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The Blood-Cursed Dragon
An epic fantasy with dark themes where the main characters never get a break, never receive mercy, and never surrender. This is a multi-POV dragon origin story where the distinction between hero and villain is, at times, uncertain. The Blood-Cursed Dragon offers a world with rich world building and fantastical creatures.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2025
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 15, 2025
Absolutely fell in love with this book 100%. I’ve read several of this author’s books and this is without doubt my favorite. Epic fantasy with a dragon. Not just any dragon but the very first dragon. I liked the world, the characters re and the storyline. It kept my interest from start to finish and I can’t wait to read the next book. I highly recommend you grab this one.
I received an advanced reader copy from the author for free. This review is voluntary.
I received an advanced reader copy from the author for free. This review is voluntary.
June 25, 2025
I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of the ebook in exchange for an honest review—all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
The Blood Cursed Dragon surprised me with its emotional depth, unique take on dragon lore, and a cast of well-developed, memorable characters. While there were moments where I wished for a little more exploration—especially in the worldbuilding and the final wrap-up—the book delivered a compelling and emotional fantasy journey. Gritty battles, character growth, and meaningful themes made it a standout indie read. It’s a strong 8/10 from me, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from D.C. Sumner.
Full Spoiler Review Below!
The Blood Cursed Dragon surprised me with its emotional depth, unique take on dragon lore, and a cast of well-developed, memorable characters. While there were moments where I wished for a little more exploration—especially in the worldbuilding and the final wrap-up—the book delivered a compelling and emotional fantasy journey. Gritty battles, character growth, and meaningful themes made it a standout indie read. It’s a strong 8/10 from me, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from D.C. Sumner.
Full Spoiler Review Below!
July 10, 2025
I was given an ARC kindle copy of this book. At first, it started out confusing with multiple character introductions and a lot of jumping around. But the further I read, the more it all started coming together and making sense. By the end, I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen.
September 14, 2025
Dragons!! Great world building and character building. Got confused a few times at the sudden POV shifts but it all came together. Only reason for the four star rating is because
I felt it took too long to build and get to the “good parts”. It’s all vital to the story though, so push through it’s worth it!! And of course, the cliffhanger, another sign of a good book!
I felt it took too long to build and get to the “good parts”. It’s all vital to the story though, so push through it’s worth it!! And of course, the cliffhanger, another sign of a good book!
July 8, 2025
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review... which pains me because I wish I had been bribed for a positive review. I'm going to break this into sections, because I have A LOT to say.
📃The description:
Normally the description focuses on PLOT. However, due to it's lack of plot description, I felt the need to read it, because I thought to myself, "I need to know WHAT will keep me on the edge of my seat!"
While we're talking about that, I feel like the phrasing, "This story will have you on the edge of your seat" should only be said by the audience (the readers). If the author describes their own book that way, it reads as a prideful "My book is fantastic!"
✍🏼The writing style
Please spell-check. PLEASE. It pains me to see the author discuss how he rushed the editing process on social media and did it all himself to save time, because the editing is bad. There were so many sentences throughout the book that I had to reread more than once because they were unclear or had constant subject-verb DISagreement.
I understand some of the language choices are due to creating an Archaic vibe, but if that's a choice you're making as the author, make sure we are using the correct word (loathe v. loath).
A lot of the dialogue feels theatrical, as if it is being said for the benefit of an audience. This feels really odd when it's two characters alone in the woods. Some of the lines and reactions to them feel very sitcom-ish. For example, after a gruesome battle, someone makes a very out-of-place quip, and then everyone starts cackling. It has a very unnatural feeling.
The pacing of this story makes me feel like I am experiencing ongoing whiplash. The transition from scene to scene is often very unclear. For example, the friend opens the door to his house and says, "let's go to the woods" and the main character says, "I've got nothing better to do". Then, they are IMMEDIATELY entering the woods. No walk to the woods, no conversation on the way to the woods to get to know the dynamics of the friendship that they have together, just, "wow, these woods are as creepy as I remember". Then, they're in the woods for maybe one page, and then they're leaving again?
This is unfortunately a common theme throughout the book for scene transitions.
🧚🏼♀️The Characters (NO SPOILERS)
Ara is poor and doesn't want to be. She simply MUST make something of herself.
Calder is Ara's childhood friend whom we know virtually nothing about.
Prince Oliver is rich and doesn't want to be a big-bad-meanie king of Valendra (like his father).
Sandin the assassin works for the big-bad queen of Abithia.
Taffy Raolin is a messenger who shows up of one chapter and is never seen again.
*Some characters have been omitted to keep this spoiler-free*
I felt all of the characters could use a bit more background and fleshing out of their personality. Additionally, there were many times where characters made decisions that went against how the characters were initially described. Some were developed as mean and emotionless while simultaneously showing a full range of emotions. It just didn't make sense.
Because of the pacing, all of the relationships between characters feel rushed or just weird. There were characters who were portrayed as being close, yet only had about 2 very brief and impersonal conversations. I didn't FEEL their relationships, I was simply told "these people know each other and feel this way about each other". This made it hard to feel things for any of the characters throughout the book.
📖 The PLOT (finally)
*Spoiler-FREE*
Here's what the book is actually about:
A fantasy war among kingdoms with differing ideologies has taken many years and many lives. The city of Valendra is divided among two classes: Lowborn and Highborn. Ara lives in Osta, a province in Valendra, and she is determined to rise above her Lowborn status. Oliver, the prince of Valendra, and next in line for the thrown, is determined to be a fair ruler and put an end to the long war that has killed so many of his people. He also wants to put an end to the Nyssavir (big freaky wormlike creatures that cause havoc on the land and it's people).
Keeping this spoiler-free, there is a side story about some magic and the creation of the first dragon.
🟦🟥🟦🟥🟦🟥SPOILERS BELOW🟦🟥🟦🟥🟦🟥
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
🕳️The inevitable Plot HOLES
*SPOILERS*
Time makes no sense in this story. If you say, "let's meet back in three days", don't make it happen in less than 48 hrs.
This happens again when she says, "I'll be back in a few days" and literally comes back a couple hours later.
I guess characters in indie-books can just know how to manipulate energy on their first try. They must be built different.
The King doesn't have someone taste his food and drink before he eats it? Rookie mistake.
I'm sorry wait a minute, the king was given unlabeled food of unknown origin? What? And the servants are not executed for killing the king?? WHAT????
So someone is going to go through the trouble of hunting a rabbit, packing it away, stripping the meat from the rabbit, cooking the rabbit, and then they're going to eat some salted ham....
The magic person looks at the back through cold water and exclaims, "This is going to be miserable", then two sentences later says, "Physical ailments are not something that have plagued me for some time." THEN WHY WHINE ABOUT IT CASSANDRA??
What happened to Cassandra? (Why make it sound like her existence is tethered to Ara and her only purpose is Ara IF IT'S NOT?!)
What about the hooded lady at the beginning of the book who snuck up on Ara and Cal? Some SUPER unsubtle foreshadowing.
Guys, this mans travels who knows how far (because the story doesn't give a good explanation of the lay of the land) to kill the queen, then puts the sword to her throat and delivers a cringey monologue about how she's owes a blood debt, and THEN says, "there are worse fates than losing one's life" and then MAKES A TREATY???? Because she sees two random men from her kingdom die and says SORRYY??? These characters make no sense.
Ysra's revenge makes no sense. He serves the queen, and the queen apparently came to an agreement with the King and called off the war. Yet, he mentions training future assassins to restart the war. He also claims to be loyal to the queen and finish his job. Which is it buddy?
Ara's wrath towards innocent strangers makes no sense. She was literally one of them. She desires revenge on the king. So she's just going to fry randos crossing the street? Why tho?
Sandins emotions make no sense. He's a man with no feelings, yet feels all the feelings?
When Oliver says "it's all my fault", Sandon replies by saying "every man and women are responsible for the choices they make." Which to a degree is true; however, this is 100% most definitely all Olivers fault. Certainly as an assassin he would understand something like this.
Wait, I skipped over the fact that Oliver did not want to kill Ara's dad because he believed that it wasn't him who killed the king... And then he did it anyways... This is the most out of character move from Oliver in the whole story, and it's really frustrating that this is used as the Catalyst to 90% of the book.
A lot of the intuition felt by Ara as THE FIRST DRAGON TO HAVE EVER EXISTED has the same bizarre feeling as "somehow Palpatine has returned".
🔚 THE CONCLUSION
Overall, this book was lacking in world building, character descriptions, character consistency, smooth dialogue, smooth pacing, and lore that made sense. I was really hoping to come across a hidden gem here, but this story was definitely not a diamond in the rough.
I do not wish for the author to take these criticisms personally, but I'd rather them see where they can grow and improve their craft.
📃The description:
Normally the description focuses on PLOT. However, due to it's lack of plot description, I felt the need to read it, because I thought to myself, "I need to know WHAT will keep me on the edge of my seat!"
While we're talking about that, I feel like the phrasing, "This story will have you on the edge of your seat" should only be said by the audience (the readers). If the author describes their own book that way, it reads as a prideful "My book is fantastic!"
✍🏼The writing style
Please spell-check. PLEASE. It pains me to see the author discuss how he rushed the editing process on social media and did it all himself to save time, because the editing is bad. There were so many sentences throughout the book that I had to reread more than once because they were unclear or had constant subject-verb DISagreement.
I understand some of the language choices are due to creating an Archaic vibe, but if that's a choice you're making as the author, make sure we are using the correct word (loathe v. loath).
A lot of the dialogue feels theatrical, as if it is being said for the benefit of an audience. This feels really odd when it's two characters alone in the woods. Some of the lines and reactions to them feel very sitcom-ish. For example, after a gruesome battle, someone makes a very out-of-place quip, and then everyone starts cackling. It has a very unnatural feeling.
The pacing of this story makes me feel like I am experiencing ongoing whiplash. The transition from scene to scene is often very unclear. For example, the friend opens the door to his house and says, "let's go to the woods" and the main character says, "I've got nothing better to do". Then, they are IMMEDIATELY entering the woods. No walk to the woods, no conversation on the way to the woods to get to know the dynamics of the friendship that they have together, just, "wow, these woods are as creepy as I remember". Then, they're in the woods for maybe one page, and then they're leaving again?
This is unfortunately a common theme throughout the book for scene transitions.
🧚🏼♀️The Characters (NO SPOILERS)
Ara is poor and doesn't want to be. She simply MUST make something of herself.
Calder is Ara's childhood friend whom we know virtually nothing about.
Prince Oliver is rich and doesn't want to be a big-bad-meanie king of Valendra (like his father).
Sandin the assassin works for the big-bad queen of Abithia.
Taffy Raolin is a messenger who shows up of one chapter and is never seen again.
*Some characters have been omitted to keep this spoiler-free*
I felt all of the characters could use a bit more background and fleshing out of their personality. Additionally, there were many times where characters made decisions that went against how the characters were initially described. Some were developed as mean and emotionless while simultaneously showing a full range of emotions. It just didn't make sense.
Because of the pacing, all of the relationships between characters feel rushed or just weird. There were characters who were portrayed as being close, yet only had about 2 very brief and impersonal conversations. I didn't FEEL their relationships, I was simply told "these people know each other and feel this way about each other". This made it hard to feel things for any of the characters throughout the book.
📖 The PLOT (finally)
*Spoiler-FREE*
Here's what the book is actually about:
A fantasy war among kingdoms with differing ideologies has taken many years and many lives. The city of Valendra is divided among two classes: Lowborn and Highborn. Ara lives in Osta, a province in Valendra, and she is determined to rise above her Lowborn status. Oliver, the prince of Valendra, and next in line for the thrown, is determined to be a fair ruler and put an end to the long war that has killed so many of his people. He also wants to put an end to the Nyssavir (big freaky wormlike creatures that cause havoc on the land and it's people).
Keeping this spoiler-free, there is a side story about some magic and the creation of the first dragon.
🟦🟥🟦🟥🟦🟥SPOILERS BELOW🟦🟥🟦🟥🟦🟥
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
🕳️The inevitable Plot HOLES
*SPOILERS*
Time makes no sense in this story. If you say, "let's meet back in three days", don't make it happen in less than 48 hrs.
This happens again when she says, "I'll be back in a few days" and literally comes back a couple hours later.
I guess characters in indie-books can just know how to manipulate energy on their first try. They must be built different.
The King doesn't have someone taste his food and drink before he eats it? Rookie mistake.
I'm sorry wait a minute, the king was given unlabeled food of unknown origin? What? And the servants are not executed for killing the king?? WHAT????
So someone is going to go through the trouble of hunting a rabbit, packing it away, stripping the meat from the rabbit, cooking the rabbit, and then they're going to eat some salted ham....
The magic person looks at the back through cold water and exclaims, "This is going to be miserable", then two sentences later says, "Physical ailments are not something that have plagued me for some time." THEN WHY WHINE ABOUT IT CASSANDRA??
What happened to Cassandra? (Why make it sound like her existence is tethered to Ara and her only purpose is Ara IF IT'S NOT?!)
What about the hooded lady at the beginning of the book who snuck up on Ara and Cal? Some SUPER unsubtle foreshadowing.
Guys, this mans travels who knows how far (because the story doesn't give a good explanation of the lay of the land) to kill the queen, then puts the sword to her throat and delivers a cringey monologue about how she's owes a blood debt, and THEN says, "there are worse fates than losing one's life" and then MAKES A TREATY???? Because she sees two random men from her kingdom die and says SORRYY??? These characters make no sense.
Ysra's revenge makes no sense. He serves the queen, and the queen apparently came to an agreement with the King and called off the war. Yet, he mentions training future assassins to restart the war. He also claims to be loyal to the queen and finish his job. Which is it buddy?
Ara's wrath towards innocent strangers makes no sense. She was literally one of them. She desires revenge on the king. So she's just going to fry randos crossing the street? Why tho?
Sandins emotions make no sense. He's a man with no feelings, yet feels all the feelings?
When Oliver says "it's all my fault", Sandon replies by saying "every man and women are responsible for the choices they make." Which to a degree is true; however, this is 100% most definitely all Olivers fault. Certainly as an assassin he would understand something like this.
Wait, I skipped over the fact that Oliver did not want to kill Ara's dad because he believed that it wasn't him who killed the king... And then he did it anyways... This is the most out of character move from Oliver in the whole story, and it's really frustrating that this is used as the Catalyst to 90% of the book.
A lot of the intuition felt by Ara as THE FIRST DRAGON TO HAVE EVER EXISTED has the same bizarre feeling as "somehow Palpatine has returned".
🔚 THE CONCLUSION
Overall, this book was lacking in world building, character descriptions, character consistency, smooth dialogue, smooth pacing, and lore that made sense. I was really hoping to come across a hidden gem here, but this story was definitely not a diamond in the rough.
I do not wish for the author to take these criticisms personally, but I'd rather them see where they can grow and improve their craft.
August 9, 2025
After seeing this author’s TikToks promising a dragon origin story, I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to read it. When I got the chance to be an ARC reader, I jumped at it—and I’m so glad I did!
I’m a big fan of fantasy, but sometimes the genre can get bogged down in dense worldbuilding and heavy high-fantasy elements. While I enjoy that at times, there are other moments when I crave something lighter. This book struck a perfect balance—right between high fantasy and a slightly cozier fantasy vibe. That said, there were also some surprisingly brutal scenes that completely caught me off guard, which I loved.
The story’s readability and the author’s unique spin on a dragon creation myth were definite highlights for me.
I did take off one star because there were a few small moments—mostly bits of dialogue—that felt a touch too modern for the fantasy setting, which pulled me out of the world briefly. But those were rare and didn’t ruin the experience. Also, the revenge-driven themes were handled fairly well, but I would have liked to see just a bit more reasoning behind some of the characters actions and why they made some of the choices they made.
Overall, this was a strong, enjoyable debut, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever the author writes next!
*I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
I’m a big fan of fantasy, but sometimes the genre can get bogged down in dense worldbuilding and heavy high-fantasy elements. While I enjoy that at times, there are other moments when I crave something lighter. This book struck a perfect balance—right between high fantasy and a slightly cozier fantasy vibe. That said, there were also some surprisingly brutal scenes that completely caught me off guard, which I loved.
The story’s readability and the author’s unique spin on a dragon creation myth were definite highlights for me.
I did take off one star because there were a few small moments—mostly bits of dialogue—that felt a touch too modern for the fantasy setting, which pulled me out of the world briefly. But those were rare and didn’t ruin the experience. Also, the revenge-driven themes were handled fairly well, but I would have liked to see just a bit more reasoning behind some of the characters actions and why they made some of the choices they made.
Overall, this was a strong, enjoyable debut, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever the author writes next!
*I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
August 6, 2025
This was a great addition to the dark fantasy world with some real shockers that I did not see coming at all! The plot moves quickly, keeping you engaged through a couple of different POV's, each character giving you something to grab hold of in support but also giving you the space to raise an eyebrow or two. There isn't necessarily a "good guy/bad guy" dynamic, but this works because it makes the world feel very real. Not every decision our POV's make are good decisions and the reverberations of those actions are felt throughout the story. The action is good, with a large amount of battle scenes that keep the book moving at a fun pace. I was a little taken aback (not in a bad way!) and the major shift that happens with one of the characters midway through the book, which opens up a HUGE door for possibilities of some epic adventures in the future and I appreciated that the author didn't take the easy road out by making "everything better" with a couple of conversations. The consequences were real and lasting, and that made it a unique story! I am definitely excited to read more in this world!
August 13, 2025
I’m truly grateful to have received this book as an ARC, so a big thank you to author D.C.! Now, onto the review—this story feels refreshing and unique. I especially enjoyed the twist on a dragon origin story; instead of the character simply being born a dragon, we’re given a more creative and engaging backstory.
That said, I would have liked to see the story expanded a bit more. I wouldn’t necessarily call it an “epic” fantasy, but it’s definitely a strong dark fantasy. Some additional character development and a slower build—perhaps stretched across multiple books—could have made the plot even more impactful. At times, the pacing felt a little too quick, almost as if it were being rushed.
Overall, it’s a solid read and a great entry point for those new to the fantasy genre. I’d happily recommend it to anyone looking for a dark fantasy with a fresh twist.
That said, I would have liked to see the story expanded a bit more. I wouldn’t necessarily call it an “epic” fantasy, but it’s definitely a strong dark fantasy. Some additional character development and a slower build—perhaps stretched across multiple books—could have made the plot even more impactful. At times, the pacing felt a little too quick, almost as if it were being rushed.
Overall, it’s a solid read and a great entry point for those new to the fantasy genre. I’d happily recommend it to anyone looking for a dark fantasy with a fresh twist.
September 7, 2025
I was selected as an arc reader for this book from author DC Sumner. Took me sometime to finish it, but I’m a slow reader and I was also reading other books in between, has nothing to do with the book. 😃
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I think the story is good, the characters are well developed, world building was okay, and the story of the birth of the first dragon is original. That said, something I would like to point out is that a lot of the story was moving too fast for my liking. Characters made important decisions in the blink of an eye, without discussion or planning. Scenes that were sentimental lacked that gut piercing sadness because of how fast the interaction was between characters. Still, if you enjoy fantasy, dragons, revenge, found family, this book has it. Congratulations to author DC Sumner for his upcoming release September 15, 2025.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I think the story is good, the characters are well developed, world building was okay, and the story of the birth of the first dragon is original. That said, something I would like to point out is that a lot of the story was moving too fast for my liking. Characters made important decisions in the blink of an eye, without discussion or planning. Scenes that were sentimental lacked that gut piercing sadness because of how fast the interaction was between characters. Still, if you enjoy fantasy, dragons, revenge, found family, this book has it. Congratulations to author DC Sumner for his upcoming release September 15, 2025.
September 11, 2025
A surprising, emotional fantasy story with a very interesting twist on the dragon origin story which I've not seen before and thoroughly enjoyed and it worked well for this story.
There are multiple character introductions at the beginning of the book which confused me slightly, but keep reading and it all makes sense and merges into an engaging story that is hard to put down
There is no HEA or sweet romance in this book but it does have gritty battles, magic, revenge and monsters.
My only complaint would be I thought the book moved a little too fast over some issues and I would have preferred a little more thought and discussion going into some choices the characters made, the emotional angst and sadness of the story was missing (for me)
Thank you DC Sumner for the opportunity to ARC this book and I look forward to your next one
There are multiple character introductions at the beginning of the book which confused me slightly, but keep reading and it all makes sense and merges into an engaging story that is hard to put down
There is no HEA or sweet romance in this book but it does have gritty battles, magic, revenge and monsters.
My only complaint would be I thought the book moved a little too fast over some issues and I would have preferred a little more thought and discussion going into some choices the characters made, the emotional angst and sadness of the story was missing (for me)
Thank you DC Sumner for the opportunity to ARC this book and I look forward to your next one
August 28, 2025
I was lucky enough to get a Physical Arc copy of this book and here is my review.
I found this to be a very unique book and exploration of the theme and pot on the book.
This book explores themes of love, loss, longing and Vengeance and explore a world in which there are different kingdoms and a war that’s been going on for a few life times.
Also within this book is magic and monsters, some that are no longer alive and one that comes to be the first dragon.
I definitely found this to be a very interesting and unique idea of how the first dragon came to be and the construct of magic.
The more I read the more I got into it, there were definitely a lot of emotions and feelings towards the events that took place and I can’t wait to see what is next.
I found this to be a very unique book and exploration of the theme and pot on the book.
This book explores themes of love, loss, longing and Vengeance and explore a world in which there are different kingdoms and a war that’s been going on for a few life times.
Also within this book is magic and monsters, some that are no longer alive and one that comes to be the first dragon.
I definitely found this to be a very interesting and unique idea of how the first dragon came to be and the construct of magic.
The more I read the more I got into it, there were definitely a lot of emotions and feelings towards the events that took place and I can’t wait to see what is next.
September 2, 2025
The Blood Cursed Dragon by D.C. Sumner is a gripping fantasy read that pulls you into Ara’s world from the very beginning. The writing is vivid, the lore is fascinating, and the characters are layered in a way that makes you want to know more about them as the story unfolds. While there were a few spots where the pacing seemed to slow, those moments didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the journey.
This is a story that feels like it’s just the beginning of something bigger, and Ara’s arc is far from over. I only hope there’s a continuation, because I need to know how Ara’s story ultimately concludes. Sumner has built a world and character foundation strong enough to leave readers craving the next installment.
This is a story that feels like it’s just the beginning of something bigger, and Ara’s arc is far from over. I only hope there’s a continuation, because I need to know how Ara’s story ultimately concludes. Sumner has built a world and character foundation strong enough to leave readers craving the next installment.
July 26, 2025
I received this as an advance reader copy from the author. I was originally fascinated by this title and cover. However, it was hard to follow at times and left alot of questions. I hope that book 2 will help with those questions! Multiple storyline that intersect.
Oliver- a prince who wants to change things in his kingdom when he becomes King. He achieves several changes before he turns into the same type of king his father was.
Ara is a lowborn who dreams of a better life. She leaves her home when her father dies and swears revenge on the king. She ends up on an adventure of a lifetime.
Oliver- a prince who wants to change things in his kingdom when he becomes King. He achieves several changes before he turns into the same type of king his father was.
Ara is a lowborn who dreams of a better life. She leaves her home when her father dies and swears revenge on the king. She ends up on an adventure of a lifetime.
August 3, 2025
I enjoyed this book. However at many points it seemed rushed. As a lover of epic fantasy, a reader of Robert Jordan, R. A. Salvatore and Brandon Sanderson I did not get the "epic" vibe due to that rushed feeling. I feel as a fantasy novel this is a good read. Very fast paced, but like I said it felt rushed along. Dark, yes. I would even dare to say this felt more YA then I was expecting. There is some graphic violence however no more than video games today. I am interested in reading more from this author as he does have other published work. If you want a good revenge and found family story. This is the one for you.
July 3, 2025
Do you ever feel like the cards are stacked against you and nothing ever goes right? Then you'll definitely relate to Ara in this story. This book was unique in character building. So many times I would think, "so this is the bad character" and then the author would go and switch things up on me. I'm still unsure as to who I like the most.
The character and world building in this book is phenomenal. I felt like I was there, experiencing it right along with the characters. Then the cliff hanger the book ends on?! I'll be impatiently waiting for the next book.
The character and world building in this book is phenomenal. I felt like I was there, experiencing it right along with the characters. Then the cliff hanger the book ends on?! I'll be impatiently waiting for the next book.
January 7, 2026
I loved this book. I've never read anything by this author and now I want to pick up everything else. I'm looking forward to the 2nd installment. The world building in this story was wonderful. It's very hard to do and it was very easy to follow and painted pictures in my head. I was able to escape into this story very easily and didn't want to put it down. Unfortunately, life sometimes demands my attention, so I couldn't finish as fast as I wanted to. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the author and I'm honored I was chosen to read such an exciting story.
July 8, 2025
This was a solid dark fantasy read. The world-building stood out detailed, layered, and immersive without being overwhelming. I liked that the characters weren’t perfect; they made messy choices, which made the story feel more real. It’s definitely a heavy story no easy wins or feel-good moments but if you’re into gritty, morally grey fantasy with dragons and real stakes, it delivers. Not for everyone, but fans of darker epic fantasy will likely appreciate it.
October 1, 2025
I loved how fast this book grabbed my attention , I’m talking 8 chapters in 40 minutes grabbed my attention . I knew this book was not going to have a boy gets girl kinda ending , but DAMN !!! lol I wish some parts had a little more or little longer but all in all this book was glorious !! And I love Sandin . Sandin is my end game character !! A story about how the first dragon came about is 100% something I needed in my life !! Did I mention Sandin ?? lol 😂
October 11, 2025
This is a dark epic fantasy with several "OMG" moments that will make you cover your mouth and widen your eyes as you read them. The characters are fleshed out quite well. I particularly liked the dynamic between Ara and Oliver. Sandin was cool too. There's war, there's blood, there's battles, and of course, dragon(s). It's a very cool story and was a fun read (fun, if you're into the dark epic fantasy genre, of course). I highly recommend!
September 13, 2025
There are some well written scenes, interesting characters and a dark storyline.
All characters were flawed, making it hard for me to like any of them.
An interesting fantasy read.
I am very appreciative that I got to read The Blood-Cursed Dragon as an eARC, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
All characters were flawed, making it hard for me to like any of them.
An interesting fantasy read.
I am very appreciative that I got to read The Blood-Cursed Dragon as an eARC, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
September 15, 2025
Absolutely amazing book! It kept me hooked from the beginning. I love the way the line between good and evil is so blurred. I am constantly torn between who I should be rooting for and my heart hurts for both sides at times. The emotional depth the author brought to these characters, is what truly made this book amazing.
September 16, 2025
I love it. I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy of this book. I don’t want to give too much away but this book will really grip you. From the world building to the lore to the characters this book really is great. I can’t wait for the second book and to continue the story. One of my favorite reads of 2025. Oh Ara how I love you! It is an absolute must read epic fantasy!
July 2, 2025
Absolutely loved this book! I can’t wait to see what happens next!!!! 100% read this book!
The character building, the world building all of it. I felt like I was there and inside the characters minds! A great read!
The character building, the world building all of it. I felt like I was there and inside the characters minds! A great read!
August 5, 2025
The author sent me an advanced electronic copy of this book.
I really enjoyed this story. Not at all what I was expecting after reading the beginning but worth every minute of reading it.
Ara and Oliver meet and fall in love. Something happens and Ara is bent on revenge against Oliver.
I really enjoyed this story. Not at all what I was expecting after reading the beginning but worth every minute of reading it.
Ara and Oliver meet and fall in love. Something happens and Ara is bent on revenge against Oliver.
September 2, 2025
Wow! I literally just finished this spectacular book and oh my gosh! It was a roller coaster from the beginning. No character in this book got what they wanted. Death everywhere. DC Sumner is nothing short of a great author! I will FOREVER recommend this book to fantasy readers!
June 25, 2025
An enthralling adventure and tragedy.
I enjoyed all of it.
I enjoyed all of it.
July 25, 2025
KILL BILL BUT THERE’S A DRAGON?? What a fun read!
September 18, 2025
Great fantasy story. Different than a lot of the books that are available right now. Definitely a strong FMC. Betrayal at literally every turn.
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December 17, 2025I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion:
This book had intriguing elements like the dragon lore and the nyssavir (I don’t remember how to spell that 😂). The war raging between kingdoms was also interesting.
Unfortunately, I found it hard to connect with the characters. They tended to make out-of-character decisions or change their minds quickly about things. The characters would also do things that didn’t seem smart for the situations they were in, so it was hard to root for them.
Congratulations to Sumner on releasing this book, though!
This book had intriguing elements like the dragon lore and the nyssavir (I don’t remember how to spell that 😂). The war raging between kingdoms was also interesting.
Unfortunately, I found it hard to connect with the characters. They tended to make out-of-character decisions or change their minds quickly about things. The characters would also do things that didn’t seem smart for the situations they were in, so it was hard to root for them.
Congratulations to Sumner on releasing this book, though!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews