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The Dragon of Dread Deep, A Gritty and Dark Pirate Epic Fantasy: A Vorelian Saga Novel
Some of the greatest heroes were once the villain.
A pirate. A heist. A destiny he never wanted . . . And the birth of a Dragon Rider.
Cassian is a thief—one of the best. As a loyal member of the White Horn pirates and a Queens’ Bidder, he knows that only one law matters in the Vore obey the Red Queens or die. But when whispers of rebellion spread among the worshippers of the Red Goddess, Cassian’s world erupts into chaos, and survival becomes his only goal. Damn the rest.
But a mad king’s heist offers the impossible—a dragon egg for the chance at freedom. Cassian and his crew set sail on a mission that will change their destinies forever. A daring plan through the unforgivable Grave of Seas brings trouble. Before Cassian can escape, he’s bonded to a dragon who sees him as the one thing he’s always a hero.
Now, with an empire rising, a war on the horizon, and a past that won’t let go, Cassian must make a choice—stay the rogue he’s always been or become the legend he never wanted to be.
In the world of The Vorelian Saga, pirates and dragons collide in a dark, high-stakes tale of survival, betrayal, and redemption. The sea is no place for the restless . . . but it’s the perfect place for a legend to be born.
“This is the kind of story you rave about to your friends.” ~ Micah Campbell, Author of The Singing Blade
“…this was the book I’ve been waiting for.” ~ Bryan Kamtsios, Author of Soul Sacrifice
“This is masterful world-building at its best.” ~ AJ Webster, Author of One Good Heart
A pirate. A heist. A destiny he never wanted . . . And the birth of a Dragon Rider.
Cassian is a thief—one of the best. As a loyal member of the White Horn pirates and a Queens’ Bidder, he knows that only one law matters in the Vore obey the Red Queens or die. But when whispers of rebellion spread among the worshippers of the Red Goddess, Cassian’s world erupts into chaos, and survival becomes his only goal. Damn the rest.
But a mad king’s heist offers the impossible—a dragon egg for the chance at freedom. Cassian and his crew set sail on a mission that will change their destinies forever. A daring plan through the unforgivable Grave of Seas brings trouble. Before Cassian can escape, he’s bonded to a dragon who sees him as the one thing he’s always a hero.
Now, with an empire rising, a war on the horizon, and a past that won’t let go, Cassian must make a choice—stay the rogue he’s always been or become the legend he never wanted to be.
In the world of The Vorelian Saga, pirates and dragons collide in a dark, high-stakes tale of survival, betrayal, and redemption. The sea is no place for the restless . . . but it’s the perfect place for a legend to be born.
“This is the kind of story you rave about to your friends.” ~ Micah Campbell, Author of The Singing Blade
“…this was the book I’ve been waiting for.” ~ Bryan Kamtsios, Author of Soul Sacrifice
“This is masterful world-building at its best.” ~ AJ Webster, Author of One Good Heart
445 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2025
8 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 24, 2025
For those who’ve been dreaming of a pirate tale – from a golden platter of swabbies – The Dragon of Dread Deep IS calling to you! (and then there’s the cover?! This designer is a magician, STUNNING, must have book for that cover alone!!).
From the Vore world, you do not need to have read any of McKenna’s other books to read this. I have only read the first in her Vorelian series (so far). Dread Deep will catapult you into a burning need for more of this amazing world McKenna has created.
This book has everything a pirate tale requires, and I mean EVERYTHING! It is absolutely gloriously blood thirsty. Drink, battle, magic, mysterious happenings, monsters in the deep, betrayal, gore, crashing storms, characters you love to hate, characters you LOVE, high stakes… and… then there’s… dragon lore.
You will feel the waves below your boots and the wind in your sails, tossing you this way and that as Cassian battles all sides of his life in this epic adventure – It is creative genius.
From Sandy beaches to bustling towns, from yearning to hopelessness to… possibility?
Cassian gets absolutely dragged through the depths of hell’s gutter with no sign of things letting up. Emotional turmoil lies around each and every dark and creaking corner.
Your heart will ache for Cassian, and your soul will bind to the Vore world like nothing ever before.
There is SO much depth to this book, it’s absolutely delicious.
I refuse to tell you more, it’s all just too delightful and must be experienced.
A stunning rich world, a standalone in the Vorelian saga that promises more of Cassian in book 5 – eep! This story will shatter you and gently scoop you back together in one unbelievable heart thrilling ride.
December 21, 2025
Pirates. Dragons. Betrayals. Cutthroat.
A Standalone to the main series of The Vorelean Saga, you can absolutely read this without needing to read the original series, but I think having read the main books prior to this added to the story. Especially when it all started to tie in to everything, I am hoping to see Cassian and his dragon companion back again.
Cassian was a very complex character, as a boy who grew up around Cutthroat pirates and being thrown into so much that he never wanted. And yet when that little egg hatched, he could be a big softie.
It was nice to see insight into the Queens and I do hope we will see more from them, and maybe some comeuppance.
I can't wait for the next one in the Empire!
A Standalone to the main series of The Vorelean Saga, you can absolutely read this without needing to read the original series, but I think having read the main books prior to this added to the story. Especially when it all started to tie in to everything, I am hoping to see Cassian and his dragon companion back again.
Cassian was a very complex character, as a boy who grew up around Cutthroat pirates and being thrown into so much that he never wanted. And yet when that little egg hatched, he could be a big softie.
It was nice to see insight into the Queens and I do hope we will see more from them, and maybe some comeuppance.
I can't wait for the next one in the Empire!
December 16, 2025
ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴄᴀꜱꜱɪᴀɴ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ʜᴏʀɴ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴘɪʀᴀᴛᴇ. ꜰᴏʀɢᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴜᴛᴀʟ ᴡɪɴᴅꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ᴍᴇʀᴄɪʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀꜱ, ʙᴏʀɴ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀɪɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴏʀʀᴏᴡ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀʀᴠᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴜᴘ ꜱᴏ ᴇᴀꜱɪʟʏ. ʜᴇ'ᴅ ꜱᴇᴇɴ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, ʏᴇꜱ. ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴄᴏʟᴅ, ʙᴜᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏᴏ ꜰᴀʀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢ ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴀɴɢ.
ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ ʀɪᴅᴇʀ.— The Dragon of Dread Deep by C. D. McKenna
The Dragon of Dread Deep absolutely won me over. One of my favorites, if not my favorite of C.D. McKenna’s books. Action packed and full of depth. 😍 Super immersive world building and I loved the bond between San’yila and Cassian. I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment!!🥰
ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ ʀɪᴅᴇʀ.— The Dragon of Dread Deep by C. D. McKenna
The Dragon of Dread Deep absolutely won me over. One of my favorites, if not my favorite of C.D. McKenna’s books. Action packed and full of depth. 😍 Super immersive world building and I loved the bond between San’yila and Cassian. I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment!!🥰
December 16, 2025
A great companion novel to C.D Mckenna's beast of a series, the Vorelian Saga.
It adds a great deal of depth to the main series while still being its own thing. Cassian's story was brutal, emotional, and sometimes infuriating, which means the author accomplished her goal to make her reader feel as we read.
If more platforms allowed in between scores, I would give this 3,5 out of 5 stars, but the pros outweigh the cons so 4 stars it is.
Setting: ★★★★★
Worldbuilding:★★★★★
Magic system: ★★★★
High Stakes: ★★★★
Writing: ★★★★
Repetition: ★★★
Antagonistic Force: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★
Pacing: ★★
Concept: ★★★
Ending: ★★★★★
Length: ★★
+
How the bond/relationship between Cassian and his dragon grew was the best thing about the whole book. From start to finish, it progressed naturally. Cassian had time to adjust to his emotions and grow with them.
+ and -
The Characters:
San'yila was my favorite. I like how different her personality was from Sozar's and that she spoke a little more than he did. I do wonder, though, why she chose Cassian of all people to hatch for; he's not exactly a normal person and very hot-headed, but I hope we'll find that out later.
Cassian lands somewhere in the middle of all the characters if I should rank them in the Vorelian Saga. At first, he seemed fierce and calculating, but then that all went away, and he became quite childish. which, to be fair, he's in his early twenties, but with the life he's had, I can't understand why he's never learned to keep his mouth shut and not act on the first impulse he has. He certainly made life for himself harder than it had to be, but I am very interested in how he'll evolve after meeting and potentially working with Morei. ^^
Antagonistic force:
In the first part of the book, the vore beasts and those scenes were some of my favorite parts. The tension was high and made my pulse quicken. I was sad to see that the strange merewoman didn't make more appearances.
The Queens and other pirates were Ok, but sometimes felt a bit too much. Their goals were clear, but their personalities were a bit too much, and I could not really fathom how they remained so powerful for so long, since their plans/actions lacked the finesse and cunning to warrant their stronghold over people. They were only brutes, and brutes seldom remain at the top for that long, cause someone more cunning or righteous always manages to come along and put an end to them.
Repetition:
In the form of similar scenes or characters ' monologues, this has been a recurring issue in this series, but this book had the least amount. All books must have some repetition in them, or the reader might forget certain things, but too much and it breaks immersion. The worst offender here was the torture scene, with two nearly identical examples of how it feels to drown, and Cassian's different dreams/goals he once had.
But the author improves on this with each entry, and I appreciate the work it takes to reel in the desire to convey their visions and simply trust the reader more.
-
Pacing and length:
This was the Achilles heel of this book for me; had this book struck a better balance between pacing and length, it would have been another spot-on book, but I felt that certain areas of the book came too fast and were too short, while many parts were slow and dragged on too long. I would have appreciated a faster paced book because when you analyze what actually happened from start to finish, the story did not need to be this long, not that much happened nor did it contain enough characters that normally would slow down the pacing, since there were few character arcs.
To conclude:
This is a must read for anyone looking into starting the Vorelian Saga, it adds a lot of lore and explores other parts of that world that you don't see in the main saga.
It adds a great deal of depth to the main series while still being its own thing. Cassian's story was brutal, emotional, and sometimes infuriating, which means the author accomplished her goal to make her reader feel as we read.
If more platforms allowed in between scores, I would give this 3,5 out of 5 stars, but the pros outweigh the cons so 4 stars it is.
Setting: ★★★★★
Worldbuilding:★★★★★
Magic system: ★★★★
High Stakes: ★★★★
Writing: ★★★★
Repetition: ★★★
Antagonistic Force: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★
Pacing: ★★
Concept: ★★★
Ending: ★★★★★
Length: ★★
+
How the bond/relationship between Cassian and his dragon grew was the best thing about the whole book. From start to finish, it progressed naturally. Cassian had time to adjust to his emotions and grow with them.
+ and -
The Characters:
San'yila was my favorite. I like how different her personality was from Sozar's and that she spoke a little more than he did. I do wonder, though, why she chose Cassian of all people to hatch for; he's not exactly a normal person and very hot-headed, but I hope we'll find that out later.
Cassian lands somewhere in the middle of all the characters if I should rank them in the Vorelian Saga. At first, he seemed fierce and calculating, but then that all went away, and he became quite childish. which, to be fair, he's in his early twenties, but with the life he's had, I can't understand why he's never learned to keep his mouth shut and not act on the first impulse he has. He certainly made life for himself harder than it had to be, but I am very interested in how he'll evolve after meeting and potentially working with Morei. ^^
Antagonistic force:
In the first part of the book, the vore beasts and those scenes were some of my favorite parts. The tension was high and made my pulse quicken. I was sad to see that the strange merewoman didn't make more appearances.
The Queens and other pirates were Ok, but sometimes felt a bit too much. Their goals were clear, but their personalities were a bit too much, and I could not really fathom how they remained so powerful for so long, since their plans/actions lacked the finesse and cunning to warrant their stronghold over people. They were only brutes, and brutes seldom remain at the top for that long, cause someone more cunning or righteous always manages to come along and put an end to them.
Repetition:
In the form of similar scenes or characters ' monologues, this has been a recurring issue in this series, but this book had the least amount. All books must have some repetition in them, or the reader might forget certain things, but too much and it breaks immersion. The worst offender here was the torture scene, with two nearly identical examples of how it feels to drown, and Cassian's different dreams/goals he once had.
But the author improves on this with each entry, and I appreciate the work it takes to reel in the desire to convey their visions and simply trust the reader more.
-
Pacing and length:
This was the Achilles heel of this book for me; had this book struck a better balance between pacing and length, it would have been another spot-on book, but I felt that certain areas of the book came too fast and were too short, while many parts were slow and dragged on too long. I would have appreciated a faster paced book because when you analyze what actually happened from start to finish, the story did not need to be this long, not that much happened nor did it contain enough characters that normally would slow down the pacing, since there were few character arcs.
To conclude:
This is a must read for anyone looking into starting the Vorelian Saga, it adds a lot of lore and explores other parts of that world that you don't see in the main saga.
December 16, 2025
"I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.” The dragon of dead deep. The novel opens on the high seas, Cassian’s world is introduced skilfully, his formative years as a pirate a life that ultimately saves him after his parents abandon him. From the start, the tone for Cassian’s slow and often painful transformation is clear. This is shaped by hardship, endurance, and internal conflict. Cassian is calculating and brash, guarding his heart behind a hardened exterior forged through survival.
Cassian believes himself wiser, braver, and more capable than he truly is, a flaw compounded by his volatile temper. His impulsive “act first, think later” nature repeatedly leads him into trouble, and his fierce determination to chart his own course results in a succession of difficult and humbling lessons.
Over time, however, Cassian’s experiences at sea and his unwilling involvement with the Queens begin to soften him. His connection with San’yila, the dragon, is particularly compelling. Their bond is both touching and transformative, revealing a gentler side of Cassian he has long suppressed. His awkward and earnest interactions with her, especially during her younger years, add emotional depth and warmth to the story. As their relationship evolves, Cassian gradually allows himself to embrace the one thing he has denied for so long: love.
This novel is richly layered with action, tension, betrayal, magic, and myth. It weaves together themes of good versus evil, morally complex characters, ancient gods, and fantastical creatures into a fast paced yet emotionally resonant narrative. The story delivers a dynamic and engaging journey from beginning to end, filled with vivid imagery and compelling character development. It’s a must read fantasy!💛
Cassian believes himself wiser, braver, and more capable than he truly is, a flaw compounded by his volatile temper. His impulsive “act first, think later” nature repeatedly leads him into trouble, and his fierce determination to chart his own course results in a succession of difficult and humbling lessons.
Over time, however, Cassian’s experiences at sea and his unwilling involvement with the Queens begin to soften him. His connection with San’yila, the dragon, is particularly compelling. Their bond is both touching and transformative, revealing a gentler side of Cassian he has long suppressed. His awkward and earnest interactions with her, especially during her younger years, add emotional depth and warmth to the story. As their relationship evolves, Cassian gradually allows himself to embrace the one thing he has denied for so long: love.
This novel is richly layered with action, tension, betrayal, magic, and myth. It weaves together themes of good versus evil, morally complex characters, ancient gods, and fantastical creatures into a fast paced yet emotionally resonant narrative. The story delivers a dynamic and engaging journey from beginning to end, filled with vivid imagery and compelling character development. It’s a must read fantasy!💛
Review of advance copy received from Author
Our story begins on the high seas. The wind in your face, waves slapping against the ship’s sides, miles of ocean as far as the eye can see. McKenna visually lays out Cassian’s world and his life as a pirate-one that saved him after his parents abandoned him. She also sets the tone for the beginning of Cassian’s slow and painful transformation forged in trial and pain. He’s calculating, brash, and keeps his heart behind a wall of steely resolve.
McKenna also crafts him in a frustrating realistic way. He’s believes himself to be wiser, braver, and smarter than he is. He also has a hot temper, which gets him into constant trouble. He’s a “act first, think later” type of person, and his determination to choose his own life leads to hard lesson after hard lessons.
But through his hard life at sea, and involuntary life with the Queens, Cassian’s heart softens and thaws thanks to San’yila-the dragon that forms a connection with him. It’s quite endearing to see his interactions with her when she was a wee thing. He’s quite awkward and bumbling, but it shows a gentler side of him he refused to let himself feel. And as they continue to grow and learn from one another, Cassian allows his heart to cling onto the one thing he’s desperately needed-love.
There is so much packed into this novel-action, tension, betrayal, magic, good vs evil, old gods, morally grey characters, and mythical creatures. It was a wild ride from start to finish and was full of ups and downs, and full of rich imagery. I highly recommend this one for your next epic adventure. 4.5 stars.
A big thank you to the author for my arc. My opinion is my own.
McKenna also crafts him in a frustrating realistic way. He’s believes himself to be wiser, braver, and smarter than he is. He also has a hot temper, which gets him into constant trouble. He’s a “act first, think later” type of person, and his determination to choose his own life leads to hard lesson after hard lessons.
But through his hard life at sea, and involuntary life with the Queens, Cassian’s heart softens and thaws thanks to San’yila-the dragon that forms a connection with him. It’s quite endearing to see his interactions with her when she was a wee thing. He’s quite awkward and bumbling, but it shows a gentler side of him he refused to let himself feel. And as they continue to grow and learn from one another, Cassian allows his heart to cling onto the one thing he’s desperately needed-love.
There is so much packed into this novel-action, tension, betrayal, magic, good vs evil, old gods, morally grey characters, and mythical creatures. It was a wild ride from start to finish and was full of ups and downs, and full of rich imagery. I highly recommend this one for your next epic adventure. 4.5 stars.
A big thank you to the author for my arc. My opinion is my own.
December 16, 2025
If you like world building, pirates, dragons, unique lore, creepy sea creatures, creepy mysterious people popping in and telling you confusing things, spice, a MMC (Cassian) who changes throughout the book (from having a hard childhood to getting what he thought he wanted to one who bonds so strongly with San’yila you can’t help but cheer for his evolution), myths, magic, tension, and morally complex characters (see above reference to Cassian, but he’s not the only one). Then this book is screaming your name. I received it as an ARC and I’m glad I did. I’ve never read any other books in this Empire, but I’ll be fixing that next year. The book starts off with vivid imagery on the high seas and it doesn’t slow down, you’re immersed from the get go in imagery and tales. It is high fantasy, a lot of details, not a light and fluffy read. Depending on your mood you may zoom through it, I was slower with this one than typical for me, but there were a lot of twists and turns and I was trying to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. There was suspense and betrayal. I mean this book honestly hit all the spots and then added Dragons and Pirates! Who could ask for more? Not this girl! I look forward to book two. You don’t need to have read any of the other books in the series, it’s a standalone but there were a lot of references that I think would’ve helped me if I had, but my only true complaint is I have to wait for the next book 🤣. Thank you for letting me ARC and joining two of my favorite things together.
November 11, 2025
This book is not for the faint of heart! It’s chock full of twists and turns, danger, betrayal, and tests of Cassian’s courage and resilience. The suspense had me clinging to every word. The prose is beautiful and very descriptive—it felt like I was actually there and I could tell McKenna cut no corners on the research. I absolutely loved the little dragon and the way she began to thaw Cassian’s heart. Their interactions and the way he came to care for her was adorable. This story was on the heavier side, so don’t expect comic relief or romance, but it was definately an epic page-turner.
I do have to say, for every trial he had to survive, there was no real choice in the matter (besides do the thing that didn't result in his death). His character was honed by external trials that he was always fighting to survive, not difficult moral decisions he had to make or learn from. Maybe it's just a personal preference, but I like it when the main character has some power and choice over their future, like a hard decision they have to make in order to become who they were meant to be.
But otherwise, I loved it! I can’t wait to read the book where Cassian returns!
I do have to say, for every trial he had to survive, there was no real choice in the matter (besides do the thing that didn't result in his death). His character was honed by external trials that he was always fighting to survive, not difficult moral decisions he had to make or learn from. Maybe it's just a personal preference, but I like it when the main character has some power and choice over their future, like a hard decision they have to make in order to become who they were meant to be.
But otherwise, I loved it! I can’t wait to read the book where Cassian returns!
December 4, 2025
A Razor-Sharp, Atmospheric Pirate Fantasy
What can I say! The Dragon of Dread Deep is a gripping, salt-soaked adventure that delivers everything I love in dark fantasy! If the gorgeous cover doesn’t pull you in, I hope this insight does!! McKenna builds an incredibly rich world right from the start, full of intricately brutal pirate politics, haunting lore, and magic that feels both ancient and dangerous. The atmosphere is unmatched, rich in both fantastical myth and emotional reality!
Cassian is an incredibly complex protagonist. He’s flawed, ambitious, and painfully human in all the right ways. His journey is intense and emotional, surrounded by characters who are just as vivid. The story itself effortlessly blends action, tension, and heart, with stakes that keep rising in ways that feel both surprising and inevitable!
Beautifully written, immersive, and endlessly compelling, this book is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves gritty fantasy with depth and soul. KcKenna, take a bow and get writing more of the same please!!
What can I say! The Dragon of Dread Deep is a gripping, salt-soaked adventure that delivers everything I love in dark fantasy! If the gorgeous cover doesn’t pull you in, I hope this insight does!! McKenna builds an incredibly rich world right from the start, full of intricately brutal pirate politics, haunting lore, and magic that feels both ancient and dangerous. The atmosphere is unmatched, rich in both fantastical myth and emotional reality!
Cassian is an incredibly complex protagonist. He’s flawed, ambitious, and painfully human in all the right ways. His journey is intense and emotional, surrounded by characters who are just as vivid. The story itself effortlessly blends action, tension, and heart, with stakes that keep rising in ways that feel both surprising and inevitable!
Beautifully written, immersive, and endlessly compelling, this book is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves gritty fantasy with depth and soul. KcKenna, take a bow and get writing more of the same please!!
Review of advance copy
The Dragon of Dread Deep is a dark fantasy triumph that is brimming with danger, myth, and a sense of place so vivid you can practically taste the salt in the air. McKenna drops the reader straight into a brutal, beautifully imagined world where power is contested, legends breathe, and the sea itself feels alive and watching.
What truly elevates this story is its characters, especially Cassian. He’s not a hero cut from clean cloth. He’s ambitious, conflicted, and shaped by hard choices in a world that rarely rewards mercy. His evolution feels earned, emotional, and deeply human. The supporting characters are just as compelling, each adding texture and tension to a narrative that never lets its guard down.
McKenna’s writing strikes a rare balance. It is evocative without being indulgent, dark without losing heart. The pacing is tight, the stakes continually sharpen, and the lore unfolds naturally, making the world feel ancient and dangerous rather than simply explained.
I cannot say enough good things about this story! If you like grimdark epics this is a must read!!
What truly elevates this story is its characters, especially Cassian. He’s not a hero cut from clean cloth. He’s ambitious, conflicted, and shaped by hard choices in a world that rarely rewards mercy. His evolution feels earned, emotional, and deeply human. The supporting characters are just as compelling, each adding texture and tension to a narrative that never lets its guard down.
McKenna’s writing strikes a rare balance. It is evocative without being indulgent, dark without losing heart. The pacing is tight, the stakes continually sharpen, and the lore unfolds naturally, making the world feel ancient and dangerous rather than simply explained.
I cannot say enough good things about this story! If you like grimdark epics this is a must read!!
December 16, 2025
This is a standalone novel that takes place in between events in the Vore World, which is full of gods, dragons, pirates, swords, and sorcery. It tells the story of Cassian, a young pirate, and the multitude of mishaps to fall upon him before his joins the story and characters of the main series.
My thoughts: Wow! I am mind blown. This book was deliciously violent, with no quarter for the weak, taking place in the realm of ships and pirates with poor Cassian thrust into one situation after another.
I enjoyed the incredible depth of world building that the author has created. All the vivid and thoughtful details made for an immersive reading experience.
The stakes were there from the beginning, and at about 30% in, the tension and built up and finally erupted into nail-biting action that made me want to keep reading. I also loved watching the bond grow between Cassian and his dragon, San'yila.
If you want a dark, epic pirate fantasy read that's a standalone, look no further. This is the one for you.
My thoughts: Wow! I am mind blown. This book was deliciously violent, with no quarter for the weak, taking place in the realm of ships and pirates with poor Cassian thrust into one situation after another.
I enjoyed the incredible depth of world building that the author has created. All the vivid and thoughtful details made for an immersive reading experience.
The stakes were there from the beginning, and at about 30% in, the tension and built up and finally erupted into nail-biting action that made me want to keep reading. I also loved watching the bond grow between Cassian and his dragon, San'yila.
If you want a dark, epic pirate fantasy read that's a standalone, look no further. This is the one for you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Spoiler free review.
OMG this book was everything I expected and even more!!! I screamed reading this book. Yes my husband laughed at me for screaming at a book haha. This is by far McKenna's best book so far. (okay they're all good)
I absolutely loved Cassian!! But boy oh boy does he has a tendency to talk too much and get himself into trouble!!
His character goes through an amazing change and it's done so well! I absolutely love Sanyila! She's amazing!! Her personality balances Cassian so well!
The references to the Vorelian Saga were great! As a reader of the series, I could recognize some of the characters and loved all the references.
I don't want to spoil but there's a specific scene that I read that I felt like I was frozen in a nightmare unable to stop watching. I mean this in the nicest compliment ever! When you get attached that much to a character, it's because he's been written well.
I absolutely recommend to all the fantasy lovers!!!
OMG this book was everything I expected and even more!!! I screamed reading this book. Yes my husband laughed at me for screaming at a book haha. This is by far McKenna's best book so far. (okay they're all good)
I absolutely loved Cassian!! But boy oh boy does he has a tendency to talk too much and get himself into trouble!!
His character goes through an amazing change and it's done so well! I absolutely love Sanyila! She's amazing!! Her personality balances Cassian so well!
The references to the Vorelian Saga were great! As a reader of the series, I could recognize some of the characters and loved all the references.
I don't want to spoil but there's a specific scene that I read that I felt like I was frozen in a nightmare unable to stop watching. I mean this in the nicest compliment ever! When you get attached that much to a character, it's because he's been written well.
I absolutely recommend to all the fantasy lovers!!!
December 10, 2025
What else can I say about McKenna’s books at this point? She’s got a knack for story telling and is extremely skilled in world building. The Dragon of Dread Deep is no exception, taking her MC and his dragon onto the water. The story starts with Cassian, a pirate you’ll either quickly love or hate, and follows him as his world expands outside of open sea to open air, answering if he will fulfill his duties as a pirate, or risk the comforts he knows? McKenna has delivered another 5-star book in a 5-star world. As with the rest of her books, the only problem after finishing, is waiting impatiently for the next.
December 13, 2025
“The sea is no place for the restless.”
I jumped into this grimdark standalone in the vore world and I was instantly swept away by the setting on a pirate ship. Dark, gritty, and with bloodspill from the first pages.
Cassian was born and raised at sea, an orphan with no roots, except a yearning to have his own ship. Twist of fate when the position is handed to him when the Queens kill his captain and hand him his new mission. A trap… which gives him the difficult task between following duty into the grave or tracking the whispers about a dragon egg.
Being captain wasn’t his destiny, but it was to become dragon rider.
I jumped into this grimdark standalone in the vore world and I was instantly swept away by the setting on a pirate ship. Dark, gritty, and with bloodspill from the first pages.
Cassian was born and raised at sea, an orphan with no roots, except a yearning to have his own ship. Twist of fate when the position is handed to him when the Queens kill his captain and hand him his new mission. A trap… which gives him the difficult task between following duty into the grave or tracking the whispers about a dragon egg.
Being captain wasn’t his destiny, but it was to become dragon rider.
November 18, 2025
Ahhhhmazing! Following Cassian through his character evolution was a great break from.daily stress. Learning the ins and outs of being a pirate and the twists and turns fate can bring down on you kept me going page by page. Cassian and his very special partner grow together and find themselves at the hands of a community that is not caring and quite cruel as they use them to get power and control until the patience wins and the tables turn. Just so happy to know more is in-store in the upcoming sequel! The bond between these two will never be broken.
November 27, 2025
What an epic story! This standalone novel does a beautiful job at appealing to long time readers and newcomers to her writing. Her characters are so well developed and complex. Cassian is the kind of character most people can see themselves in-a little bit of an underdog, working on his confidence, and growing into who he is. I love the ties to the main story, though you do not need to know McKenna's other novels to appreciate this novel. The world building at sea-which isn't exciting in every novel-
is well done. I couldn't put it down. 5 stars!
is well done. I couldn't put it down. 5 stars!
December 18, 2025
This is my first book by this author and I can tell you this works as a standalone. This story swept me away with a tale of a young pirate and his dragon. The characters were intriguing. The story was engaging. The dragon was entertaining.
The world building and character development in this book made me curious about other books in this world. I look forward to exploring more and hope to see these characters again soon.
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this ebook.
The world building and character development in this book made me curious about other books in this world. I look forward to exploring more and hope to see these characters again soon.
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this ebook.
November 11, 2025
I loved this. beyond words. growing up i always loved pirates and dragons and this filled that childhood wonder. I am beyond excited to the rest of the saga especially book five for more of Cassian and San'yila.
the stage is set beautifully for a captivating tale of longing, betrayal, and adventure.
the stage is set beautifully for a captivating tale of longing, betrayal, and adventure.
December 7, 2025
I am absoluetly obsessed with the world building and the universe you have created. For any reader who loves the pirate setting books as much as I do, you will love this one! A mix of ocean and sky fantasy in one book with fighting gore to match. I could not stop reading this book and I cannot wait to read the next book McKenna releases!
December 16, 2025
If you're looking for a character driven moody pirate fantasy you must must must pick this one up! Watching the MMC grow is, for me the biggest compelling read in this book. Seeing him grow, him learn and him go for it. Love. Morally complex, quick paced good vs evil, and Dragons.... did I mention the dragon !?!
December 17, 2025
Fantasy adventure awaits !! This was a fantastic read. Characters, world building and pacing are spot on. San’yila reminded me a bit of Draco in Dragonheart (movie). However she is completely her own dragon that is for sure and I love it ! Cassian is well rounded but it takes time to see the many aspects of him. This book is filled with an amazing story. Ten out of ten recommend !!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is an Excellent novel from the creator of The Vorelian Empire. I highly recommend it to anyone but especially if you enjoy fantasy with dragons and pirates.
December 16, 2025
Grimdark just got a wicked new Dragon Rider. Call me biased, but I kind of love this story :)
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