TalaRog must atone, or so he believes. He enters the ruby mine intent on returning riches to his family, but his impulses result in rejection. When the gem polisher offers him a new opportunity, TalaRog remains in the mountain. But can he trust someone who keeps him only for his EarthSight.
SvitCita is petrified. Far from home, she must descend into the depths of the mines to grow their food and heal their injured, but she can't make her feet follow the path of duty. When the mountains shakes below her, will she find the fortitude to enter the caverns and save those she does not know?
Prince BiaDar, summoned by his DragonGod, is ordered to murder the chief priest of the dragon's brother. But that is not how the ThroneHeir wishes to spend his days. He covets his father's throne, to be the forceful ruler his people need. And he will have it, by word or by blood.
A great start to a new fantastic series. Where I had many different emotions from start to finish. Where I started of worried that I wouldn't like the characters or the placed they stayed at. Because where 3 out of 4 of the main pov's are in one place, I thought maybe I would become quickly bored. Where at the start I thought SvitCita as the weakest link to the story, TalaRog as the annoying person, and MullRan i honestly didn't trust.
But, after getting a bit further into the story. I could see the masterpiece Justin has created. The characters has so much personal growth, friendship, and love for each other. Even with 3 of them being in the same place for most of the book, it doesn't stop Justin from giving them so much danger, unfairness, quests, and hatefull side characters to die for. And I love them all, for what they are contributing with in the story.
This is a beautiful and magnificent start to a new fantasy series, with so much to love hate (in a fantastic way), pain, grief, hatred and need for more power poring out of the chapters, and so much more. The list can go on and on.
If a book could get more than 5 star in the rating system, this would have been one of them. So don't miss out, and if you want a sneak peak into this world. You can get the prequel novella for free, though singing up for Justin newsletter.
Can't wait to see what will happen in book 2, and luckily that one will come next year. So it's not so long to wait for the next epic instalment.
This author has a free short story on his website, a sort of prequel to this book. And I really liked this dragonfilled story! So when the author asked me to arc read this book I jumped at the chance.
The story follows four characters, one of them is on his path to become a super villain. The other three all came from different parts of the kingdom and couldn't be more different but they found a themselves a little family while trying to find what they are looking for.
I love the magic system and the world we get to be a part of.
Thanks to the author for providing me with this early e-copy of the book!
A solid debut with memorable characters and a home-run finish!
I enjoyed this book even more than I expected to! The beginning was grounded, which helped immerse me in the setting, characters, and the magic. I enjoyed the trio of characters that come together to help each other out, and their strengths and weaknesses really complement each other in a way that helps them all be better and grow.
There were parts that felt a little slow in the middle, but it’s absolutely worth it for the VERY satisfying payoff at the the big finale that left me thinking, “Ooohhhhhh, that was very cool!”
And most importantly, it left me very excited for book 2!
This book is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. It reads like someone who has been writing and publishing for years.
It starts strong with action, no chapters of info dumps just to get us into the world. The characters are introduced with immediate tension and stakes. TalaRog can't be certain of the one thing he wants, SvitCita is scared because she is forced away from home and BiaDar is ordered to murder. All of this within the first 3 chapters.
Oh, word of warning, do NOT skip the prologue! It is not just old worldbuilding, its action and it is incredibly relevant to the plot of the novel. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
The journey the characters take from beginning to end, while they don't physically move very far, is the best part here. The world is fantastic, and I loved knowing about it from DragonForged before I read this, but this one really dives into the character emotions and their arcs. I can't wait to see what happens to them in the next book.
That said, THE ENDING! The last, idk third, of the book is almost non stop. Big moment after big moment after the final two chapters just leaving me needing to know what happens in book 2 which cannot come soon enough!
If you love fantasy, if you love characters, read this book. You will not be disappointed.
A fantasy world filled with dragons, evil rulers, and elemental magic! 🐉✨ This was such a fun and interesting read, and I really enjoyed the world we were introduced to. We get a more omniscient POV following multiple main characters: a healer sent to the mines, a powerful earth elementalist, a man undercover on a secret mission, and a prince set on a path of horrific tasks prompted by a dragon god. And we even get some POV from the dragon itself!
This book had so many fun and enjoyable aspects! We get found family, high stakes, training in magical abilities, and A LOT of devastation. The story really sets up for an exciting series filled with action and intrigue. I really loved the magical aspects, with each of the powers being so unique!
The main characters were really likable, and I enjoyed watching the friendships they formed. All three are set up for some exciting storylines in book 2, and I’m definitely curious to see how everything will play out!
Then there’s BiaDar… and WOW, he is UNLIKABLE. 😂 Definitely a memorable villain who is pretty messed up. He is one of those villains you just absolutely hate, but he’s a pivotal character!
Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the world! I’m excited to see where these characters end up!
Huge thank you to Justin Orr for the ecopy of this book prerelease! DragonGods comes out November 16th! 🐉
DragonGods is a fresh take on dragon fantasy. When I think of dragons, I always think of the classic dragon rider story. Young kid finds an egg and the two of them grow up together on adventures across the fantasy world. This one is different. This is a story about people living in a world crafted by dragons.
The magic is so well done. Each of the different magic users has the magic intertwined in who they are. It is part of the culture of the people and its embedded in how they think and act. It's not like they live normal lives and then sometimes use magic. They use magic for everything and I loved that.
I think the growth of the characters from start to finish is well done. I especially liked some of TalaRog's aspects in his climactic chapter at the end, but no spoilers.
Justin's website says the next book comes out late next year. I really hope that he can make some magic for it to come out sooner because I need to know what happens and I need to know if my ship sets sail.
A great book that every lover of fantasy books should read!
This book is an incredible read from start to finish! It follows the story of three characters from each of the three peoples in this world, showing their stories as the turmoil of their gods upheaves the balance of their world and their lives. The characters all travel through deep growth and development as the story unfolds, grappling with terror, found family, insecurity, self-confidence, guilt, forgiveness, grief, and destructive hubris. The setting is a colorful, fresh world space with a unique, open, creative magic system with fascinating curve balls to discover! Orr's use of language and engaging writing style really pulls you in to a deeply engaging story. It really highlights a brighter fantasy - that even in deep turmoil, each of us can choose, or not, to work towards light and a better version of ourselves and the world. Very much looking forward to the second novel of this saga!!
Honestly I have struggled with this review because it is an ARC, but if I'm 100% truthful this was not for me.
The good bits: the premise of the story is solid and the last 20% or so is exciting and really sets up the next book in the series. Part of the story is told from the POV of a morally defunct prince doing the malignant bidding of a dragon god, I really enjoyed these parts and it felt like they were written with more enthusiasm than other POVs.
The not so good bits: it's slow. Really slow. The majority of the story takes place inside a mine and it felt very monotonous. The magic system isn't really explained, it is interesting but some lore would have fleshed it out.
Overall it was good and I hope the book finds it's audience.
This book was awesome. Such a pleasure to sit down and read. I had a couple of guesses as to where it might be going, but I was pleasantly proven wrong. It was a book that was hard to put down.
It was also a book that spoke to what I needed in my life at various points. Those are the stories that stay with you, and I think the author did a wonderful job telling a compelling story. If you like fantasy and good storytelling, check this book out.
I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would! The beginning was grounded, which helped me settle into the setting, the characters, and the magic. I really enjoyed watching these three characters come together and help each other out. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and I loved how those differences complemented each other and helped them grow. It was fun seeing their individual journeys unfold and watching their stories begin to connect as things got more complicated.
A great start to a new series! The characters work well together and give us someone to root for. Especially the three of them that form a great band of characters. Each of the POV characters has their distinct voice. The world feels immersive and you can dive into it. The stakes are high and you keep turning the pages to learn was happens next. Even the slower bits are enjoyable and pay off. And if the cover wasn't a clue: there are dragons!
This is the beginning of a great new series. Thank you to the author Justin C. Orr for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a review
I had the opportunity to read the novela previous to this and I knew that this will be a series I won't want to miss.
The series is a fantasy world ruled by dragon gods where the peace founded long ago begins to break. There a lot of emotions in this book and Justin knew just how to deliver. There is pain, there is grief, there is hate but most of all is character growth which I really loved. One thing I found a bit hard and that is the name on the characters which made me a bit confused and a bit challenging to keep up with the story, but other then that this is a beautiful fantasy with a huge potential for greatness.