The rescue of Rowen was in ruins. The pain from the stab wound radiating with a throbbing sharpness from the literal hole in her hand, up to her shoulder where the blood marred her top and run in rivelets from her hand down her forearm to her elbow. The emotional pain of not knowing what had become of some of her rescuers, even if they'd planned on using her blood for a purpose their own, also fighting for it's portion of her awareness. The wound of course came from one of the crew, and not her latest rescuer from the sailors of the navy ship sent to return her to the farst that was her guilty finding and pending execution; the black dragon. Both the trial judge, who'd she'd ensorceled with the truth and the prince's brother, who'd seemingly believed in her innocence both doing nothing to ensure true justice is served. Executing the wrong person for a crime was just as much a betrayal of Prince Lawson's memory as the act that led to his death. Of course, she knew nothing of the true murderer who was situated as close as could be to the family who'd lost their son.
Her heart ached for Lawson, but she knew she couldn't do anything about ensuring true justice is served for the poisoner who cut short her plans for restoring her family's honour. Regardless of the machinations which led to her betrothal, she had truly loved him and planned for him to be the man who took her maidenhead. As a half-blood dragon, despised by the dragons for the human blight and the magic it brought to her blood, and by the humans who'd otherwise see her magic as a power fortunate enough to be born with if not her blighted dragon blood, she truly wasn't safe anywhere. Situated halfway between two opposing factions she couldn't stay with either without being prejudiced and hunted by both. Only anonymity and remaining under the radar would possibly bestow some measure of safety, but just as Lawson is gone, so too are any preconceived notions of a life she'd wanted to lead. At this point only following the map to the Red Dragon made any sense.
Never before had her tainted heritage been so despised as the reason why she now had no one whom to turn to for safe keeping or passage to a place she could seek to live out a life free from persecution. How close she'd come to achieving the dual goals of serving her family's name and her own true heart. But in less than a few days from Lawson's announcement that he would make public their engagement, he is with death and her own is planned. Had she ultimately been the cause, did she unknowingly contribute to the heir apparent's death by enrapturing his love. There was nothing artificial from her own perception of it. Until she'd ensorceled him into telling his family that he planned announcing their betrothal, she hadn't used any of her magic in capturing his heart. But did this exonerate her, somehow she felt that the answer is not. If the guilt she'd been experiencing since she was first taken into custody was anything to go by, then she is forced to admit her role.
In a similar sense she felt guilt that Elian has lost his ship, the lives of his crew, and potentially including his own. He may have aided in the rescue for purely selfish reasons, but what those like Gavin who'd just been following their captain's orders. That he is quite possibly the unknown father she'd wished to have known only adding to the maelstrom of emotions. For the first time ever her prophetic dreams hadn't been showing her murderer. Instead they appeared to have been showing her the man rescuing her from that certain death. Or perhaps they still had been showing her who was possibly still her murderer, only not at that particular juncture in her death. Confusion reins supreme and the more she thought on her questions the more she felt she was only becoming more so. She now carried the all important map said to lead to the red dragon, emancipated from the table where a knife had been shoved through her hand by the first mermaid who she'd ever met. As first introductions go hers had been the worst, a further sign of the life that had been led into ruins by a stepfather who'd long been the bane of her life
As the complexity of the Dragon Born Trilogy increases so too does the nature of the key's. The nexus' role in the very different lives converging on a same end path, is further delineated as lifelong wishes are granted whilst others are forrver removed. Two figures are situated firmly as the centrepieces to prophecies, espionage and maps lead a range of characters to what they each consider their heart's delights. No two parties want to achieve their goals for the same reason, nor complete the journey in exactly the same manner. What is one's fortune is another's misfortune, whilst for others its ambiguous or of little value either way. Rowen and the Red Dragon are the central figures: one a prize, the other a key. Just who is what may not be what the chasers think. Something all are willing to kill over creates in the key a nexus around which other characters are pushed and pulled, facilitated and halted. Multiple prophets provided clues and misdirection, often at the behest of background figures looking to manipulate the playing field so that others do the bulk of the heavy lifting, whilst they serk to be the only ones reaping any rewards. The deadliest act from the shadows whilst the rest play out in the open.
K.N. Lee has woven an intricate puzzle of various webs seeking to trap the flies upon which to be fed. One centrepiece undoubtedly knows why they're coveted, whilst the other only truly knows their own covetous. With the game now much more firmly defined, along with the bulk of key figures, the final installment will be the actions and consequences that cause the houses of cards to fall. A wind ranging from a slight breeze all the way to a tornado has begun to blow. It'll show in the final book for whom the right cards will fall. If the early prophecy of one of the prophets introduced in book one, now reconfirmed in book two is anything to go by, then the clearest picture of possible outcomes is the flood of blood from the dying and dead that bathes the field in red for as far as the eye can see.
A tempest literally begins throughout the lands on the road to the treasure, creating an atmosphere that is a good analogy for the games being played. With so many patrons with their hands in the pot, no single prediction will be safe until the final endeavours and manipulations have had their chances to take place. Like a game of chess its necessary to see which pawns will fall and who has the greatest capacity to see the game as it stands in future steps. Even still, many will likely be unreliable unless they knew the way those under pressure will rise or fall to the challenge. Many have placed bets and banked on what they know of the twenty-something Rowan whose passions and full range of abilities are still being realised. This young woman has strength and fortitude in spades and if anything has been made concrete, if it wasn't already so, its that she's learnt to barely trust herself let alone any others. With the wisdom to know the differences in the times when its advantageous to speak up or keep quiet, her power continues to bloom. The breaking of her trust has led her to keep it close to her heart even when it seems like she's giving it to someone else.
Intriguing and entertaining, the storyline develops at a feverish pace. No events aren't inherently linked in some way to the plot unfolding. Further still, the imagery, character and world construction aren't lacking either. There's always that fine line between context and needless information. Walking a blistered mile in Rowan's shoes makes her plight the easiest to empathise with and to support to its hopeful conclusion. But there's still the timely changes in points of view that beckon sympathies for what other characters are hoping to achieve. With the exception of a few, there's the naturally occurring good and bad in nearly everyone. This makes the grey bigger whilst reducing the black and white. Even if you have a favourite determined by your own nature and preferences, its impossible to not at least understand where others are coming from, or hoping that some of their goals succeed while others fail. We've hit the next perfect place for a recess that'll allow the cliffhanger to simmer before the final act is delivered. Its not always possible to reach a conclusion that is still awaiting whilst its temporary conduit keeps you happy; but this is realised herein.