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The Legacy of Dragons #2
Blood of Dragons
Listening time 12 hours 39 minutes
Twenty years after the war that overthrew the Great Guilds, the Empire is vowing to avenge the massive defeat of the Imperial legions at Dorcastle. Aiding the Imperials are renegade Mechanics and Mages still loyal to the old Guilds or employed by the Empire.
But before they can launch an all-out war, the Imperials must eliminate a major threat: Kira, daughter of Master Mechanic Mari and Master of Mages Alain. Kidnapped and imprisoned, Kira has to escape and avoid recapture as the full might of the Empire is aimed at her. Her only hope lies in the skills she has mastered; her indomitable spirit; and the unfailing aid of Jason, her boyfriend from the distant world of Urth.
With the Imperial legions closing in and thousands of lives riding on her efforts, Kira has to use every weapon available to her, including special abilities she has kept secret until now - abilities that may prove to be as dangerous as the enemy forces. Mari and Alain must come to Kira's aid and work to create an alliance against the Empire.
If they fail, a deadlier new war will erupt, with every soldier carrying a rifle instead of a sword or crossbow - and the Peace of the Daughter will end in a bloodbath.
Twenty years after the war that overthrew the Great Guilds, the Empire is vowing to avenge the massive defeat of the Imperial legions at Dorcastle. Aiding the Imperials are renegade Mechanics and Mages still loyal to the old Guilds or employed by the Empire.
But before they can launch an all-out war, the Imperials must eliminate a major threat: Kira, daughter of Master Mechanic Mari and Master of Mages Alain. Kidnapped and imprisoned, Kira has to escape and avoid recapture as the full might of the Empire is aimed at her. Her only hope lies in the skills she has mastered; her indomitable spirit; and the unfailing aid of Jason, her boyfriend from the distant world of Urth.
With the Imperial legions closing in and thousands of lives riding on her efforts, Kira has to use every weapon available to her, including special abilities she has kept secret until now - abilities that may prove to be as dangerous as the enemy forces. Mari and Alain must come to Kira's aid and work to create an alliance against the Empire.
If they fail, a deadlier new war will erupt, with every soldier carrying a rifle instead of a sword or crossbow - and the Peace of the Daughter will end in a bloodbath.
Audible Audio
First published August 15, 2017
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About the author
Jack Campbell
115 books3,031 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 17, 2017
I love this world and it's characters. The original Pillars of Reality series had it's ups and downs, so that's to be expected when a series has several books in it. The nature of the overall plot is beginning to be revealed in this second book, which is intriguing. But all that said I had a couple of problems with this book.
This is basically a survival story. Teenagers going without food or water for days, an arduous and dangerous trek through the mountains while being pursued by the enemy and bits of magic here and there. There are some political machinations happening with regard to a war but nothing really happens. So in that respect, it has a slight "middle of the overall story lag" going on. The survival is tough but I never got a total sense of identifying with the desperation of these characters. Parents were worried but never so worried sick that they took off in search of their children. I had trouble connecting to these familiar characters.
But I think the thing that bothered me the most was this: the main character of Kira drives me a little crazy. She is equal parts spoiled bratty princess and capable daughter of the most important person on her planet. She likes to cry and complain about how embarassing it is to put on a public political show, how her life has been hard even though commoners see it as easy and she has a very quick temper. She does see reason and is able to understand when she snaps, even apologise. But she has high expectations of herself and others. All the whining about how she isn't good enough for the praise of others gets old:
"I don't deserve for you to love me."
"I don't deserve to live through this."
"I don't deserve a promotion."
"I am a terrible person for killing someone in self-defense in a war."
"I can't live up to my mother's image."
All this whining! Gah, Kira, get over yourself!
Jason, the love interest, is kind of a wimp. Maybe he just hasn't come into his own quite yet, but he seems like a weight Kira is dragging around. He doesn't do well when confronting her. He just seems like a lovesick puppy dog that Kira occasionally indulges. It's time for Jason to step up and start using his knowledge to lead once in awhile. Given the hints of what's to come, hopefully he'll prove a valuable person in understanding the overall plot conflict.
The action in these books is always good. Hemry is great at writing battle scenes and Kira's training in combat and survival add to the story. You gotta love a girl who's resourceful.
On audio, MacLeod Andrews is always fabulous. But his voice for Jason bugs me a lot - it makes him sound even more like a sullen New York teenager than he already is. Andrews' voice for Kira is very reminiscent of his voice for Mari (which is as it should be, since they are daughter and mother). But he tends to voice Kira as an immature teenager with extreme emotional outbursts. I wonder, if he brought some confidence to Jason and a bit less drama to Kira, maybe they would sound less annoying? Some tiny adjustments in his phrasing might help - but that's just me being really, really picky. He's interpreting the dialogue well, as always. It's more the fault of the writing than his performance.
This particular book gets higher marks on the basis of the overall series. But it was slightly arduous with all the teenage angst. I hope the next story segment improves. Regardless, I'm all in with this series.
This is basically a survival story. Teenagers going without food or water for days, an arduous and dangerous trek through the mountains while being pursued by the enemy and bits of magic here and there. There are some political machinations happening with regard to a war but nothing really happens. So in that respect, it has a slight "middle of the overall story lag" going on. The survival is tough but I never got a total sense of identifying with the desperation of these characters. Parents were worried but never so worried sick that they took off in search of their children. I had trouble connecting to these familiar characters.
But I think the thing that bothered me the most was this: the main character of Kira drives me a little crazy. She is equal parts spoiled bratty princess and capable daughter of the most important person on her planet. She likes to cry and complain about how embarassing it is to put on a public political show, how her life has been hard even though commoners see it as easy and she has a very quick temper. She does see reason and is able to understand when she snaps, even apologise. But she has high expectations of herself and others. All the whining about how she isn't good enough for the praise of others gets old:
"I don't deserve for you to love me."
"I don't deserve to live through this."
"I don't deserve a promotion."
"I am a terrible person for killing someone in self-defense in a war."
"I can't live up to my mother's image."
All this whining! Gah, Kira, get over yourself!
Jason, the love interest, is kind of a wimp. Maybe he just hasn't come into his own quite yet, but he seems like a weight Kira is dragging around. He doesn't do well when confronting her. He just seems like a lovesick puppy dog that Kira occasionally indulges. It's time for Jason to step up and start using his knowledge to lead once in awhile. Given the hints of what's to come, hopefully he'll prove a valuable person in understanding the overall plot conflict.
The action in these books is always good. Hemry is great at writing battle scenes and Kira's training in combat and survival add to the story. You gotta love a girl who's resourceful.
On audio, MacLeod Andrews is always fabulous. But his voice for Jason bugs me a lot - it makes him sound even more like a sullen New York teenager than he already is. Andrews' voice for Kira is very reminiscent of his voice for Mari (which is as it should be, since they are daughter and mother). But he tends to voice Kira as an immature teenager with extreme emotional outbursts. I wonder, if he brought some confidence to Jason and a bit less drama to Kira, maybe they would sound less annoying? Some tiny adjustments in his phrasing might help - but that's just me being really, really picky. He's interpreting the dialogue well, as always. It's more the fault of the writing than his performance.
This particular book gets higher marks on the basis of the overall series. But it was slightly arduous with all the teenage angst. I hope the next story segment improves. Regardless, I'm all in with this series.
December 25, 2020
“My whole life has been a lie.”
“Kira, you’re being a little overdramatic.”
“What else haven’t I been told? You are my mother, right? For real?”
Mari nodded. “Do you think I would have stuck with this if I had a choice?”
Young adult adventure, second of a trilogy, set in a future world which has clawed its way back to steam technology. And mild magic. Teen angst, fast pace, moments of humor, acts of improbably strength and endurance. Good storytelling. What’s not to like?
“Mother, I am trying to wallow in the misery of this betrayal! Fine. My life is a lie and everyone I know has been plotting against me.”
“I’m glad you’re keeping a sense of perspective about this.”
Kira grows as a person inwardly and externally. She finds a new set of worries and meets them head-on. (Nice cover art, but at no time does Kira wear goggles and hold two pistols.)
“This is a lousy game. Really. It ought to have taco trucks.”
“Jason, are you sure you’re all right?”
Kira and Jason face near starvation and limited water yet rise to a climatic, seemingly impossible battle with strength that would shame many well-fed, well-equipped soldiers. Realistic? Who cares?
“War is insanity. You already know that. You've now seen it first-hand. But if someone begins such insanity, someone else has to stand against that, even though it means embracing the insanity.”
“Kira, you’re being a little overdramatic.”
“What else haven’t I been told? You are my mother, right? For real?”
Mari nodded. “Do you think I would have stuck with this if I had a choice?”
Young adult adventure, second of a trilogy, set in a future world which has clawed its way back to steam technology. And mild magic. Teen angst, fast pace, moments of humor, acts of improbably strength and endurance. Good storytelling. What’s not to like?
“Mother, I am trying to wallow in the misery of this betrayal! Fine. My life is a lie and everyone I know has been plotting against me.”
“I’m glad you’re keeping a sense of perspective about this.”
Kira grows as a person inwardly and externally. She finds a new set of worries and meets them head-on. (Nice cover art, but at no time does Kira wear goggles and hold two pistols.)
“This is a lousy game. Really. It ought to have taco trucks.”
“Jason, are you sure you’re all right?”
Kira and Jason face near starvation and limited water yet rise to a climatic, seemingly impossible battle with strength that would shame many well-fed, well-equipped soldiers. Realistic? Who cares?
“War is insanity. You already know that. You've now seen it first-hand. But if someone begins such insanity, someone else has to stand against that, even though it means embracing the insanity.”
August 21, 2017
These books are great. A lot happening. Some romance. And funny. Plus excellently narrated by MacLeod Andrews on audio. Can't wait for the next one.
August 16, 2017
I absolutely love this world and these characters. I downloaded the audiobook yesterday morning and listened to it straight through (I had arranged some vacation time just for this purpose as I knew once I started listening to the latest in this world anything else in my life would just be a distraction from what I really wanted to be doing [sorry wife and kids]). This entry in the series has by far the most dramatic tension of any book in this world. If you haven't read or listened to any of this series or the precursor Pillars of Reality series you are really missing out on a well developed world with characters that end up feeling like family. Worth every second of reading or listening. I can't wait for the finale in the trilogy.
September 28, 2017
I really enjoy the universe - taking place in the future on a distant planet where the "bad" mechanics have turned the world to the steam age and the added magic makes it really good. But the series about Kira are way too childish so far and I can summarise them in a sentence: a seemingly big event is happening (although nothing complex of a story plot) and then we see Kira wondering "Jason loves me, Jason don't love me, Jason do you love?, blah blah". I know it's YA but they've dropped the age of the audience to 14-15 year olds.
September 12, 2017
Weakest book so far.
While still enjoyable I was really disappointed in the role Jason played. He might as well not have been in the book as he added nothing and contributed nothing. In the first book at least he bridged the gap between the two worlds, providing insight and had his own development story. In this book nothing.
While still enjoyable I was really disappointed in the role Jason played. He might as well not have been in the book as he added nothing and contributed nothing. In the first book at least he bridged the gap between the two worlds, providing insight and had his own development story. In this book nothing.
April 13, 2018
Book 2 of Legacy of Dragons. Spoilers ahead for book 1, and of course, for Pillars of Reality.
Kira and Jason enjoy a friendly sparring match in the opening, but it soon turns to disturbing visions of Kira that Mages have seen, and the way Prince Maxim presses to marry Kira.
They decide to try to convince the Empire by having Jason and Kira feign in public that they are so madly in love with each other that they can barely wait until they are of age to marry. At one party they attend, Kira sees someone who happens to look very like her. Somewhat thereafter, she's kidnapped and borne off on shipboard. Her parents and Jason get news that Kira left the city some time after the ship sailed. . . .
It subsequently includes Imperial conflict over the emperor's heir; Jason's remembering a tactic from a game; eating raw fish; Kira's claiming to be really, really hungry; counting ammunition; Mari's giving orders as the daughter; Alain's clearing his throat to insist on something; Jason's appearing in rumors as a demon, and Kira as the "daughter of darkness", and more
Kira and Jason enjoy a friendly sparring match in the opening, but it soon turns to disturbing visions of Kira that Mages have seen, and the way Prince Maxim presses to marry Kira.
They decide to try to convince the Empire by having Jason and Kira feign in public that they are so madly in love with each other that they can barely wait until they are of age to marry. At one party they attend, Kira sees someone who happens to look very like her. Somewhat thereafter, she's kidnapped and borne off on shipboard. Her parents and Jason get news that Kira left the city some time after the ship sailed. . . .
It subsequently includes Imperial conflict over the emperor's heir; Jason's remembering a tactic from a game; eating raw fish; Kira's claiming to be really, really hungry; counting ammunition; Mari's giving orders as the daughter; Alain's clearing his throat to insist on something; Jason's appearing in rumors as a demon, and Kira as the "daughter of darkness", and more
February 1, 2021
A great listen. And book three in the series comes out on 1-16-2019 in audible format.
September 6, 2017
Except for that really dark and disturbing part about 15% through, this was also really good. The bad news is that now I have to wait for the last book of the trilogy.
January 1, 2018
I don't often actually take the time to write reviews on Goodreads. I figure a star rating is good enough, and if my friends are curious about my input they'll ask. I can't not talk about this one, though.
I really enjoyed the first series following Mari and Alain. The world building is great, the characters are likable, all that jazz. Sure, they're a bit pulp fiction/typical young adult novel territory, but it's fun. The first book of Kira's series here, I spent the majority of the book thinking, "You're telling the same story again but the details are changed enough so it's fresh." I was a bit annoyed by how certain story arches are virtually identical between the first series and this, but the changes made allow for a different perspective which is why I kept reading it. I liked it well enough.
This book though? Seriously, an OBVIOUS deus ex machina moment is setup at about the half way point of the book, and in a way that it's not that bad of a deus ex moment and perfectly acceptable since it's communicated so early. Than ALMOST A THIRD OF THE BOOK LATER it's executed on. I got SO BORED reading about Kira and Jason clambering around through the mountains. I mean, I get why it happened, it allowed for a lot of character development for both of them, but why take so long doing it? Seriously, it's a HUGE portion of the book. Considering just how much of it is them repeating the same conversations or talking about rocks it's just so wasteful. The finale of that whole plot line was great, the battle was fantastic, but not worth the slog of so much reading about people walking in the mountains with no food. It felt like there was a big reluctance to execute on the deus ex machina moment that was already established as going to happen. Why waste time foreshadowing something so plainly when you're going to spend a HUGE portion of the book punishing your main characters, and the reader, with hiking at gunpoint? If the goal was to leave the reader exhausted and feeling like they'd never want to do that again so their feelings mimic the characters, great success.
That's my one huge complaint about the book. Otherwise it's a Mari/Alain/Kira/Jason story, fun, funny, interesting, and easy to get through (ignoring some of the typos and editing mistakes that slip through in the e-book version). Except the god damned mountains. I kept thinking of that Dave Chappelle skit, WRAP IT UP B: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-eml...
I really enjoyed the first series following Mari and Alain. The world building is great, the characters are likable, all that jazz. Sure, they're a bit pulp fiction/typical young adult novel territory, but it's fun. The first book of Kira's series here, I spent the majority of the book thinking, "You're telling the same story again but the details are changed enough so it's fresh." I was a bit annoyed by how certain story arches are virtually identical between the first series and this, but the changes made allow for a different perspective which is why I kept reading it. I liked it well enough.
This book though? Seriously, an OBVIOUS deus ex machina moment is setup at about the half way point of the book, and in a way that it's not that bad of a deus ex moment and perfectly acceptable since it's communicated so early. Than ALMOST A THIRD OF THE BOOK LATER it's executed on. I got SO BORED reading about Kira and Jason clambering around through the mountains. I mean, I get why it happened, it allowed for a lot of character development for both of them, but why take so long doing it? Seriously, it's a HUGE portion of the book. Considering just how much of it is them repeating the same conversations or talking about rocks it's just so wasteful. The finale of that whole plot line was great, the battle was fantastic, but not worth the slog of so much reading about people walking in the mountains with no food. It felt like there was a big reluctance to execute on the deus ex machina moment that was already established as going to happen. Why waste time foreshadowing something so plainly when you're going to spend a HUGE portion of the book punishing your main characters, and the reader, with hiking at gunpoint? If the goal was to leave the reader exhausted and feeling like they'd never want to do that again so their feelings mimic the characters, great success.
That's my one huge complaint about the book. Otherwise it's a Mari/Alain/Kira/Jason story, fun, funny, interesting, and easy to get through (ignoring some of the typos and editing mistakes that slip through in the e-book version). Except the god damned mountains. I kept thinking of that Dave Chappelle skit, WRAP IT UP B: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-eml...
January 23, 2018
This is one of those books that I’ve been struggling with reviewing for a couple weeks now. For me, there is nothing worse than having your expectations raised by a book or series only to have them come crashing down when you read the next book. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened when I finally got the time to sit down and listen to Blood of Dragons by Jack Campbell. I’ve absolutely loved every other book set on the world of Dematr, so I was pretty disappointed by how little I enjoyed this book.
My favorite thing about these books have always been the characters and how well fleshed out they were and the realistic ways I thought they interacted with each other or reacted to the events taking place around them. Sadly I found most of this to be missing from this book and replaced with a lot of unneeded YA romance and teen angst that really did nothing to drive the story forward. Honestly, for the majority of this book, I wasn’t sure why Jason was even in the story other than to provide some relationship drama for Kira. I just found it really disappointing when compared to how well similar characters and relationships were handled in the previous books.
Now that is not to say that I thought this book was all bad, I did enjoy watching Kira grow as a person and to watch her advance her skills as a Mechanic as well as embrace her Mage abilities over the course of the story. I also really enjoyed reading every scene with Alain or Marie in them and could only wish that the book focused on them a bit more heavily than it did.
I think the biggest thing Blood of Dragons has going for it is MacLeod Andrews as its narrator. There are a lot of good narrators out there but I can’t think of many who do as amazing a job as MacLeod Andrews does. He manages to give every character a unique voice of their own and packs so much emotion into everything he reads that you can practically feel everything that the characters do. Honestly, the book’s almost worth listening to on the basis of his narration alone.
Now despite the issues, I had with this book I’m still looking forward to the next book whenever it releases and I know that I’ll be buying it as soon as it does. Overall I would have to say that this is a fantastic series well worth the time it takes to listen to and I can’t wait to see where Jack Campbell takes us next.
My favorite thing about these books have always been the characters and how well fleshed out they were and the realistic ways I thought they interacted with each other or reacted to the events taking place around them. Sadly I found most of this to be missing from this book and replaced with a lot of unneeded YA romance and teen angst that really did nothing to drive the story forward. Honestly, for the majority of this book, I wasn’t sure why Jason was even in the story other than to provide some relationship drama for Kira. I just found it really disappointing when compared to how well similar characters and relationships were handled in the previous books.
Now that is not to say that I thought this book was all bad, I did enjoy watching Kira grow as a person and to watch her advance her skills as a Mechanic as well as embrace her Mage abilities over the course of the story. I also really enjoyed reading every scene with Alain or Marie in them and could only wish that the book focused on them a bit more heavily than it did.
I think the biggest thing Blood of Dragons has going for it is MacLeod Andrews as its narrator. There are a lot of good narrators out there but I can’t think of many who do as amazing a job as MacLeod Andrews does. He manages to give every character a unique voice of their own and packs so much emotion into everything he reads that you can practically feel everything that the characters do. Honestly, the book’s almost worth listening to on the basis of his narration alone.
Now despite the issues, I had with this book I’m still looking forward to the next book whenever it releases and I know that I’ll be buying it as soon as it does. Overall I would have to say that this is a fantastic series well worth the time it takes to listen to and I can’t wait to see where Jack Campbell takes us next.
April 17, 2018
Audio book review.
Just as a heads up to those who are plot driven, not a lot happens in this book. At the beginning, Kira (sp?) is forced to endure a dinner with several foreign powers, including a conceited crown prince who keeps insisting she will be his wife (one of many, apparently). Kira shoots him down in a glorious fire of tactful insults, but he gets back at her by organizing a kidnapping. She is spirited away in the middle of the night and is on the way to his far away kingdom. She manages to sabotage the prince's ship shortly before they arrive at their final destination, she meets up with her boyfriend Jason (rather conveniently), and the rest of the book is them fighting against every bad situation and everything that could possibly go wrong as they make their way over mountains and through valleys to get away from the Empire and the Imperial soldiers who are trying to kill the both of them. Their final standoff is epic. But literally, they get saved, sail back to their homeland, and the book ends. Just a heads up for those who might find this book a bit boring because of lack of plot. For those of us who are character-driven, wasn't this book amazing?? :)
Just as a heads up to those who are plot driven, not a lot happens in this book. At the beginning, Kira (sp?) is forced to endure a dinner with several foreign powers, including a conceited crown prince who keeps insisting she will be his wife (one of many, apparently). Kira shoots him down in a glorious fire of tactful insults, but he gets back at her by organizing a kidnapping. She is spirited away in the middle of the night and is on the way to his far away kingdom. She manages to sabotage the prince's ship shortly before they arrive at their final destination, she meets up with her boyfriend Jason (rather conveniently), and the rest of the book is them fighting against every bad situation and everything that could possibly go wrong as they make their way over mountains and through valleys to get away from the Empire and the Imperial soldiers who are trying to kill the both of them. Their final standoff is epic. But literally, they get saved, sail back to their homeland, and the book ends. Just a heads up for those who might find this book a bit boring because of lack of plot. For those of us who are character-driven, wasn't this book amazing?? :)
October 2, 2020
This series is an excellent blend of science fiction and fantasy. It's mostly fantasy in this, the second book, than in DAUGHTER OF DRAGONS, but there's still enough of a tinge to make it a blend.
The story continues to build on the relationship between Kira and Jason. I did want to smack Kira a bit as she acts like a stereotypical teen with alternating between not wanting to be like her parents [especially her mom] , navigating in the throes of her first love as well as trying to survive after being kidnapped and then escaping. She'd fight a battle with courage and strength of character then whinge about how she doesn't deserve to be loved or admired or she's not a hero.
With all that, she still did what she had to do to keep going, to get back to her family and to her love, Jason. He's the one I've really enjoyed watching grow from the sullen teen for most of the first book to finding his footing and showing his mettle.
This is an excellent book/series to listen to. MacLeod Andrews is a superb narrator.
I can absolutely recommend this book, series and author.
The story continues to build on the relationship between Kira and Jason. I did want to smack Kira a bit as she acts like a stereotypical teen with alternating between not wanting to be like her parents [especially her mom] , navigating in the throes of her first love as well as trying to survive after being kidnapped and then escaping. She'd fight a battle with courage and strength of character then whinge about how she doesn't deserve to be loved or admired or she's not a hero.
With all that, she still did what she had to do to keep going, to get back to her family and to her love, Jason. He's the one I've really enjoyed watching grow from the sullen teen for most of the first book to finding his footing and showing his mettle.
This is an excellent book/series to listen to. MacLeod Andrews is a superb narrator.
I can absolutely recommend this book, series and author.
April 10, 2018
I'm not sure what I want to say here. I liked the first book a lot, but this one was a bit of a let down. I think you could safely prune at least 50% of it. I'm actually tempted to suggest a higher number. There's a lot of repetition and whiny conversations. If you think you'd enjoy reading about two people basically saying the same thing to each other, alternating which side of the discussion they take every chapter or so, then you'll love this book.
Why am I alive? Why do you like me? Let's not give up! Let's give up! Rinse! Repeat!
Pretty early on we're told how our couple on the run will be rescued, and then we get 100s of pages of them running from baddies, arguing about nothing, soppily telling each other how much they love each other (again and again and again and again) without them actually showing evidence of anything resembling passion. And then (spoiler alert) they get rescued.
I just hope book 3 is better. More dragons would be a good start.
Why am I alive? Why do you like me? Let's not give up! Let's give up! Rinse! Repeat!
Pretty early on we're told how our couple on the run will be rescued, and then we get 100s of pages of them running from baddies, arguing about nothing, soppily telling each other how much they love each other (again and again and again and again) without them actually showing evidence of anything resembling passion. And then (spoiler alert) they get rescued.
I just hope book 3 is better. More dragons would be a good start.
June 7, 2018
Kira, daughter of Master Mechanic Mari and Master of Mages Alain, meets someone who just does not understand no. Once again Kira and Jason must work to escape before they are captured or killed. As the story follows Kira and Jason it also gives insight into what Mari and Alain are feeling as they have to let someone else deal with the danger to Kira. There is a lot of excitement and tension in the story. There is also the budding romance between Kira and Jason. One set of danger is resolved. What is left unresolved is what happens to Kira when she uses her Mage Skills. That will be resolved in the next book. MacLeod Andrews does a good job on the different voices in the story and puts just the right amount of feeling and tension where needed.
August 22, 2021
This series is basically the same book over and over again. This sequel series replaced the original duo of characters with a new one but its only a cosmetic change. Their dynamics are exactly the same. Even the characters themselves remark that "its something my father would say" or "you're so much like your mother". I might not be the target audience for this but the romance is shallow and juvenile and again exactly the same as in the original series. Even the jokes are the same. As for the action its a whole string of narrow escapes being tired and being oh so noble. Gets repetitive real quick. I kept on reading because I never abandoned a series but I think this is going to be the first time I do that.
April 24, 2019
This probably deserves 4 stars, because the plot wasn't as stupid as the first book. But damn, Mari was so much of a better character than Kira. Kira is just so damned annoying.
Also her relationship with the "urth"-man feels so uneven. He has no special skills, they don't even train him to use a pistol/rifle. They teach him to use a KNIFE. That's ok if he was a mage, but he isn't. Knife-fighting skills HAVE be be harder to teach well than a pistol. Maybe that last thing is just me.
If he was a she, it'd feel even worse (the useless girlfriend), but it's still bad even though he's a he.
Also her relationship with the "urth"-man feels so uneven. He has no special skills, they don't even train him to use a pistol/rifle. They teach him to use a KNIFE. That's ok if he was a mage, but he isn't. Knife-fighting skills HAVE be be harder to teach well than a pistol. Maybe that last thing is just me.
If he was a she, it'd feel even worse (the useless girlfriend), but it's still bad even though he's a he.
January 29, 2018
I like Jack Campbell's writing style. Perhaps it is because he keeps things simple and moving right along. He doesn't get weighed down in too much detail. It isn't a Tom Clancy book where you almost need to pull out an encyclopedia and do some research to figure out what is going on. Instead, you get to read a book that entertains. The protagonists and antagonists are clearly defined. He does a good job making us like our hero (or in this case heroine) so that we can get into the book.
February 17, 2018
So much whining! I liked the story up to the first climax and then it was draggy all the way till the last 10th of the book. MacLeod Andrews was excellent as always. He was even excellent at portraying a whiny teenager - congratulations to him for succeeding on pissing me off. That's some great voice acting. I like his normal narrative voice though - it made me wish that there was less dialogue and more 3rd person perspective to the story.
January 4, 2021
I enjoyed the Pillars of Reality and the first book in this series, but, to be honest, this book was a bit tedious. Without going into spoilers, most of the book is the two main characters doing the same thing, so I was glad when that bit was completed - which was near the end of the book.
I’m looking forward to the next book, because there have been hints that it could be back to the old form - hopefully!
I’m looking forward to the next book, because there have been hints that it could be back to the old form - hopefully!
March 26, 2021
I picked this book because it was by Jack Campbell. Then as I was reading I felt it must be a different Jack Campbell than the one who wrote the Lost Fleet series because the writing was not as good. But it was the same author.
So at the end of the book, I enjoyed the story but didn't feel any need to go on. Not like the Lost Fleet where I read every book, then couldn't wait to enjoy The Lost Stars.
I did not read the first book and this stands alone just fine.
So at the end of the book, I enjoyed the story but didn't feel any need to go on. Not like the Lost Fleet where I read every book, then couldn't wait to enjoy The Lost Stars.
I did not read the first book and this stands alone just fine.
April 2, 2021
Again, another fantastic story from the world of Jack Campbells Dragons series.
Again I don't want to ruin this by going on about it but this is a fantastic continuation of the series, where we get a heck of a lot more development of Kira and Jason, we see their relationship grow, the world of Demater given updates and continuations and potential deadly developments.
It's an all round astounding story and still has me wanting to get into the series and its prequel books.
Again I don't want to ruin this by going on about it but this is a fantastic continuation of the series, where we get a heck of a lot more development of Kira and Jason, we see their relationship grow, the world of Demater given updates and continuations and potential deadly developments.
It's an all round astounding story and still has me wanting to get into the series and its prequel books.
January 16, 2018
The romance between Kira and Jason had me cringing almost the entire time. I found myself skipping most of the book just to get past it all. Alain and Mari's parts were still my favorite bits however short they were. If not for the overarching plot still interesting me, I would have happily skipped this book to be honest.
March 27, 2018
I just love this fantastic series. I love the balance between both Kiera & her parents narratives and how they’re interwoven. I think Andrews is an amazing narrator. I smile all the time through this series. We laughed out loud with the “made up” kangaroos and platypus of fictional Australia. This novel did drag a little in the middle, but it finished strong.
December 24, 2018
There are certain similarities that can be drawn between the adventures of Kira and Jason to those of Mari and Alain, but when you're the daughter of the daughter, it's to be expected. This book was brutal, and during one particular scene, I actually teared up when she was safe. Jack Campbell writes characters you become invested in, so now I have to rush off and read the third!
January 3, 2022
The story is getting a bit formulaic and the main character is still annoying but the worst thing is that her horse name is so similar to the Russian swear word "Сука" that I couldn't concentrate some time on the Audiobook 🤣
I am still very much interested in the overall story so will continue to the next book.
I am still very much interested in the overall story so will continue to the next book.
September 19, 2017
I'm just not into this series like the last one. Too much angst. Maybe that's how the others were and I was in a different place, but just getting a bit tired. Plus it's just a bunch of the same old story, need something fresh.
October 4, 2017
Easy to follow, enjoyable characters, enjoyable plots but too much mush!! Glad I am not a teenager any more, or have teenage kids or suffer the way in love teenagers do - less mush more plot please for book 3!! Recommend buy and read!!!
October 20, 2017
Another great adventure story from Jack Campbell, with a little romance and a little mystery thrown in. I love the whole large series, and would recommend them to any young person interested in science fiction and fantasy.
January 1, 2018
Loved the story! My only gripe, a minor one, is that to me the main characters went from liking each other to being in love a bit fast (as far as what I experienced as the reader). OTOH, they're teenagers...:)
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