Marked by Dragon's Blood

Return of the Dragonborn #1

by N.M. Howell

Previous cover edition for ASIN B01N9TCPQX
For all editions see here

Descended from dragons. Condemned to death. Driven underground.

Andie Rogers is no stranger to secrecy. After watching her dragonborn mother get taken away at a young age, she has had to learn to use her sorcery inherited from her father to disguise all trace of her own dragon's blood magic. Now, no longer a child, Andie must attend The University, center of all magic and government in Arvall City, to learn to wield her magic and become a fully-fledged sorcerer.

But Andie has another goal in mind.

Dreams of her tormented ancestors calling out to her have haunted her since she was a child, and Andie knows she must answer their call and discover the truth. But she must do so in the magical capital in the world, surrounded by powerful sorcerers determined to uphold the lie at all cost. If they discover that she carries the blood of the dragonborn, death with be swift and her people will never get a chance at redemption.

Will Andie risk everything to shatter the lies that the world has been fed for so many years? Can she set her people free?

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Young Adult, Magic, Paranormal, Fiction, New Adult

249 pages, ebook

First published January 19, 2017

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marked by Dragon's Blood by N.M. Howell is a tantalizing fantasy about magic, dragons, romance, friendships, and standing up for what is right. I love dragon stories and I especially love them when the dragon is the good guy and the underdog. This book was wonderful characters that are unique and appealing and the plot is full of surprises. Can't wait for book 2!

[E Varady · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me

I wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. It doesn't read smoothly. There is a lot of telling and not very much showing. What I read of the dialogue (I started skimming in chapter 2) was stilted. Sentence structures were flat, as if they were constructed from a formula. Paragraphs were missing those links that bring groups of sentences into cohesive wholes that make sense. Frequent tense switching also plagued the book, making for a jarring read.

Beyond the grammar though, I struggled with the characters. The main character-how old is she? Within one chapter of reading from her perspective, my guesses were between 14 and 30. It wasn't a sense of childlike wonder that made her feel young, but rather the way her thoughts were structured. Conversely, her background indicated she was older. It was all very...inconsistent.

What little I read of the villain (spoiler alert, it's the hot guy she meets at university who she instantly falls in lust with--blech) was not complex enough to capture me. I like the bad guys to be multi dimensional characters; it helps keep the plot going.

Definitely not a book for me, though I think others may find they like it.

[Suz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but I think it fell flat on the execution. The story felt fragmented and it was hard to understand any of the motivations of the characters. Things that were obvious were obliviously not seen and yet other things happened with little to no indication of why a character would do something. I have no doubt that it made perfect sense to the author, but I tend to think that an editor might have been helpful to clarify and focus the narrative.

When the above is combined with copy editing that pulled me out of the story at least once a page, and often forced me to stop and reread a sentence several times to try to understand what the author meant, and the tendency to use prepositions for verbs, and omit not only words but phrases it kind of leaves me feeling a bit ridiculous to complain about typos, but they were in there, too.

I wanted to like the book.

[Christy deSade · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrid

The worst thing about this book is that it could have been great. The authour created this world and crapped out on it, not showing it, only giving us a page and a half of telling in the prologue. The authour tried to include a "foreign" language but never explained the terms. The MC doesn't react in a way that makes sense if she's as intelligent as the authour tries to make her out to be. The writing is choppy and incorrect words were used constantly. Don't waste your time on this.

[Sandy Morley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not good. At all. The average rating here is phenomenally kind.

[Coco.V]

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[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marked by Dragon’s Blood by N.M. Howell is the first book in her Return of the Dragonborn series. In this book we are introduced to a variety of characters but the story revolves primarily around a young woman by the name of Andie. Andie is heading to Arvall City to attend the university there in an attempt to gain control of her magic. She is a Dragonborn but she must keep her heritage a secret otherwise those who hate her kind will hunt her down until she is killed. Andie is just on the verge of not being able to attend the university due to her age being at the very latest that they will accept her and she is already pushing her luck as well with having missed so many days of the term as well already so she knows that she must get there and really buckle down and not miss any of her classes if she is to succeed. Andie has these dreams that haunt her sleeping moments and even some of her waking moments as she struggles to understand them. Sometimes these dreams even unleash her dragon magic but she is always quick to bring it back under wraps when she wakes. In Arvall, Andie starts living with a family there who knows her father and she quickly becomes friends with the son who quickly develops feelings for Andie. Things quickly begin to move forward for Andie as she starts school, starts meeting other people and has her magic tested by a young man named Tarven. Andie fears exposure of what she truly is but there is a dual purpose of her being there at the university: 1) is to gain control of her magic and 2) is to learn as much as she can about dragons and dragonborn. The university wishes to keep their secrets concerning the dragons and dragonborn and so Andie must put herself in jeopardy in order to discover the truth but what will happen when she does?
Marked by Dragon’s Blood is an engaging story that combines magic and technology into a beautiful combination that has shaped this new world. There is the old and the new living side by side together in a strong harmony that blends this story together. We are given a glimpse into the past of how things came to be with the university coming to be from founding families and then how the university continued to grow based on a history that was far from true. We are given glimpses of the past here and there with Andie as well as she remembers things from when she was a little girl and struggles to fully understand the implications of it all. Andie is a strong character but sometimes she acts a bit too naïve for her own good and it crosses into just plain disbelief at times.
Typically when you are introduced to two male characters and they are both interested in the same girl one is typically the sweet guy who genuinely cares while the other is the handsome one who could have any girl he wants but has a darker agenda. This is true in this story. My issue comes here with Andie. When she sees that the one she’s mostly interested in has some…darker tendencies she chooses to ignore them. Even when she catches him in several outright lies she refuses to see anything bad about him and is seemingly willing to look past these things in her pursuit of her interest of him. I find that a bit irritating because those were warning signs of danger because it’s not like he slipped up or anything she knew that he was lying and she chooses to continue to act like he’s a decent person when he’s proven himself not to be by lying and having secrets.
This is the first book that I have read by N.M. Howell and I have to say that I really enjoyed this story. I loved how well written it was and how Andie learns so quickly about her magic and quickly improves in concern to controlling it and becoming stronger. But she learns much more as she delves into working to find out more about her dragon heritage and what really happened to the dragons and the dragonborn. It is a dark stain on the past of the university and all who are associated with it. Andie is desperate to find answers to her questions and to learn about the dreams that she keeps having and what they mean. If you are looking for a good fantasy read that will keep you turning the pages then I suggest you pick up this book and settle in for the ride. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars and I honestly cannot wait for the next book in this series. It can only get better from here.

[Andy N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank N. M. Howell for the chance to review her novel before it is published, in exchange for an honest review.

It was a breath of fresh air to read this fantasy novel that merges magic with dragons. It’s a page-turning, fast-paced adventure that had me clued to my Kindle.

In a world ruled by magic, where mages rule supreme, dragonborns (humans born with dragon blood) were slaughtered for unclear reasons. The novel tells the story of Andie, a 24 year-old with a big secret. Descendent from both magic and dragon blood, Andie most hide her true identity as she starts a new life at Arvall University where she will learn to control her magic. Together with her group of friends, the young sorcerer will learn that the dragonborn line didn’t die completely and embarks on a journey to discover the truth about her people and herself, and to bring justice to the falsely accused and abused.

It was very hard to put it down and I ended up reading it in two days. I really liked the descriptions; they’re not very long and together with the great writing style is brought out the magic and the colour of the story. It made me want to jump into this world!

I enjoyed reading about Andie and seeing the story in her perspective. I think she’s very well built as a character, she’s mature, logical and I could feel the weight of her secret throughout the story. Her courage, strength of character and her determination to correct all the wrongs that were done to her people were incredible to watch and read.

I would have enjoyed it more if the ending didn’t end in a cliffhanger because now I’ll have to wait to see what happens! This story line shows great promise and I hope that the next volume will not disappoint! It was my first time reading a novel from Ms. Howell and I definitely wasn’t disappointed!

[Michelle Willms · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this books to be engrossing and the tale fascinating. It told of a world that practiced extreme genocide and of a population trained to hate people of a certain ethnicity. The world-building had great potential, with wonderful descriptions, allowing the reader to clearly envision places and people.

Character-building within the book was less consistent. For instance, Andie, the heroine, was a member of the dragonborn, who had seen her mother taken away, and knew of the annihilation of the dragons, and learned at an early age to magically hide her true appearance in order to protect herself and her father from harm. She was also supposed to be a powerful sorceress. In spite of this, she was consistently portrayed as stupid, shallow, and insipid, making ridiculous decisions that no person who had grown up as she had would ever make (certainly not an adult – as this character most certainly is). I repeatedly wanted to stop reading the book simply because this was such a major, and obvious, character flaw.

I did find the story line itself interesting, so in spite of hating the author’s portrayal of what should have been a strong lead character, I continued to read. I enjoy urban fantasy and this world is unlike any I’ve discovered recently. I did mostly enjoy the read, except for the problem above, and a few other, less serious plot issues.

If you enjoy urban fantasies with unique story lines, you’ll most likely enjoy this tale.

[N'Gomo · Rating 2 out of 5]

TSTL

I'm sorry the heroine was an idiot and anliytle mean. I can deal with her being naive or ignorant, but I just can't stand outright stupidity especially when she's supposed to be a genius. And for someone who's feared persecution her whole life, she sure allowed it to happen to one of the people who was there for her from the very beginning. Ugh. So this will be the last book I read in this series.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, was not sure what to expect when I started this, but glad I read it. The characters were well developed and likeable, and the plot kept me wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next.
Definitely recommend this book to all who like dragons, magic and love triangles.
Can't wait to read the next in the series, and more books by this author.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am clearly not the intended audience for this. The main character's motivations and actions made no sense to me. Actually, that goes for all of the characters in the book. There were also long stretches of the book where things happened that had no relevance to the plot.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat predictable, but it was a good read. The end just seemed, rushed? Too much thrown together too quickly? All sorts of things happened at a slow or normal pace and then so much was thrown in there to try and wrap it up.

It's not my absolute favorite, but I liked the story well enough.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story was really good, writing needs help. If it's re-written (and I understand it's in process of being re-written) it could be an awesome book.

[Herman Fassett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been a good story idea, but poorly implemented in my opinion, with annoying character choices mixed in to seal the deal.

[Damian Southam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Built over the ruins of the once great city of Hightowyr, a city that fell a millennium ago, from the taint and destruction of the black arts, the newly named Arvall City is the most glorious, dazzling, and bright city of the land of Noelle. Where other great places are made of mortar and stone, Arvall is all glass and steal, rising to what seems like the clouds. From morning to the fall of night, the rays of the sun twinkle in a kaleidoscopic rainbow, reflecting off the windows of the towers and buildings which are the tallest in Noelle. Hightowyr fell to complete ruin over a span of five centuries, starting a millennium ago, until the last seven surviving practitioners of that time still lived. Relics from whence it was a glorious place, they created pacts with their families to be carried out when they were no longer. They were to rebuild the once great wonder starting with a university to the great arts. They then made the greatest of sacrifices. It was necessary for the seven to siphon away the taint of the black arts that had led to Hightowyr's destruction in the first place.

Thus the blood sacrifice of the seven was born, and over the next full year they each made the commitments of non-stop pain and wasting away. The seven used their considerable powers to absorb the taint of any black magic that remained. Thus, the seven men and women died from the pain of their sacrifice in order for their dreams to be realised in a future they knew they'd never get to see. Henceforth, over the following five centuries a new university rose to eventually accrue the power, wealth and prestige necessary to rebuild the facilities to service hundreds of thousands of workers, students and professors, Hightowyr then became known as Arvall City, which quickly became the economic centre of Noelle again. This is the relevant history as at the two-hundred-eleventh day of the Ninth Cycle of the First Age. A time when there are numerous indifferences of the artificial kind, when its difficult to imagine that the now long deceased seven had ever meant for their sacrifices to be in vain. But the new city just developed its own abuses in ways that'll likely lead to everything that had required the sacrifices in the first place.

In the farming town of Michaelson, north of Arvall, a powerful and beautiful dragonblood sorceress named Andie was heading off for an apprenticeship at the Academy of Arvall. To be sure, its others who describe her as a stunning beauty, though. At the age of twenty-four she has little care or recognition of what one looks like. Her own genuine goodness and care shining above anything remotely to do with her beauty, is what is important to her. Her every choice and decision is made from within a framework of needing to care for her last remaining parent, her unwell father. Being powerful is however a respective observation, because in the world she's grown up in, using her magic is something she has to hide, much like the unforgettable appearances of her inherited looks. But this closed off window to the realities of the harsh and unbending attitudes of the world abroad, has in part created an ultimate naivety, that could precipitate a betrayal of all that her parents sacrificed to give her a life. In keeping hidden an aspect of the self, its possible to grow and fester attitudes that put those characteristics into repute, and thus to become a partial agent of your own sanctioning.

The only place where she used to be completely free, unrestrained in her magic and in herself, an unforgettable joy of being able to soar and fly was in her nightly dreams, that have of late begun to turn toward nightmares. A place where her absent mother is no longer dead, but which also contains the torment of seeing how she might've died. Eyes, the striking natural colour of byzantium, that must be hidden behind the green with flecks of purple that must be tirelessly kept during the waking hours. Her natural appearance is just one thing more in a long line of things to be sanctioned by the society she lives in. Her awakening was slowly becoming bittersweet. Most aspects of the repetitive dreams are hard to describe and remember, but they were undoubtedly enjoyable. The increasing length of a finish that is now bathed in pain and fear. Once you're past a certain point in your dreams, there's no going back to the bits you enjoy best. A new nameless and formless pain had begun to grip the end of her dream. Although Andie can't isolate specifically what she feels, she isn't sure if the correct description is one of pain or fear. It is however most definitely dark and unknown. The partial unraveling of her dragonblood magic now often comes at the end, which Andie must absolutely ensure is not how the magic will be defined.

Andie's not exactly anti-social but the constant blabbering now frequenting her ears, owned by a blonde passenger who seemed to not need a breath once she got started, is the reason she usually avoided interactions; especially with fellow passengers she's neither met before and nor is likely to ever do so again. Andie would be attending the Academy late in life, the normal age of application and acceptance was seven years ago. On the train ride into Arvall, Andie couldn't keep her mind from wandering to all the unknowns of starting her temporary career as an Academy student. She would spend seventy-five percent of her next year studying and hopefully obtaining that which she cared about most: control over her dragonborn magical heritage. Such power necessarily requires absolute control in order to escape the outcome of her magic harming her or anyone she loves. Of course, if she were to avoid her illegal birthright, as it would now be defined she choose to use her magic, then she needed to graduate from the two years of tasks and rigours set down by the governing body.

Of the sorcerers and sorceresses of Noelle it is those with dragonblood who are most feared. Hunted and persecuted into near extinction its a volatile game she'll be playing. Andie was not at university for even one whole day before seeing a grizzly reminder of the fear driven hatred. Dragons had once frequented the city of Arvall when it was still Hightowyr, a city which had enormous posts where the dragons once landed, privy to what took place from the vantaged locations on the posts, they now exist bereft and baron as a reminder of what once was. They were now no more than a constant reminder of the betrayals of humankind. Hunted into extinction, an eon later its now their descendants who face the possibility of a similar plight.

Thus for Andie, its not that she is a sorceress which governs the hazards of her existence, its the why of her magic that creates a slippery and tenuous hold on her safety. As she quickly assesses, learning control is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, control is necessary for two main reasons: to learn how to keep her magic from harming her or others; and to learn how to better conceal where the bulk of her power comes from, and the physical characteristics that show on her person. But the edge of the blade that bites is the fact that the very places she needs to frequent in order to achieve her goals, is the quickly revealed as the viper pit itself. The nest of vipers are the organisations that prima facie would have her dead or worse, used to further their goals.

Fnding her apartment was always going to be exceptionally difficult if the map you picked up from school was one-hundred-and-twenty-five years old. Just as she'd not noticed it when she'd picked up the flyer at school, to her chagrin she still hadn't noticed until it took someone she'd asked for directions to point out her error. Thankfully, and surprisingly, her apartment on the seventh floor, once it was found, provided her a picturesque view across the city. Given the apartment complex manager couldn't be bothered talking to her, her apartment needed something to prevent her plummeting attitudes over not only completing her two years at the Academy, but also surviving the time untainted. It was her father, who'd deteriorated to needing round the clock care following her mother's untimely death, who mustered up enough care to enforce her necessary departure from Michaelson. Andie had slowly given up on the idea of learning control, as she'd watched him deteriorate mentally and emotionally, until she was now a few years older than the typical age of students finishing their time at the Academy.

With a rather anticlimactic first day, baring the evening and not in a good way, some of the dread Andie held regarding her move to a temporary new life, couldn't completely be kept from her mind. The upside was the view, and the handsome young man around her age, Raesch, whose father owned and ran the restuarant in the same complex as Andie's apartment. Having similarly lost his mother to death, a potential kindred, their jovial interaction closed to a screeching halt the moment he asked about the death of her mother. From the little able to be presumed about his own loss befoe Andie completely shut down, the conversation was intended to show mutual support. But of what she remembers about the doomed night that took her mother from her family eighteen years ago, its not something she'll ever discuss with someone little more than a stranger. At eighteen years ago, that made Andie six at the time. It occurred around the time of The Quelling; when supernatural beings deemed a risk to human safety were tracked, culled and obliterated by university searchers and a barrage of sorcerers and sorceresses.

Forget Hogwarts, the majestic appeal of the Academy rivals any place I've read of for the teaching of magical arts. That for the current year the student pool numbers six-hundred-thousand students leads to the enormity of the buildings. Its magical presence is both visceral and ethereal, with each student having their own unique siren's call that leads to the classroom intended for their lessons or anywhere they wished to get to. The enormity of numbers, building size, siren's call, and many other aspects about the locale shows why the history of such a place is important to know. Externally, lovers of The Fifth Element will appreciate the sorts of descriptions highlighted of the social organisation of Arvall, and the language differences brings to mind the revelry of The Capitol compared to the Districts, in this case Michaelson for Andie might as well be District Twelve, as it was for Katniss.

The very buildings are used by public transportation as images of trains moving vertically up and down their outer walls create images in your mind. Within the Academy's walls life is closer to that of Hogwarts, in so much as there's classes for the different sorts of magical skills and knowledge. Everything you'd expect to see from a place setup to teach sorcerers, sorceresses, warlocks, and other classifications for essentially the same type of student: one born with magic in their blood, and needing competent mastery to protect against harm to the self and the other. Perhaps even to the objects of society as well.

Of all the new systems to learn and the presence within her body of a device (an icon) that monitors and creates alarms if students practice uncontrolled magic, plus staff who either disregard student enquiries and/or neglect to respond at all, being rude for no apparent reason, its in a restricted section of archives where Andie becomes more scared than ever before. For as long as she can remember she's dreamt, had nightmares to be more accurate, of the scenario she envisaged regarding her mother's death. In the background of those dreams, in the silence before the screaming starts, Andie hears voices she can barely make out. Lost at school on her second day she is led by what she believes is the siren's call to a place she shouldn't be, and over the call she hears the exact same voices as those that are talking in her dreams. This creates the greatest amount of fear she's fealt since coming to study. Feeling intuitively that she can trust the first two friends she made, she unloads on them as they sit down to tea that night. Warmth comes from Raesch and his cousin Carmen, a fellow Academy student, but its caution they recommend.

The resurgence of dragons and their descendants into fantasy literature, although not to suggest that it ever actually ceased, has paved the way for a multitude of plots and characters influenced significantly by their often outlawed or feared dragon heritage. Dragon(s) blood is no longer just a household name in the domiciles of incense burning deodorisers. The mythological beliefs of dragons being born almost entirely of magic, thus giving them greater control over that force, and concurrently making them resistant to other's, is a common theme navigating the deep waters of urban and paranormal fantasy. They have stepped of the pages of more traditional fantasy genres, their associations with storylines such as those in sword and sorcery, high and epic fantasy, to name but a few. Now they've become the shifters and hybrids of the newer fantasy subgenres, as in the aforementioned examples and through the magic they make possible in the people who have their blood running through their veins: the dragonborn, or sometimes the fireborn.

The notion of being hunted to extinction and irrational fears leading to preemptive strikes that have obliterated their numbers continues in the newer forums of discussions. Dragon Born, Dragon Blood, Fireborn, and the other monikers frequenting either the titles of the books, or in the names of the series they're named after is a phenomenon growing with zeal. Such analyses shouldn't automatically be grounds for concern or constructive criticism, though, as there are any number of themes through overarching genres such as fantasy that repeat in cyclical manners; this isn't unique in doing so as well. The human imaginary collective has always spun off certain themes that grow, move, and decline within pop-culture in all forms of narrative entertainment. Recent other examples on both the page and the screen include dystopian lifestyles and apocalyptic destruction either through viral pandemics that kill off human habitation, or they create new human bodies that do the killing off, that is, zombies for example.

N.M. Howell writes fluent descriptions of her characters and the world where their lives play out. Her economical and straight forward approaches to her writing makes the meanings easy to understand. Many a writer struggles to keep from showing how extensive their vocabularies are. Its undoubtedly an occupational hazard of mastering written communication, no difference to say a bodybuilder wanting to show how big their muscles are. Using the same analogy there's words that can make a page or paragraph look pretty, just as certain muscle mass does, but there comes a point when pretty turns to ugly and simply over the top. Requiring readers to bring along a dictionary in order to read books, is a risk whenever a simply understood and/or frequently used word applies.

Admittedly there'll always be times when it becomes wordy and ambiguous to describe events when there's that perfect single word that summarises the nature of the construct being described. In these situations it's fortuitous to use the exact word, as I'm sure many readers agree, it can be fun learning new words but only up to a certain point. But its important to realise that not all big, complicated, or hard to spell words are inherently the first that should be applied. If readers have to continually stop and start to find out the meaning of certain words then the pacing and flow of the book is the thing that suffers most.

There are other noteworthy aspects of techniques but that's not all there is to a book. Another standout feature not relating to technique, but instead relating to content, is the finite details of the magic contained inside the story. Many books detailing magical experiences tend to go for broad references to what is done in any relevant context. But this gem of a book considers not just what is done, but also how it is done and the very pertinent, what it felt like when it was done. This casting array of the many different types of spells, especially in the contexts of battle magic, make the conflicts whenever they occur, more entertaining to read. Andie isn't a perfect character making few mistakes whilst dazxling readers with the depth of the well she can tap into, but she is very much a normal character people can relate to.

She makes mistakes, some readers can see from a mile away. Her thoughts are open to readers in a way that makes what she does seem more natural. She's an everyday person born with a heritage that makes her special, but which is sanctioned on pain of death by a society that is bent on repeating the very things that brought the old place asunder. Rebuilding in a literal sense was never enough, the tangible things that make up a society are relatively easy to replace. Its the intangible things that often escape the greatest attention. It doesn't matter how many times you choose to rebuild, unless the people you're rebuilding for change what is wrong within themselves then it won't matter how plain or spectacular it is, it'll fall just as it did before. The initial fight has been won but I suspect the real one abroad has only just begun.

An excellent read with a climax to take on the most monumental examples you already have.

[Tristan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short novel is written pleasantly enough, but it’s just a froth of tropes.

There was an initial flash of interest in that the author eschews medieval stasis for an invented world with modern trains, high rise buildings, and mod cons such as fridges. The characters wear jeans and tee shirts, and other recognisable fashions that don’t strain the reader’s imagination. This is Hogwarts on high street America (and the borrowing ain’t subtle).

So the story is aiming at the paranormal school market and the young end of YA. The setting is the usual high school bitch / buddy fest with a ditzy teen protagonist with a deadly secret whose head is spun by two gorgeous boys between whom she cannot choose, and who both have dangerous secrets too. Woo.

The story has an inherent need to worldbuild to explain its dragon dynasty premise (that’s her quite blindingly obvious secret by the way), but sadly this is done almost entirely through conversational infodumps about magic and the past, like a succession of encounters with non player characters in a low-grade role-playing computer game whose only purposes are to deliver dollops of stilted information, answer any dumb question, and provide convenient mcguffins to save the day and move the story on just because they’re meant to.

The premise (lets get to that) is preposterous, even by fantasy standards. The naive but well-meaning protagonist, a half-sorceress, half-dragon-descendant, goes, knowingly but completely unprepared, to the one place where she is most in danger, the academy that wiped out the dragon people she belongs to (and creepily spies on its students all the time), in order to learn to control and keep hidden the dragon powers she can barely control or disguise. Yeah, right. How on Earth she’s not rumbled twice on every page beggars belief. As does the convenient incompetence of the deadly academy when they do finally rumble her.

From there, it comes as no surprise that there isn’t a shred of logic or a suggestion of cause and consequence from one event to the next. There’s no internal consistency in this worldbuilding, which destroys the story worthiness of each scene and eliminates any plot or suspense. Everything of slightest import that happens is pure luck, coincidence, Deus Ex Machina, or just plain plot-hole laziness. This makes the narrative confusing and downright boring however simplistic it might be. Truly skippable.

To summarise, this novel is based on a good, even promising, idea, but it is poorly executed. Being aimed at the YA market is not an excuse to go for style rather than content. I’d like an actual story, please, not just a random collage of vaguely suggested familiar images.

There is a very spoon-fed anti-bullying message flagged up throughout, but there are *slight* differences between bullying people who happen to be different and full-on racial genocide, as that’s what the backstory of this tale actually is, and which remains still the motivation of the academy at the end. This story trivialises what it’s actually about, so as not to become too dark for a ditzy YA story, which is deeply worrying. Dark is dark. Either go there or step away.

Clearly, I won’t be persevering with the series.

[Texas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return of the Dragon Born - A trilogy of which this is the first set of three books. While I had previously read Fueled by Dragon's Fire #2 and liked it per my May, 2017 review with an average rating of 3 stars, I can not recommend this series. I realize these books are for the school-aged audience, but the behaviors of these characters aren't what I would want my grandkids to replicate or consider acceptable. The books are quickly read, but don't offer much in character development or complex story lines. This trilogy could have been tons better in those departments because the idea behind these books was good, but the execution was lacking, along with not being well thought out or realistic in many areas. Why editing wasn't bothered with is disconcerning since an editor would have tightened and corrected the story line making a good idea into a good series with likable and realistic characters and dialog. I volunteered to read the second and third books. Average, 3*

Marked by Dragon's Blood #1 - I was confused by a 19-year-old who was 11 days late to the Academy and still couldn't get to class on the 12 day, the last day before expulsion. It's her last chance to get into the academy and without it she can't practice magic. I wanted to stop reading at this point since I find this behavior unacceptable. And then, I find she's immature in actions and thoughts; she makes demands of an instructor and she's still not in class, to which she was on her way. The instructor popped an entrance exam on her, she pitches a hissy fit and states that he didn't think for himself when doing the Academy's exam; yeah, like that's realistic.

I'm getting too much political correctness and immature behavior to make me read beyond this point (chapter five). She's a hated dragonborn, but she behaves this way in a dangerous city? I had problems with the first seven chapters, but I kept on reading, to my regret. There's a cliffhanger and too much more on which to comment. Needs major editing. My 3 stars is for the idea but not the writing of this trilogy. There are better stories and even if this set is free, remember your time is valuable. Average, 3*

Fueled by Dragon's Fire #2 - Original review: May, 2017. Includes a prologue, which I appreciate. I didn't read Marked by Dragon's Blood (#1), but I still enjoyed this book without any problems since it moved along at a good pace. But I would recommend reading Marked first. Editing needed. 3*

Update, July 19, 2018: Having read Marked, I can no longer recommend reading it first. I would totally skip reading Marked and start with Fueled. After reading Marked and Called, I wonder how much I actually liked Fueled.

Called by Dragon's Song #3 - After having read Marked, I ended up skimming Called. I didn't re-read Fueled, my first read. Still a quick read, without skimming, I found the characters hadn't grown, the story line is full of conflicts but no substance/depth but it's still fast paced, just not enough for me. Editing is still a major problem for the author and she really needs an editor to help her make this trilogy tons better. Average, 3*

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening story into a new fantastic world, where dragons are either feared or loved eternally.
Andie is a young woman, attending the University for the first time, overwhelmed by the sheer opulence of the city and its complex functioning. Carrying her secrets for all her life, she struggles to fully adjust to the new situation, finding herself immediately entangled between two boys competing for her heart - both of them being from totally different social layers, and both of them hiding secrets on their own. The enormity of the new information puts Andie on edge, dimming her clear thoughts and confusing her feelings. Moreover, her private research seems to lead nowhere, taking a sudden turn after a totally unexpected interaction. Sensing the reach of her goals at the tips of her fingers, she makes a tough decision and sets off for a dangerous and treacherous quest, finally learning who is trustworthy and where she belongs.
I truly enjoyed the magical elements in the book. Dragons and dragon magic are inexhaustible source of awesome possibilities and this world building only supports my opinion. I also enjoyed some of the characters, especially Carmen with her unpredictable moods and sharp tongue, but never ending loyalty and firm friendship, and sweetheart Raesh, willing to sacrifice everything fot his loved ones and determined to protect his friends until the very end.
Nevertheless, I considered some of the descriptions a bit too long and hence losing my interest, skipping the passages to get to the more adventurous ones. I also did not fully understand Andie with her naivity and reactions in certain situations, making her development as a character a bit unrealistic, all of a sudden changing. And I did not like Tarven from the very beginning - could not help myself.
However, this is a very solid base for future development and I am curious about the next installment in the series.

[Steph Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marked by Dragon’s Blood is a great Young Adult fantasy read for dragon and magic fans. There is plenty of action, intrigue and a strong theme of exploring what it is to live as a persecuted minority.

Racial persecution and fear of difference permeates the storyline and forms an integral part of the characterisation of the main protagonist, Andie. The undertones of reality in terms of World War II and the persecution of the Jewish are unmistakable and chilling, but handled in a non-graphic way, so suitable for child/YA readers.

If I have a quibble with the book, it is with Andie’s relationships and how they develop. She seems to fling herself immediately into 100% trusting nearly everyone she meets! At one point I was convinced that a large chunk of narrative time had passed ‘off-stage’ due to her relationship with her pub landlord, only to realise that their deep trust is based on one meeting. The clearest example of this, however is in her budding romantic relationship. She clearly states numerous times that she is suspicious of his behaviour, or that she has caught him in an outright lie, but yet continues to place her trust in him, to the point of considering spilling her deepest, life-or-death secrets to him!

I would like to believe that this is down to Andie’s naturally trusting and forgiving nature, and that as the series continues she will learn from these mistakes and become more wary of who she trusts and how quickly.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this read. I loved the university setting, the time travel aspects, the lovely side characters, and the way Andie’s powers are introduced and explored. I can recommend this to any YA fantasy fans.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS ONE ADVENTURE YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO MISS!!!
Ok guys, I'm jumping in head first. I could sit here and tell you all about the book. What the characters were up to. Whats going to happen. I could tell you a lot of things. But because I'm me I'm running this show. Just kidding, there's no show. You've read the blurb, you've seen what the other readers have to say. You know the score. I'm telling you the things the others wouldn't or couldn't because of their own jealousy or just plain spite. Either way, it doesn't change my opinion in the least. If you're looking for an exciting, easy to follow, heart pounding, pulse racing, adrenaline pumping, smooth flowing read that captures your attention from the start. Congratulations my friends you've found it. The characters were intriguing and complex. The strong storyline lead the readers on an adventure with page turning thrills. The characters and scenes were so realistic with such graphic detailed descriptions that really brings this read to life before your eyes. I followed the characters along as their personalities transformed and blended to become the person they were destined to be. Betrayal is always a hard pill to swallow and heartbreaking when its someone close to you. You try to give your trust but then the truth hits you head first like a freight train zipping through time. I enjoyed watching the main character blossom and grow. Truly amazing. NM did a fantastic job of bringing this read together beautifully. I can't wait for the next adventure to start. Remarkable job NM and thanks for sharing this little gem with us.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Return of the Dragonborn series. Andie is heading to Arvall City to attend the university. She's hoping to gain control of her magic. But she has a secret she must keep from everyone else, even her friends. She is dragonborn. The dragonborn and the dragons have been killed off, including Andie's mother. The remaining members are hunted by the Searchers, who are nothing but mercenaries out to kill their quarry. Andie must hide even her true appearance as it would give away her secret. Andie is having powerful dreams she doesn't understand. They're so vivid they sometimes cause her to release her magic. She's living and working a family friend of her father's. His children Raesch and Carmen quickly become her friends. Raesch has a serious crush on Andie but Andie only has eyes for Tarven, a student at the university. Andie is struggling to keep her secret, maintain her class schedule and at the same time try to find more information on dragonborn (a forbidden subject) and a mysterious portal. She eventually finds the portal and secrets she never imagined.
I loved this book so much that I sat in a dark parking lot at 11pm last night to finish the last few pages I hadn't been able to finish on my dinner break. It's a captivating story that kept me interested from word one. Andie did drive me a little crazy when it came to Raesch and Tarven. She caught Tarven in lies and just blew them off and she didn't take Raesch's feelings for her seriously. But she's a teenager so I guess that can happen.
I did receive a free copy of this book in consideration of a review.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the equivalent of a Barbie movie. Not very deep character development and incredibly predictable twists/tropes. Legit great ideas and concepts, but there was a lot of sadly underdeveloped potential. The main character is complete Mary Sue, the bad guys were predictable in dialog and twists, the friendships didn't really have any depth or reason. However, if you think of it as a modern pulp adventure/fantasy novel, you'll enjoy it a lot better.

That's okay though. It's a fun read. I listened to the audiobook for free on Hoopla (actually, the narrator sounds like Barbie--maybe that's why I thought of it.). It's easy to have on for rides, cleaning, etc.

I can't be too much of a book snob because I enjoy some of the Gariest-Stu-est characters in old school pulp--Conan, John Carter, etc. Sometimes it's fun just to have some predictability and adventure.

The only thing I utterly did not like (and drove me crazy) was the character's suspicion/cluelessness with another character that betrays them. I hate the "I'm suspicious because I caught you in blatant lies and mysterious conspiracies and compromising situations, but hey, you're hot and get a free pass--Oh no curse your sudden but inevitable betraaayyll" Ugh. Please. Just keep them completely oblivious or always suspicious, but don't go back and forth. Makes the character look like a complete moron.

[Karissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is the first book in the Return of the Dragonborn series. I have to admit I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and interesting premise to this story. I ended up being really disappointed in this. It’s a quick read, but the story isn’t very cohesive and doesn’t flow well at all. Dialogue between characters is also forced sounding and awkward.

Andie is starting magic school to learn to control her magic, during this she will need to hide the fact that she is one of the Dragonborn who are thought to be extinct. Andie hopes to find the secrets about the Dragonborn at school.

This book has a neat world and an interesting premise. However it is very poorly written. The story jerks from place to place and the dialogue and language don’t flow well at all. There are a lot of things that are brought up in the story (a mysterious language for one) and then dropped never to be dealt with again in this book.

Technically this is just a poorly written book, there are even places where the wrong words are used for things. At many points I had to go back and re-read to try and figure out how we were suddenly in a different place...usually we were just jumped there with no explanation. Very frustrating read.

Overall not recommended. This book has a neat world and premise, but is just very poorly written. I definitely will not be reading any more by this author.

[Renee Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advance copy granted to me by N.M. Howell to provide an honest review.

In a time long forgotten by most, lived the darkest most sinful secret of the Original Seven. A secret so unjust that it refused to be silenced. Only those of dragonborn blood hear the deafening taunts of truth by way of a sirens call.

Andie is the last of her kind, the powerful dragonborn (the dragon's human offspring). To survive, she cannot reveal what she is and has to use her magic to keep her identity and dragonborn traits cloaked, otherwise she will be culled like all others of her kind that came before her. To those on the outside, all that's known about her is that she's a beautiful, powerful sorceress with a life riddled in unfortunate events - she lost her mother at a young age and her father became disabled during a strange event that to this day he refuses to talk about.

Bound for Arvall City, the reknown magical university, Andie is determined to learn more about her extraordinary magical abilities. But will the images and voices that call to her from the walls of Hightowyr drive her to madness or save her from the dragonborn's untimely fate? And who can be trusted in her pursuit of ancestral truth? You'll be surprised to find out who can't be trusted ;)

A fast-paced thrilling read from start to finish, Return of the Dragonborn does not disappoint.

[Jocelyn Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly did not enjoy. I skimmed the last third of it. It’s just so hard to get behind a heroine that is so so dumb. For some unknown reason she really liked Tarvun (or whatever his name was) even though she caught him in so many lies including that he knew a lot about her that he shouldn’t. Their meet cute was him testing her for the university with fire (hmm…) and she hated him. Then he did essentially nothing to redeem himself to her. He was openly prejudiced against her bestie and she thought “that’s his one fault”. He gaslit her and she was fully aware but still fully trusted him. She saw a plant reaching for him that he called “decepticus” and when she asked what is was he said he didn’t know even though his whole thing was knowing plants. Like seriously so dense and hard to watch. For some reason she wasn’t interested in her bestie and ended up hurting him for this lying weirdo. She doesn’t have to be in a relationship with her bestie but where’s your loyalty?? Why isn’t it a bigger red flag that the guy you’re seeing is hostile and hateful towards your bestie just cus he’s non magical?? It’s always frustrating when the good guy is a bad guy but this guy was very bad at pretending to be a good guy- even his boss was reprimanding him for being bad at his nefarious job and she had no inclination of what he was.

Woof. Some books just don’t hit.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and very much enjoyed the prequel to this series, received as a free book, I was really looking forward to this book and series. The concept is intriguing and held real possibility. Unfortunately, I was dissatisfied. The development of the main character was disappointing; Andie just made me itch with embarrassment and there were times when I just wanted to slap her. She was portrayed as naïve in the extreme: uninspiring, shallow, silly and selfish. Having said that, without these characteristics her continuing relationship with Tarven in the face of his behaviour and the suspicions he raised would just not be believable. And the way she treated Raesh was actually unforgivable. There were aspects I really liked. I enjoyed the characters of Raesh and Carmel, both of whom were well developed likable characters with a strong sense of loyalty. Also I think the story was redeemed somewhat by its ending. I really enjoyed the writing in section on the battle at the portal and the return of the dragons and the dragon born. Like the prequel it showed real promise. However, I think the story in general would benefit from being much tighter.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andie has lived in secret, keeping who she really is hidden because the dragonborn where hounded and killed off in a grand massacre and this had included her own mother, through whom she had inherited her dragon blood!! Now Andie decides to go to Arvall and join the university there little knowing that all the evil had started at this very place! In the city she makes true friends and allies like Carmen, Tara, Raesh, Marvo and Lymir however she also falls for Tarven and to my disappointment keeps falling for him till the very end. This exciting read is full of 'spells, hexes, swords, fire, deighilts, bullets and dragons who filled the air' when finally Andie Rogers accepted who she really was and her place in time!! The book reaches a real crescendo of excitement in the last few chapters which make the reader want to read on! So book 2 is what i for one am really looking forward to reading! It is great to see a heroine come into her own and for real girl power to stand by one another as only real friends can do!! Well done Ms. Howell.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story annoying heroine

Even with the slow start I liked this story enough that I would have rated it a 4 or a 5 but.... *Spoilers*
The Female MC was bad. I spent more then half the book wondering if she was under a love spell or a stupidity spell those being the only reason I could see her doing the things she did. She has restricted illegal books yet reads them in public and even falls asleep with them in plain view in public. The guy she likes lies to her multiple times, she even calls him out yet never gets the truth, and in fact seems to just blow it off cause gee she likes him and she's keeping a secret from him. He treats her friends like crud and in general is just a jerk but it's ok because she has a secret from him... She even saves him after he betrays her and kills her friends in front of her... Ugh I just wanted to slap her. I will probably read the second book because like I said I liked the actual story, I will hold onto hope that she grew up after the big battle and can act less stupid and doubting of herself.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be True to Your Destiny!

The start was a little slow, but that just gave time for great character development. Once I got into the story, I had trouble putting it down (even to go to sleep).

I read this book knowing it was part of a trilogy. That meant I was prepared to have a lot of unended plotlines at the end of the book. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is an enjoyable read by itself while still leaving you waiting for the next book.

To some extent, this is a classic coming of age story with Andie (our protagonist) working overtime to keep her secret (she has dragon blood) hidden from everyone. The story follows her development from a person raised in a rural environment and protected from most of society to her destiny in a massive urban complex. Although Andie is portrayed as very smart, there are a few moments of stupidity that really seem out of character. They seem to exist to move the plot forward and at least Andie quickly admits she made a poor decision.

I hope the rest of the trilogy lives up to my new expectations.