This Savage Sword, a Dark Epic Dragon Rider Fantasy: A Vorelian Saga Trilogy

by C.D. McKenna

Not all gods demand worship. Some demand revenge.

A Dragon Rider. A Vengeful God. A Shattered Brotherhood.
Vikter is the best among the Dragon master trainer, advisor, and pillar of the magnificent Dragon Rider Federation. But when a wave of unexplainable, ritualistic deaths begins to torment his city—culminating in the loss of his brother-in-arms, Hyle—Vikter's carefully constructed world crumbles. He vows to seek the truth, but the only promises left are lies from the very council he swore to serve.
But a reckless investigation unearths the Federation’s blood-soaked a world empire built on a fanatic’s ideology. History will repeat itself—only this time, at the cost of centuries of peace. As corruption bleeds into the foundation of the grandest city in the Vore World, Vikter faces a devastating Hyle’s death wasn't an accident, but the calculated trigger for the ascent of a grieving, dangerous deity.
Now, with his city in ruins under the weight of betrayal and a war brewing among Riders, Vikter must choose between protecting his decaying home or abandoning everything he’s ever known.

In This Savage Sword, a prequel to The Vorelian Saga, dragons and gods collide in a brutal, high-stakes tale of vengeance, corruption, and the impossible sacrifices heroes must make.

“… You become fully immersed in the world. Dragons are real. Magic is real.” ~ Brian J. Lynch, author of Consequences Intended
“This world continues to expand with every new installment, and in doing so, takes another piece of my soul with it!” ~ Bryan Kamtsios, author of Soul Sacrifice
“McKenna returns with a new installment that is savage, sexy, and satisfying!” ~ Micah Campbell, author of The Singing Blade

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication December 15, 2026

Reviews

[Shay]

🐉⚔️ This Savage Sword by C.D. McKenna ⚔️

I genuinely loved this book. The plot was so good, it was easy to read, and the story had such a good flow that I never felt lost or like I had to stop and figure out what was going on.
I really loved all of the magic, dragons, gods, revenge, and everything happening within the world. The world-building was probably one of my favorite parts because it gave me enough information to understand everything without overwhelming me. I never had those moments of “wait… what the heck is happening?” 😂 I just really enjoyed being in this world and discovering everything as the story went on.
I also really loved Vikter as a character. I loved his morals and how he always tried to see the good in everyone and everything. Watching the world he knew slowly start to crumble around him was honestly heartbreaking. His brotherhood, the people around him, the peace they had known for centuries… everything was starting to fall apart.
And the fact that history is repeating itself at the cost of centuries worth of peace just made everything feel so much bigger. You could really feel how much was at stake with the gods, the corruption, the revenge, and everything that was happening but Vikter still had Aythen. 🥹
I LOVED their bond. Their conversations and banter had me giggling so many times throughout the book. 😂 Their relationship is seriously one of a kind, and I loved how connected they were. With everything around Vikter falling apart, Aythen felt like that one constant he could still count on.
I also had my suspicions about who was behind everything, and for the most part, I was right! There were a person or two I wasn’t completely sure about, though, so I still had a few surprises along the way.
And can we talk about THE LAKE SCENE. 😭When Vikter was retrieving Rülura and something brushed across his ankles, I was immediately like “OH HECK NO!” 😂 And then he gets pulled under…NOT ONCE. BUT TWICE?!
My heart was beating SO FAST. I was literally like, “NO! YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM!” 😂
The cliffhanger at the end has me sitting here like… excuse me?! I NEED MORE.
I genuinely cannot wait to see where this story goes next. I loved the dragons, the magic, the gods, the revenge, the world-building, Vikter and Aythen, and watching everything slowly unravel around them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS! I loved this book and I NEED the next one ASAP! ❤️

[AJ Robertson]

Looking for a book about dragon riders, where the Master Rider, Vikter, in this case, makes an unseemly amount of bad decisions, and the entire time you're thinking, "Does he want to die? How is he not dead yet?" Well, here you go. Ultimately, I settled on weekly anger management sessions were needed for this man because we can't just sow people's mouths shut, correct? 😒🤦‍♂️

Now that that's out of the way, let's get into the story. That first chapter, you definitely want to pay attention to it. Onward, this story follows Vikter. He's a master rider and trains all the young ones in all things dragon riding. You learn his friend died and others, which is odd seeing how cherished dragon riders are. The council is giving him no answers, so he decides to do his own research. One odd day during training gives him some answers and a warning. From what I stated before this, I don't need to explain how this goes.

There are major sinister vibes going on in the background, and at this point, you honestly will have no idea who to trust. However, I'm very interested in Kyra and Darrin. These two side characters seem to carry a lot of weight. This ended on a cliffhanger, so I'll definitely be along for the next ride.

Be ready to want to read this in one sitting. It was too good to put down. There was always something next to look forward to.

"Hate could make anyone do horrible things, but grief made monsters out of people."

"All choices have consequences, even the heroic ones."

[Brittany Patterson]

This Savage Sword was an action-packed fantasy that kept me engaged from beginning to end. The plot was well thought out, the pacing was strong, and there always seemed to be something happening that pushed the story forward. I never found myself bored, and I was genuinely invested in seeing how everything would unfold.

The worldbuilding felt purposeful rather than overwhelming, and the story delivered plenty of excitement, tension, and twists along the way. It’s clear that a lot of care went into crafting both the plot and the larger story arc.

The reason this landed at 4 stars instead of 5 is largely due to my personal preference for POV style. The novel is written in third-person past tense, and while that’s not inherently a flaw, I struggled at times to feel fully immersed in the story. I tend to connect more deeply with first-person narration, and the narrative distance occasionally left me feeling like I was observing events unfold rather than experiencing them alongside the characters. Because of that, I never quite formed the emotional connection I was hoping for.

That said, this is very much a personal preference, and readers who enjoy third-person fantasy may not have the same experience. Overall, This Savage Sword delivers an exciting, fast-paced adventure with a compelling story, memorable action sequences, and a thoughtfully crafted world. If you’re a fantasy reader who enjoys high-stakes action and third-person storytelling, this one is worth picking up.

[Amberly Medina]

Where do I even begin?

First of all, 5 Stars. This story was filled with chaotic good, political intrigue, crippling backstories, twists, and of course, so many dragons!!

C D McKenna developed a world filled with morality, twisted beliefs, and a political hierarchy filled with contempt and disgust. The bond between rider and dragon was well defined and detailed. Also supporting how dragons are the final judge of character. As they should be.

In a system where you don’t know who to trust and who is lying gets you trying to look between the lines. But you find out too late what’s actually happening and who is really pulling the strings.

I laughed, I questioned who was doing what and why, I audibly gasped multiple times (which my husband laughed at me for), and I teared up within the last 100 pages (iykyk - I mean right?! In the caves! Argh)

I enjoyed this read and I cannot wait for book 2. Thank you CD McKenna for the ARC! Great job!

[Chris]

Well here we go! I’ve read all books that Chelsea has released and they’ve all been 4/5 stars. Absolutely amazing reads. Her books are criminally underrated and not talked about enough. This first book in this new series set in the same world as her main series had me hooked solely due to the fact that it’s diving deeper into the world’s rich history and particularly the history of the fall of the Dragon Rider Federation. We have new gods, old friends, mystery, lots of questions, and new characters to explore. On the other hand, the Easter eggs from the main series are absolutely fantastic. You get to see where characters we’ve come to know and love came from and how their experiences shape who they are in the future. This book was great for anyone who loves dragons, action, political intrigue, or just fantasy as a whole. Such a great read and awesome start to a new series!

[C.D. McKenna]

What can I say? This book has been with me for 5 years. Through that, I've doubted, rewritten, and nearly tossed it altogether. But these characters remained, constantly shaping my storytelling and the main saga. I owe a lot of who I've become to this book.

To everyone that picks it up and joins Vikter and Aythen on their wild journey, thank you ♥️♥️

This Savage Destiny, book 2, is coming soon ⚔️🐉♥️

[Cassidy]

Arc review.

The world building was well thought out rather than just thrown together without meaning. The plot kept me thoroughly engaged throughout the book. I am so interested to see this storyline continue.

[Eric Papke]

This was quite the journey, think of it's as what it must have been like before Eragon. It was a fun read with suspense, plot twists and betrayal. Looking forward to book two!

[Melissa Widmaier]

A dark and emotional origin story. This is exactly what prequels should be: full of adventure and choices and heart. Loved it!