genuinely liked, it would have been five stars for sure.
January 28, 2014
It is very dark, even in the more lighter moments.
Almost as if the author wanted to keep a tight-fisted hold on that cruel element in his fictitious world. At every turn despair, murder, rape, violence and degradation. No sunshine allowed through the darkened clouds or the shadows cast by majestic dragons.
However one could argue that it is the nature of the beast and that nature mirrors itself in the society built within the books. Often shapeshifters are portrayed with a more human than animal side. Arenson has chosen to do the opposite in my opinion. He lets the animal side rule instead but all whilst in human form.
That being said the characters weren't given enough time to develop because of the focus on the dark side.
This is part of Magic, Myth & Majestya box-set of Fantasy books.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.
Almost as if the author wanted to keep a tight-fisted hold on that cruel element in his fictitious world. At every turn despair, murder, rape, violence and degradation. No sunshine allowed through the darkened clouds or the shadows cast by majestic dragons.
However one could argue that it is the nature of the beast and that nature mirrors itself in the society built within the books. Often shapeshifters are portrayed with a more human than animal side. Arenson has chosen to do the opposite in my opinion. He lets the animal side rule instead but all whilst in human form.
That being said the characters weren't given enough time to develop because of the focus on the dark side.
This is part of Magic, Myth & Majestya box-set of Fantasy books.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.
June 9, 2017
What on earth did I just read? I was so focused on the poor writing that I can't remember the plot. For instance:
- Approximately 100 females are squashed into a wagon space so that the only reason they can keep standing is the press of the others surrounding them. They're so squashed in, the only reason Tilla can breathe is because she's quite a bit taller than the others and can raise her head to breathe the horrible air. After many hours on the road, everyone's suffering from foot and back pains from the enforced standing. So, how is it that Tilla can touch a nearby girl on the shoulder? How can she 'look at her boots' mid-conversation? If there's enough room to bring one's arm up from one's side in order to touch someone else's shoulder, there's not enough of a press to keep you standing when on the road. And, if one can look at one's boots, there's nobody in front to obstruct one's vision. Therefore, if there's enough room for those two actions, and we're told there is, then there's enough room to sit down. Which they don't do, because they're crushed in like cattle, hence the pain in the back, legs and feet caused by enforced standing.
- How can one give a blinking stare? One is either blinking or staring.
- Why is every female called a harlot or whore?
Just three of the problems that caused me to not really absorb the book. I haven't a clue who's who and what's what. The violence in the book was well over the top - almost comically, moustache-twiddlingly so. I won't be getting the next one, for fear of encountering "Mwahahaha!" somewhere in it. It wouldn't surprise me.
- Approximately 100 females are squashed into a wagon space so that the only reason they can keep standing is the press of the others surrounding them. They're so squashed in, the only reason Tilla can breathe is because she's quite a bit taller than the others and can raise her head to breathe the horrible air. After many hours on the road, everyone's suffering from foot and back pains from the enforced standing. So, how is it that Tilla can touch a nearby girl on the shoulder? How can she 'look at her boots' mid-conversation? If there's enough room to bring one's arm up from one's side in order to touch someone else's shoulder, there's not enough of a press to keep you standing when on the road. And, if one can look at one's boots, there's nobody in front to obstruct one's vision. Therefore, if there's enough room for those two actions, and we're told there is, then there's enough room to sit down. Which they don't do, because they're crushed in like cattle, hence the pain in the back, legs and feet caused by enforced standing.
- How can one give a blinking stare? One is either blinking or staring.
- Why is every female called a harlot or whore?
Just three of the problems that caused me to not really absorb the book. I haven't a clue who's who and what's what. The violence in the book was well over the top - almost comically, moustache-twiddlingly so. I won't be getting the next one, for fear of encountering "Mwahahaha!" somewhere in it. It wouldn't surprise me.
April 6, 2025
3.5
The book begins higly annoying. Sisters—princesses—Kaelyn and Shari hurl insults at each other. S is a psychopath while K is whiny. Later she goes to rescue a 17-year-old boy named Rune and expects him to follow her without explaining anything. Fortunately he doesn’t until his life is at risk. The girls’ beother Lereay is a leech. He’a 18 but is written like he’s in his 20s.
Rune’s best friend is Tilla. The two are the only people I like (until plot twist at end that makes me sad). I like the two together, tho we don’t see them as such for long since, at 18, Tilla is forced to be a soldier in the king’s army. Mae and Erry from her area are also with her. Mae is whinh and tearful even after she “grows.” Erry constantly rolls her eyes and somehow doesn’t learn when to shut up.
After 10 days with her, Rune kisses K and thinks he loves her, what?
Too many me leer at Tilla tho they may not with anyone else.
All the antagonists calls any group of women “whores.” There is way too much of that word thrown around, between women and from a man to a woman.
It’s cool that people can morph into dragons and the story was easy to read. Someone said this was a YA book and with amount of raping and sexual language, and with how S just offs people, I don’t see that—at lwast in the typical sense of YA=teens vs YA=actual young adults you know, people in their late teens and early 20s.
The book begins higly annoying. Sisters—princesses—Kaelyn and Shari hurl insults at each other. S is a psychopath while K is whiny. Later she goes to rescue a 17-year-old boy named Rune and expects him to follow her without explaining anything. Fortunately he doesn’t until his life is at risk. The girls’ beother Lereay is a leech. He’a 18 but is written like he’s in his 20s.
Rune’s best friend is Tilla. The two are the only people I like (until plot twist at end that makes me sad). I like the two together, tho we don’t see them as such for long since, at 18, Tilla is forced to be a soldier in the king’s army. Mae and Erry from her area are also with her. Mae is whinh and tearful even after she “grows.” Erry constantly rolls her eyes and somehow doesn’t learn when to shut up.
After 10 days with her, Rune kisses K and thinks he loves her, what?
Too many me leer at Tilla tho they may not with anyone else.
All the antagonists calls any group of women “whores.” There is way too much of that word thrown around, between women and from a man to a woman.
It’s cool that people can morph into dragons and the story was easy to read. Someone said this was a YA book and with amount of raping and sexual language, and with how S just offs people, I don’t see that—at lwast in the typical sense of YA=teens vs YA=actual young adults you know, people in their late teens and early 20s.
January 14, 2019
Bloody Stars!
I've definitely read these 2 words too many times in this book. These and a few others. Just like synonyms didn't exist in the world of dragons!
What I also don't like is cruelty. All the bad characters are so... bad that watching them through the lines of the text makes me feel like watching a serial killer from a B-class movie.
Thankfully good characters are not as shallow but I often have the feeling I've met them before (in another story). Still I'm going to read until the story (in this book solely) ends to see what happens.
It's not a bad book. (Not good either). Both: easy and hard to read.
I've definitely read these 2 words too many times in this book. These and a few others. Just like synonyms didn't exist in the world of dragons!
What I also don't like is cruelty. All the bad characters are so... bad that watching them through the lines of the text makes me feel like watching a serial killer from a B-class movie.
Thankfully good characters are not as shallow but I often have the feeling I've met them before (in another story). Still I'm going to read until the story (in this book solely) ends to see what happens.
It's not a bad book. (Not good either). Both: easy and hard to read.
October 5, 2017
Fast paced story, action packed, and words that painted any scene it needed with great detail. It speeds through some of the back story for the characters but the action taking place left and right kept me going. Shouldn't take long to get through, and definitely going to read the next 2 books in the trilogy.
June 20, 2017
Pretty good. Want more. Solid 3*
July 4, 2017
Fast and good read, but the character development feels nonexistent. Some of it is fleshed out a little bit laterm, but it still leaves a bad aftertaste.
December 16, 2018
I enjoyed this book. Full of war, fighting, shapeshifting, dragons. What more do you want?
March 10, 2019
Finally a book on the fantasy bundle that's well written. A few too many rape threats, but compared to the others so far in the bundle that that's a small quibble.
March 29, 2019
Didn't finish. Found it to be too sadistic and violent for me.
October 30, 2023
Fabulous storytelling.
June 25, 2024
Good story, good concept, it only lacks execution, hope the writing can be more refined
August 18, 2024
Some great characters in this series! There are surprising twists as you go along - I will definitely be reading the next in the series.
July 20, 2015
I read this book as part of a collection from Amazon. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This means that I don't really have any idea of what I'm about to read when I start each book. I don't bother researching them, or even doing a casual look-up to find what it's about. I prefer to go in blind, keep my mind open to something new and maybe unexpected.
I have to say, I've really enjoyed diving into the world of Requiem. I've never read a book that centered around dragons before. Though I have read books with dragons in them, this one is a different sort of story. The author did well with his story building. His creation of this world and its past. There is enough information to educate you, without bogging you down.
Rune is a young boy whose best friend is being taken in service of their King, Cadigus. It is forced conscription, treatment of the poorest quality, into a army run by the monarchy that rules them after tearing down the previous ruling family. It is a cruel and viscous and overbearing existence that the people live under the rule of Cadigus, the former general turned King who believes the former Requiem to be a weak place.
Runes best friend, Tilla, is strong. She is determined to survive her time in training, to succeed so she can return home to Rune. But in time, she is changed by her experiences. She finds her strength but at the cost of who she once was.
Rune, who is a year younger than Tilla, has to wait for his turn. However, the resistance finds him first and sets him on a path opposite of his friend.
The characters were enjoyable. Many were cliché tropes but the story that they told balanced this out. When it came down to it, Daniel Arenson painted a bleak world that I saw vividly as I read. I want to know more.
This means that I don't really have any idea of what I'm about to read when I start each book. I don't bother researching them, or even doing a casual look-up to find what it's about. I prefer to go in blind, keep my mind open to something new and maybe unexpected.
I have to say, I've really enjoyed diving into the world of Requiem. I've never read a book that centered around dragons before. Though I have read books with dragons in them, this one is a different sort of story. The author did well with his story building. His creation of this world and its past. There is enough information to educate you, without bogging you down.
Rune is a young boy whose best friend is being taken in service of their King, Cadigus. It is forced conscription, treatment of the poorest quality, into a army run by the monarchy that rules them after tearing down the previous ruling family. It is a cruel and viscous and overbearing existence that the people live under the rule of Cadigus, the former general turned King who believes the former Requiem to be a weak place.
Runes best friend, Tilla, is strong. She is determined to survive her time in training, to succeed so she can return home to Rune. But in time, she is changed by her experiences. She finds her strength but at the cost of who she once was.
Rune, who is a year younger than Tilla, has to wait for his turn. However, the resistance finds him first and sets him on a path opposite of his friend.
The characters were enjoyable. Many were cliché tropes but the story that they told balanced this out. When it came down to it, Daniel Arenson painted a bleak world that I saw vividly as I read. I want to know more.
August 10, 2016
I had read three Arenson books previously because they were a good price. I overall enjoyed them but they weren't spectacular, good enough that I wanted closure and read all three. I had chosen not to read anymore because the world he created was just ok. This book was included in a sampler pack for cheap so I ended up reading it. It was another OK book from the same world as the other series.
The story-line was very similar and for a moment I felt like I was reading the same book but with different character names. Same idea of a evil usurping overlord with a cruel streak that has infected his own abused children who are villains in their own right. Always his villains are into raping women and "subduing them" as if we needed more of this idea in the world. I feel we can have an evil character without having to be so specific - sometimes the imagination is worse.
I'm not sure how I feel about one character being successfully brainwashed over a mere three week period when she is supposed to be a strong personality. Or that our ignorant hero could learn enough swordplay that he could realistically defeat a character trained from birth in the art of war and soldiering. It was certainly Machiavellian in the use of fear to control the masses who may rise up. It seems like even Machiavelli understood that fear only takes you so far you also need to be cunning. True he said it is better to be "feared than loved" but he also talked in his book about how you must maintain the appearance of good but be more cunning in evil. Anyway, probably will not finish the trilogy as I am not overly invested in the characters.
The story-line was very similar and for a moment I felt like I was reading the same book but with different character names. Same idea of a evil usurping overlord with a cruel streak that has infected his own abused children who are villains in their own right. Always his villains are into raping women and "subduing them" as if we needed more of this idea in the world. I feel we can have an evil character without having to be so specific - sometimes the imagination is worse.
I'm not sure how I feel about one character being successfully brainwashed over a mere three week period when she is supposed to be a strong personality. Or that our ignorant hero could learn enough swordplay that he could realistically defeat a character trained from birth in the art of war and soldiering. It was certainly Machiavellian in the use of fear to control the masses who may rise up. It seems like even Machiavelli understood that fear only takes you so far you also need to be cunning. True he said it is better to be "feared than loved" but he also talked in his book about how you must maintain the appearance of good but be more cunning in evil. Anyway, probably will not finish the trilogy as I am not overly invested in the characters.
April 22, 2014
When Rune Brewer's best friend Tilla Roper is taken to be turned into a soldier for the current regime, along with all of those of age in the town of Cadport, he believes that the only thing for him is her own fate. To go when the time comes to be trained into a soldier. Well, he's right, but only halfway. His fate will lead him in a direction he never intended or even thought about going. His beliefs and who he believes himself to be will be challenged, and he will have to choose between working for a heartless ruler or working for a group which he has been taught is the enemy. But enemy for who is the question.
This book was amazing. The imagery and the battles and the separate chapters for all the characters set this apart from a lot of the fantasy books I have been reading lately. Each individual character has their own fight they must live through, whether it be the ones with evil intent or the ones with the best intentions or even the ones who are just trying to survive. Each has their own reasons for doing what they do. This aspect did not make me hate any one character, it just made me understand each one in their actions.
I kind of hated the ending. Not an I didn't enjoy it type of hate. But just the fact that it ended. I want to know more. I want to feel more of what these characters feel. I just want more. Luckily, though, this is just the first book and there is more to come.
This book was amazing. The imagery and the battles and the separate chapters for all the characters set this apart from a lot of the fantasy books I have been reading lately. Each individual character has their own fight they must live through, whether it be the ones with evil intent or the ones with the best intentions or even the ones who are just trying to survive. Each has their own reasons for doing what they do. This aspect did not make me hate any one character, it just made me understand each one in their actions.
I kind of hated the ending. Not an I didn't enjoy it type of hate. But just the fact that it ended. I want to know more. I want to feel more of what these characters feel. I just want more. Luckily, though, this is just the first book and there is more to come.
March 10, 2014
Having read the two previous Requiem Dragons trilogies, this one takes a very different villain spin. This time, Requiem's worst enemy is itself. A tyrant, Frey Cadigus, has overthrown the Aeternum royal family and has made Requiem the ruler of the world. He has trained Requiem's civilians into killers and attacked all our favorite allies from around the globe. Now, in order to maintain a rule of tyranny, he forces all 18 yr old citizens to commit to a 5 year servitude in the army. The enemy? This so called villainous resistance. Stories spread, and the citizens of Requiem find themselves rallying to defeat this Resistance movement, even while they are dying of hunger in their villages under the brutal and fear-driven tyranny of the Cadigus Regime.
However, we soon discover that the Resistance is not truly all it seems. Rune Brewer finds himself thrown in battle, needing to make decisions that he doesn't understand. Who can he trust? The Resistance or the Cadigus Regime? Allegiances are formed, and friendships are shattered. Requiem is at war with itself and it will be a long brutal and painful battle for the Resistance to fight to reclaim Requiem and bring about the old age of peace.
However, we soon discover that the Resistance is not truly all it seems. Rune Brewer finds himself thrown in battle, needing to make decisions that he doesn't understand. Who can he trust? The Resistance or the Cadigus Regime? Allegiances are formed, and friendships are shattered. Requiem is at war with itself and it will be a long brutal and painful battle for the Resistance to fight to reclaim Requiem and bring about the old age of peace.
April 9, 2015
The story tends to lose rhythm when told in two different places, the passage of time is not natural and by the end of the book seems rushed to conclusion. Its always a battle to finish the reading because while there are really good well written characters, there's half to soil the soup, with poor motivations and no plausible reason to do what they are doing. I have read The Moth series and it suffers the same issues, to the point i would not recommend this book or The Moth Saga to any friend.
A história tende a perder o ritmo quando o autor conta ela em dois locais diferentes, a passagem de tempo não parece natural e muitas parece ser apressada perto da conclusão do livro. É uma batalha terminar de ler o livro porque enquanto existem excelentes personagens, a metade está ali para estragar a história, com motivações fracas e sem causa real para as ações que eles estão fazendo. Eu também li a serie The Moth do mesmo autor e a mesma coisa acontece nela, a um ponto que eu não recomendo esse livro ou os da série The Moth para nenhum amigo.
A história tende a perder o ritmo quando o autor conta ela em dois locais diferentes, a passagem de tempo não parece natural e muitas parece ser apressada perto da conclusão do livro. É uma batalha terminar de ler o livro porque enquanto existem excelentes personagens, a metade está ali para estragar a história, com motivações fracas e sem causa real para as ações que eles estão fazendo. Eu também li a serie The Moth do mesmo autor e a mesma coisa acontece nela, a um ponto que eu não recomendo esse livro ou os da série The Moth para nenhum amigo.
June 25, 2015
What to say of this book?
I liked the overall story, I liked the world and the magic, I liked how the people could turn into dragons, the names, the colors, the lifes... The storyline itself is quite cliche, but bot bad... I quite liked Tilla, and Rune was overal smarter than most main charachters/heroes out there.
But I couldn't get myself to like the bad guys... none of them... they're all "I'm evil because I'm evil and I like it and I'm cruel and I'll kill and torture you all"...
And I found the writing to be a little bit tiring, too repetitive, with characters always introducing other characters all the time, even when you already got used to everyone...
I also think the violence was a bit overdone, specially with Leresy and all the raping going on... I mean, she's your fiancé, and she's willing, you don't have to rape her just to show who's the boss...
But I did like most of it, and I am curious to see more from Tilla, so I probably will read the sequel eventually
I liked the overall story, I liked the world and the magic, I liked how the people could turn into dragons, the names, the colors, the lifes... The storyline itself is quite cliche, but bot bad... I quite liked Tilla, and Rune was overal smarter than most main charachters/heroes out there.
But I couldn't get myself to like the bad guys... none of them... they're all "I'm evil because I'm evil and I like it and I'm cruel and I'll kill and torture you all"...
And I found the writing to be a little bit tiring, too repetitive, with characters always introducing other characters all the time, even when you already got used to everyone...
I also think the violence was a bit overdone, specially with Leresy and all the raping going on... I mean, she's your fiancé, and she's willing, you don't have to rape her just to show who's the boss...
But I did like most of it, and I am curious to see more from Tilla, so I probably will read the sequel eventually
February 1, 2014
I was given this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Being a fan of dragons, I was very interested in seeing what this story had to offer. It wasn't what I expected.
I found myself drawn to the characters that fought for the resistance, and grumbling when the POV switched to members of The Red Spiral. Although I do realize their story is important too, I just wanted something to come and smite them so I could cackle.
There were times where I felt this book fell flat. The characters seemed to change too much, the prince especially, it was confusing trying to keep up with what was going on with him at times.
The ending, although frustrating, was a great way to end the first book. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. All and all, I give it 4/5 platypires.
http://www.platypire.com/3/post/2014/...
I found myself drawn to the characters that fought for the resistance, and grumbling when the POV switched to members of The Red Spiral. Although I do realize their story is important too, I just wanted something to come and smite them so I could cackle.
There were times where I felt this book fell flat. The characters seemed to change too much, the prince especially, it was confusing trying to keep up with what was going on with him at times.
The ending, although frustrating, was a great way to end the first book. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. All and all, I give it 4/5 platypires.
http://www.platypire.com/3/post/2014/...
August 7, 2015
I wanted to like this more. It kept me entertained throughout, which counts for something, and despite the issues I found myself rooting for the primary characters (and looking forward to the chapters where they were featured).
There were flaws, though. Character development is a little stunted - each character's decision making process is a bit disjointed, and often left my scratching my head wondering why in the world he or she did that. The magic is a little too prevalent; everyone seems to be able to shift into a dragon - I don't think we met a character who couldn't - which kind of takes away the 'magic' of it all. Most of all, the plot is terribly tropey - a poor farm boy turns out to be a child of prophecy, destined to save the world from the evil empire.
I'm curious enough to at least consider reading the sequels, but this was by no means flawless.
There were flaws, though. Character development is a little stunted - each character's decision making process is a bit disjointed, and often left my scratching my head wondering why in the world he or she did that. The magic is a little too prevalent; everyone seems to be able to shift into a dragon - I don't think we met a character who couldn't - which kind of takes away the 'magic' of it all. Most of all, the plot is terribly tropey - a poor farm boy turns out to be a child of prophecy, destined to save the world from the evil empire.
I'm curious enough to at least consider reading the sequels, but this was by no means flawless.
June 10, 2016
It was an interesting read although reading about young adults and what goes through their minds can be a challenge but there are enough twisted adults to overlook this. As the story progresses these annoying dialogues somehow dissipate as the eighteen year olds are forced to make tough decisions and I watched them grow from frightened kids into potential interesting adults.
Fortunately Daniel Arenson is a good story teller and included just enough violence and action to make the book worth reading. The characters are diverse and alluring, all in their own right. From the weak, to the brave and feisty where emotions range from fear to anger revenge and hope. I will look forward to reading book 2.
Fortunately Daniel Arenson is a good story teller and included just enough violence and action to make the book worth reading. The characters are diverse and alluring, all in their own right. From the weak, to the brave and feisty where emotions range from fear to anger revenge and hope. I will look forward to reading book 2.
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