First Earth

Crystal Dragon Saga #2

by Katie Cherry

Soldier. Leader. Legend. How can one teenage girl hope to live up to all these expectations?Isolated on Second Earth, Crystal struggles with the separation from Zilferia, despite all that the Dragon Hunters had done to her there. So when the plea comes to return, she jumps at the chance. Without her powers, nothing goes to plan as she tries to help in the fight against the Dragon Hunters. Desperate to help despite her own weakened state, Crystal seeks to unite the races of Zilferia, hoping to find some way to restore her powers at the same time.Meanwhile, Nathan Anderson’s life on First Earth seems to have become just as dangerous as the war-torn Zilferia as he faces new creatures, secrets, powerful new allies, and well-connected enemies. When Nathan learns that Crystal needs help, he rushes to find a way back to Zilferia.Racing against time, Nathan gathers allies to help in his quest as Crystal is forced to fight alone.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

436 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2019

About the author

Katie Cherry began writing at thirteen when her love of books outgrew the supply available. Fantasy stories- and especially dragons- are her passion. Magic can be found in all of her works, and are enjoyed by bookwyrms of all ages!

When writing on her main project gets slow, she creates small freebies for her followers. You can visit her Facebook page, Katie Cherry's Fantasy Works, or join her newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.com/katiech... for access to these free short stories and novellas.

Find Katie on Amazon and across other social media platforms here: https://linktr.ee/KatieCherry

Reviews

[Sarah Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crystal has just had her dragon taken away from and found out she may die if she leaves Zilferia. But she won’t let that stop her from going to see the family she grew up with. And Nathan wants to go make sure his family knows he is ok on first earth as well. So they both leave Zilferia to see their families with the watches that will let them contact each other. But trouble is never far from either of them and Crystal ends up back in Zilferia and Nathan must figure out who to trust in his home realm when everyone seems suspicious. It seems dragon hunters can find them wherever they go and they will be forced to return to Zilferia at some point.
Crystal is a young girl who just wants her normal life back. She’s tired of people wanting her to be a princess and doesn’t want that responsibility. But when things begin happening she can’t ignore of course she steps up and returns to help. She is a bit rash and impetuous, there were times I wish she’d told others what she had figured out and then maybe she wouldn’t keep putting herself in certain situations but she is only a teenage girl. Nathan is more reluctant to stay away but does so thinking no one needs his help. He ends up making a new friend which makes him think about Crystal a little less than he would have and I’m not sure how I feel about Angela. Even after I finished the book, I am unsure where I stand on her.
There is a lot of action and a lot of figuring out who to trust in this book. There are a lot more POVs in this book than the first one. We get to see inside a lot of different character’s minds. There is also a lot of kidnapping going on again! (And not just Crystal for once) There are several new plot developments that were left open that definitely having me wondering what will happen in the next book as well! No big cliffhangers but definitely things I’m curious to find out about!

[Francesco Tehrani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this second book for a while now! As the second edition of this story, I think that it might count as an ARC, but I am not sure. Regardless, I enjoyed this one as much as the first. I still find this kind of portal fantasy unique in that multiple Earths (or realms) are depicted and/or mentioned. Adding science fiction this way elevates the fantasy by adding technology to the magic. I like the blending of genres in that way. Because of that, the plot was great with a few twists and turns, some of which I wish weren't revealed right away. At some points, I was so engrossed that I had to know what happened next. The characters were still enjoyable, both old and new, especially when their thoughts and actions were smart and different, which I enjoyed. Cliffhanger endings can have an impact but I felt that this one wasn't as strong as the first book's ending. Still, it does the job of wanting me to know what happens next. Unfortunately, there were a bunch of grammatical errors, maybe a few continuity errors, and the pacing could be better at certain moments. Nothing major enough to affect my reading and understanding. Overall, I really liked the story, and I am curious to know what happens next in the second edition of book three!

[Sara Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The saga continues as Crystal is "not kidnapped" and brought back to Zilferia. But not to worry, she gets kidnapped eventually in the story. I had to laugh when the king locked her up because she gets kidnapped too often. I agree, sir. It was, after all, my biggest complaint with the first book. Nathan also gets kidnapped in this book. By a vampire.

Kidnappings aside though, I can't believe what an incredibly imaginative story this is. It's like Katie figured out how to get all the types of fantasy creatures to coexist (not necessarily peacefully) in the same world which is amazing. I'm not used to dragons and mermaids and vampires and humans and other talking creatures all being written into the same story. So much fun. You will be kept on your toes the entire time, will they? won't they? how will they?

Crystal and Nathan make new friends and have adventures, mostly apart. They have to learn who can be trusted and who can't. Trusting the wrong people can and does lead to some disastrous consequences. And yet, they keep moving ahead, not letting fear stop them from doing what needs to be done. And there was so much to be done. Crystal needed to unite all the races to prepare them to fight against Patrick and his allies. Nathan was tasked with finding the third sibling before Patrick and Hunter did. There were some unfortunate spoilers in the story itself when the villains revealed themselves prematurely to the readers, but while that was a little annoying, not enough to keep me from moving on to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book from the author and have reviewed it willingly.

[LeeEllen Belcher (Caw) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This young adult portal fantasy was a great installment to the series! The world building was captivating in a believable fictional setting. There were new characters that played vital roles, as well as old ones returning. There were twists I didn't see coming, and a sense of hope for the war.
With the Leadership Trials over, the contestants return to their home realms and try to get back to normalcy. With Crystal and Nathan worlds apart, they're still driven towards each other. As both of them face deadly situations, they wonder if they've made the right choices. The Dragon Hunters are becoming more powerful, and Crystal is weaker since they took her Gifts. Her only hope is to unite all of Zilferia and convince them to fight together against their common enemy.
I received a free copy with no expectation of a review.
All opinions are my own.

[O'Livia Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how in “Crystal Hope” by Katie Cherry we meet back up with Crystal and continue to see how her life is ever changing. Crystal is now a teenager with no access to magic or her dragon half. She’s in Zilferia weaker than she’s ever been and she’s alone trying to figure out how to save the dragons, merfolk, and Sohos from the Dragon Hunters. She’s determined to save everyone when all she wants to do is go back home. Will she be able to succeed or will it prove to be too much for her in her weakened state. If you want to know what happens I guess that you will have to read “Crystal Hope” to find out what happens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Christine Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Second book within the series and the story took off. Crystal and Nathan once again team together against the Dragon Hunters. We found ourselves mostly on “First Earth”(hence the title ) where we meet a lot of complex characters, kept guessing on whose side they were truly on.
Crystals growth as a young teenager who was trusted into a world of magic and mythical creatures to find out she was a long lost Princess. It’s amazing to read and follow her as a MC as she learns and grows into a natural leader she can be.
I was kept well engaged through the whole story with a lot of places where I just needed to know how it ended. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Vicki DeVico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Cherry has a great imagination and I can't wait to read more of her work.
The continuing story of Crystal Dragon just keeps getting better! She keeps going, even after losing some valuable parts of 'herself'...and manages to come out on top with the aid of her friends. As with most middle books, this one dragged just a bit, but not enough to discourage me from reading it and the following books. Katie Cherry uses her skills to create some VERY different worlds! I recommend this to anyone who has read her first book, Zilferia...the basics from that book are necessary to understand this one. LOVE this series.

[Anne Curry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drew me in. Must read 1st book in series or will be likely a little lost. Book ends on a cliffhanger with lots of questions left unanswered making you yearn for the next in series. Mostly clean some violence. Book brings out a lot of emotions, hope, joy, fear, hopelessness, sorrow.

Spoilers




Didn't like Nathan falls in love with Angela, although I highly suspect it's magic not natural (or he's the missing prince?) . Ending sad... you know something bad will happen. At least crystals in a better place.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chere Gruver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great continuation of the Crystal Dragon Saga!

In this installment of the Crystal Dragon Saga, we’re back with Crystal and Nathan, both on their way to going back to their “homes.” We come across different types of supernatural creatures in this story as well, like vampires and fairiyes. I really enjoyed the idea of “gifts” as well. The action flows, and there are several more characters introduced. This is a very interesting saga, and one I can’t wait to continue reading!

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two of this incredible saga continues and it is exciting and captivating as we rejoin Crystal and Nathan on their journeys in Zilferia. A magical world filled with secrets, lies, vampires, mermaids and dragons, where the action and threats continue to rise in this fast paced addition. Our characters continue to grow as they face their challenges and the world building continues to enthral. I look forward to the next book.

[Cherish Kasner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great second installment to the Crystal Dragon Series! I feel bad for Crystal for all she is going through but she is definitely a fighter! Nathans new friend is ok but I like Crystal better. I feel like they were made for each other. I can't wait to see if they are together in the end. Loved the book!

[Lisa Eiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. In this fantasy adventure tale, we get to meet a cast of intriguing creatures and personalities. If you are a fan of YA fantasy, dragons, and the like, you'll enjoy reading this book.

[Brandi Devillier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome series!

I LOVE this book! The first one is really really awesome, but this one is even better! I couldn’t put it down! Nathan and Crystal seem to go through so much but always manage come back stronger!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sequel almost more than the first one.The characters change in a way that feels natural. The world building expands along with the amount of characters. It did well with keeping m,e entertained for a few hours.

[Amanda Sagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book continues on from Zilferia and finds Crystal and Nathan together again facing magic....again!
The story flows seamlessly from book 1 through 2, easy to read, pretty fast paced and a definite page turner!
Book 3 has a lot to live up to!

[Jellybean70 · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much happened in book #2! Love this world. The author keeps your attention from the first to the last page.

Dragons, mer people, Magic, hints of romance, some major twists! This series has it all!!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystal Hope 2nd Edition (Crystal Dragon Saga #2) by Katie Cherry is very well done and I definitely recommend. It has the right amount of action, character build up along with the characters being very well written.

[Candy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book intriguing with the different creatures and great world building. The characters have some growth which is must appreciated but to get they faced some problems. I'm interested in seeing how this series progresses.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall rating: 4.7

Second in this series, this picks up the storyline beautifully. More characters are added into the mix, making this even more complex. The MC shows growth in maturity while still maintaining her youthfulness. The threats just keep coming and the action makes it very hard to put this book down for a break! All alliances are trying to unite but the danger just keeps advancing. Love how complex this is! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little slow for me at first but then I couldn't put it down! Better than the first book in my opinion. It was also fun to see yet another world and the futuristic parts. This author can write urban fantasy with a little sci-fi in it.