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The Windtorn Chronicles #1
A Bond of Fire & Fury
At thirty-two, I'm too old for this. The dragon that chose me has already killed three riders. And my instructor knows exactly what I am—he's just not telling me.
I've spent three decades perfecting failure. College dropout. Fired barista. Retail disaster. Freelance photographer who couldn't book a gig. When a military recruiter offers me a spot at Thornwick Academy, I'm desperate enough to ignore every red flag.
I expect boot camp. I get creatures that shouldn’t exist.
Thornwick isn't a military academy—it's a hunting ground for an ancient war, where legacy families bond with Sovereigns or die trying. These cadets have trained since childhood. They know the protocols, the bloodline politics, the secret history of this place. I learned magic existed seventy-two hours ago.
Then Obsidian chooses me.
A black dragon. A mountain-shaking force that killed his last three potential riders. Ancient, volatile, and now mine. The academy gives me two weeks before I'm added to his body count.
But my flight instructor? He's already decided I'll survive.
Captain Kael Blackwater is devastating and dangerous, pushing me past every limit while watching me like I'm a bomb he's trying to defuse. He trains me like my life depends on it—because it does. What I don't understand is why.
Why does he look at me like he knows something I don't?
Why are black dragon riders being systematically murdered, their deaths staged as training accidents?
Why are pale creatures with needle-sharp teeth suddenly hunting bonded dragons, draining their blood, leaving corpses that all lead back to me?
Kael has answers. About black dragons. About a royal bloodline supposedly exterminated centuries ago. About what I am and why Obsidian chose a thirty-two-year-old foster kid with no magic, no family, no right to be here.
He's keeping me alive by keeping me in the dark.
And I'm falling for him anyway—for the man who's either my protector or my handler, who teaches me to fly while hiding the truth about why things with teeth are hunting me, who might have orders to eliminate me the second I become too dangerous.
The Bonding Ceremony was supposed to be the hard part. No one warned me that the real test is surviving what I'm becoming.
Welcome to Thornwick Academy, where:
Dragons choose riders (or kill them)
Instructors keep deadly secrets about your bloodline
Something is hunting bonded Sovereigns and draining them dry
The man training you might be the one ordered to end you
Being chosen isn't an honor—it's a target on your back
Perfect for readers who crave: Older heroines who've failed at life • Bonds forged with killers • Instructors with devastating secrets • Systematic murder conspiracies • Found family built on survival • Protectors who might be jailors • Romance where trust could be fatal • High-stakes paranoia that earns its keep
I've spent three decades perfecting failure. College dropout. Fired barista. Retail disaster. Freelance photographer who couldn't book a gig. When a military recruiter offers me a spot at Thornwick Academy, I'm desperate enough to ignore every red flag.
I expect boot camp. I get creatures that shouldn’t exist.
Thornwick isn't a military academy—it's a hunting ground for an ancient war, where legacy families bond with Sovereigns or die trying. These cadets have trained since childhood. They know the protocols, the bloodline politics, the secret history of this place. I learned magic existed seventy-two hours ago.
Then Obsidian chooses me.
A black dragon. A mountain-shaking force that killed his last three potential riders. Ancient, volatile, and now mine. The academy gives me two weeks before I'm added to his body count.
But my flight instructor? He's already decided I'll survive.
Captain Kael Blackwater is devastating and dangerous, pushing me past every limit while watching me like I'm a bomb he's trying to defuse. He trains me like my life depends on it—because it does. What I don't understand is why.
Why does he look at me like he knows something I don't?
Why are black dragon riders being systematically murdered, their deaths staged as training accidents?
Why are pale creatures with needle-sharp teeth suddenly hunting bonded dragons, draining their blood, leaving corpses that all lead back to me?
Kael has answers. About black dragons. About a royal bloodline supposedly exterminated centuries ago. About what I am and why Obsidian chose a thirty-two-year-old foster kid with no magic, no family, no right to be here.
He's keeping me alive by keeping me in the dark.
And I'm falling for him anyway—for the man who's either my protector or my handler, who teaches me to fly while hiding the truth about why things with teeth are hunting me, who might have orders to eliminate me the second I become too dangerous.
The Bonding Ceremony was supposed to be the hard part. No one warned me that the real test is surviving what I'm becoming.
Welcome to Thornwick Academy, where:
Dragons choose riders (or kill them)
Instructors keep deadly secrets about your bloodline
Something is hunting bonded Sovereigns and draining them dry
The man training you might be the one ordered to end you
Being chosen isn't an honor—it's a target on your back
Perfect for readers who crave: Older heroines who've failed at life • Bonds forged with killers • Instructors with devastating secrets • Systematic murder conspiracies • Found family built on survival • Protectors who might be jailors • Romance where trust could be fatal • High-stakes paranoia that earns its keep
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2026
30 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Trim
236 books771 followersBrenda's Paranormal Women's Fiction
Mystical Midlife in Maine Series
1. Magical Makeover
2. Laugh Lines & Lost Things
3. Hellmouth & Hot Flashes
4. Holidays With Hades
5. Saggy But Witty in Crescent City
6. Nasty Curses & Big Purses
7. Fae Forged Axes & Chin Waxes
8. Demonic Stones & Creaky Bones
9. Underworld Frights & Sleepless Nights
10. Pixie Dust & Brain Rust
11. Magical Hands & Silver Strands
12. Deadly Quips & Furry Lips
13. Enchanted Tattoos & Lost Fools
14. Shady Secrets & Sun Spots
Twisted Sisters Midlife Maelstrom Series
1. Packing Serious Magical Mojo
2. Cadaver On Canal Street
3. Seances & Second Line Parades
4. French Quarter Fae
5. King's Day Magical Mischief
6. Etou-Fae The Hard Way
7. Hurricanes, Heros & Hail Marys
8. Royal Street Romp
9. Levees, Lost Crowns & Loa
10. Mud Bugs & Cherished Hugs
11. Creole Dishes & Deadly Wishes
Brenda's Paranormal Romance Books
DARK WARRIOR ALLIANCE SERIES
1. Dream Warrior
2. Mystik Warrior
3. Pemas Storm
4. Isis Betrayal
5. Deviant Warrior
6. Suvi's Revenge
7. Scarred Warrior
8. Hellbound Warrior
9. Isobel
10. Rogue Warrior
11. Shattered Warrior
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 1, 2026
THE WINDTORN CHRONICLES:
A BOND OF FIRE AND FURY, #1 - What a good start to a new series. Intriguing story lines, an interesting variety of characters, and plenty of action. Source: Booksprout. 5*
TWISTED SISTERS MIDLIFE MAELSTROM:
Source: Booksprout.
PACKING SERIOUS MAGICAL MOJO - I love this author and am unhappy that I didn't start this series in 2022. There are many books in this series now. Six sisters that get along well, each with her own strengths, a bit of magic and ghosts, and plenty of humor. Fun characters, interesting story lines and a good pace made for a relaxing, entertaining way to while away a couple of hours. Source: The author. 5*
GRIS-GRIS & GRAVEYARD GHOSTS, #15 - Having only read the first book of this series, it didn't matter that I missed books two through fourteen. This book had me immersed in the intriguing story lines, interesting characters, and fast-paced happenings. It doesn't matter the series, Ms. Trim is a kick-a## storyteller. 5*
SANTIAGO SORCERY & STREETCAR SECRETS, #16 - This book just grabbed me from the get go. Ms. Trim has a talented that doesn't abate. Plenty of everything, goo s characters, good story lines, and action. 5*
TWISTED SISTERS MIDLIFE MAELSTROM end.
FORTY, FIRED, & FIGHTING DEMONS Series:
Source: Booksprout.
SECRETS OF SALTCLIFF, #1 - I've read other books by Ms. Trim and this book is just as funny and entertaining. Good characters, although I did get tired of Eliza's mouth here and there, especially, in dangerous situations. Good story lines. Good humor. Good action. Plenty of magic. No vulgar language or sex. An intro paragraph to the next book is included, which reads like a lot more fun is on the way. 4*
THE WITCH'S FIXER UPPER, #2 - I hurt myself laughing throughout this book. But I was so immersed in the intrigue, the action and the lifestyle of this family and friends. Good suspense, ya know they're gonna win but just how .... Mimi is a trip, but she has the right to be sumting udder else. Good story lines. Great characters. Don't read the intro to the third book; it's not available yet, so you'll be sorry, I am. Drats. 5*
HAMMERS & HEXES, #3 - One. thing Ms. Trim can do is write an action filled book with good characters, intriguing story lines, and plenty of opened cans of whoopbutt. Complex, but with good humor, and plenty of unexpected surprises made for a fun read. Small use of vulgar language. 5*
AT THE GATES OF HELL, #4 - This addition does not disappoint. The ending is not a cliffhanger but there's more to come. Good characters. Good story lines. Good action and pace. 4*
FORTY, FIRED, & FIGHTING DEMONS End.
A BOND OF FIRE AND FURY, #1 - What a good start to a new series. Intriguing story lines, an interesting variety of characters, and plenty of action. Source: Booksprout. 5*
TWISTED SISTERS MIDLIFE MAELSTROM:
Source: Booksprout.
PACKING SERIOUS MAGICAL MOJO - I love this author and am unhappy that I didn't start this series in 2022. There are many books in this series now. Six sisters that get along well, each with her own strengths, a bit of magic and ghosts, and plenty of humor. Fun characters, interesting story lines and a good pace made for a relaxing, entertaining way to while away a couple of hours. Source: The author. 5*
GRIS-GRIS & GRAVEYARD GHOSTS, #15 - Having only read the first book of this series, it didn't matter that I missed books two through fourteen. This book had me immersed in the intriguing story lines, interesting characters, and fast-paced happenings. It doesn't matter the series, Ms. Trim is a kick-a## storyteller. 5*
SANTIAGO SORCERY & STREETCAR SECRETS, #16 - This book just grabbed me from the get go. Ms. Trim has a talented that doesn't abate. Plenty of everything, goo s characters, good story lines, and action. 5*
TWISTED SISTERS MIDLIFE MAELSTROM end.
FORTY, FIRED, & FIGHTING DEMONS Series:
Source: Booksprout.
SECRETS OF SALTCLIFF, #1 - I've read other books by Ms. Trim and this book is just as funny and entertaining. Good characters, although I did get tired of Eliza's mouth here and there, especially, in dangerous situations. Good story lines. Good humor. Good action. Plenty of magic. No vulgar language or sex. An intro paragraph to the next book is included, which reads like a lot more fun is on the way. 4*
THE WITCH'S FIXER UPPER, #2 - I hurt myself laughing throughout this book. But I was so immersed in the intrigue, the action and the lifestyle of this family and friends. Good suspense, ya know they're gonna win but just how .... Mimi is a trip, but she has the right to be sumting udder else. Good story lines. Great characters. Don't read the intro to the third book; it's not available yet, so you'll be sorry, I am. Drats. 5*
HAMMERS & HEXES, #3 - One. thing Ms. Trim can do is write an action filled book with good characters, intriguing story lines, and plenty of opened cans of whoopbutt. Complex, but with good humor, and plenty of unexpected surprises made for a fun read. Small use of vulgar language. 5*
AT THE GATES OF HELL, #4 - This addition does not disappoint. The ending is not a cliffhanger but there's more to come. Good characters. Good story lines. Good action and pace. 4*
FORTY, FIRED, & FIGHTING DEMONS End.
March 29, 2026
In the spirit of Fourth Wing, among others, Brenda is writing us a series about dragon riders, as well as phoenix, griffin, and pegasus riders. Mara Sinclair is a survivor of numerous foster homes, a college dropout, and, at thirty-two, a failure at numerous jobs. When she is approached at a coffee shop by a man who said he knew exactly where she will fit right in she is, needless to say, skeptical. It sounds sketchy as hell. Thornwick War Academy? Never heard of it. But it includes room and board and an actual salary. Apparently her 'adaptability', along with her situational assessment skills, will work in her favor. Since her latest job ended when she dropped her camera into a puddle and her rent is due, she decides any port will do in her current crap storm. But she is not ready for dragons and magic. What has she agreed to?
I'm not going to try to tell you the story. You need to experience that for yourself. Suffice it to say, Mara discovers things about herself she never dreamed of. She also finds 'her people', along with the baddest dragon in the academy skies. This is the beginning of her story...
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I'm not going to try to tell you the story. You need to experience that for yourself. Suffice it to say, Mara discovers things about herself she never dreamed of. She also finds 'her people', along with the baddest dragon in the academy skies. This is the beginning of her story...
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 1, 2026
Mara starts her story as a 32 year old female who knows nothing about the magical world, as far as she’s concerned dragons are from books and movies, not real life Kael Blackwater and Obsidian ( a dragon) quickly prove her wrong ! This is a fast paced story full of history, adversity, death and magic. I loved these characters and the storyline is full of magical creatures that are both good and evil, it takes place on a military base that supposed to get cadets ready to bond with their “partner”, to survive the fast paced bond that allows them to fly on the backs of these beasts to protect the in between spaces of humanity and magical realms. Mara quickly learns that nothing is as it seems and trust is in short supply. There is minimal to no romance, but I think as the series continues there might be something brewing between Kael and Mara ! The past and future are completely knotted together and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. 4✨’s and I can’t wait for book 2 !.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 27, 2026
FINALLY! An indepth action and adventure story that showcases Brenda Trim's delightful imagination and world building genius.
A Bond of Fire and Fury (Book 1 of the Windtorn Chronicles) leans heavily into our innate need to find our place / to belong. Our heroine is no delicate flower. Now a mature woman, Mara's years in fostercare equipped her for a life she never imagined she'd ever have.
By saying 'yes' to one question, one opportunity, Mara finds herself tested, challenged and bonded with magic. By accepting her identity, Mara embarks on a new adventure that's full of twists, turns and surprises. And yes... a slow burn love story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself eagerly devouring each chapter. I am truly looking forward to reading book 2.
A Bond of Fire and Fury (Book 1 of the Windtorn Chronicles) leans heavily into our innate need to find our place / to belong. Our heroine is no delicate flower. Now a mature woman, Mara's years in fostercare equipped her for a life she never imagined she'd ever have.
By saying 'yes' to one question, one opportunity, Mara finds herself tested, challenged and bonded with magic. By accepting her identity, Mara embarks on a new adventure that's full of twists, turns and surprises. And yes... a slow burn love story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself eagerly devouring each chapter. I am truly looking forward to reading book 2.
Review of advance copy
I'm not usually one to read romantasy stories, however, this book caught my eye and I'm glad it did. I really enjoyed the story, imagination of the author writing it and the characters.
The characters are well written and well developed. I loved Mara and her strength, her determination, and the kindness in her. She had a hard life, but she didn't let it sour her or make her a mean person, she just decided to make her life what she could and do her best to be a kind human.
Her story was interesting to read and I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I hope her life continues to improve and her strength continues to grow and develop into the person she's meant to be.
The characters are well written and well developed. I loved Mara and her strength, her determination, and the kindness in her. She had a hard life, but she didn't let it sour her or make her a mean person, she just decided to make her life what she could and do her best to be a kind human.
Her story was interesting to read and I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I hope her life continues to improve and her strength continues to grow and develop into the person she's meant to be.
March 25, 2026
Ever since Anne McCaffrey's dragon riders series and Eragon, I've always been fascinated with dragons and concepts of dragons riders. I was very excited when I saw the synopsis of this book. The author did a great job building the characters and storyline. It was easy to get reeled in and very difficult to stop or take breaks as you just want to keep reading to find out more. I really enjoyed the book but now that I finished it....the hard part sinks in.......have to wait for the next book! >o<. I would recommend giving this book a go.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 25, 2026
I love that Ms. Trim's characters are a bit older. A bit more relatable for this reader!
Though I wish I were still in my early twenties, alas, I am not!
This was an exciting start to a dark fantasy series, and I'm clamoring for book two!
Fantastic characters.
Action-packed.
Suspenseful!
Though I wish I were still in my early twenties, alas, I am not!
This was an exciting start to a dark fantasy series, and I'm clamoring for book two!
Fantastic characters.
Action-packed.
Suspenseful!
April 1, 2026
This is the first book in the Windtorn Chronicles. What I love most about this story is the author feeds you clues and invites you along for the journey that will captivate and entertain you along the way. I was hooked by the first chapter and cannot wait for the next in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 31, 2026
Wow, right out of the gate this book grabbed my attention. Welcome to Thornwick Academy where nothing is as it seems. Mara, Obsidian, Zara and the gang I'm going to take you on quite the adventure so buckle up and get ready.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews