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Return of the Darkening #1
Dragon Trials
Soar above the skies in this dragon rider epic... Sebastian Smith isn't meant to be a dragon rider. His family ekes out a living at the bottom of Torvald society. But his luck finally changes when he’s chosen to train as a Dragon Rider at the prestigious Dragon Academy. Thrust into a world where he doesn’t fit in, Seb finds the connection with his dragon more powerful than he ever imagined. Soon, he’s doing all he can to succeed and not embarrass his new dragon partner, Thea. High-born Agathea Flamma intends to bring honor to her family by following in her brothers’ footsteps and taking her rightful place as a Dragon Rider. If she does not succeed, her only other option is marriage, and Thea will not accept failure. She’s not thrilled with her awkward, scruffy partner, Seb, but their dragon has chosen, and now the unlikely duo must learn to work as a team.When Seb hears rumors that an old danger is reemerging, he and Thea begin to investigate. Armed only with their determination and the dragon they both ride, Thea and Seb may be the only defense against the Darkening that threatens to sweep the land.Together, they will have to learn to work together to save their kingdom…or watch it fall and along with it their own dreams.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2015
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About the author
Ava Richardson
149 books424 followersAva Richardson writes epic page-turning Young Adult Fantasy books. She creates lovable characters and drops them into intricate worlds that are barely contained within your eReader. Ava has written 21 YA dragon fantasy series, including her bestselling series Return of the Darkening and her recent series, Destia's Dragon Shifter War.
She grew up on a steady diet of fantasy and science fiction books handed down from her two big brothers – and despite being dog-eared and missing pages, she loved escaping into the magical worlds that those authors created. Her favorites were the ones about dragons; where they’d swoop, dive and soar through the skies of these enchanted lands.
She grew up on a steady diet of fantasy and science fiction books handed down from her two big brothers – and despite being dog-eared and missing pages, she loved escaping into the magical worlds that those authors created. Her favorites were the ones about dragons; where they’d swoop, dive and soar through the skies of these enchanted lands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
December 8, 2018
Quite a unique take on the dragon riding concept (there must be TWO riders chosen, which I have never seen before), so I automatically liked the story. I really love the first two chapters where Thea and Seb meet their red and connect with her. It was beautiful, honest, heartfelt writing.
Unfortunately, while dragons play a more central role here than in some tales I've read, I feel I didn't see enough of them. Obviously I am biased, given that I am the World's Foremost Dragon Authority and #1 Dragon Fan. That being said, I think the most original part of this story -- namely, the three-way-partnership between Dragon, Protector, and Navigator -- was brushed off as an accepted part of the world. It could have been woven so much more elegantly into the plot.
As for the characters, I have the opposite opinions of many here. I liked Thea a lot more than I liked Seb. That's not to say Seb was unlikeable -- simply that he's a Mary Stu. He's boring. Whenever there's even a small bit of dramatic tension revolving around him, it resolves itself instantly. Someone's mean to him? He smiles and brushes it off. Someone plays him a nasty trick that earns him a mark that could add up to him and his partner being thrown out of the Academy? Never speak of it again, and the perpetrators get off scot-free. He and Thea butt heads? Forgive her. So overall the plot always felt lackluster, because we were too comfortable with Seb. There are no stakes, because we know he'll Be Good and Do The Right Thing in the end.
Now for Thea. As a character, Thea had the makings of greatness, and I think if she had been more fleshed out, people would have been more forgiving of her. (Or maybe not; people seem inveterately determined to condemn flawed female characters.) She wants to make her family proud, wants to make a name for herself, and wants to be respected as her own self, instead of just one more Flamma living in the shadow of her two well-known brothers. I really wish Thea had been more introspective regarding her motives for wanting success. Anyone thinking she's rude/mean/stuck-up has a point -- but they fail to acknowledge the fact that she's one of only two (?? maybe at most 3-4?) girls in this male-dominated Academy, with zero female dragon riders to look up to. She fears failure, because not only is it letting her family down, it's destroying her one chance to live the life she really wants to lead. If that were me, you can be damn sure I would be turnt all the way up every day. Her success is dependent upon her partner, who at first can't really do anything. Yeah, I'd be riding his ass too, insisting he must do better. We see some of these inner musings about wanting to be the best, but Thea fails to fully examine (and thus, explain to the audience) why she feels the way she does. It always just kind of ends at, "I have to make my father proud, I'm a Flamma".
The fault lies not in Thea as a character, but in the author for not exploring that character deeply enough. There is still plenty of growth in her -- not only in how she treats Seb, but how she treats Varla and Kaylax -- and her redeeming qualities abound if you bother to look for them. (I'll remind you that it is ultimately Thea, not goody-two-shoes Seb, who wants to ride north and investigate the growing problems, risking everything she's ever dreamed of for sake of King and Country.) I read between the lines of Thea's words and actions and found the root of her desires to be realistic and relatable. I applaud the author for not being didactic and over-explainey about these things, but unfortunately we live in a world where female characters aren't allowed to be flawed. If you want to write a complex, strong, or otherwise imperfect female character, I guess you need to make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that people see past her gruff exterior to her soft, inner, kind, all-smiles feminine side.
You know what, I'm tempted to give this five stars just because BRAVO Ava Richardson for not holding back with Thea. It probably deserves three stars for the issues with the plot; but I liked the portrayal of dragons, and us flawed, prickly, imperfect girls must stick together. So I give it four stars.
A refreshing take on dragon riders and characters who, with a bit more study and depth, would have been excellent, tension-building dramatic foils.
Unfortunately, while dragons play a more central role here than in some tales I've read, I feel I didn't see enough of them. Obviously I am biased, given that I am the World's Foremost Dragon Authority and #1 Dragon Fan. That being said, I think the most original part of this story -- namely, the three-way-partnership between Dragon, Protector, and Navigator -- was brushed off as an accepted part of the world. It could have been woven so much more elegantly into the plot.
As for the characters, I have the opposite opinions of many here. I liked Thea a lot more than I liked Seb. That's not to say Seb was unlikeable -- simply that he's a Mary Stu. He's boring. Whenever there's even a small bit of dramatic tension revolving around him, it resolves itself instantly. Someone's mean to him? He smiles and brushes it off. Someone plays him a nasty trick that earns him a mark that could add up to him and his partner being thrown out of the Academy? Never speak of it again, and the perpetrators get off scot-free. He and Thea butt heads? Forgive her. So overall the plot always felt lackluster, because we were too comfortable with Seb. There are no stakes, because we know he'll Be Good and Do The Right Thing in the end.
Now for Thea. As a character, Thea had the makings of greatness, and I think if she had been more fleshed out, people would have been more forgiving of her. (Or maybe not; people seem inveterately determined to condemn flawed female characters.) She wants to make her family proud, wants to make a name for herself, and wants to be respected as her own self, instead of just one more Flamma living in the shadow of her two well-known brothers. I really wish Thea had been more introspective regarding her motives for wanting success. Anyone thinking she's rude/mean/stuck-up has a point -- but they fail to acknowledge the fact that she's one of only two (?? maybe at most 3-4?) girls in this male-dominated Academy, with zero female dragon riders to look up to. She fears failure, because not only is it letting her family down, it's destroying her one chance to live the life she really wants to lead. If that were me, you can be damn sure I would be turnt all the way up every day. Her success is dependent upon her partner, who at first can't really do anything. Yeah, I'd be riding his ass too, insisting he must do better. We see some of these inner musings about wanting to be the best, but Thea fails to fully examine (and thus, explain to the audience) why she feels the way she does. It always just kind of ends at, "I have to make my father proud, I'm a Flamma".
The fault lies not in Thea as a character, but in the author for not exploring that character deeply enough. There is still plenty of growth in her -- not only in how she treats Seb, but how she treats Varla and Kaylax -- and her redeeming qualities abound if you bother to look for them. (I'll remind you that it is ultimately Thea, not goody-two-shoes Seb, who wants to ride north and investigate the growing problems, risking everything she's ever dreamed of for sake of King and Country.) I read between the lines of Thea's words and actions and found the root of her desires to be realistic and relatable. I applaud the author for not being didactic and over-explainey about these things, but unfortunately we live in a world where female characters aren't allowed to be flawed. If you want to write a complex, strong, or otherwise imperfect female character, I guess you need to make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that people see past her gruff exterior to her soft, inner, kind, all-smiles feminine side.
You know what, I'm tempted to give this five stars just because BRAVO Ava Richardson for not holding back with Thea. It probably deserves three stars for the issues with the plot; but I liked the portrayal of dragons, and us flawed, prickly, imperfect girls must stick together. So I give it four stars.
A refreshing take on dragon riders and characters who, with a bit more study and depth, would have been excellent, tension-building dramatic foils.
August 3, 2016
This story concept for this one sounded creative, so I was eager to give it a try. This book had a very juvenile feel to it. I get that its YA, and I usually like YA but this one felt a bit too YA in my opinion. Also, there were some slow spells during the plot. It just seemed this book would have had its fair share of adventure, but that was missing here. It was a slow moving read without much excitement. My main complaint was the heroine. She was just a b*itch. I have a hard time reading a book when I find the main characters so repulsive. I get that she had a higher class of upbringing, but it was as the writer went a bit overboard making her character come across as spoiled, rude and selfish. By the ending, I would not have cared what her actions were, I found her character to unredeemable. Long review short, this was just a bit too immature for me personally and the slow plot and awful heroine made this one a disappoitnemnt for me.
February 8, 2017
meh but ended well
3.5
Reader thoughts This book didn't hold my interest very well until the end. Thea is rude and then kind to Seb sporadically for about 50% of the book. I wouldn't have minded if she were making progress or growing, but her character just felt flighty and unpredictable. Then, bam, the rudeness evaporated.
The dragon training was boring. How can this be? I think it was partly because it sounded like caring for a horse (cleaning tack, pulling on reins, etc.) rather than working with a sentient partner.
The plot went nowhere for 70% of the book. Hearing rumors and hearing more rumors can only carry a story so far. Yes, things were happening in the academy, but those were social problems. I wanted epic-level dragon problems. Plus, the problems at the academy and with the Darkening could have been timed to climax together rather than one piece at a time.
Plot holes: timing
Thea said her brothers became dragon riders almost as soon as they can walk. Later we find out they became dragon riders at 19, same as her.
Some cadets have somehow not graduated for five years. Seb and Thea and the rest of their year graduated in, like, two months.
Seb and Thea fought the final battle after over 24 hours off no food. Thea had a chance to grab food, but she took a waterskin instead. Why not stock up on food AND water? I don't understand.
There were a few other minor quibbles.
So, what did I like? The end was packed together and showed Seb and Thea make a difference against the big, bad, evil. Seb has special magic. The dragons talked more. People got hurt.
Seb and Thea acted very stupidly, though, which is annoying. I won't read the next.
Writer thoughts: I want to compare this book to other dragon training books. Are there any that I really liked? Have there been any that were actually good?
Fledgling wasn't great either and struck a lot of the same chords. Anne McCaffrey had some good dragon training books, but even those were less training and more working/flying/fighting/burning the thread. Tamora Pierce had very good training methods, but it was for knights and mages rather than dragons. I suppose How to Train Your Dragon counts, but that's more like viking training with pet dragons.
3.5
Reader thoughts This book didn't hold my interest very well until the end. Thea is rude and then kind to Seb sporadically for about 50% of the book. I wouldn't have minded if she were making progress or growing, but her character just felt flighty and unpredictable. Then, bam, the rudeness evaporated.
The dragon training was boring. How can this be? I think it was partly because it sounded like caring for a horse (cleaning tack, pulling on reins, etc.) rather than working with a sentient partner.
The plot went nowhere for 70% of the book. Hearing rumors and hearing more rumors can only carry a story so far. Yes, things were happening in the academy, but those were social problems. I wanted epic-level dragon problems. Plus, the problems at the academy and with the Darkening could have been timed to climax together rather than one piece at a time.
Plot holes: timing
Thea said her brothers became dragon riders almost as soon as they can walk. Later we find out they became dragon riders at 19, same as her.
Some cadets have somehow not graduated for five years. Seb and Thea and the rest of their year graduated in, like, two months.
Seb and Thea fought the final battle after over 24 hours off no food. Thea had a chance to grab food, but she took a waterskin instead. Why not stock up on food AND water? I don't understand.
There were a few other minor quibbles.
So, what did I like? The end was packed together and showed Seb and Thea make a difference against the big, bad, evil. Seb has special magic. The dragons talked more. People got hurt.
Seb and Thea acted very stupidly, though, which is annoying. I won't read the next.
Writer thoughts: I want to compare this book to other dragon training books. Are there any that I really liked? Have there been any that were actually good?
Fledgling wasn't great either and struck a lot of the same chords. Anne McCaffrey had some good dragon training books, but even those were less training and more working/flying/fighting/burning the thread. Tamora Pierce had very good training methods, but it was for knights and mages rather than dragons. I suppose How to Train Your Dragon counts, but that's more like viking training with pet dragons.
March 30, 2018
4.5 stars. I love dragons. I love dragon riders. I love the idea of a dragon rider academy. I love this story.
This story takes place in the kingdom of Torvald where there is a Dragon Rider Academy that teaches young cadets how to join the ranks of the kingdom's army on dragon-back. The story opens with Choosing day, which happens once every 5 years. Choosing Day is a time where the dragon enclosure is opened and young dragons are sent out to choose their riders from young people in the kingdom. It's a huge honor to be chosen.
"No one really knows why or how the great wyrms choose their two riders. Some say it's magic, others say that dragons can read your soul, so they choose the ones that they know they can live and work with the best."
That's right, TWO RIDERS. Aka my new favorite dragon riding concept because I love teamwork.
You have to have two riders for every dragon though: a navigator and a protector. The navigator is like the pilot and the guide; some say they can almost sense their dragon’s emotions. The protector is the one who gets to fire arrows, throw lances and use swords to defend both dragon and the navigator when they are on patrols.
This brings us to our two main characters, Agathea Flamma (Thea, 19) who hails from a noble family of renowned Dragon Riders. And Sebastian Smith (Seb, 17) the impoverished son of an alcoholic blacksmith who hails from the poorest part of town, Monger's Lane. On Choosing Day, a rare red dragoness chooses both Thea and Seb. While Thea has been waiting for this moment her entire life, Seb feels unworthy of the honor.
Thea and Seb struggle as partners. Thea is a snob and doesn't understand Seb's creative and sentimental way of thinking, and Seb wishes Thea was less rigid and rude.
All cadet riders in the Academy have to study for various tests and training, which is where the Navigator/Protector dynamic comes heavily into play. Thea and Seb find they have far more shortcomings than they expected. Seb finds he excels in the map reading and dragon identification challenges, while Thea can barely remember which colored flag means what. Seb is clumsy with fighting and can't win a spar to save his life, while Thea has been training combat and archery her entire life and excels due to her speed and slight frame. After several weeks of training, roles are assigned at the academy.
“Agathea as protector, and Sebastian navigator,” the commander said. I could only stare at him, stunned, unable to move. I’m a protector? But girls were never protectors. Even Varla, the other female cadet, was in training to be a navigator. Seb grabbed my arm. I stumbled forward with him. I could hear a ripple of amazement from the others.
Thea and Seb have to learn to work together and follow the rules, if they want to graduate and keep their dragon. After hearing unsettling rumors of a returning threat and some magical Dragon Stones that could be used against them, they have to decide if they want to stick to following orders or be courageous and step out of line like true heroes of legend.
This story takes place in the kingdom of Torvald where there is a Dragon Rider Academy that teaches young cadets how to join the ranks of the kingdom's army on dragon-back. The story opens with Choosing day, which happens once every 5 years. Choosing Day is a time where the dragon enclosure is opened and young dragons are sent out to choose their riders from young people in the kingdom. It's a huge honor to be chosen.
"No one really knows why or how the great wyrms choose their two riders. Some say it's magic, others say that dragons can read your soul, so they choose the ones that they know they can live and work with the best."
That's right, TWO RIDERS. Aka my new favorite dragon riding concept because I love teamwork.
You have to have two riders for every dragon though: a navigator and a protector. The navigator is like the pilot and the guide; some say they can almost sense their dragon’s emotions. The protector is the one who gets to fire arrows, throw lances and use swords to defend both dragon and the navigator when they are on patrols.
This brings us to our two main characters, Agathea Flamma (Thea, 19) who hails from a noble family of renowned Dragon Riders. And Sebastian Smith (Seb, 17) the impoverished son of an alcoholic blacksmith who hails from the poorest part of town, Monger's Lane. On Choosing Day, a rare red dragoness chooses both Thea and Seb. While Thea has been waiting for this moment her entire life, Seb feels unworthy of the honor.
Thea and Seb struggle as partners. Thea is a snob and doesn't understand Seb's creative and sentimental way of thinking, and Seb wishes Thea was less rigid and rude.
All cadet riders in the Academy have to study for various tests and training, which is where the Navigator/Protector dynamic comes heavily into play. Thea and Seb find they have far more shortcomings than they expected. Seb finds he excels in the map reading and dragon identification challenges, while Thea can barely remember which colored flag means what. Seb is clumsy with fighting and can't win a spar to save his life, while Thea has been training combat and archery her entire life and excels due to her speed and slight frame. After several weeks of training, roles are assigned at the academy.
“Agathea as protector, and Sebastian navigator,” the commander said. I could only stare at him, stunned, unable to move. I’m a protector? But girls were never protectors. Even Varla, the other female cadet, was in training to be a navigator. Seb grabbed my arm. I stumbled forward with him. I could hear a ripple of amazement from the others.
Thea and Seb have to learn to work together and follow the rules, if they want to graduate and keep their dragon. After hearing unsettling rumors of a returning threat and some magical Dragon Stones that could be used against them, they have to decide if they want to stick to following orders or be courageous and step out of line like true heroes of legend.
October 10, 2017
Okay, I have just reread Dragon Trials. I have come away with a higher opinion this time. Nothing is new under the sun (Solomon). But what you do with the ingredients determines the finished result. Take one high born young lady, add a boy from the poorest part of town. Thrown a flame red dragoness for spice. Top with a sinister plot to overthrow the kingdom and you have the makings of a high adventure.
Interesting but not unique. Poor blacksmith's son gets selected by a red Dragon along with girl Agathea Flamma from a famous Dragon riding family except she is the first girl from this family. The struggle to get through the Dragon Academy, then an lost legend of a group of super eggs! Book two should be a litmus test.
Well reading this book for the second time makes all the difference! Came away with a much better impression of Dragon Trails. Also, plan to continue reading books 2 & 3.
Interesting but not unique. Poor blacksmith's son gets selected by a red Dragon along with girl Agathea Flamma from a famous Dragon riding family except she is the first girl from this family. The struggle to get through the Dragon Academy, then an lost legend of a group of super eggs! Book two should be a litmus test.
Well reading this book for the second time makes all the difference! Came away with a much better impression of Dragon Trails. Also, plan to continue reading books 2 & 3.
March 20, 2017
Thanks to Netgalley and City Owl Press for giving me this book to review.
Dragon Trails is a fun light fantasy read which is faced paced. It is predictable and needs more world building. Also the timeline is confusing as I could not tell how much time has passed.
Thea is ambitious and braver but also arrogant and stuck up but this is not surprising considering her upbringing. Seb is an endearing and happy positive person who I preferred over Thea as he is more likeable if a bit distractible. Kalax is an energetic and trusting dragon and I hope we get to know her better.
The ending was ab it rushed but I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading Dragon Legends. I would recommend Dragon Trails to fans of fun and light fantasy reads.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Dragon Trails is a fun light fantasy read which is faced paced. It is predictable and needs more world building. Also the timeline is confusing as I could not tell how much time has passed.
Thea is ambitious and braver but also arrogant and stuck up but this is not surprising considering her upbringing. Seb is an endearing and happy positive person who I preferred over Thea as he is more likeable if a bit distractible. Kalax is an energetic and trusting dragon and I hope we get to know her better.
The ending was ab it rushed but I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading Dragon Legends. I would recommend Dragon Trails to fans of fun and light fantasy reads.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
February 20, 2016
I received a free e-book copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dragon Trials is book 1 in the series.
It took me a while to get into the book, but once I was a little ways into it, it got better and more interesting. Also, there were load of spelling and grammatical errors, which were really annoying. But overall, enjoyed the story and loved the dragons!
Dragon Trials is book 1 in the series.
It took me a while to get into the book, but once I was a little ways into it, it got better and more interesting. Also, there were load of spelling and grammatical errors, which were really annoying. But overall, enjoyed the story and loved the dragons!
January 1, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3/5 Stars
When I first picked up Dragon Trials I have to admit that it reminded me a lot of the film How to Train Your Dragon. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and obviously Dragon Trials is still unique in its own way.
Dragon Riders are the protectors of the Kingdom of Torvald. Every several years, new dragons descend upon the city to claim their riders and take them back to the academy for dragon training. Agathea, our female protagonist, has been dreaming to be picked as a rider just like her older brothers, and much of her family before her. Sebastian, our male protagonist, lives in the poor district of the city with his father who has a bit of a reputation being the town drunk.
When a beautiful red dragon swoops down and claims both Agathea and Sebastian as her riders, their worlds are turned upside down. Sebastian feels out of place in this luxurious academy, and Agathea can't believe someone from the poor district would be chosen as her riding partner.
Richardson tells the tale of two young people from two different worlds who must find a way to overcome their differences and work as a team in order to become the dragon riders they are destined to be.
As the two start to become friends, Sebastian learns of some startling news from outside the city. Could the old stories of a darker time be true, and is the threat returning to the kingdom?
Though clearly geared towards a more adolescent audience, the writing and language itself is quite good. The only problem I had is that there were so many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, so I'm really hoping the edition I was sent was a proof. I'm assuming it must have been. At first I started jotting these mistakes down in order to send a note to the publisher, but it soon got overwhelming as I felt I was stopping so often and it was taking away from my indulgence in the story, so I stopped taking note and just read through them.
The characters in this book weren't bad, but they weren't really characters that drew me in right away. I did enjoy Sebastian and the way he tried to keep positive when he was being teased by the others in the academy, and the special bond he had with his dragon. I kept rooting for him and was proud when he accomplished things. But I never really grew to love Agathea the way I loved Sebastian. Though I feel she is written to be a strong female lead, the way she behaved in the first half of the novel just turned me off. Even towards the end when her character had a change of heart, I still wasn't fully committed to her.
The one thing I could have done with a little more of would be world building. The Kingdom of Torvald sounds like a very interesting place rich with history, but we never really get to delve into that.
Dragon Trials is a good first book to what could prove to be an entertaining series.
3/5 Stars
When I first picked up Dragon Trials I have to admit that it reminded me a lot of the film How to Train Your Dragon. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and obviously Dragon Trials is still unique in its own way.
Dragon Riders are the protectors of the Kingdom of Torvald. Every several years, new dragons descend upon the city to claim their riders and take them back to the academy for dragon training. Agathea, our female protagonist, has been dreaming to be picked as a rider just like her older brothers, and much of her family before her. Sebastian, our male protagonist, lives in the poor district of the city with his father who has a bit of a reputation being the town drunk.
When a beautiful red dragon swoops down and claims both Agathea and Sebastian as her riders, their worlds are turned upside down. Sebastian feels out of place in this luxurious academy, and Agathea can't believe someone from the poor district would be chosen as her riding partner.
"Face burning, I turned away. I felt so ashamed. How could the red do this to me? What was it thinking? It must have made the wrong choice. It must have."
Richardson tells the tale of two young people from two different worlds who must find a way to overcome their differences and work as a team in order to become the dragon riders they are destined to be.
As the two start to become friends, Sebastian learns of some startling news from outside the city. Could the old stories of a darker time be true, and is the threat returning to the kingdom?
"'Of course. Every child hears those old legends. People falling sick, struck dumb, disappearing entirely. But that's...it's all just old fairy tales.'"
Though clearly geared towards a more adolescent audience, the writing and language itself is quite good. The only problem I had is that there were so many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, so I'm really hoping the edition I was sent was a proof. I'm assuming it must have been. At first I started jotting these mistakes down in order to send a note to the publisher, but it soon got overwhelming as I felt I was stopping so often and it was taking away from my indulgence in the story, so I stopped taking note and just read through them.
The characters in this book weren't bad, but they weren't really characters that drew me in right away. I did enjoy Sebastian and the way he tried to keep positive when he was being teased by the others in the academy, and the special bond he had with his dragon. I kept rooting for him and was proud when he accomplished things. But I never really grew to love Agathea the way I loved Sebastian. Though I feel she is written to be a strong female lead, the way she behaved in the first half of the novel just turned me off. Even towards the end when her character had a change of heart, I still wasn't fully committed to her.
The one thing I could have done with a little more of would be world building. The Kingdom of Torvald sounds like a very interesting place rich with history, but we never really get to delve into that.
Dragon Trials is a good first book to what could prove to be an entertaining series.
December 8, 2015
*** I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review, which was originally published on book blog Will Read for Feels.
I’m a fan of the whole partnership-with-a-magical-creature type of fictional friendship, as evidenced by my having read just about all of Mercedes Lackey‘s novels of Valdemar. So Ava Richardson’s book, Dragon Trials, first novel in the Return of the Darkening series, was something I couldn’t not pick up after I’d read the description.
While things immediately started happening as far as this story goes, I had a bit of disorientation when I first started reading, mostly because of the head hopping between the two main characters. However, since the author stuck to only one point of view per chapter, I soon caught the rhythm of her writing and, after the first few chapters, I didn’t have to think about it anymore. Which was a good thing, as there was a lot to think about it once Richardson started taking us through the ins and outs of the world she’d built, which was wonderfully layered—there’s a secret subculture among the dragon riders, not to mention cliques formed by the riders with different roles, a hierarchy to dragon colors, tragedy when the triad of dragon-navigator-protector is splintered, and so on.
Right at the heart of this world is the dragon rider academy. The two main characters enter into it by virtue of having been chosen as riders by the same dragon, but they are immediately thrust into opposite ends of the social spectrum. Thea is from a noble family that has been churning out of dragon riders for generations. She has two rider brothers, one of whom is even partnered with the crown prince. She is very conscious of her place in the world, but to balance this out, she is also under enormous pressure to succeed. This makes her uppity, at least to others’ perceptions, because she doesn’t enjoy the success she thinks she should, no matter how hard she works.
On the other hand, Seb was born poor and has spent most of his childhood covering for his alcoholic father. Still, he at least has a rudimentary education, and he is kind to others, even when he can scarcely afford to be. As a character, I think he could have done with a few more flaws, but it is nevertheless very easy to sympathize with him, especially when he immediately becomes the prime target for the noble bullies who think they are better than him when it is proved time and again this is not the case.
Readers may see shades of Harry Potter and Hogwarts in this book, notably in poor, just-happy-to-be-here Seb and the rare and special affinity he has with dragons, the know-it-all Thea whose vast amounts of in-theory-knowledge doesn’t always stand up in practice, and the awkward and nerdy Merik, whose circumstances have left him something of an object of mixed pity and ridicule.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, though I would have preferred a bit more editing and a bit more clarity as far as the POVs are involved.
I’m a fan of the whole partnership-with-a-magical-creature type of fictional friendship, as evidenced by my having read just about all of Mercedes Lackey‘s novels of Valdemar. So Ava Richardson’s book, Dragon Trials, first novel in the Return of the Darkening series, was something I couldn’t not pick up after I’d read the description.
While things immediately started happening as far as this story goes, I had a bit of disorientation when I first started reading, mostly because of the head hopping between the two main characters. However, since the author stuck to only one point of view per chapter, I soon caught the rhythm of her writing and, after the first few chapters, I didn’t have to think about it anymore. Which was a good thing, as there was a lot to think about it once Richardson started taking us through the ins and outs of the world she’d built, which was wonderfully layered—there’s a secret subculture among the dragon riders, not to mention cliques formed by the riders with different roles, a hierarchy to dragon colors, tragedy when the triad of dragon-navigator-protector is splintered, and so on.
Right at the heart of this world is the dragon rider academy. The two main characters enter into it by virtue of having been chosen as riders by the same dragon, but they are immediately thrust into opposite ends of the social spectrum. Thea is from a noble family that has been churning out of dragon riders for generations. She has two rider brothers, one of whom is even partnered with the crown prince. She is very conscious of her place in the world, but to balance this out, she is also under enormous pressure to succeed. This makes her uppity, at least to others’ perceptions, because she doesn’t enjoy the success she thinks she should, no matter how hard she works.
On the other hand, Seb was born poor and has spent most of his childhood covering for his alcoholic father. Still, he at least has a rudimentary education, and he is kind to others, even when he can scarcely afford to be. As a character, I think he could have done with a few more flaws, but it is nevertheless very easy to sympathize with him, especially when he immediately becomes the prime target for the noble bullies who think they are better than him when it is proved time and again this is not the case.
Readers may see shades of Harry Potter and Hogwarts in this book, notably in poor, just-happy-to-be-here Seb and the rare and special affinity he has with dragons, the know-it-all Thea whose vast amounts of in-theory-knowledge doesn’t always stand up in practice, and the awkward and nerdy Merik, whose circumstances have left him something of an object of mixed pity and ridicule.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, though I would have preferred a bit more editing and a bit more clarity as far as the POVs are involved.
August 2, 2018
My favorite kind of book
Easy to read and enjoyable! Especially if you're a fan of dragons like me! Nothing bad to say about it, just a few minor things that really didn't effect my enjoyment of it so no sense in mentioning them.
Easy to read and enjoyable! Especially if you're a fan of dragons like me! Nothing bad to say about it, just a few minor things that really didn't effect my enjoyment of it so no sense in mentioning them.
May 20, 2019
Alle fünf Jahre wählen Drachen ihre zwei Reiter, den Beschützer und den Navigator. Dieses Mal fällt die Wahl der Drachin Kalax auf Agathea, aus dem ehrwürdigen Drachenreiter-Haus Flamma, und Seb, den Sohn eines heruntergekommenen Schmiedes. Diese Wahl ist ungewöhnlich, da es einerseits bisher kaum weibliche Reiter gegeben hat und andererseits auch bürgerliche Reiter eher selten sind. Die beiden müssen daher erst als Team zusammenwachsen. Thea ist so darauf erpicht sich zu beweisen, da sie angstvoll einem Schicksal als Ehefrau entgegensieht, während Seb der Meinung ist, dass er nicht hierher gehört.
Die Akademie der Drachenreiter ist eine Mischung aus Harry Potter und Drachenzähmen leicht gemacht. Abgesehen von dem klassichen Mittelalter-Setting und den Drachen hat das Buch sogar 1:1 die Struktur von Harry Potter. Der junge Held wird von seinem Vater als billige Arbeitskraft missbraucht bevor er unerwartet an die Kadettenschule kommt. Dort wird er von manchen Kadetten aufgrund seiner Herkunft gemobbt. Auch die Beziehung zu Thea ist am Anfang eher gespannt, da sie meint, dass er sich nicht genug anstrengt. Zusammen durchlaufen sie ihre Ausbildung, erhalten aber zwei Strafpunkte, weil ein scheinbar bösartiger Ausbilder sie im Visier hat. Als Gerüchte aufkommen, dass eine alte Bedrohung, die Finsternis, dabei ist zurückzukehren, setzen sich die beiden über die Regeln hinweg und untersuchen die Sache auf eigene Faust. Am Ende besiegen sie einen Schergen der Finsternis mit mehr Glück als Verstand und der Kommandeur der Kadettenschule belohnt sie sogar noch für ihre Befehlsverweigerung. Kommt Euch das irgendwie bekannt vor?
Das Buch ist ein klassisches Heldenlied. Tatsächlich ist dies auch der größte Unterschied zu Harry Potter. Ein Heldenlied zeigt die Entwicklung eines normalen (hier z.B.) Sohn eines Schmiedes zum Helden, der sich dann gegen das Böse stellt. Nun ist natürlich die Frage, warum gerade dieser Normalsterbliche. Und die Antwort ist, dass er nicht normal, sondern etwas besonderes ist. Luke Skywalker ist ein Jedi, Seb hat eine besondere Verbindung zu Drachen. Harry Potter ist einer der wenigen Helden, an dem bis auf seine Führungsqualitäten nichts Besonderes war (den Angriff hat er ja nur aufgrund des Opfers seiner Mutter überlebt).
Kurz zusammengefasst: ich liebe Drachen. Als ich damals Avatar im Kino gesehen habe, war ich nicht nur von den Effekten begeistert, sondern wünschte mir ich könnte auf dem Drachen in die Arbeit reiten. Den Parksheriff, der es dann wagen würde, mir einen Strafzettel wegen Falschparkens an die Brust meines roten Ungetüms zu heften, gibt es nicht. Wenn Euch Harry Potter aufgrund der Geschichte gefallen hat, wird Euch auch dieses Buch gefallen. War es eher Rowling's kreative Einbettung einer magischen Welt in die normale Welt, dann wird Euch das sehr klassische Fantasy-Setting wahrscheinlich weniger begeistern.
Die Akademie der Drachenreiter ist eine Mischung aus Harry Potter und Drachenzähmen leicht gemacht. Abgesehen von dem klassichen Mittelalter-Setting und den Drachen hat das Buch sogar 1:1 die Struktur von Harry Potter. Der junge Held wird von seinem Vater als billige Arbeitskraft missbraucht bevor er unerwartet an die Kadettenschule kommt. Dort wird er von manchen Kadetten aufgrund seiner Herkunft gemobbt. Auch die Beziehung zu Thea ist am Anfang eher gespannt, da sie meint, dass er sich nicht genug anstrengt. Zusammen durchlaufen sie ihre Ausbildung, erhalten aber zwei Strafpunkte, weil ein scheinbar bösartiger Ausbilder sie im Visier hat. Als Gerüchte aufkommen, dass eine alte Bedrohung, die Finsternis, dabei ist zurückzukehren, setzen sich die beiden über die Regeln hinweg und untersuchen die Sache auf eigene Faust. Am Ende besiegen sie einen Schergen der Finsternis mit mehr Glück als Verstand und der Kommandeur der Kadettenschule belohnt sie sogar noch für ihre Befehlsverweigerung. Kommt Euch das irgendwie bekannt vor?
Das Buch ist ein klassisches Heldenlied. Tatsächlich ist dies auch der größte Unterschied zu Harry Potter. Ein Heldenlied zeigt die Entwicklung eines normalen (hier z.B.) Sohn eines Schmiedes zum Helden, der sich dann gegen das Böse stellt. Nun ist natürlich die Frage, warum gerade dieser Normalsterbliche. Und die Antwort ist, dass er nicht normal, sondern etwas besonderes ist. Luke Skywalker ist ein Jedi, Seb hat eine besondere Verbindung zu Drachen. Harry Potter ist einer der wenigen Helden, an dem bis auf seine Führungsqualitäten nichts Besonderes war (den Angriff hat er ja nur aufgrund des Opfers seiner Mutter überlebt).
Kurz zusammengefasst: ich liebe Drachen. Als ich damals Avatar im Kino gesehen habe, war ich nicht nur von den Effekten begeistert, sondern wünschte mir ich könnte auf dem Drachen in die Arbeit reiten. Den Parksheriff, der es dann wagen würde, mir einen Strafzettel wegen Falschparkens an die Brust meines roten Ungetüms zu heften, gibt es nicht. Wenn Euch Harry Potter aufgrund der Geschichte gefallen hat, wird Euch auch dieses Buch gefallen. War es eher Rowling's kreative Einbettung einer magischen Welt in die normale Welt, dann wird Euch das sehr klassische Fantasy-Setting wahrscheinlich weniger begeistern.
October 14, 2020
Es el primer libro que me leo de Ava R. y me ha gustado bastante.
Es introductorio y bastante ligero, no es una fantasía de dragones muy compleja como otros y los protagonistas son dos adolescentes inmaduros, con complejos que van aprendiendo poco a poco.
👑 — Thea, cabeza dura, no piensa demasiado las consecuencias y ante pone sus intereses al de otros, ella hasta el 90% no me agrado y el resto demostró que aunque no caía bien, algo me gusto de ella. Su desarrollo va ser lento pero seguro.
👑 —Sebastián, este chico es un pan de bueno, es la persona más noble y tierna. Un joven humilde que tiene fe en que siempre hay algo bueno pero “ojo” no es tonto al no ver las malas acciones o engaños.
🐉 — Y Kalax, la dragona juguetona, que apenas vemos atisbos de su personalidad; juntos forman un trío peculiar que te van guiando por sus pequeñas desventuras y la introducción para la guerra.
Aquí solo vimos una pequeña batalla, sencilla, corta e impactante que casi nos deja con lágrimas, tal vez fue demasiado rápido como manejaron el final pero consideraré que es el inicio de la trilogía y lo dejare pasar, así que esperaré leer el siguiente pronto, esperando más emocionantes cosas.
Es introductorio y bastante ligero, no es una fantasía de dragones muy compleja como otros y los protagonistas son dos adolescentes inmaduros, con complejos que van aprendiendo poco a poco.
👑 — Thea, cabeza dura, no piensa demasiado las consecuencias y ante pone sus intereses al de otros, ella hasta el 90% no me agrado y el resto demostró que aunque no caía bien, algo me gusto de ella. Su desarrollo va ser lento pero seguro.
👑 —Sebastián, este chico es un pan de bueno, es la persona más noble y tierna. Un joven humilde que tiene fe en que siempre hay algo bueno pero “ojo” no es tonto al no ver las malas acciones o engaños.
🐉 — Y Kalax, la dragona juguetona, que apenas vemos atisbos de su personalidad; juntos forman un trío peculiar que te van guiando por sus pequeñas desventuras y la introducción para la guerra.
Aquí solo vimos una pequeña batalla, sencilla, corta e impactante que casi nos deja con lágrimas, tal vez fue demasiado rápido como manejaron el final pero consideraré que es el inicio de la trilogía y lo dejare pasar, así que esperaré leer el siguiente pronto, esperando más emocionantes cosas.
April 27, 2017
Original Review Here
Put the word `dragon` in the title of a book and that’s it, I’m sold, normally without reading the synopsis. That’s definitely the case with Dragon Trials (Return of the Darkening). I actually had the first and second books before I had opened the first. I had my fingers crossed they were good!
I was optimistic with the opening pages. Two dragon riders are picked by a dragon to train to become either a protector or a navigator. It is the dragons that do the picking, and no one can argue with them. It was refreshing to see the relationship this way around rather than humans dominating.
It meant that our two main characters, however, come from very different backgrounds. Most dragon riders – Thea included – come from a noble background and have been trained for this very moment their entire lives. Then there is Seb – the blacksmith’s boy, with no friends and no money, but an affinity to connect with the dragons on a deeper level than anyone else.
Sebastian was an instant favourite character! He has a personable personality and the ability to make friends with anyone, from the academy’s bully to his shared dragon, Kalax. He is friendly, honest and in over his head – but is determined to succeed, even if it is for Thea’s sake.
Thea, however, took me a lot longer to warm up to. For the majority of the book, she is a complete snob. She won’t connect with Seb because of his status and scolds him for following his heart. She socialises with those who bully her supposed `partner` and does nothing to defend him. Sebastian refuses to quit because of Thea, and she brushes him off.
In fact, it is only when it is revealed that Seb is a little special himself despite his common background that Thea starts to trust him. By the end, she is a likeable enough character, but it took a very long time to start liking her. Hopefully, in the second book, I will like her from the offset.
The majority of the plot involves the dragon riders training to become the protectors of the realm. There are hints throughout of a darkness that is brewing. I have to admit, when that darkness was revealed, it felt like such an anti-climax. Especially since his name was Vincent. I’m not sure why, but a villain called Vincent in this sort of fantasy story made me laugh – not exactly the right reaction, I’m sure.
I found Dragon Trials easy to read. It definitely focuses on a YA audience, especially given the immature behaviour of the riders. I do, however, believe these characters will develop in the second book once they start taking their responsibilities seriously.
An enjoyable tale if you can get yourself past finding one of the main characters a whining snob. There is courage and adventure, magic and dragons in all the right doses and it made for an entertaining read. A good way to spend an afternoon.
Put the word `dragon` in the title of a book and that’s it, I’m sold, normally without reading the synopsis. That’s definitely the case with Dragon Trials (Return of the Darkening). I actually had the first and second books before I had opened the first. I had my fingers crossed they were good!
I was optimistic with the opening pages. Two dragon riders are picked by a dragon to train to become either a protector or a navigator. It is the dragons that do the picking, and no one can argue with them. It was refreshing to see the relationship this way around rather than humans dominating.
It meant that our two main characters, however, come from very different backgrounds. Most dragon riders – Thea included – come from a noble background and have been trained for this very moment their entire lives. Then there is Seb – the blacksmith’s boy, with no friends and no money, but an affinity to connect with the dragons on a deeper level than anyone else.
Sebastian was an instant favourite character! He has a personable personality and the ability to make friends with anyone, from the academy’s bully to his shared dragon, Kalax. He is friendly, honest and in over his head – but is determined to succeed, even if it is for Thea’s sake.
Thea, however, took me a lot longer to warm up to. For the majority of the book, she is a complete snob. She won’t connect with Seb because of his status and scolds him for following his heart. She socialises with those who bully her supposed `partner` and does nothing to defend him. Sebastian refuses to quit because of Thea, and she brushes him off.
In fact, it is only when it is revealed that Seb is a little special himself despite his common background that Thea starts to trust him. By the end, she is a likeable enough character, but it took a very long time to start liking her. Hopefully, in the second book, I will like her from the offset.
The majority of the plot involves the dragon riders training to become the protectors of the realm. There are hints throughout of a darkness that is brewing. I have to admit, when that darkness was revealed, it felt like such an anti-climax. Especially since his name was Vincent. I’m not sure why, but a villain called Vincent in this sort of fantasy story made me laugh – not exactly the right reaction, I’m sure.
I found Dragon Trials easy to read. It definitely focuses on a YA audience, especially given the immature behaviour of the riders. I do, however, believe these characters will develop in the second book once they start taking their responsibilities seriously.
An enjoyable tale if you can get yourself past finding one of the main characters a whining snob. There is courage and adventure, magic and dragons in all the right doses and it made for an entertaining read. A good way to spend an afternoon.
February 17, 2017
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
High-born Agathea Flamma intends to bring honor to her family by following in her brothers’ footsteps and taking her rightful place as a Dragon Rider. With her only other option being marriage, Thea will not accept failure. She’s not thrilled at her awkward, scruffy partner, Seb, but their dragon has chosen, and now the unlikely duo must learn to work as a team.
Seventeen-year-old Sebastian has long been ashamed of his drunken father and poor upbringing, but then he’s chosen to train as a Dragon Rider at the prestigious academy. Thrust into a world where he doesn’t fit in, Seb finds a connection with his dragon that is even more powerful than he imagined. Soon, he’s doing all he can to succeed and not embarrass his new partner, Thea.
When Seb hears rumors that an old danger is reemerging, he and Thea begin to investigate. Armed only with their determination and the dragon they both ride, Thea and Seb may be the only defense against the Darkening that threatens to sweep the land. Together, they will have to learn to work together to save their kingdom…or die trying.
MY TAKE
I found this audiobook through the narrator, Tiffany Williams, of whom I'm a fan. As always, she does a great with the storytelling and the characterizations.
As a huge fan of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, I was excited to read this story of dragonriders. Whereas McCaffrey's world (while appearing to be fantasy, it's not) is science based, Richardson's world definitely has magic in it.
The teen angst of both the main characters is true to the age. There's Thea who's got many issues to overcome, including living up to her family's reputation as dragonriders but she's also got an elitist attitude about the peasants. And poor Seb, her partner. He's a peasant who's had no experience with dragons before, but he's got a great heart. Thea's attitude toward him in the beginning and even into the middle of the story started to irk, but that's her character arc.
I'm looking forward to the next book, also narrated by Williams.
4 1/2 stars
High-born Agathea Flamma intends to bring honor to her family by following in her brothers’ footsteps and taking her rightful place as a Dragon Rider. With her only other option being marriage, Thea will not accept failure. She’s not thrilled at her awkward, scruffy partner, Seb, but their dragon has chosen, and now the unlikely duo must learn to work as a team.
Seventeen-year-old Sebastian has long been ashamed of his drunken father and poor upbringing, but then he’s chosen to train as a Dragon Rider at the prestigious academy. Thrust into a world where he doesn’t fit in, Seb finds a connection with his dragon that is even more powerful than he imagined. Soon, he’s doing all he can to succeed and not embarrass his new partner, Thea.
When Seb hears rumors that an old danger is reemerging, he and Thea begin to investigate. Armed only with their determination and the dragon they both ride, Thea and Seb may be the only defense against the Darkening that threatens to sweep the land. Together, they will have to learn to work together to save their kingdom…or die trying.
MY TAKE
I found this audiobook through the narrator, Tiffany Williams, of whom I'm a fan. As always, she does a great with the storytelling and the characterizations.
As a huge fan of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, I was excited to read this story of dragonriders. Whereas McCaffrey's world (while appearing to be fantasy, it's not) is science based, Richardson's world definitely has magic in it.
The teen angst of both the main characters is true to the age. There's Thea who's got many issues to overcome, including living up to her family's reputation as dragonriders but she's also got an elitist attitude about the peasants. And poor Seb, her partner. He's a peasant who's had no experience with dragons before, but he's got a great heart. Thea's attitude toward him in the beginning and even into the middle of the story started to irk, but that's her character arc.
I'm looking forward to the next book, also narrated by Williams.
4 1/2 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2015
3.5 stars. Agathea Flamma is a snob. She’s also quite a brat. I tried very hard to give her the benefit of the doubt at the start of this book, since she’s high born and has probably never mixed much with hardworking commoners and all – but she kept on with her haughty thinking, believing Seb stupid and slow and dirty long past the point when she should have known better, and I wanted to push her off a dragon, quite frankly. Especially when she is exceptionally slow on the uptake herself at times.
Luckily for the sake of this book and my reading enjoyment, Seb is lovely. He’s a nice guy, he loves and appreciates his dragon, he works hard and he never gets too upset with all the awful, brattish kids around him who act more like they’re thirteen than eighteen. Which is a bit of a problem in this book. None of them act their age, so this is a book more suitable for Middle Grade readers than YA.
Beyond that this story is about what you’d expect with this description and this genre. There are dragons, there are people learning to ride them, there are some myths and legends, there is an ancient enemy, there are trials, social issues and of course a few enemies here and there. It’s all in here and it’s all fun and interesting, if a little irritating at times (Thea).
However, Seb and Thea are both lacking in back story and development. They don’t really change much throughout this book, except that they suddenly start working together at one point. It would have been lovely to have known a bit more about both their pasts in proper detail, rather than Thea pouting because her parents want to marry her off and Seb being a work horse to his alcoholic father. The plot is also pretty fast moving and there are some time jumps. I would have preferred a bit more detail on their actual training – away from the fighting and the first few flying lessons there isn’t any – and I’d have loved to have seen the reaction when they returned after helping another dragon during a trial.
So it’s not perfect or particularly unexpected. I would have loved a bit more from the dragons (but then I will always say this because I love dragons) and the world was a bit too generic for me (the north is simply called the north – but how far away is it? What’s the climate like here? What are the other countries like that don’t have dragons? And why don’t they have dragons too?). The characters have potential and the old enemy seems like one that will keep recurring long enough for a series. In all I enjoyed reading it, there was nothing about it I really didn’t like, but then there was nothing I loved either. I’d be happy enough to read more, if I happened upon the next book some day.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Luckily for the sake of this book and my reading enjoyment, Seb is lovely. He’s a nice guy, he loves and appreciates his dragon, he works hard and he never gets too upset with all the awful, brattish kids around him who act more like they’re thirteen than eighteen. Which is a bit of a problem in this book. None of them act their age, so this is a book more suitable for Middle Grade readers than YA.
Beyond that this story is about what you’d expect with this description and this genre. There are dragons, there are people learning to ride them, there are some myths and legends, there is an ancient enemy, there are trials, social issues and of course a few enemies here and there. It’s all in here and it’s all fun and interesting, if a little irritating at times (Thea).
However, Seb and Thea are both lacking in back story and development. They don’t really change much throughout this book, except that they suddenly start working together at one point. It would have been lovely to have known a bit more about both their pasts in proper detail, rather than Thea pouting because her parents want to marry her off and Seb being a work horse to his alcoholic father. The plot is also pretty fast moving and there are some time jumps. I would have preferred a bit more detail on their actual training – away from the fighting and the first few flying lessons there isn’t any – and I’d have loved to have seen the reaction when they returned after helping another dragon during a trial.
So it’s not perfect or particularly unexpected. I would have loved a bit more from the dragons (but then I will always say this because I love dragons) and the world was a bit too generic for me (the north is simply called the north – but how far away is it? What’s the climate like here? What are the other countries like that don’t have dragons? And why don’t they have dragons too?). The characters have potential and the old enemy seems like one that will keep recurring long enough for a series. In all I enjoyed reading it, there was nothing about it I really didn’t like, but then there was nothing I loved either. I’d be happy enough to read more, if I happened upon the next book some day.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
December 30, 2015
Originally reviewed for Two Nerds Talking (http://wp.me/p4Wvzn-18W) who recieved a free review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Dragon Trials takes place in the fantasy setting of Torvald, a city realm under the protection of the enigmatic Dragon Riders. For generations, the great Dragons have chosen their riders from among the citizens of Torvald, making their decisions based on qualities known only to themselves.
The young Lady Agathea "Thea" Flamma longs to continue the great legacy set by her brothers and join the Dragon Riders...its either that or be married off to some rich old man. Her dreams are realised when on Choosing Day a beautiful red dragon chooses her as its rider, but her hopes are dashed when the dragon chooses the lowly born blacksmith's son Sebastian to be her partner.
Sebastian has ever dared to dream that he would be Chosen, spending his days and nights in hard labor to make up for his often drunken father. Plucked from the poorest district in Torvald, Seb is thrust into a society he's only ever seen from the outskirts and a world he doesn't understand.
Dragon Trials is written from a first person perspective, alternating between the viewpoints of Thea and Seb, which really does a magnificent job in portraying the vastly different mindset's of Thea and Seb. And they're such a wonderful contrast to each other, Thea being aloof, arrogant and even a little snobby due to her family history and Seb... he's just happy to be there.
But it's not only the mindset that differs between them. In anticipation of being Chosen, most of the noble candidates have been trained sword-play, archery and with a quarterstaff. Seb however hasn't had the same upbringing which puts him at severe disadvantage during training.
It's here that author Ava Richardson does a masterful job in building up these characters. You do really get a sense of just how out-of-depth Seb feels, yet at the same time he's more concerned with letting Thea down. I found myself really liking Seb while at the same time sympathising with Thea who is terrified of dishonoring her family and soiling generations of tradition.
Dragon Trials is a great tale of adventure, friendship and find ones place, set in a vibrant and fully realised world.
I'm not too proud to admit that I felt a little sad when it was over...but I've since discovered that this is the first in a series.
Dragon Trials takes place in the fantasy setting of Torvald, a city realm under the protection of the enigmatic Dragon Riders. For generations, the great Dragons have chosen their riders from among the citizens of Torvald, making their decisions based on qualities known only to themselves.
The young Lady Agathea "Thea" Flamma longs to continue the great legacy set by her brothers and join the Dragon Riders...its either that or be married off to some rich old man. Her dreams are realised when on Choosing Day a beautiful red dragon chooses her as its rider, but her hopes are dashed when the dragon chooses the lowly born blacksmith's son Sebastian to be her partner.
Sebastian has ever dared to dream that he would be Chosen, spending his days and nights in hard labor to make up for his often drunken father. Plucked from the poorest district in Torvald, Seb is thrust into a society he's only ever seen from the outskirts and a world he doesn't understand.
Dragon Trials is written from a first person perspective, alternating between the viewpoints of Thea and Seb, which really does a magnificent job in portraying the vastly different mindset's of Thea and Seb. And they're such a wonderful contrast to each other, Thea being aloof, arrogant and even a little snobby due to her family history and Seb... he's just happy to be there.
But it's not only the mindset that differs between them. In anticipation of being Chosen, most of the noble candidates have been trained sword-play, archery and with a quarterstaff. Seb however hasn't had the same upbringing which puts him at severe disadvantage during training.
It's here that author Ava Richardson does a masterful job in building up these characters. You do really get a sense of just how out-of-depth Seb feels, yet at the same time he's more concerned with letting Thea down. I found myself really liking Seb while at the same time sympathising with Thea who is terrified of dishonoring her family and soiling generations of tradition.
Dragon Trials is a great tale of adventure, friendship and find ones place, set in a vibrant and fully realised world.
I'm not too proud to admit that I felt a little sad when it was over...but I've since discovered that this is the first in a series.
July 29, 2017
I love dragons and was really looking forward to this book, but it was honestly kind of disappointing. I think it's supposed to be YA but felt more juvenile, like it was actually meant to be read by an even younger audience. There's not much worldbuilding, the entire plot is predictable, and I had major issues with the main female character, who I could not bring myself to care about at all. This book is more of a 1 star book for me, but I'm rounding my rating up to 1.5 stars given that it's about dragons.
While the main setting for this story is at a school, there is very little explanation about their day to day schedule and what kind of classes they take, which I thought was kind of weird. For example, the very first test the chosen riders have to take is a combination of protector and navigator skills, yet the author only touches upon the fighting practice and not the map reading lessons that they must surely have also gone through.
Also weird to me were random details in the world building. How come the dragons don't have the equivalent of stablehands to take off and clean their equipment? And if this task is to be done by the rider, why only the navigator and not the protector? Speaking of the two rider system, it seems really inefficient that if one rider gets injured, their dragon is retired to the breeding grounds as dragons usually only choose riders once. And despite this restriction, it's possible for the scrubs and cadets to fail out? It's like the Academy is barely trying to keep up their dragon army, especially if the dragons only choose their riders once every 5 years.
When I initially heard about this book's premise about how the dragons choose their riders, I thought that would mean some kind of mental bond, similar to the Heralds and their horses in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series. I was disappointed to see that half the riders (the protectors) don't even touch their dragon that much and that Seb was made fun of by the other dragons for building that bond. And how does someone with an instinctive bond to dragons and other animals like Seb only come along once every 100 years or so??
While the main setting for this story is at a school, there is very little explanation about their day to day schedule and what kind of classes they take, which I thought was kind of weird. For example, the very first test the chosen riders have to take is a combination of protector and navigator skills, yet the author only touches upon the fighting practice and not the map reading lessons that they must surely have also gone through.
Also weird to me were random details in the world building. How come the dragons don't have the equivalent of stablehands to take off and clean their equipment? And if this task is to be done by the rider, why only the navigator and not the protector? Speaking of the two rider system, it seems really inefficient that if one rider gets injured, their dragon is retired to the breeding grounds as dragons usually only choose riders once. And despite this restriction, it's possible for the scrubs and cadets to fail out? It's like the Academy is barely trying to keep up their dragon army, especially if the dragons only choose their riders once every 5 years.
When I initially heard about this book's premise about how the dragons choose their riders, I thought that would mean some kind of mental bond, similar to the Heralds and their horses in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series. I was disappointed to see that half the riders (the protectors) don't even touch their dragon that much and that Seb was made fun of by the other dragons for building that bond. And how does someone with an instinctive bond to dragons and other animals like Seb only come along once every 100 years or so??
January 6, 2017
Sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover. See the cover above? Isn't it cool? Well-made? Interesting? The whole book is!
Going into this story, I knew it was about kids bonding with dragons, so I figured it would be Pern-like. Turns out it shared very little with the Pern world. While people did bond with dragons, each dragon picked two people, not just one, which was a pretty interesting idea.
Chapters alternated between a noble girl from a family known for producing the best dragon riders, and a peasant boy, the son if an alcoholic blacksmith. The two got picked by the same dragon, so had to not just learn all the training to become dragon riders, but how to get along with each other.
The dragons were quite interesting, and drew from How to Train Your Dragon more than Pern -- the main characters' dragon was very cat-like and reminded me of Toothless from HTTYD.
The chapters alternated between the two main characters, which worked, but I would have rather it stuck with just one POV... The problem is, I wanted to see both POVs, so alternating was the best choice, even if I didn't like switching back and forth between them.
Both main character kids were very realistic and believable -- so rare in YA books! They were flawed and sometimes annoying, but it made them only more realistic.
The writing was good, though the editing wasn't 100% perfect -- but as this book was self-published, it was a whole lot better than average. Leaps and bounds better. Even traditionally published books rarely have perfect editing anymore, so this one was on par with those.
This was one of those rare self-published books I wondered why was self-published. It was easily good enough that some publisher should have snapped it up.
Going into this story, I knew it was about kids bonding with dragons, so I figured it would be Pern-like. Turns out it shared very little with the Pern world. While people did bond with dragons, each dragon picked two people, not just one, which was a pretty interesting idea.
Chapters alternated between a noble girl from a family known for producing the best dragon riders, and a peasant boy, the son if an alcoholic blacksmith. The two got picked by the same dragon, so had to not just learn all the training to become dragon riders, but how to get along with each other.
The dragons were quite interesting, and drew from How to Train Your Dragon more than Pern -- the main characters' dragon was very cat-like and reminded me of Toothless from HTTYD.
The chapters alternated between the two main characters, which worked, but I would have rather it stuck with just one POV... The problem is, I wanted to see both POVs, so alternating was the best choice, even if I didn't like switching back and forth between them.
Both main character kids were very realistic and believable -- so rare in YA books! They were flawed and sometimes annoying, but it made them only more realistic.
The writing was good, though the editing wasn't 100% perfect -- but as this book was self-published, it was a whole lot better than average. Leaps and bounds better. Even traditionally published books rarely have perfect editing anymore, so this one was on par with those.
This was one of those rare self-published books I wondered why was self-published. It was easily good enough that some publisher should have snapped it up.
October 10, 2017
An excellent new dragon story!
I really enjoyed the world Ava Richardson built, it was well formed and felt lived in. The characters were likeable and easy to cheer for when they came on adversity. I liked the new twist on dragon riding, making it vital to have a pair of riders makes for some really interesting plot lines. Speaking of plots this story had a good one,kept you turning pages and a little sad when there weren't any left to turn. I will definitely be looking into the next book in this series!
I really enjoyed the world Ava Richardson built, it was well formed and felt lived in. The characters were likeable and easy to cheer for when they came on adversity. I liked the new twist on dragon riding, making it vital to have a pair of riders makes for some really interesting plot lines. Speaking of plots this story had a good one,kept you turning pages and a little sad when there weren't any left to turn. I will definitely be looking into the next book in this series!
February 4, 2017
When I saw this book, I thought, oh, another dragon riders book. You know, Anne McCaffrey has spawned a legion of imitators over the years. however, this is not one of those. It is its own vision, where a poor young man can be chosen by a Dragon to be one of its 2 riders, when usually only nobles are chosen. It has a deep plot, with an ancient evil rising. It has conflicted characters, with flaws and predujudices that have real consequences. The Dragons are interesting, in that they are smarter than their riders give them credit for. It is a great world the author has created, with a dark power rising that threatens their entire kingdom and way of life.
As far as narration, it was good, with just a few of the voices falling a little flat. I recommend this book for anyone that enjoys character driven fantasy. And Dragons.
I voluntarily recieved a review copy of this audiobook from the Author, Narrator or Publisher through AudiobookBoom.
As far as narration, it was good, with just a few of the voices falling a little flat. I recommend this book for anyone that enjoys character driven fantasy. And Dragons.
I voluntarily recieved a review copy of this audiobook from the Author, Narrator or Publisher through AudiobookBoom.
August 26, 2017
Fantastic read!! Had everything you could want in a fantasy book: Dragons, young people with hopes and dreams trying hard to fulfill those dreams, adventure and drama, and a little bit of romance.
I enjoyed the two main characters, Sebastian (Seb) a hard working young man, who is loyal and dedicated, especially to his rider partner and Dragon. Lady Althea (Thea) Flamma, weighted down with living up to the family name and history, is one feisty woman, who is brave enough to sit a protector on the back of Kalax, their beautiful red warrior dragon.
These three, dragon, woman and man, break the rules, to save a Kingdom and their fellow dragons and dragon riders.
I have voluntarily submitted this review after reading an advanced copy of this book.
I enjoyed the two main characters, Sebastian (Seb) a hard working young man, who is loyal and dedicated, especially to his rider partner and Dragon. Lady Althea (Thea) Flamma, weighted down with living up to the family name and history, is one feisty woman, who is brave enough to sit a protector on the back of Kalax, their beautiful red warrior dragon.
These three, dragon, woman and man, break the rules, to save a Kingdom and their fellow dragons and dragon riders.
I have voluntarily submitted this review after reading an advanced copy of this book.
February 8, 2016
A great new direction.
I have enjoyed dragons and their world all my life. However, the new direction Ava Richardson has taken is fantastic. I love the interaction between dragon and rider. But, I have always felt there was something else needed, another element to really bring the dragon rider bond full circle. Two riders and their dragon all working together to fulfil their oath was inspiring. I look forward to the continuing story that, Ava has begun to unfold. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dragons as I do. Ava Richardson has something truly special to give, to all who love dragons and the world they encompass.
I have enjoyed dragons and their world all my life. However, the new direction Ava Richardson has taken is fantastic. I love the interaction between dragon and rider. But, I have always felt there was something else needed, another element to really bring the dragon rider bond full circle. Two riders and their dragon all working together to fulfil their oath was inspiring. I look forward to the continuing story that, Ava has begun to unfold. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dragons as I do. Ava Richardson has something truly special to give, to all who love dragons and the world they encompass.
August 6, 2017
Exciting read!
A boy who came from a lowly family who never even thought he would be chosen, and a girl from a well known family who was a little too self centered at first... paired together against all odds.. learned to be humbled by each other and their dragon and work together seamlessly. It was exciting to read about the dragons and their riders and I can't wait to see what happens in book 2. Moments of excitement, sadness, action, and everything in between.
A boy who came from a lowly family who never even thought he would be chosen, and a girl from a well known family who was a little too self centered at first... paired together against all odds.. learned to be humbled by each other and their dragon and work together seamlessly. It was exciting to read about the dragons and their riders and I can't wait to see what happens in book 2. Moments of excitement, sadness, action, and everything in between.
October 13, 2016
The age of the protagonists would put this as YA but the writing style was geared more to much younger children. I enjoyed seeing Thea and Sebastian build a good working relationship but the challenges they faced and the fight with the antagonist were overcome in a very simplistic, slightly unbelievable way.
October 8, 2018
Great read
Great read! Interesting and kept you attention with a fast paced main plot and good side plots! Great characters and development! I actually liked the back and forth in this book it seemed seamless and have good perspective! I look forward forwarding the rest of the books in this series
Great read! Interesting and kept you attention with a fast paced main plot and good side plots! Great characters and development! I actually liked the back and forth in this book it seemed seamless and have good perspective! I look forward forwarding the rest of the books in this series
May 27, 2017
Well written, catching imagination
Excellent storyline told in a way that grabs the imagination. I think the main characters coming from very different backgrounds is important to the story line
Excellent storyline told in a way that grabs the imagination. I think the main characters coming from very different backgrounds is important to the story line
July 17, 2017
Great Job
I enjoyed the book, easy to read and I enjoyed his the story moved along and didn't have a lot of fill. I also liked the fact the book was written from the point of view of 2 Main Characters.... Can't wait to read book 2 and see where the adventure continues.
I enjoyed the book, easy to read and I enjoyed his the story moved along and didn't have a lot of fill. I also liked the fact the book was written from the point of view of 2 Main Characters.... Can't wait to read book 2 and see where the adventure continues.
September 2, 2017
Interesting
Highborn lady and a smithy's son. Bonded as a couple riders for one dragon. They find treachery and bring forth truth.
Highborn lady and a smithy's son. Bonded as a couple riders for one dragon. They find treachery and bring forth truth.
May 28, 2023
The first thing I noticed was how weird the formatting was (no indents just chunks of text separated by spaces) and the second was how confusing the changing perspectives were sometimes. Neither were bad, just something that I got used to. I was a little disappointed by the first person perspective (because I entertain the idea that all first person narrators need to be funny), but it was different from other high fantasy books I read. There was also more explanation dumping than I would have liked (it could have easily been dialogue), but that’s more of a nitpick. So what was this book about?
First of all, there was Thea. I couldn’t decide if I liked her at first or not. On one hand she’s badass warrior who doesn’t take shit from people. On the other hand she’s a snobby narcissistic elitist whose superiority complex prevents her from even trying to help or be sympathetic to her partner, Seb. For more than half the book she spends her time ignoring him as he struggles and expects him to just BE BETTER. She’s friends with all the rotten rich kids and mainly isolates him because he’s from the poor part of town. Ouch. When she finally starts liking him, they share a kiss. Totally not out of place at all. It’s not as if a boy and a girl (especially teenagers) can just be friends without being romantically involved. Not at all. (She thinks the prince is hot too, but it never comes up again.) Also for a woman hellbent on defying gender expectations (getting married, being “weak,” etc.), she has this weird internalized sexism. Thea is one of the only girls at the academy (which is weird that dragons-the ones that choose their riders-are sexist). Despite being groundbreaking, she still expects to be thrown into the role of navigator despite being terrible at it. I still don’t know how I feel about her, but at least I have strong opinions on her.
Then there was Seb. Not only does he have one of the most boring names ever given to a character in high fantasy, but his personality is very bland too. He’s the humble poor boy whose father is a drunk. He’s bookish and gets along with animals. The end. That being said credit where credits is due. Seb does try for Thea and is never angry at her, even when she’s a complete bitch to him. He also has a special connection with dragons and for some reason gets laughed at by the wealthy kids for loving his dragon. Guess they don’t care about theirs. Weird.
There was also the Darkening. I spent most of the book thinking the Darkening was an event or curse, but apparently it was a person. Classic villain trope thing going on. Power hungry with an army of darkness. I’m just relieved that there are only three dragon stones. Legends suggested that there was one stone to rule them all and I could not get Lord of the Rings out of my head. Crisis averted.
Despite being a little weird, I enjoyed this book. It was refreshing to see a new take on dragon riders with the partnership thing. Each dragon has a warrior and a navigator working together. Each rider was chosen by their dragon, not the school or the monarchy. Riders all had to train at the school to be certified. Oh yeah and Thea’s brothers, Ryan and Reynalt. Their names sound like Ryan Reynolds. Kinda funny.
First of all, there was Thea. I couldn’t decide if I liked her at first or not. On one hand she’s badass warrior who doesn’t take shit from people. On the other hand she’s a snobby narcissistic elitist whose superiority complex prevents her from even trying to help or be sympathetic to her partner, Seb. For more than half the book she spends her time ignoring him as he struggles and expects him to just BE BETTER. She’s friends with all the rotten rich kids and mainly isolates him because he’s from the poor part of town. Ouch. When she finally starts liking him, they share a kiss. Totally not out of place at all. It’s not as if a boy and a girl (especially teenagers) can just be friends without being romantically involved. Not at all. (She thinks the prince is hot too, but it never comes up again.) Also for a woman hellbent on defying gender expectations (getting married, being “weak,” etc.), she has this weird internalized sexism. Thea is one of the only girls at the academy (which is weird that dragons-the ones that choose their riders-are sexist). Despite being groundbreaking, she still expects to be thrown into the role of navigator despite being terrible at it. I still don’t know how I feel about her, but at least I have strong opinions on her.
Then there was Seb. Not only does he have one of the most boring names ever given to a character in high fantasy, but his personality is very bland too. He’s the humble poor boy whose father is a drunk. He’s bookish and gets along with animals. The end. That being said credit where credits is due. Seb does try for Thea and is never angry at her, even when she’s a complete bitch to him. He also has a special connection with dragons and for some reason gets laughed at by the wealthy kids for loving his dragon. Guess they don’t care about theirs. Weird.
There was also the Darkening. I spent most of the book thinking the Darkening was an event or curse, but apparently it was a person. Classic villain trope thing going on. Power hungry with an army of darkness. I’m just relieved that there are only three dragon stones. Legends suggested that there was one stone to rule them all and I could not get Lord of the Rings out of my head. Crisis averted.
Despite being a little weird, I enjoyed this book. It was refreshing to see a new take on dragon riders with the partnership thing. Each dragon has a warrior and a navigator working together. Each rider was chosen by their dragon, not the school or the monarchy. Riders all had to train at the school to be certified. Oh yeah and Thea’s brothers, Ryan and Reynalt. Their names sound like Ryan Reynolds. Kinda funny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2018
Thea and Sebastian are the odd couple at dragon academy. He’s a poor smith’s son and she’s testing the boundaries of gender equality. As they struggle to fit in and to thrive with their dragon and at the academy, they also confront rumors that the darkening has returned. Will their training be enough to help them overcome an ancient evil?
My ten year old son and I are listening to the Return of the Darkening Trilogy audiobook on audible and I asked him what he thought. “An enticing, exciting, and surprising novel.” Clearly the son of a book promoter! I agree with his assessment.
I would much rather have him reading high fantasy books like this than stuff like Captain Underpants or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This is a story that includes kids wanting something and undertaking self-improvement to reach their goal. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing preachy here, but everything is spelled correctly, the heroes aren’t snarky troublemakers (mostly), and… Oh no! I mention my little buddy and I go on a boring dad rant!
These are Dragon Riders in the Anne McCaffrey sense of the word. They can psychically communicate with their riders. They fight bandits and evil dragon riders instead of burning alien death spores from the atmosphere and there is no sign of ancient spaceships, but girls can take charge and save the day with the boys, which I like.
Read the book, the look up Shane’s Book Club on Facebook. I’ve posted a link to this review from its home at ScienceFantasyHub(dot)com and I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments! I received an audible code for free. I chose to leave a review because I liked the book. I also choose mustard at every sandwich opportunity.
My ten year old son and I are listening to the Return of the Darkening Trilogy audiobook on audible and I asked him what he thought. “An enticing, exciting, and surprising novel.” Clearly the son of a book promoter! I agree with his assessment.
I would much rather have him reading high fantasy books like this than stuff like Captain Underpants or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This is a story that includes kids wanting something and undertaking self-improvement to reach their goal. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing preachy here, but everything is spelled correctly, the heroes aren’t snarky troublemakers (mostly), and… Oh no! I mention my little buddy and I go on a boring dad rant!
These are Dragon Riders in the Anne McCaffrey sense of the word. They can psychically communicate with their riders. They fight bandits and evil dragon riders instead of burning alien death spores from the atmosphere and there is no sign of ancient spaceships, but girls can take charge and save the day with the boys, which I like.
Read the book, the look up Shane’s Book Club on Facebook. I’ve posted a link to this review from its home at ScienceFantasyHub(dot)com and I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments! I received an audible code for free. I chose to leave a review because I liked the book. I also choose mustard at every sandwich opportunity.
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