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Return of the Darkening #3
Dragon Bonds
The Darkening has risen...
Agathea Flamma and Sebastian Smith now face an overwhelming enemy. The rapid spread of the Darkening, a threat arising from the mists of legend, looms over the entire land. With both their families torn apart by the conflict and betrayal lurking around every corner, one mistake could doom the kingdom.
They'll have to decide where to put their faith: blood ties or newfound friends?
After the destruction of the Dragon Academy, it’s up to Thea and Seb to gather their loyal comrades—and forge uneasy new alliances—to quell the ancient menace and face the evil Lord Vincent. With civil war raging, the Dragon Riders must race against time to find the legendary Dragon Stone, the only tool they have to fight against the endless darkness that threatens to swallow them all.
Agathea Flamma and Sebastian Smith now face an overwhelming enemy. The rapid spread of the Darkening, a threat arising from the mists of legend, looms over the entire land. With both their families torn apart by the conflict and betrayal lurking around every corner, one mistake could doom the kingdom.
They'll have to decide where to put their faith: blood ties or newfound friends?
After the destruction of the Dragon Academy, it’s up to Thea and Seb to gather their loyal comrades—and forge uneasy new alliances—to quell the ancient menace and face the evil Lord Vincent. With civil war raging, the Dragon Riders must race against time to find the legendary Dragon Stone, the only tool they have to fight against the endless darkness that threatens to swallow them all.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2016
391 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Ava Richardson
149 books425 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 61 reviews
August 26, 2017
Dragon Bonds: Return of the Darkening, Book 3
Written by: Ava Richardson
Narrated by: Tiffany Williams
This book ends a great series with lots of battles, magic, emotions, thrills, and surprises. A great series and I must say I will miss the dragons and their riders! I may not be a teen or young adult but I enjoyed this series too. Lots of special powers are exposed and the one behind the darkness. Everything comes together nicely. The narrator is wonderful to continue the great with consistency, emotions, and so much more. Perfect for these books!
Written by: Ava Richardson
Narrated by: Tiffany Williams
This book ends a great series with lots of battles, magic, emotions, thrills, and surprises. A great series and I must say I will miss the dragons and their riders! I may not be a teen or young adult but I enjoyed this series too. Lots of special powers are exposed and the one behind the darkness. Everything comes together nicely. The narrator is wonderful to continue the great with consistency, emotions, and so much more. Perfect for these books!
March 25, 2017
Thanks to Netgalley and City Owl Press for giving me this book to review.
Dragon Bonds is the enjoyable conclusion to the Return of the Darkening series, which is full action, adventure and friendships. I found this book the most confusing as I was not always sure what was happening, and had no idea how old the main characters are meant to be.
Thea is dedicated, courageous and stubborn as she has been in the previous books but also a bit short-sighted. Seb is adventurous, intelligent and practical but also a nice guy who is pure of heart. I loved the bond between Seb, Thea and Kalax, and how they bring the best out of each other.
I found the ending very rushed and lefty many unanswered questions. I would recommend Dragon Bonds to fans of the first two books, Dragon Trails and Dragon Legends.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Dragon Bonds is the enjoyable conclusion to the Return of the Darkening series, which is full action, adventure and friendships. I found this book the most confusing as I was not always sure what was happening, and had no idea how old the main characters are meant to be.
Thea is dedicated, courageous and stubborn as she has been in the previous books but also a bit short-sighted. Seb is adventurous, intelligent and practical but also a nice guy who is pure of heart. I loved the bond between Seb, Thea and Kalax, and how they bring the best out of each other.
I found the ending very rushed and lefty many unanswered questions. I would recommend Dragon Bonds to fans of the first two books, Dragon Trails and Dragon Legends.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
January 20, 2018
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
The Darkening has risen...
Agathea Flamma and Sebastian Smith now face an overwhelming enemy. The rapid spread of the Darkening, a threat arising from the mists of legend, looms over the entire land. With both their families torn apart by the conflict and betrayal lurking around every corner, one mistake could doom the kingdom.
They'll have to decide where to put their faith: blood ties or newfound friends?
After the destruction of the Dragon Academy, it’s up to Thea and Seb to gather their loyal comrades—and forge uneasy new alliances—to quell the ancient menace and face the evil Lord Vincent. With civil war raging, the Dragon Riders must race against time to find the legendary Dragon Stone, the only tool they have to fight against the endless darkness that threatens to swallow them all.
MY TAKE
This is a fun conclusion to the trilogy. I listened to the audiobook, and Tiffany Williams does a great job as always. The story works up to the satisfying conclusion as the characters wrestle with the right path to take to save their people and even their world.
4 1/2 stars
The Darkening has risen...
Agathea Flamma and Sebastian Smith now face an overwhelming enemy. The rapid spread of the Darkening, a threat arising from the mists of legend, looms over the entire land. With both their families torn apart by the conflict and betrayal lurking around every corner, one mistake could doom the kingdom.
They'll have to decide where to put their faith: blood ties or newfound friends?
After the destruction of the Dragon Academy, it’s up to Thea and Seb to gather their loyal comrades—and forge uneasy new alliances—to quell the ancient menace and face the evil Lord Vincent. With civil war raging, the Dragon Riders must race against time to find the legendary Dragon Stone, the only tool they have to fight against the endless darkness that threatens to swallow them all.
MY TAKE
This is a fun conclusion to the trilogy. I listened to the audiobook, and Tiffany Williams does a great job as always. The story works up to the satisfying conclusion as the characters wrestle with the right path to take to save their people and even their world.
4 1/2 stars
August 3, 2017
I wasn't super impressed by the first two books, so it's completely unsurprising to me that the trilogy ended in the same way, with a lot of confusion and our protagonists having a shockingly easy time finding exactly what they needed and a lot of plot holes that were never really explained.
Spoilers ahead:
It drove me crazy that our protagonists seemed to have such an easy time with things. In the second book, they somehow managed to pick out the Armor Stone among all the other black rocks, and in this book, they conveniently met the Wildmen who were able to tell them the truth about where the First Rider was buried, a fact that has been lost to the ages in their own history and records. And then they were able to easily find this mystical lake in the middle of the Wildmen country, the location of which even the Wildmen aren't aware, all thanks to their advanced map reading skills. And then they were somehow able to all get there even though there were only 5 people riding on dragons while the rest of the Wildmen had to follow on foot. Are these Wildmen superhumans or something? Because otherwise I don't see how they could have kept up with flying dragons.
And then Thea miraculously discovers how to use the Dragon Stone right in the middle of the final battle, despite having zero control over it and passing out from its usage twice before. I felt like I was reading a shounen manga where the main character suddenly becomes OP and it's all because of the power of friendship. Now where have I heard that one before...
I'm surprised they managed to get anything done. There was a distinct lack of leadership among the "good guys" since:
1) the king died
2) the prince turned king has serious memory issues and is focused only on vengeance
3) the commander of the dragon riders also suffers from memory issues and he finally has the fog lifted from his mind, he decides to go on a random adventure to the South instead of taking charge
4) Jordreth, the commander's brother who actually knew stuff and could do magic, was dead
5) Thea's oldest brother, Reynalt, who everyone looked up to somehow just defected to the other side with her parents
The last point made absolutely no sense, given their family's long and prestigious history as dragonriders and Ryan's close tie to the prince...
It was never clear whether there was a romantic relationship between Thea and Seb. He kissed her on the cheek once, they've held hands or leaned against each other a couple times across the three books, and the story ends with him taking her hand as they start walking, so....questionable. Maybe the author kept it vague so it would be up to the reader's imagination?
Spoilers ahead:
It drove me crazy that our protagonists seemed to have such an easy time with things. In the second book, they somehow managed to pick out the Armor Stone among all the other black rocks, and in this book, they conveniently met the Wildmen who were able to tell them the truth about where the First Rider was buried, a fact that has been lost to the ages in their own history and records. And then they were able to easily find this mystical lake in the middle of the Wildmen country, the location of which even the Wildmen aren't aware, all thanks to their advanced map reading skills. And then they were somehow able to all get there even though there were only 5 people riding on dragons while the rest of the Wildmen had to follow on foot. Are these Wildmen superhumans or something? Because otherwise I don't see how they could have kept up with flying dragons.
And then Thea miraculously discovers how to use the Dragon Stone right in the middle of the final battle, despite having zero control over it and passing out from its usage twice before. I felt like I was reading a shounen manga where the main character suddenly becomes OP and it's all because of the power of friendship. Now where have I heard that one before...
I'm surprised they managed to get anything done. There was a distinct lack of leadership among the "good guys" since:
1) the king died
2) the prince turned king has serious memory issues and is focused only on vengeance
3) the commander of the dragon riders also suffers from memory issues and he finally has the fog lifted from his mind, he decides to go on a random adventure to the South instead of taking charge
4) Jordreth, the commander's brother who actually knew stuff and could do magic, was dead
5) Thea's oldest brother, Reynalt, who everyone looked up to somehow just defected to the other side with her parents
The last point made absolutely no sense, given their family's long and prestigious history as dragonriders and Ryan's close tie to the prince...
It was never clear whether there was a romantic relationship between Thea and Seb. He kissed her on the cheek once, they've held hands or leaned against each other a couple times across the three books, and the story ends with him taking her hand as they start walking, so....questionable. Maybe the author kept it vague so it would be up to the reader's imagination?
October 12, 2017
This is just a great third book! Reading it a second time I came away with a sense of completion, feeling that were no loose ends.
Lady Agathea Flamma struggled to find the King's Dragon Stone through great pain and scorching trial. Seb Smith keeps growing in his dangerous Dragon affinity to the point of reaching middle kingdom dragons. At last, they confront Lord Vincent but you will have to read the book to find out the outcome!
Lady Agathea Flamma struggled to find the King's Dragon Stone through great pain and scorching trial. Seb Smith keeps growing in his dangerous Dragon affinity to the point of reaching middle kingdom dragons. At last, they confront Lord Vincent but you will have to read the book to find out the outcome!
July 18, 2016
Very interesting book (may have some spoilers)
I loved all the books and this one, you will love to. Seb and Kalax relationship and Thea's develops more into kind of a family. I loved the moments between Seb and Kalax. Kalax is funny at times and she knows what words to say to cheer you up. I was hoping for something more then the ending we got though. Ending felt rushed. A very good side story for maybe a new series would be on the first rider, how he got to the place and bonded to his dragon. I would also like to know what gender that dragon was cause I forgot and how the relationship was cause of what happened when he died. I also never saw relationship going between Thea and Seb which I prefer stay that way as to focus on the adventure/action and story. Even though I would prefer a relationship between Kalax and Seb them just showing comforting scenes together good enough for now since that does not take away from story and I wonder if Kalax found mate yet since she now has a cave whose it gonna be? Seb or another dragon, wild or tamed? I wish I could of saved all those dragons. Seb did his best as any of us with pure good hearts like he has. He so good that his concern makes it look like he has relationship going with Thea when actually he does not and is just general good hearted.
I loved all the books and this one, you will love to. Seb and Kalax relationship and Thea's develops more into kind of a family. I loved the moments between Seb and Kalax. Kalax is funny at times and she knows what words to say to cheer you up. I was hoping for something more then the ending we got though. Ending felt rushed. A very good side story for maybe a new series would be on the first rider, how he got to the place and bonded to his dragon. I would also like to know what gender that dragon was cause I forgot and how the relationship was cause of what happened when he died. I also never saw relationship going between Thea and Seb which I prefer stay that way as to focus on the adventure/action and story. Even though I would prefer a relationship between Kalax and Seb them just showing comforting scenes together good enough for now since that does not take away from story and I wonder if Kalax found mate yet since she now has a cave whose it gonna be? Seb or another dragon, wild or tamed? I wish I could of saved all those dragons. Seb did his best as any of us with pure good hearts like he has. He so good that his concern makes it look like he has relationship going with Thea when actually he does not and is just general good hearted.
August 4, 2016
Boring, predictable, derivative, and cliche.
Like the previous books, the alternating of perspectives is a bit annoying and could have done with some labeling at the beginning of each chapters so you know which character is active.
This books really needed the touch of a good editor. Lots of spelling errors, missing words, wrong words, etc. There's also a lot of inconsistencies in how many dragons are around. At one point the characters have 3, then they have 11 or 12, maybe 20, then back to to 10 or so.
It was REALLY annoying how the library at the Academy was destroyed, but they somehow had all the scrolls and lore needed to find a magical item that was near mythical. All the data is miraculously on hand? Very deus ex machina.
The ending was rushed and anticlimactic. The epilogue left a LOT of loose ends and unsatisfying.
All in all, I was waiting for the book to end so I could move on to something else.
Like the previous books, the alternating of perspectives is a bit annoying and could have done with some labeling at the beginning of each chapters so you know which character is active.
This books really needed the touch of a good editor. Lots of spelling errors, missing words, wrong words, etc. There's also a lot of inconsistencies in how many dragons are around. At one point the characters have 3, then they have 11 or 12, maybe 20, then back to to 10 or so.
It was REALLY annoying how the library at the Academy was destroyed, but they somehow had all the scrolls and lore needed to find a magical item that was near mythical. All the data is miraculously on hand? Very deus ex machina.
The ending was rushed and anticlimactic. The epilogue left a LOT of loose ends and unsatisfying.
All in all, I was waiting for the book to end so I could move on to something else.
August 13, 2016
Agathea Flamma and Sebastian Smith now face an overwhelming enemy. The rapid spread of the Darkening, a threat arising from the mists of legend, looms over the entire land. With both their families torn apart by the conflict and betrayal lurking around every corner, one mistake could doom the kingdom. They'll have to decide where to put their faith: blood ties or newfound friends? After the destruction of the Dragon Academy, it’s up to Thea and Seb to gather their loyal comrades—and forge uneasy new alliances—to quell the ancient menace and face the evil Lord Vincent. With civil war raging, the Dragon Riders must race against time to find the legendary Dragon Stone, the only tool they have to fight against the endless darkness that threatens to swallow them all.
This is a great series, well developed characters and story line. Never read anything like it, very different type of story but it still grabs you. I believe you will enjoy this series. Great reading everyone.
This is a great series, well developed characters and story line. Never read anything like it, very different type of story but it still grabs you. I believe you will enjoy this series. Great reading everyone.
January 30, 2017
Loved this threee-book series!
Even though this is a YA book (ages 12-18), I was pulled through the story by the interesting and intriguing plot. The concept of riding a dragon as a military steed and of communing with it was fascinating. The Dragon Egg Stones added twists and turns to Seb and Thea's journey to become true Dragon Riders. There was just enough magic and plenty of fantasy to satisfy me. The setting reminded me of Game of Thrones, and the pull of the plot equalled how I felt when reading the Harry Potter series. I actually tried to slow down my reading speed as I neared the end because I did not want the story to be over. I would like e to read a continuation of the setting of this Dragon land, even with new characters. Malay, the Dragon, was my favorite character, btw.
Even though this is a YA book (ages 12-18), I was pulled through the story by the interesting and intriguing plot. The concept of riding a dragon as a military steed and of communing with it was fascinating. The Dragon Egg Stones added twists and turns to Seb and Thea's journey to become true Dragon Riders. There was just enough magic and plenty of fantasy to satisfy me. The setting reminded me of Game of Thrones, and the pull of the plot equalled how I felt when reading the Harry Potter series. I actually tried to slow down my reading speed as I neared the end because I did not want the story to be over. I would like e to read a continuation of the setting of this Dragon land, even with new characters. Malay, the Dragon, was my favorite character, btw.
July 18, 2016
Dose not disappoint
Well fleshed out and showing the growth of their bond. This bond between Seb, Thea and Kalax grows strongly in trust. The buildup to the end involves more than their bond. Definitely a continuation of this story as well written as previous books. You will enjoy reading all three over again. I am awaiting more in this series of books.
Well fleshed out and showing the growth of their bond. This bond between Seb, Thea and Kalax grows strongly in trust. The buildup to the end involves more than their bond. Definitely a continuation of this story as well written as previous books. You will enjoy reading all three over again. I am awaiting more in this series of books.
July 30, 2016
Great read
I really liked these books , I enjoyed the way the characters were developed and how they all came together, all the different ways they came together.I love the way the story made everyone a hero not just one person and it was everybody that ended the darkness kept me awake for a few nights just couldn't put it down. Hope you pen more like this one
I really liked these books , I enjoyed the way the characters were developed and how they all came together, all the different ways they came together.I love the way the story made everyone a hero not just one person and it was everybody that ended the darkness kept me awake for a few nights just couldn't put it down. Hope you pen more like this one
August 6, 2016
The Return of the Darkening Series
I found this to be an enjoyable series. There was plenty of action and good camaraderie. I think that the author needs a better editor because there were many errors in the story and many name changes and setting changes from one book to the the next. Other than that I really enjoyed the three book series. I just went with the flow.
I found this to be an enjoyable series. There was plenty of action and good camaraderie. I think that the author needs a better editor because there were many errors in the story and many name changes and setting changes from one book to the the next. Other than that I really enjoyed the three book series. I just went with the flow.
August 17, 2016
Good book enjoyed reading it
This was a good book it was a different spin on Dragon stories I enjoyed reading it it had a great story line and let me longing for the next book to read looking forward to seeing what she has to put out and books to come I hope there along the same line.
This was a good book it was a different spin on Dragon stories I enjoyed reading it it had a great story line and let me longing for the next book to read looking forward to seeing what she has to put out and books to come I hope there along the same line.
September 10, 2016
A wonderful end--Maybe NOT
Book 3 is all I hoped for. It brings the Darkening to a satisfying conclusion with all the ends wrapped up neatly. It also leaves a wanting for more and l trust Ava Richardson will continue writing and filling the need I want to see more of the dragons and their riders.
Book 3 is all I hoped for. It brings the Darkening to a satisfying conclusion with all the ends wrapped up neatly. It also leaves a wanting for more and l trust Ava Richardson will continue writing and filling the need I want to see more of the dragons and their riders.
July 24, 2016
Absolutely Delightful read!!!
Wonderful storyline , great characters , I have enjoyed reading the entire series I can't wait to read the "return of the dragonriders"
Definitely a series I will enjoy reading to my grandchildren.
Wonderful storyline , great characters , I have enjoyed reading the entire series I can't wait to read the "return of the dragonriders"
Definitely a series I will enjoy reading to my grandchildren.
October 7, 2016
Great dragon adventure!
Definitely a great read for all ages. A lot of action and definitely bravery in fighting for what is right.
Definitely a great read for all ages. A lot of action and definitely bravery in fighting for what is right.
September 15, 2016
Great
The story is great. It keeps going not getting sidetracked like some author's do. I would recommended it to all age's of readers
The story is great. It keeps going not getting sidetracked like some author's do. I would recommended it to all age's of readers
August 1, 2023
I wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t. The previous books were far from perfect, yet they had potential. The story, writing, and characters could improve. Book three left me painstakingly bored so much so that I read a chapter or two and didn’t pick up the book again for weeks.
This book was in serious need of editing. There was too much unnecessary recapping, too little dialogue, too much to improve upon. Characters felt flat. They were names on a page related to other names on the page. Everything was told to you. What the characters felt. Why. What their specific motivations were. I wanted to be shown how Thea struggled with her family assisting the Darkening. Maybe she tenses when thinking about them. Or cries herself to sleep (she would not be a weak female protagonist if she showed vulnerability at this time). Or maybe she acts distant towards Seb if he asks “Are you ok?” Instead you are told that Thea is really really hurt by it and she’s determined to free her family. The character development wasn’t the only thing in need of revision. At one point four dragons joined the main cast. On the same page it said they needed three riders for each of the dragons. Then it went back to four dragons. It might have even called them five dragons once, I’m not really sure I got tired of counting unimportant dragons. It was little things like this that needed to be hammered out.
The plot line was… well it was there. Not great, but there. Everything that happened was either to add drama or conveniently help the main crew. The drama felt really unnatural. Thea has an argument with her family at the beginning of the story. Doesn’t even acknowledge their valid points that the king has no plan and that they should try to regroup. Nope she begins cutting ties with them. Similar thing happens later with Seb (even though the dude had no clue where to even begin looking for the King’s Dragon Stone and just up and left). When the two reunite, they don’t even discuss anything. Also a couple of characters die in the end, but I couldn’t care less because I know nothing about them other than what I’m told (which isn’t a lot).
There’s an attempt to make the stakes seem high and the characters’ impending deaths are constantly mentioned, but the stakes never really feel that way. Part of the problem is how easy everything is. Don’t know how to kill an ancient evil? Well there’s a powerful artifact for that. Don’t know where to look for the dragon stone? Here’s a story from the gypsies. Library ransacked and burned? Well thankfully the books and scrolls you needed are ok. Lost your leads? Here’s some Wildmen companions that you’ll easily befriend who happen to have more stories. Need ten dragons to get the artifact? Well you randomly captured two and now here’s four more. Still short on one? Let’s have this dead dragon corpse help you. Need to kill the Darkening/Lord Vincent? Touch the rock and then automatically shoot him in the neck. Need to get the stones away from him? A dragon will rip the chain off his neck because the man is an idiot with poor reflexes. Still haven’t killed him? Here’s the magic of friendship. Even though Seb and Thea both “struggled” with their powers, there was maybe one time there was consequences.
There also seemed to be a lot of missed opportunities for character development and world building. Thea barely talks to her family in the entire series. Her character arc would benefit from a more fleshed out relationship with them. Actually, so would Seb with his family. While I’m glad that the book didn’t try to force a romantic relationship between Seb and Thea (although they were holding hands in the epilogue which is kind of ambiguous), I wish they talked about their feelings for each other. They kissed in the first book and it was never talked about again. To be honest all of the relationships (and characters) in the story would benefit from a little bit of dialogue. Also because it’s first person and the only characters it focuses on are Thea and Seb, who are almost always together, it doesn’t allow for side plots to develop. It would have been interesting to follow Mordecai and Hegarty into the Southern Realm. Then, they could become a people with culture and not just a suggestion of a kingdom with different kinds of dragons. Lord Vincent could have been made into a real person consumed by his Dragon Affinity or need for power with a memory instead of Seb wondering if that were the case.
Overall, this book left me wishing for a lot. A part of me says I would have been more satisfied with a two page story describing how the Darkening used the Memory stone to stage a coup and kill Justin, Thea, Seb, and anyone else in his way.
This book was in serious need of editing. There was too much unnecessary recapping, too little dialogue, too much to improve upon. Characters felt flat. They were names on a page related to other names on the page. Everything was told to you. What the characters felt. Why. What their specific motivations were. I wanted to be shown how Thea struggled with her family assisting the Darkening. Maybe she tenses when thinking about them. Or cries herself to sleep (she would not be a weak female protagonist if she showed vulnerability at this time). Or maybe she acts distant towards Seb if he asks “Are you ok?” Instead you are told that Thea is really really hurt by it and she’s determined to free her family. The character development wasn’t the only thing in need of revision. At one point four dragons joined the main cast. On the same page it said they needed three riders for each of the dragons. Then it went back to four dragons. It might have even called them five dragons once, I’m not really sure I got tired of counting unimportant dragons. It was little things like this that needed to be hammered out.
The plot line was… well it was there. Not great, but there. Everything that happened was either to add drama or conveniently help the main crew. The drama felt really unnatural. Thea has an argument with her family at the beginning of the story. Doesn’t even acknowledge their valid points that the king has no plan and that they should try to regroup. Nope she begins cutting ties with them. Similar thing happens later with Seb (even though the dude had no clue where to even begin looking for the King’s Dragon Stone and just up and left). When the two reunite, they don’t even discuss anything. Also a couple of characters die in the end, but I couldn’t care less because I know nothing about them other than what I’m told (which isn’t a lot).
There’s an attempt to make the stakes seem high and the characters’ impending deaths are constantly mentioned, but the stakes never really feel that way. Part of the problem is how easy everything is. Don’t know how to kill an ancient evil? Well there’s a powerful artifact for that. Don’t know where to look for the dragon stone? Here’s a story from the gypsies. Library ransacked and burned? Well thankfully the books and scrolls you needed are ok. Lost your leads? Here’s some Wildmen companions that you’ll easily befriend who happen to have more stories. Need ten dragons to get the artifact? Well you randomly captured two and now here’s four more. Still short on one? Let’s have this dead dragon corpse help you. Need to kill the Darkening/Lord Vincent? Touch the rock and then automatically shoot him in the neck. Need to get the stones away from him? A dragon will rip the chain off his neck because the man is an idiot with poor reflexes. Still haven’t killed him? Here’s the magic of friendship. Even though Seb and Thea both “struggled” with their powers, there was maybe one time there was consequences.
There also seemed to be a lot of missed opportunities for character development and world building. Thea barely talks to her family in the entire series. Her character arc would benefit from a more fleshed out relationship with them. Actually, so would Seb with his family. While I’m glad that the book didn’t try to force a romantic relationship between Seb and Thea (although they were holding hands in the epilogue which is kind of ambiguous), I wish they talked about their feelings for each other. They kissed in the first book and it was never talked about again. To be honest all of the relationships (and characters) in the story would benefit from a little bit of dialogue. Also because it’s first person and the only characters it focuses on are Thea and Seb, who are almost always together, it doesn’t allow for side plots to develop. It would have been interesting to follow Mordecai and Hegarty into the Southern Realm. Then, they could become a people with culture and not just a suggestion of a kingdom with different kinds of dragons. Lord Vincent could have been made into a real person consumed by his Dragon Affinity or need for power with a memory instead of Seb wondering if that were the case.
Overall, this book left me wishing for a lot. A part of me says I would have been more satisfied with a two page story describing how the Darkening used the Memory stone to stage a coup and kill Justin, Thea, Seb, and anyone else in his way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2019
Der abschließende Teil in der Drachenreiter-Trilogie. Aus diesem Grund bewerte ich zuerst die ganze Serie und dann das eigentliche Buch.
Vor kurzem habe ich "Die unendliche Geschichte" noch einmal gelesen. Meine Fassung enthielt ein Nachwort, in dem die Motivation Ende's beim Verfassen dieses Buches geschildert wurde. Er wollte mit dem zu diesem Zeitpunkt gängigen Klischee für Fantasieromane, der großen Suche, brechen. Dies war auch der Grund, warum er die Verfilmung nicht mochte, da diese sich nur um Atreju's Teil dreht, welcher eine große Suche ist. Natürlich kann sich Richardson's Serie nicht einmal ansatzweise mit dem Einfallsreichtum oder Komplexität eines Michael Ende's messen. Jedes Buch in der Serie stellt eine große Suche dar und daher kann man auch eine gewisse Gleichförmigkeit spüren.
Die große Suche ist aber nicht das einzige Klischee. Man hat beim Lesen der Serie immer wieder das Gefühl, dass man dies alles schon einmal gehört hat, nur eben schon besser. Eine Reihe von mächtigen Artefakten, die von einem einzigen übergestellten kontrolliert werden. Schon einmal gehört? Im direkten Vergleich mit dem Herrn der Ringe muss man sich die Bücher so vorstellen, als hätte Tolkien nur die Teile mit Sam und Frodo veröffentlicht. Im dritten Band machen sich Thea und Seb auf die Suche nach Drachenstein. Vom Konflikt im Hintergrund bekommt man nur wenig mit.
Das, was die Serie aus dem Mittelmaß herausgehoben hat, sind die Drachen. Insbesondere Kalax ist ein äußerst sympathischer Charakter. Auch ganz nett ist der Tausch der Geschlechterrollen im gängigen Klischees der Magierin und ihres Beschützers.
Zum Buch selbst sei zu sagen, dass es eine deutliche Verbesserung gegenüber dem zweiten darstellt. Das zweite wirkte irgendwie überflüssig, einzig dazu da unsere Helden doch noch vor eine auswegslose Situation zu stellen. Damit erinnerte die Serie an die Art von Filmreihen, die nicht von Anfang an als solche geplant waren. Der erste ist in sich abgeschlossen und der zweite dient nur als Brücke zum Dritten. Er wirkt irgendwie unvollständig.
Im dritten Teil kommt die Geschichte wieder zusammen. Die Helden haben ein klares Ziel vor Augen, die Suche nach dem Drachenstein. Thea, die bis jetzt vollkommen unnötig war, bekommt in der zweiten Hälfte eine Aufgabe in der Geschichte. Und die Drachen sind so sympathisch wie immer. Der dritte Teil hat mir an sich gefallen (daher die 3 Sterne) und ist ein guter Abschluss, aber trotzdem nur Mittelmaß, weil er eben dem gleichen Muster folgt und jegliche Komplexität vermissen lässt.
Auch muss ich sagen, dass Richardson in ihrer Serie ein bisschen die Konsequenz vermissen lässt. Das fängt bei Sachen wie der Größe der Drachen an. Einerseits sollte Kalax fast die Größe eines Einfamilienhauses haben, andererseits kann sie sich auf dem Ast eines Baumes niederlassen. Im letzten Abschnitt verzählt sie sich immer wieder bei dem Mitgliedern unseres Suchtrupps.
Das Buch ist ein Appel an die Wichtigkeit von Überlieferungen und des darin enthaltenen Wissens. Was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Das hier keine klare Linie gefahren wird, stellt natürlich gut dar, wie sich diese Überlieferungen entweder ins Vergessen geraten oder zur Unkenntlichkeit verändert werden. Trotzdem hat man das Gefühl, dass auch hier ein Mangel an Planung tatsächlich der Schuldige ist. Bis zum Schluss weiß man nicht wer oder was Vincent ist.
Kurz zusammengefasst ist die Serie eine ganz nette Geschichte, die von einem guten Editor profitiert hätte. Und auch wenn die Zielgruppe junge Erwachsene sind, wäre es nett, wenn die Autorin etwas mehr Hirnschmalz in die Entwicklung ihrer Welt und Story gesteckt hätte. So ist das Ganze zwar kurzweilig zu lesen, aber ein schnell zu vergessender, formulaischer Einheitsbrei. Ich werde von dieser Autorin eher nichts mehr lesen.
Vor kurzem habe ich "Die unendliche Geschichte" noch einmal gelesen. Meine Fassung enthielt ein Nachwort, in dem die Motivation Ende's beim Verfassen dieses Buches geschildert wurde. Er wollte mit dem zu diesem Zeitpunkt gängigen Klischee für Fantasieromane, der großen Suche, brechen. Dies war auch der Grund, warum er die Verfilmung nicht mochte, da diese sich nur um Atreju's Teil dreht, welcher eine große Suche ist. Natürlich kann sich Richardson's Serie nicht einmal ansatzweise mit dem Einfallsreichtum oder Komplexität eines Michael Ende's messen. Jedes Buch in der Serie stellt eine große Suche dar und daher kann man auch eine gewisse Gleichförmigkeit spüren.
Die große Suche ist aber nicht das einzige Klischee. Man hat beim Lesen der Serie immer wieder das Gefühl, dass man dies alles schon einmal gehört hat, nur eben schon besser. Eine Reihe von mächtigen Artefakten, die von einem einzigen übergestellten kontrolliert werden. Schon einmal gehört? Im direkten Vergleich mit dem Herrn der Ringe muss man sich die Bücher so vorstellen, als hätte Tolkien nur die Teile mit Sam und Frodo veröffentlicht. Im dritten Band machen sich Thea und Seb auf die Suche nach Drachenstein. Vom Konflikt im Hintergrund bekommt man nur wenig mit.
Das, was die Serie aus dem Mittelmaß herausgehoben hat, sind die Drachen. Insbesondere Kalax ist ein äußerst sympathischer Charakter. Auch ganz nett ist der Tausch der Geschlechterrollen im gängigen Klischees der Magierin und ihres Beschützers.
Zum Buch selbst sei zu sagen, dass es eine deutliche Verbesserung gegenüber dem zweiten darstellt. Das zweite wirkte irgendwie überflüssig, einzig dazu da unsere Helden doch noch vor eine auswegslose Situation zu stellen. Damit erinnerte die Serie an die Art von Filmreihen, die nicht von Anfang an als solche geplant waren. Der erste ist in sich abgeschlossen und der zweite dient nur als Brücke zum Dritten. Er wirkt irgendwie unvollständig.
Im dritten Teil kommt die Geschichte wieder zusammen. Die Helden haben ein klares Ziel vor Augen, die Suche nach dem Drachenstein. Thea, die bis jetzt vollkommen unnötig war, bekommt in der zweiten Hälfte eine Aufgabe in der Geschichte. Und die Drachen sind so sympathisch wie immer. Der dritte Teil hat mir an sich gefallen (daher die 3 Sterne) und ist ein guter Abschluss, aber trotzdem nur Mittelmaß, weil er eben dem gleichen Muster folgt und jegliche Komplexität vermissen lässt.
Auch muss ich sagen, dass Richardson in ihrer Serie ein bisschen die Konsequenz vermissen lässt. Das fängt bei Sachen wie der Größe der Drachen an. Einerseits sollte Kalax fast die Größe eines Einfamilienhauses haben, andererseits kann sie sich auf dem Ast eines Baumes niederlassen. Im letzten Abschnitt verzählt sie sich immer wieder bei dem Mitgliedern unseres Suchtrupps.
Das Buch ist ein Appel an die Wichtigkeit von Überlieferungen und des darin enthaltenen Wissens. Was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Das hier keine klare Linie gefahren wird, stellt natürlich gut dar, wie sich diese Überlieferungen entweder ins Vergessen geraten oder zur Unkenntlichkeit verändert werden. Trotzdem hat man das Gefühl, dass auch hier ein Mangel an Planung tatsächlich der Schuldige ist. Bis zum Schluss weiß man nicht wer oder was Vincent ist.
Kurz zusammengefasst ist die Serie eine ganz nette Geschichte, die von einem guten Editor profitiert hätte. Und auch wenn die Zielgruppe junge Erwachsene sind, wäre es nett, wenn die Autorin etwas mehr Hirnschmalz in die Entwicklung ihrer Welt und Story gesteckt hätte. So ist das Ganze zwar kurzweilig zu lesen, aber ein schnell zu vergessender, formulaischer Einheitsbrei. Ich werde von dieser Autorin eher nichts mehr lesen.
November 13, 2017
I really powered through this one, after rereading the first two to remember where it left off. Things are really falling apart in Torvald. Thea and Seb try to rally the remnants of the dragon riders, but the king and others (including most of Thea's family) are still somewhat under the power of the evil Lord Vincent and the Darkening. They decide to try two avenues - looking for help and more dragons from the south, and finding the King Dragon egg/stone, which controls the other three. In fact, the often-repeated phrase "the one Dragon Stone that controls them all" kept making me think of "one ring to rule them all..." Thea is somewhat less self-absorbed in this book, and therefore more likeable, but she and Seb both still spend an awful lot of time analyzing themselves and agonizing over whether they are doing the right things. However, it was still a good read, and finished up the trilogy quite satisfactorily.
There were a fair number of typos, and at least one "greengrocer's apostrophe" in this one, as was also the case with the first two. Perhaps it has something to do with how the paper books were created from the original audiobooks? I find that sort of thing rather jarring.
There were a fair number of typos, and at least one "greengrocer's apostrophe" in this one, as was also the case with the first two. Perhaps it has something to do with how the paper books were created from the original audiobooks? I find that sort of thing rather jarring.
August 17, 2024
And the grand finale didn't disappoint. Such an awesome ending to a great series. So much happens.
The darkening and it's black dragons are poised for attack. Seb has been working hard on his ability to mind speak with the dragons but it's a slow process. He wants to avoid his first failure. The darkening is a scary, offensive, mind numbing veil that no one can totally escape from and while Seb was trying to convince a black dragon to come to their side through mind speaking, the dragon suddenly dropped to the ground. The darkening killed it for disobeying. Seb wanted no repeats of this so he had to proceed carefully. After an attack at the palace our group finds some unexpected allies and they have stories that may help the group. They now have to find the tomb of the very first rider to gain the stone that allows the user supreme power before it's to late. On the way Seb does coax some black dragons to join their cause and now they have some new dragon riders. The grand finale when Lord Vincent joins the battle is epic.
This was a series that kept me on the edge of my seat.
The darkening and it's black dragons are poised for attack. Seb has been working hard on his ability to mind speak with the dragons but it's a slow process. He wants to avoid his first failure. The darkening is a scary, offensive, mind numbing veil that no one can totally escape from and while Seb was trying to convince a black dragon to come to their side through mind speaking, the dragon suddenly dropped to the ground. The darkening killed it for disobeying. Seb wanted no repeats of this so he had to proceed carefully. After an attack at the palace our group finds some unexpected allies and they have stories that may help the group. They now have to find the tomb of the very first rider to gain the stone that allows the user supreme power before it's to late. On the way Seb does coax some black dragons to join their cause and now they have some new dragon riders. The grand finale when Lord Vincent joins the battle is epic.
This was a series that kept me on the edge of my seat.
July 29, 2023
Dragon Bonds by Ava Richardson is the 3rd book in the Return of the Darkening trilogy. The story continues to follow Seb and Thea, who have been chosen by the red dragon Kalax. War is here, and the tensions are wound tight. Some of the dragon stones have been found. But will it be enough?
Kalax and co have more than proven themselves. From the disparate parts a new whole has been seamlessly forged. The themes of friendship, loyalty, trust and bravery continue here, along with the theme of found family. There are places where the writing stumbled a bit, but overall, Dragon Bonds is an epic finale that will sing to the soul of any dragon lover. Recommended, especially for fantasy lovers and dragon fans.
***Purchased and read for my own enjoyment.
Kalax and co have more than proven themselves. From the disparate parts a new whole has been seamlessly forged. The themes of friendship, loyalty, trust and bravery continue here, along with the theme of found family. There are places where the writing stumbled a bit, but overall, Dragon Bonds is an epic finale that will sing to the soul of any dragon lover. Recommended, especially for fantasy lovers and dragon fans.
***Purchased and read for my own enjoyment.
August 22, 2019
Exciting read
I am reviewing the whole series of Return of the Darkening with this last book. I gave 5 stars because of the story itself, which was exciting, heartfelt and hard to put down. I started to give 4 stars but the story bet out the errors. It drives me a little nuts when a series of books that are the same characters from one to the next book. But there are inconsistencies, one of the primary characters hair changes color, a wound is now in a different part of the body of same character no less. I don't know why these things bother me but they are annoying to read. But these books where worth reading.
I am reviewing the whole series of Return of the Darkening with this last book. I gave 5 stars because of the story itself, which was exciting, heartfelt and hard to put down. I started to give 4 stars but the story bet out the errors. It drives me a little nuts when a series of books that are the same characters from one to the next book. But there are inconsistencies, one of the primary characters hair changes color, a wound is now in a different part of the body of same character no less. I don't know why these things bother me but they are annoying to read. But these books where worth reading.
June 14, 2017
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This was the final novel in the Darkening series. There were a lot of things to love in this book - the relationship between Thea, Seb and Kalax is probably the best part of the novel. It was enjoyable, I just didn't enjoy it as much as Book 2. It wasn't always easy to follow or clear, but the characters are well characterised and easily recognised from previous novels. The ending itself felt incredibly rushed and I found myself asking, 'was that it?'
This was the final novel in the Darkening series. There were a lot of things to love in this book - the relationship between Thea, Seb and Kalax is probably the best part of the novel. It was enjoyable, I just didn't enjoy it as much as Book 2. It wasn't always easy to follow or clear, but the characters are well characterised and easily recognised from previous novels. The ending itself felt incredibly rushed and I found myself asking, 'was that it?'
February 3, 2020
Good Clear Ending
I really enjoyed this installment. There were dragons enough to satisfy the most ardent Dragon worshippers and Web & Thea too.
I like the idea that the dragons have more of their own minds and are not just following what they are told to do.
The darkening is a scary, offensive, mind numbing veil that no one can totally escape from and many bonds are tested. There are several surprises in this book, not all good, not all bad, but all will thrill the Dragon reader in you.
Enjoy!
I really enjoyed this installment. There were dragons enough to satisfy the most ardent Dragon worshippers and Web & Thea too.
I like the idea that the dragons have more of their own minds and are not just following what they are told to do.
The darkening is a scary, offensive, mind numbing veil that no one can totally escape from and many bonds are tested. There are several surprises in this book, not all good, not all bad, but all will thrill the Dragon reader in you.
Enjoy!
April 12, 2025
Engaging until the end! This book completely won me over. The author managed to present the story with so much energy, keeping the tension high and engaging. The main characters interpret the vague order, taking full responsibility and committing themselves fully to save the kingdom, even if they are not sure if they are up to the task. I like how they never give up, always looking for solutions and bringing out the best in themselves. The narrator does a great job of presenting the story, immersing himself and interpreting it with precision
December 11, 2021
Ein gelungener Abschluss der Trilogie! Wie seine Vorgänger war auch das finale spannend. Manchmal ging es alles sehr schnell und ich hätte mir beispielsweise am Ende noch etwas mehr gewünscht. Die Beziehung von Thea und Seb kam erneut etwas zu kurz, was ich sehr schade finde, da insbesondere im ersten Band sehr viel Wert auf die beiden gelegt wurde und es zeitweise sogar so aussah, als würde sich eine Beziehung anbahnen. Aber trotzdem ein guter Abschluss der Reihe!
September 9, 2024
Fun story but some editing errors.
Overall, I enjoyed the story across all 3 books in this trilogy and this book did a good job of wrapping up the tale. I would have rated this book 4 stars but I think it needs another pass by a proof reader or editor. There were spots where it felt like a word was missing. I was able to figure out what the sentence should have said but it made reading those passages feel clunky and it broke the immersion.
Overall, I enjoyed the story across all 3 books in this trilogy and this book did a good job of wrapping up the tale. I would have rated this book 4 stars but I think it needs another pass by a proof reader or editor. There were spots where it felt like a word was missing. I was able to figure out what the sentence should have said but it made reading those passages feel clunky and it broke the immersion.
August 27, 2017
This was good.It was long and at times overdone.Thea and See are dragon riders for good.They must gather more dragons from the wild to fight the Darkening that is threatening the world.Tiffany Williams is good at narrating, though sometimes it comes across as whining.I was provided this book for review by the author, narrator or publisher.
January 17, 2018
Loved it
As with the first two I loved the book. I would have liked less time spent repeating parts of the other books and just told readers up front this was a 3rd and not to read alone. I loved the strong female characters and found Thea and Seb to embody the invincibility of the young and their fragile faith in themselves. A wonderful series for young and old alike.
As with the first two I loved the book. I would have liked less time spent repeating parts of the other books and just told readers up front this was a 3rd and not to read alone. I loved the strong female characters and found Thea and Seb to embody the invincibility of the young and their fragile faith in themselves. A wonderful series for young and old alike.
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