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Reckoning of Dragons #1-3
Kal Moonheart Trilogy
RECKONING OF DRAGONS
The complete epic fantasy trilogy. In a world fearfully awaiting the return of the dormant dragon god, a triumvirate of evil villains rises up to take advantage of the chaos. Reluctantly pitted against them is Kal Moonheart, an adventurer and gambler, marked for a life of danger at a young age. But Kal has friends to stand with her—honest thief Will Straightarrow, smuggler and pirate Lula Pearl, knight-errant Rafe Firehand, and wily policitian Benedict Godsword. There will be blood. There will be a reckoning …
In DRAGON KILLER, a mysterious threat puts Kal on a collision course with terrors she thought she had left buried in her past. Teaming up with a young guard captain, aspiring knight Rafe Firehand, she travels to a dragon-haunted island to hunt down a murderous beast. Once there, Kal soon discovers there are worse things in the world than dragons, and when an unexpected sequence of events leaves her in an impossible situation, she must summon every ounce of skill, cunning and strength in order to survive.
In ROLL THE BONES, the fate of a city rests in Kal's hands. An immortal killer stalks the streets of Amaranthium, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses in its wake. A week before the summer elections, Kal is called before a clandestine gathering of the city's elite, and charged with ending the murders before a terrible secret can come to light—one that threatens to shake the Republic by its very foundations. As Kal hunts the killer, her courage, loyalties and heart are put to the test, and she must decide if she can trust even her closest friends.
In SIRENSBANE, Kal faces her greatest challenge yet. On a freezing winter night, Kal is dragged from her bed by a friend in need. Renowned pirate and smuggler Lula Pearl has been struck with a fearsome curse, and Kal must join her and set sail on a dangerous voyage. On the other side of the world, the Auspice Islands have been overrun by a horde of zombies, led by a man whose terrifying schemes threaten all life both under and above the waves—the almighty sorcerer known as Corus Sirensbane.
NOW INCLUDES TWO BONUS SHORT STORIES!
In FIRST CUT, a young Kal Moonheart yearns for adventure. But will her first mission make her … or break her?
In THE FATEFUL FLAME, discover what became of Kal's young love, Deros, on the day the dragon destroyed their future.
The complete epic fantasy trilogy. In a world fearfully awaiting the return of the dormant dragon god, a triumvirate of evil villains rises up to take advantage of the chaos. Reluctantly pitted against them is Kal Moonheart, an adventurer and gambler, marked for a life of danger at a young age. But Kal has friends to stand with her—honest thief Will Straightarrow, smuggler and pirate Lula Pearl, knight-errant Rafe Firehand, and wily policitian Benedict Godsword. There will be blood. There will be a reckoning …
In DRAGON KILLER, a mysterious threat puts Kal on a collision course with terrors she thought she had left buried in her past. Teaming up with a young guard captain, aspiring knight Rafe Firehand, she travels to a dragon-haunted island to hunt down a murderous beast. Once there, Kal soon discovers there are worse things in the world than dragons, and when an unexpected sequence of events leaves her in an impossible situation, she must summon every ounce of skill, cunning and strength in order to survive.
In ROLL THE BONES, the fate of a city rests in Kal's hands. An immortal killer stalks the streets of Amaranthium, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses in its wake. A week before the summer elections, Kal is called before a clandestine gathering of the city's elite, and charged with ending the murders before a terrible secret can come to light—one that threatens to shake the Republic by its very foundations. As Kal hunts the killer, her courage, loyalties and heart are put to the test, and she must decide if she can trust even her closest friends.
In SIRENSBANE, Kal faces her greatest challenge yet. On a freezing winter night, Kal is dragged from her bed by a friend in need. Renowned pirate and smuggler Lula Pearl has been struck with a fearsome curse, and Kal must join her and set sail on a dangerous voyage. On the other side of the world, the Auspice Islands have been overrun by a horde of zombies, led by a man whose terrifying schemes threaten all life both under and above the waves—the almighty sorcerer known as Corus Sirensbane.
NOW INCLUDES TWO BONUS SHORT STORIES!
In FIRST CUT, a young Kal Moonheart yearns for adventure. But will her first mission make her … or break her?
In THE FATEFUL FLAME, discover what became of Kal's young love, Deros, on the day the dragon destroyed their future.
703 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2015
418 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
About the author
Rob May
10 books21 followersRob May studied English at Lancaster University and is the author of Reckoning of Dragons, a trilogy of fantasy thrillers featuring Kal Moonheart, adventurer, gambler and thief.
Rob lives in Warwickshire, England.
Rob lives in Warwickshire, England.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 4, 2016
I'm not a romance story fan, but I loved the opening chapter. Got caught up in it so much I was both dismayed and little angry about what happened to Deros and Kal. Which is a testimony of the author's skill at drawing in a reader whether they want to be or not. I suspect part of the author's secret is writing poetic prose that mesmerizes like some spell casting warlock seductively muttering, "Come closer, closer, clooooseeeer." For example this passage: "In the valley below, goblins worked tirelessly. . . . Clouds of smoke rose lazily into the blue spring sky: the nest was smouldering like a banked fire."
Valley - tirelessly - lazily. Sky - fire. Then there's the pace in which this wizard of words, Rob May employs. And that includes how he treats his chapters. I found myself being so absorbed I became annoyed at each chapter's conclusion. I'd think 'HEY! Continue the story, it's not finished!" I eagerly turned the pages to find out what's happen next. Again and again. It was like having the Emperor of Dragons grabbing you by the nape of your neck and dragging you along from one interesting scene to another. Tension, despair and relief ebb and flow as the story moves along. It's sad to come to the end of the story because you still want to know what happens next. It's a well-crafted story that has a bit of everything. Romance, beauty, danger, conflict, hint of mystery, monsters disappointment, exhilaration and adventure. I can't imagine anyone reading the story and not enjoying the characters, even those disgusting goblins.
Valley - tirelessly - lazily. Sky - fire. Then there's the pace in which this wizard of words, Rob May employs. And that includes how he treats his chapters. I found myself being so absorbed I became annoyed at each chapter's conclusion. I'd think 'HEY! Continue the story, it's not finished!" I eagerly turned the pages to find out what's happen next. Again and again. It was like having the Emperor of Dragons grabbing you by the nape of your neck and dragging you along from one interesting scene to another. Tension, despair and relief ebb and flow as the story moves along. It's sad to come to the end of the story because you still want to know what happens next. It's a well-crafted story that has a bit of everything. Romance, beauty, danger, conflict, hint of mystery, monsters disappointment, exhilaration and adventure. I can't imagine anyone reading the story and not enjoying the characters, even those disgusting goblins.
May 23, 2016
This story is told through the point of view of Deros, Kal's lover, not Kal herself as in the Dragon Killer trilogy. Still, I'm a fan of the author and of Kal Moonheart, so I was glad for another glimpse at the character. I would have loved to see what Kal was thinking throughout this short adventure. She is certainly quite active, though the reader only glimpses her actions as Deros sees them.
****SPOILER ALERT**** I'm not a fan of stories where dragons are killed. I usually sympathize with the dragon. It's always hard for me to read scenes about the death of a dragon, and we do see that here. Though it's acceptable, since in this story dragons are truly evil and plotting to take over the world. In that case, I can look the other way. This isn't one of those "kill the dragon" quests. It's something that happens out of necessity. ****END SPOILER****
The writing is well done with vivid descriptions of Deros's physical pain and mental torment. He truly loves Kal and will stop at nothing to get to her, even if it means nearly falling to his death or walking straight into a dragon's nest. I loved the evil guy, the Emperor of Dragons. Though his part is short (and this is a short story), I got a good feel for his evil plans and have a feeling that there are several dark plots in the works. Its a great prelude to what is sure to be a fantastic series.
****SPOILER ALERT**** I'm not a fan of stories where dragons are killed. I usually sympathize with the dragon. It's always hard for me to read scenes about the death of a dragon, and we do see that here. Though it's acceptable, since in this story dragons are truly evil and plotting to take over the world. In that case, I can look the other way. This isn't one of those "kill the dragon" quests. It's something that happens out of necessity. ****END SPOILER****
The writing is well done with vivid descriptions of Deros's physical pain and mental torment. He truly loves Kal and will stop at nothing to get to her, even if it means nearly falling to his death or walking straight into a dragon's nest. I loved the evil guy, the Emperor of Dragons. Though his part is short (and this is a short story), I got a good feel for his evil plans and have a feeling that there are several dark plots in the works. Its a great prelude to what is sure to be a fantastic series.
April 23, 2017
Thank goodness this was free
I just couldn't get into this. Stopped at 10%
I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't.
The story was told too broadly. Modern dialogue was distracting and too many inconsistancies.
No human can go 3 months without sleep.
One minute a person is stitting then we are told they have been standing.
I couldn't connect with the characters.
But the catalyst that stopped me was when
Actually I don't know for sure if he was but either way, I felt the story was not for me.
On a good note, the romance was good, and sweet...clean.. sex implied but not detailed.
I just couldn't get into this. Stopped at 10%
I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't.
The story was told too broadly. Modern dialogue was distracting and too many inconsistancies.
No human can go 3 months without sleep.
One minute a person is stitting then we are told they have been standing.
I couldn't connect with the characters.
But the catalyst that stopped me was when
Actually I don't know for sure if he was but either way, I felt the story was not for me.
On a good note, the romance was good, and sweet...clean.. sex implied but not detailed.
March 29, 2017
Well....
The story was good. But it desperately needs editing and leaves you with a couple unanswered questions. And the last short story... After so many years and with her increased fame, why had he not found her?
The story was good. But it desperately needs editing and leaves you with a couple unanswered questions. And the last short story... After so many years and with her increased fame, why had he not found her?
June 10, 2017
Good Trilogy
First book is great, the second book continues the trend, the third book became formulaic with little to know character development. You know the characters, so it is just non stop, predictable action.
First book is great, the second book continues the trend, the third book became formulaic with little to know character development. You know the characters, so it is just non stop, predictable action.
March 30, 2017
Action and adventure
Goblins and dragons. Secrets unveiled and the hero behind it all a woman! I loved it from beginning to end
Goblins and dragons. Secrets unveiled and the hero behind it all a woman! I loved it from beginning to end
December 11, 2017
I got this as a free book. It was enjoyable. The stories are good. But disjointed. Would like the books put into a different reading order.
March 27, 2017
Tapped out
After two and one half episodes I realized I was done. A good but no great series. Rob May writes well but I needed the story line to move faster.
After two and one half episodes I realized I was done. A good but no great series. Rob May writes well but I needed the story line to move faster.
June 23, 2017
Halfway there
The plot is pretty good and the storytelling isn't particularly bad, but the writing is incredibly clumsy. Everything is just kind of thrown at the reader without any subtlety or artistry. Romantic relationships are handled very crudely and it's painfully obvious that the relationships, though described from a participant's point of view, were devised and written by someone who has little experience with interpersonal relationships in general, much less those of a romantic nature.
The plot is pretty good and the storytelling isn't particularly bad, but the writing is incredibly clumsy. Everything is just kind of thrown at the reader without any subtlety or artistry. Romantic relationships are handled very crudely and it's painfully obvious that the relationships, though described from a participant's point of view, were devised and written by someone who has little experience with interpersonal relationships in general, much less those of a romantic nature.
June 16, 2017
A foul hot breath
Very enjoyable story's, both long and short. I kept 1 star because many of Kal's insights have no story related reason for blossoming into her thoughts, still I had fun reading this set and recommend it to anyone that enjoys fantasy.
Very enjoyable story's, both long and short. I kept 1 star because many of Kal's insights have no story related reason for blossoming into her thoughts, still I had fun reading this set and recommend it to anyone that enjoys fantasy.
July 1, 2017
I loved the great sense of adventure with Kal Moonheart as a very likeable and courageous young lady. It's nice to have a female heroine as she battles her way all around the world making friends and enemies along the way. Another new author to add to my reading list.
May 31, 2017
Very Long
I wished that this story had been more concise and the characters a bit more dynamic. Everyone felt a bit static and the story moved too slow.
I wished that this story had been more concise and the characters a bit more dynamic. Everyone felt a bit static and the story moved too slow.
July 31, 2017
Exciting story
This series of books were exciting and awe inspiring. There was a new adventure at every corner of the story. The short stories at the end gave great insight.
This series of books were exciting and awe inspiring. There was a new adventure at every corner of the story. The short stories at the end gave great insight.
May 11, 2017
I enjoyed these stories enough to finish three books and two short stories worth of reading in this milieu, so that has to count for a lot. The story was decent, and Rob May is a skilled writer. The works desperately needed better editing though. Not in the usual sense of crappy typos and disappointing discount ebooks though. Mostly just for the many inconsistencies, and I did have some small nitpicks.
I do love my dragon stories, but we saw surprisingly little of dragons for what I was expecting. Book 3 didn't even have dragons. There was a sea monster that made a cameo, but the 'dragons' were mostly metaphorical. It was a pirate story about drug abuse, which ended up being more interesting than I expected, but it wasn't a dragon tale. I did end up enjoying it though.
I found the climaxes of each three books to be pretty iffy. Each climax included something that just didn't quite make my suspension of disbelief. Book one, Dragon Killer, particularly flipped my “Say what now?” switch, but the rest of the story – and some admittedly great worldbuilding – kept me reading on. I also didn't think that the swapping between third person and then first person flashbacks worked that well. It would trip me up whenever we had a tense change, or I would think the story was current because it's third person only to realize shortly that it's another flashback. It was just clunky and didn't work for me.
The author also hit a few of my personal peeves. I detest when authors (or adults of any kind) consistently refer to grown women as “girls”, and I also hate it when the viewpoint character knows something but the author makes a huge point of NOT letting us know what the character knows. Especially in very clumsy “So Kal shared her plans....[but totally not with you, dear reader]” passages that take forever to finally let us in on the secret. It's a cheap trick, and it rarely works to enhance tension (if that's even what the author was going for). It also seems like the author read some of that advice about adverbs being bad, so he just decided to leave “-ly” off of words whether it's grammatically needed or not. “Things were going pretty bad” instead of “badly”, things like that. I could overlook it in dialogue maybe, but not narrative.
So I guess I'm giving three stars. Better editing would have given this a strong four, maybe even five if the climaxes were strengthened. I did like the books, and the last story was enough to pique my interest if May decides to further tell that particular tale. I'd love to read more. I think my overall 'meh' feeling right now might be attributed to three books and two (long) short stories just being overkill for me personally. If they were stronger, I might have sped through eagerly, but I come away just being glad to finally be done with it all.
I do love my dragon stories, but we saw surprisingly little of dragons for what I was expecting. Book 3 didn't even have dragons. There was a sea monster that made a cameo, but the 'dragons' were mostly metaphorical. It was a pirate story about drug abuse, which ended up being more interesting than I expected, but it wasn't a dragon tale. I did end up enjoying it though.
I found the climaxes of each three books to be pretty iffy. Each climax included something that just didn't quite make my suspension of disbelief. Book one, Dragon Killer, particularly flipped my “Say what now?” switch, but the rest of the story – and some admittedly great worldbuilding – kept me reading on. I also didn't think that the swapping between third person and then first person flashbacks worked that well. It would trip me up whenever we had a tense change, or I would think the story was current because it's third person only to realize shortly that it's another flashback. It was just clunky and didn't work for me.
The author also hit a few of my personal peeves. I detest when authors (or adults of any kind) consistently refer to grown women as “girls”, and I also hate it when the viewpoint character knows something but the author makes a huge point of NOT letting us know what the character knows. Especially in very clumsy “So Kal shared her plans....[but totally not with you, dear reader]” passages that take forever to finally let us in on the secret. It's a cheap trick, and it rarely works to enhance tension (if that's even what the author was going for). It also seems like the author read some of that advice about adverbs being bad, so he just decided to leave “-ly” off of words whether it's grammatically needed or not. “Things were going pretty bad” instead of “badly”, things like that. I could overlook it in dialogue maybe, but not narrative.
So I guess I'm giving three stars. Better editing would have given this a strong four, maybe even five if the climaxes were strengthened. I did like the books, and the last story was enough to pique my interest if May decides to further tell that particular tale. I'd love to read more. I think my overall 'meh' feeling right now might be attributed to three books and two (long) short stories just being overkill for me personally. If they were stronger, I might have sped through eagerly, but I come away just being glad to finally be done with it all.
May 11, 2017
I enjoyed these stories enough to finish three books and two short stories worth of reading in this milieu, so that has to count for a lot. The story was decent, and Rob May is a skilled writer. The works desperately needed better editing though. Not in the usual sense of crappy typos and disappointing discount ebooks though. Mostly just for the many inconsistencies, and I did have some small nitpicks.
I do love my dragon stories, but we saw surprisingly little of dragons for what I was expecting. Book 3 didn't even have dragons. There was a sea monster that made a cameo, but the 'dragons' were mostly metaphorical. It was a pirate story about drug abuse, which ended up being more interesting than I expected, but it wasn't a dragon tale. I did end up enjoying it though.
I found the climaxes of each three books to be pretty iffy. Each climax included something that just didn't quite make my suspension of disbelief. Book one, Dragon Killer, particularly flipped my “Say what now?” switch, but the rest of the story – and some admittedly great worldbuilding – kept me reading on. I also didn't think that the swapping between third person and then first person flashbacks worked that well. It would trip me up whenever we had a tense change, or I would think the story was current because it's third person only to realize shortly that it's another flashback. It was just clunky and didn't work for me.
The author also hit a few of my personal peeves. I detest when authors (or adults of any kind) consistently refer to grown women as “girls”, and I also hate it when the viewpoint character knows something but the author makes a huge point of NOT letting us know what the character knows. Especially in very clumsy “So Kal shared her plans....[but totally not with you, dear reader]” passages that take forever to finally let us in on the secret. It's a cheap trick, and it rarely works to enhance tension (if that's even what the author was going for). It also seems like the author read some of that advice about adverbs being bad, so he just decided to leave “-ly” off of words whether it's grammatically needed or not. “Things were going pretty bad” instead of “badly”, things like that. I could overlook it in dialogue maybe, but not narrative.
So I guess I'm giving three stars. Better editing would have given this a strong four, maybe even five if the climaxes were strengthened. I did like the books, and the last story was enough to pique my interest if May decides to further tell that particular tale. I'd love to read more. I think my overall 'meh' feeling right now might be attributed to three books and two (long) short stories just being overkill for me personally. If they were stronger, I might have sped through eagerly, but I come away just being glad to finally be done with it all.
I do love my dragon stories, but we saw surprisingly little of dragons for what I was expecting. Book 3 didn't even have dragons. There was a sea monster that made a cameo, but the 'dragons' were mostly metaphorical. It was a pirate story about drug abuse, which ended up being more interesting than I expected, but it wasn't a dragon tale. I did end up enjoying it though.
I found the climaxes of each three books to be pretty iffy. Each climax included something that just didn't quite make my suspension of disbelief. Book one, Dragon Killer, particularly flipped my “Say what now?” switch, but the rest of the story – and some admittedly great worldbuilding – kept me reading on. I also didn't think that the swapping between third person and then first person flashbacks worked that well. It would trip me up whenever we had a tense change, or I would think the story was current because it's third person only to realize shortly that it's another flashback. It was just clunky and didn't work for me.
The author also hit a few of my personal peeves. I detest when authors (or adults of any kind) consistently refer to grown women as “girls”, and I also hate it when the viewpoint character knows something but the author makes a huge point of NOT letting us know what the character knows. Especially in very clumsy “So Kal shared her plans....[but totally not with you, dear reader]” passages that take forever to finally let us in on the secret. It's a cheap trick, and it rarely works to enhance tension (if that's even what the author was going for). It also seems like the author read some of that advice about adverbs being bad, so he just decided to leave “-ly” off of words whether it's grammatically needed or not. “Things were going pretty bad” instead of “badly”, things like that. I could overlook it in dialogue maybe, but not narrative.
So I guess I'm giving three stars. Better editing would have given this a strong four, maybe even five if the climaxes were strengthened. I did like the books, and the last story was enough to pique my interest if May decides to further tell that particular tale. I'd love to read more. I think my overall 'meh' feeling right now might be attributed to three books and two (long) short stories just being overkill for me personally. If they were stronger, I might have sped through eagerly, but I come away just being glad to finally be done with it all.
June 23, 2019
This is a fast paced and gripping fantasy trilogy that follows Kal Moonheart as she finds herself in one adventure after another starting with living up to her reputation as a dragon slayer to hunt down a dragon that terrorising a small island outside the city. But instead of a dragon she finds something far more sinister, something that tests her mental and physical strength to the absolute limit. The second volume has Kal on the trail of a vicious and possibly supernatural killer who is taking out senators in public and unpleasant circumstances. The third and final story has Kal hitting the high seas in an effort to help her friend and save an island from a zombie curse. The stories are well written and flow nicely with plenty of action and the characters develop well throughout the trilogy. This volume also has a couple of bonus stories from Kal's earlier/pre-trilogy adventures, which adds to the overall series well.
Read
November 4, 2018I've split this into separate reviews. I won't add a star rating here, as I've rated each main book separately and I think it would be unfair to rate the same works twice when I've only read them once.
Dragon Killer, read 23rd May-2nd June 2018. Review here.
Roll the Bones, read 3 June-19th June 2018. Review here.
Sirensbane, read 20th June-9th July 2018. Review here.
First Cut, short story, read 9th July-12th July 2018. Four stars.
The Fateful Flame, short story, read 12th July-15th July 2018. Four stars.
Dragon Killer, read 23rd May-2nd June 2018. Review here.
Roll the Bones, read 3 June-19th June 2018. Review here.
Sirensbane, read 20th June-9th July 2018. Review here.
First Cut, short story, read 9th July-12th July 2018. Four stars.
The Fateful Flame, short story, read 12th July-15th July 2018. Four stars.
January 6, 2018
This caused some confusion...
The first book of the trilogy made me believe it would be about the awakening of the dragon, not just Kal Moonheart and her adventures. Still, not too bad of a world and the characters were interestung.
The first book of the trilogy made me believe it would be about the awakening of the dragon, not just Kal Moonheart and her adventures. Still, not too bad of a world and the characters were interestung.
December 23, 2025
Dragon Slayer Trilogy
Rob May did a wonderful job on this series! Kal's adventures are awesome. You feel like you are right there with her, feeling everything she feels, heartbreak and achievements.
A great book for a YA reader or any reader!!!
Rob May did a wonderful job on this series! Kal's adventures are awesome. You feel like you are right there with her, feeling everything she feels, heartbreak and achievements.
A great book for a YA reader or any reader!!!
April 25, 2016
For a prequel, this is quite a bit above the average - and it's a reasonably complete story. The tale opens with an idyllic scene of the two lovers, and goes downhill (in a good way!) from there. As an introduction to the series this works really well: I got a feel for the world, a good look at May's rather scary and very well realized dragons, and the goblins, and even glimpsed some gods, and experienced mortal peril. Several times. The plot is good and the pace quick. I did feel that Deros and Kal were a little sketchy as characters, but then again it's just a prequel, and May doesn't have a whole lot of space in which to develop them. On the other hand old Loco Lobos (that's not his actual name) is very entertaining.
In an Empire of Dragons one must expect quite a bit of violence, but even under the weight of a mountain of ash the slender hope of some kind of happy ending just won't go away.
In an Empire of Dragons one must expect quite a bit of violence, but even under the weight of a mountain of ash the slender hope of some kind of happy ending just won't go away.
June 14, 2016
Well written, with an intriguing plot, a fast pace and lyrical language, The Fateful Flame was more than worth the time it took to read, and then some.
As a lead-in to the Empire of Dragons series, Fateful Flame does its job, drawing the reader into Deros’ and Kal’s story and their love. And the adventure! Rob’s writing soars.
Like a great roller coaster, it’s a short, fast, hard-driving read that leaves you wanting to climb back on board.
As a lead-in to the Empire of Dragons series, Fateful Flame does its job, drawing the reader into Deros’ and Kal’s story and their love. And the adventure! Rob’s writing soars.
Like a great roller coaster, it’s a short, fast, hard-driving read that leaves you wanting to climb back on board.
April 27, 2017
I absolutely loved these stories. They are very well written (although in need of some editing). I quickly fell in love with the characters. Kal is a fantastic heroine. T
Plus the short stories at the end were a nice bonus. It was over too quickly, and I can only hope there will be more stories of Kal and Deros in the future.
Plus the short stories at the end were a nice bonus. It was over too quickly, and I can only hope there will be more stories of Kal and Deros in the future.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews