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Dark Wings

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Two daggers. One dragon. And a little help from friends.

But will it be enough?

Revenge is best served on dragon wings. Carmen has a plan to strike back at the traitors who destroyed her school. But first she has to trick one of the most powerful men in the history of the empire: The Executioner. And then she has to sneak her way into the royal palace and come face to face with the emperor himself.
Problem is, she can't take her dragon with her for that last bit. Can she stand the might of the empire alone?

It’s a non-stop young adult adventure from best-selling author Arthur Slade. Perfect for fans of Dragon Riders of Pern, Dragon School, Eragon and Call of the Dragon.

Take flight with this third episode in the Dragon Assassin series. Each monthly episode is a short, exciting read. Get your copy today!

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2019

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About the author

Arthur Slade

76 books525 followers
Arthur Slade was raised in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan and began writing at an early age. He is the author of the bestselling The Hunchback Assignments series of books, Dust (which won the Governor General's award), Tribes and Jolted. He lives in Saskatoon, Canada (which really is a real place). Join his creative & somewhat clever newsletter at: what a zany newsletter!

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5 stars
147 (44%)
4 stars
128 (38%)
3 stars
47 (14%)
2 stars
5 (1%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for XR.
1,980 reviews107 followers
July 24, 2022
Heck yeah! It's so satisfying to see Carmen get her vengeance!!
Profile Image for Steven R. McEvoy.
3,902 reviews181 followers
March 13, 2019
This series just keeps getting better and better. Reading this book, published serially, with a new section each month takes me back to what it must have been like reading classic science fiction and fantasy when this was the only way to read them. Full review will post closer to publication.
...
This book is part of a series that is being released one section at a time over a year. In some ways it is like being a kid in the 70’sor 80’s and waiting for the next episode of a show. And it harkens back to the day when almost all fiction and especially science fiction and fantast were published serially. My first thought upon finishing this third installment was ‘This series just keeps getting better and better!’ And I stand by that opinion. I freely admit that I have been a fan of Arthur Slades’s writing since reading both Dust and Tribes in 2002. I eagerly await each new release from his masterful pen. And this series and this episode in it are excellent offerings. And as we wait to tune in next month to the same Dragon Chanel for the next installment, her is my review of Book 3 Dark Wings.

Each volume in this book has a lot on the go, and this time is no different. I admit I was completely surprised by some of the action and a major plot twist in this specific volume. In this third episode we have:

An emperor with tricks up his sleeve
A brother with powerful new armour
A sister and her friends still set on revenge
A dragon locked into a promise to an assassin
Said, Dragon being owed a year of service once Carmen’s vow is completed
And just a few battles between assassins, those who betrayed the assassin guild, And the emperor’s very powerful guards

With each volume in the series to date the plot has thickened. With each puzzle piece we put together we realize the puzzle was much bigger than we thought, and we are missing the picture to help us put it together.

Book One Twin Fury focused around:

Family
Friends
Assassin School
Betrayal
A Dragon
A deal with said dragon
And more

Book Two Shadow Hunter:

A reunion with a friend
An adversary turned friend
Aide from a former mentor and teacher
Another betrayal
A dragon to the rescue
The promise of three hands and a claw

And this one we have the twists in the plot. I really did not see the major events in this volume coming. Some of them I would have expected much later in the series. As such I really have no idea when things will go in the next volume.

Another excellent read! A great book in a wonderful series. If you have not given these books a try, I strongly encourage you to. You will not be disappointed.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Arthur Slade. As well as an author profile and interview with Art.
Profile Image for David Wright.
393 reviews4 followers
December 12, 2021
A superb ending to the first trilogy.

Carmen is on an assassins mission, and she intends to complete it. There are several tough challenges to encounter this time around, especially as she has to do this one by herself. Hard fought battles, secret meetings, stealth and lots and lots of magic, plus having to face your own brother who has turned against everything that you stand for. This is easily the best instalment so far, and shows how good this series is set to become. There is some nice humourous banter between characters (intentional and snarky), and the pace build up nicely to a climactic ending.
Profile Image for Join the Penguin Resistance!  .
5,683 reviews334 followers
March 12, 2019
A hard-driving strong female protagonist is always a joy to discover, whether the genre in question is fantasy, science fiction, mystery, or any other. Such a heroine who has been honed in the crucible of affliction and fine-tuned by betrayal is even more admirable. Meet Carmen, the young woman who befriended and trained a dragon, faced down death, destruction, and betrayal, and now must stand on her own against all odds.

DRAGON ASSASSIN 3: DARK WINGS is the third in author Arthur Slade's new YA fantasy series.
31 reviews
June 26, 2020
An ending and yet not an ending

I was hoping that book 3 would be the ending. I thought the story went far as it should. In a way it was the end of the evil brother; or was it. It leaves it open to happen again. But the next book should be a new adventure with Carmen and Brax the dragon. All three books 📚 had me reading so fast to see what the next chapter reads. Good writing, good story. Recommend for sure!

Profile Image for Kurami Rocket.
479 reviews11 followers
June 14, 2025
I was surprised by how quickly Carmen got her confrontation with her brother, but I am glad that she decided to not kill him and instead chose to let him live and have all his memories erased. Though, it makes me wonder if this is truly the last time we will see him. Even if they had his swan fly off in some other direction until it will grow tired and land somehwere far away, even if Corwin now only has one eye thanks to Brax; I can't image he won't be recognizable, but well, I assume the empire will consider him having runaway (unlikey due to his personality, I think) or dead.

Anyways, I did like how now that Brax's side of the deal has been completed, it's time for Carmen to upgold her end of the bargain. I like this change of pace because it likely means she won't be able to continue fighting back against the enpire until a year later. Though, not that it probably matters since the emporer is too strong for them anyway. She does need more strength and experience. So, it will be interesting to see what Brax has planned and where the story will shift now.

Lastly, I liked how there is finally a reason to actually cheer for Carmen, at least personally. Having to stop the emperor from amassing more power and conquering all the kingdoms is finally an actually good reason. F imperialistic powers. Lol.

Let's see what happens next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kristine.
3,568 reviews54 followers
October 29, 2021
4.5 Stars 🌟

What a wonderful all encompassing tale. It is told so easily and with such smooth pacing. This is a YA story, yet it seems to be one of those that will and can be enjoyed by all ages.


The narrator is phenomenal (Clare Corbett) with her various voices seemingly perfect for each of the characters. I began this tale by listening to an omnibus- a collection of books 1 thru 3 - and I didn’t realize how much I had fallen into the story until the book ended. I realized that I had listened to the first three books in what felt like no time at all.

That right there, is in itself, the best kind of review. It transported me to a land with a crotchety dragon named Brax and an assassin named Carmen who it turns out really doesn’t like to kill.

Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
1,864 reviews12 followers
March 12, 2019
I am not disappointed in this continued story. The first part is a little predictable but then the end is definately NOT. Certainly didn't see what happened being what happened. One problem for Carmen solved (or will it come back somehow in the future?). How the story continues on now I can't imagine but can't wait to read.
I received an ARC from the author. This is my voluntary, honest review.
Profile Image for Annemarie .
992 reviews23 followers
March 17, 2019
What a roller coaster ride! I thought Carmen was toast at least three times in this episode, but each time she was rescued by Brax. She couldn't find it in her heart to kill her brother (despite him almost killing her twice) but I think what she did do will be far worse for him than death. Happy reading, Annemarie.
I received this book as an ARC from the Author and have chosen to leave a review.
Profile Image for Margaret.
792 reviews5 followers
March 13, 2019
More close calls, more heart stopping battles. Arthur Slade takes us along while our Dragon Assassin attempts revenge against her brother and the emperor who caused virtually all the world's assassins and Maestrus to be wiped out. His Dragon Assassin 3: Dark Wings will be followed by DA4, so rest assured, the adventure continues.
232 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2019
Carmen is determined to end her brother's reign of terror.
Her plans net her an assassin's commission, mortal danger and an injured dragon.
Will she succeed ?
You'll have to read the story to find out.
Enjoy !!

Phyllis S.
241 reviews
March 14, 2019
I was glad that Carmen finally started to get some revenge on her antagonists. Don't want to spoil the read for anyone, but she no longer feels like a doormat at times. Still has things to work through, but it was a good read and very entertaining. Look forward to seeing what happens next.
985 reviews11 followers
March 29, 2019
DNF

I made it through to this third serial installment of a book with a good premise. I liked the female protagonist, but I couldn't keep my interest in the story. I kept wanting her to get to her brother. Obviously the pace of the story affected my continuing.
96 reviews1 follower
May 23, 2019
A Great Series

I love dragons and I like assassins so I find the combination of the two very enjoyable. Plus the author has a rich imagination, makes the characters likable and keeps the story interesting.
I'm very much looking forward to the next book.
33 reviews
May 25, 2019
Onward we go

With one story line finished the second begins. Compassion may come back and haunt these hero's but one can only tell. Looking forward to this second part of the story.
Profile Image for Dennis.
497 reviews5 followers
June 12, 2020
As a lover of dragon books in general I found this one especially interesting as it comes from one of my favorite authors. I wasn't disappointed! I absolutely loved this book! I highly recommend it to any and all fantasy book lovers.
Profile Image for Dragonclaws2.
89 reviews
January 11, 2022
An Interesting Read

Though, I expected Carmen to end her brother Corwin. I'm kind of glad she did it the way she did. But I still have many thoughts left. Like what if her brother remembers? What is Brax's deal consist of? What will the emperor do?
12.8k reviews191 followers
March 12, 2019
This is one fantastic way to write fantasy stories. A little at a time so you always look forward to more. This was how I used to read books of this type. Fabulous. Don’t miss out.
96 reviews2 followers
April 10, 2019
I need book 4!

I do hope they become mates or at least never be with anyone else and always together. I love the series so far. Can't wait to find out what next.
Profile Image for LUAYNE.
1,953 reviews5 followers
April 10, 2019
Read all three books. Ok series. Believable plot. Like the dragon. Can relate to sibling rivalry. Not sure why a guild of assassins.
77 reviews
April 14, 2019
Super

Excellent story. When I read, I am looking over a shoulder, enjoying the ride as much as she does. Looking forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Tony Fecteau.
1,577 reviews7 followers
September 4, 2020
This book was amazing. We get to see the city of the emperor and we get to see some assassins at work. I am curious to see how Brax will be utilizing Carmen.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,434 reviews9 followers
December 12, 2024
This is the third instalment in the Dragon Assassin series, and it's AWESOME!! I devoured it in one sitting, reading until three in the morning I was so caught up in the story, and I'd definitely recommend this series to lovers of fantasy fiction. The writing is so vibrant you can actually see, hear and - not so great for some parts of this episode! - smell what you're reading in your head. I'm loving this story, and am intrigued to see what will happen to Carmen and her friends next.
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews