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Dragons Rising #1
Fate of Dragons
Dragons. Elves. And the last surviving human fated to save them from the sea.
A flood is coming. The Sea Queen has a mad plan to drown the world.
Only the magic of the Earth Queen can stop her.
Vahly, the last human, was born to fill that role and wield the magic necessary to fight the rising oceans and save the dragons.
But Vahly is the world’s biggest disappointment. So far, she possesses no magic whatsoever.
When she finds an ancient scroll that mentions a human power ritual conducted deep in the homeland of the elves, she gathers her dragon allies and journeys to see the king of that forest-dwelling race.
Welcomed into a place more lovely than any dream, will Vahly find the truth about her people’s past and wake her magic or will a twisted and powerful elven lord destroy her chance at saving the world?
Jump into USA TODAY bestselling author Alisha Klapheke's newest epic fantasy series today.
Perfect for Robin Hobb, Leigh Bardugo, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Sabaa Tahir, and Sarah J Maas fans, who love wizards, elves, fae, mermaids, mages, magic!
A flood is coming. The Sea Queen has a mad plan to drown the world.
Only the magic of the Earth Queen can stop her.
Vahly, the last human, was born to fill that role and wield the magic necessary to fight the rising oceans and save the dragons.
But Vahly is the world’s biggest disappointment. So far, she possesses no magic whatsoever.
When she finds an ancient scroll that mentions a human power ritual conducted deep in the homeland of the elves, she gathers her dragon allies and journeys to see the king of that forest-dwelling race.
Welcomed into a place more lovely than any dream, will Vahly find the truth about her people’s past and wake her magic or will a twisted and powerful elven lord destroy her chance at saving the world?
Jump into USA TODAY bestselling author Alisha Klapheke's newest epic fantasy series today.
Perfect for Robin Hobb, Leigh Bardugo, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Sabaa Tahir, and Sarah J Maas fans, who love wizards, elves, fae, mermaids, mages, magic!
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2019
1301 people are currently reading
2997 people want to read
About the author
Alisha Klapheke
51 books773 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Alisha Klapheke strives to write fantasy romance inspired by history and informed by her travel worldwide.
*Get a Deluxe Collector's Edition of Dragons Rising with faux leather, sprayed edges, and gold foil today https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
*Get a Deluxe Collector's Edition of Dragons Rising with faux leather, sprayed edges, and gold foil today https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
June 1, 2019
everything changed when the water nation attacked...
Jk..but kinda.
Jk..but kinda.
April 24, 2019
This is the perfect light fantasy read with a tiny bit of romance and ton of adventure! The action is non-stop in this book and you will not find yourself complaining that the story is dragging.
The world building is good - not too detailed and not vague - just right.
Also, not too many characters to keep track of!
The world building is good - not too detailed and not vague - just right.
Also, not too many characters to keep track of!
October 5, 2021
A sweeping fantasy with characters you’ll love with all your heart.
I listened to the audiobook of this one and can’t recommend it enough.
I listened to the audiobook of this one and can’t recommend it enough.
July 15, 2019
Good but not great
The cover drew me in straight away, and I loved the world building, however I found it over written, description used in places in shouldn’t be, then you forgot what the person was saying.
The characters were flat. They all had one goal, and Vahly was not written well… I felt no attachment to her at all, and if I don’t emphasise with a character, there’s no point in reading…. She’s the last of the humans, she felt out of place among the dragons, who had taken her in as one of their own. The way she was written left me feeling nothing for the Earth queen.
The humour in the book felt forced and out of place at times, like a common bar discussion went in to a fight with hardly any description except of what vahly was thinking….
I got bored quickly, I wish I could give this book more stars. But sadly, it didn’t live up to exceptions. I don’t like giving bad reviews. But if I struggle to read a book or get bored reading it, I feel one is justified.
Don’t be put off by my review decided for yourself.
What fits one may not fit another
The cover drew me in straight away, and I loved the world building, however I found it over written, description used in places in shouldn’t be, then you forgot what the person was saying.
The characters were flat. They all had one goal, and Vahly was not written well… I felt no attachment to her at all, and if I don’t emphasise with a character, there’s no point in reading…. She’s the last of the humans, she felt out of place among the dragons, who had taken her in as one of their own. The way she was written left me feeling nothing for the Earth queen.
The humour in the book felt forced and out of place at times, like a common bar discussion went in to a fight with hardly any description except of what vahly was thinking….
I got bored quickly, I wish I could give this book more stars. But sadly, it didn’t live up to exceptions. I don’t like giving bad reviews. But if I struggle to read a book or get bored reading it, I feel one is justified.
Don’t be put off by my review decided for yourself.
What fits one may not fit another
July 24, 2020
This is a really interesting fantasy. A world being taken over by water until there is only one island left. The last human on earth, raised by dragons. Dragons with warring factions and a thing against elves. And the elves with their own dark secret....
Eeep! So good! And I am so rooting for an elf-human romance for this series eventually!
Eeep! So good! And I am so rooting for an elf-human romance for this series eventually!
March 25, 2021
Dragons, elves, Sea people and humans. Elemental magic for each group. The queen of the Lapis dragon clan helped save the last human when the sea people flooded the lands. Now Vahly has set out to find a ritual to jumpstart her Earth Queen magic. An unlikely band of rebels goes with her. Such a great story!
May 24, 2019
Alisha Klapheke is one of my favourite authors for her fascinating world-building and the adventurous stories she always gives her readers. This year she brings us a book of dragons, elves, sea folk, and the last human. If you love your fantasy book to have fun adventures and high stakes, then this might be it for you!
Fate of Dragons is an adventure book centering on sort of dystopic-fantasy setting where the world is flooded and the human race is extinct. I’m a big fan of Alisha Klapheke’s Uncommon World series, so I always make it a point to pick up any book she releases. The setting of this book played a part as well.
Vahly is the last of the human race, and had been adopted into the Lapis dragon clan. Her adopted mother, the matriarch, believes Vahly has the power to fight against the Sea Queen and the Sea Folk who plan on wiping out every other race. Although Vahly possesses the Blackwater mark on her forehead – the mark of the Earth Queen – she possesses no powers to save her clan.
From the beginning the book clearly plays on the chosen one trope which does not diminish the fun of the story-telling in any way. I was taken in by the beautiful world Alisha created. The dragons described in her story had the ability to shift into a form that was a mix of human and dragon.
I adored the world-building in Fate of Dragons; from the scaled humanoid dragons to their currency of Lapis Lazuli. I really liked the idea of dragons looking like humans but with scales, reptilian eyes, and talons on their hands. The dragon’s world was interesting to know off from Vahly’s eyes, to see how differently they lived and how she had adapted to the dragon culture. I found the elves magic to be far more interesting! The elves were known to be very secretive and have air magic. What amazed me were the elves’ ability to sort of control light and darkness. Then there are the sea folk who are at war with the dragons. From what I read their society seemed to be more militaristic. The Sea Queen rules with an iron fist winning her battles with cunning and brute force. I was definitely interested by her character and look forward to her arc in book two.
While the world was beautifully imaginative, the characters did not keep up. They are likable but I, personally, found them lacking. Their collective goal was to awaken the Earth Queen’s power and save their clans but individually the characters did not stand out. Vahly is a girl who constantly doubts herself which is expected of a chosen one who doesn’t quite live up to the expectations. I do like her tendency to push through difficult situations in spite of her many obstacles. While I did enjoy the group of characters, there was nothing that drew me to them individually. The lack of flaws and quirks, and individual motivations took away from what could have been a great and fun group to ride along with.
This particular lacking in the novel also made the romance felt out of place in this book that I couldn’t quite warm up to it. I really wanted to root for the two of them because I found Arcturus to be a character with great potential. However, there was not enough natural chemistry between the characters.
The problem I encountered with this book was that the story-telling which was a bit choppy. Though the scenes are wonderful on their own, the flow from one to the next felt inconsistent. The book is certainly plot driven which, for someone who enjoy a deeper understanding of the culture, made it less satisfying.
I’m a bit divided on this book because I did enjoy the storyline and the adventure, and I would continue with book two, however, I would like the characters and story-flow to be as complex as the world-building.
Although this book didn’t make it for, I believe others would enjoy it for
🌺 A fantasy apocalyptic world
🌺 Found family
🌺 A cutthroat clan of sea-folk & shape-shifting dragons
🌺 An imaginative world and culture
🌺 Elemental magic
🌺 A strong mother-daughter bond
Thank you to the author, Alisha Klapheke, for providing me with a review copy of the book. This does not affect my review in any way!
Fate of Dragons is an adventure book centering on sort of dystopic-fantasy setting where the world is flooded and the human race is extinct. I’m a big fan of Alisha Klapheke’s Uncommon World series, so I always make it a point to pick up any book she releases. The setting of this book played a part as well.
Vahly is the last of the human race, and had been adopted into the Lapis dragon clan. Her adopted mother, the matriarch, believes Vahly has the power to fight against the Sea Queen and the Sea Folk who plan on wiping out every other race. Although Vahly possesses the Blackwater mark on her forehead – the mark of the Earth Queen – she possesses no powers to save her clan.
From the beginning the book clearly plays on the chosen one trope which does not diminish the fun of the story-telling in any way. I was taken in by the beautiful world Alisha created. The dragons described in her story had the ability to shift into a form that was a mix of human and dragon.
I adored the world-building in Fate of Dragons; from the scaled humanoid dragons to their currency of Lapis Lazuli. I really liked the idea of dragons looking like humans but with scales, reptilian eyes, and talons on their hands. The dragon’s world was interesting to know off from Vahly’s eyes, to see how differently they lived and how she had adapted to the dragon culture. I found the elves magic to be far more interesting! The elves were known to be very secretive and have air magic. What amazed me were the elves’ ability to sort of control light and darkness. Then there are the sea folk who are at war with the dragons. From what I read their society seemed to be more militaristic. The Sea Queen rules with an iron fist winning her battles with cunning and brute force. I was definitely interested by her character and look forward to her arc in book two.
While the world was beautifully imaginative, the characters did not keep up. They are likable but I, personally, found them lacking. Their collective goal was to awaken the Earth Queen’s power and save their clans but individually the characters did not stand out. Vahly is a girl who constantly doubts herself which is expected of a chosen one who doesn’t quite live up to the expectations. I do like her tendency to push through difficult situations in spite of her many obstacles. While I did enjoy the group of characters, there was nothing that drew me to them individually. The lack of flaws and quirks, and individual motivations took away from what could have been a great and fun group to ride along with.
This particular lacking in the novel also made the romance felt out of place in this book that I couldn’t quite warm up to it. I really wanted to root for the two of them because I found Arcturus to be a character with great potential. However, there was not enough natural chemistry between the characters.
The problem I encountered with this book was that the story-telling which was a bit choppy. Though the scenes are wonderful on their own, the flow from one to the next felt inconsistent. The book is certainly plot driven which, for someone who enjoy a deeper understanding of the culture, made it less satisfying.
I’m a bit divided on this book because I did enjoy the storyline and the adventure, and I would continue with book two, however, I would like the characters and story-flow to be as complex as the world-building.
Although this book didn’t make it for, I believe others would enjoy it for
🌺 A fantasy apocalyptic world
🌺 Found family
🌺 A cutthroat clan of sea-folk & shape-shifting dragons
🌺 An imaginative world and culture
🌺 Elemental magic
🌺 A strong mother-daughter bond
Thank you to the author, Alisha Klapheke, for providing me with a review copy of the book. This does not affect my review in any way!
Find me at Camillea Reads || Twitter || Instagram
July 4, 2019
It said dragons, so of course, I had to read it! But, it didn't stop at dragons. From elves to merpeople, Klapheke has a wonderfully rich imagination. This is not just a tale of coming of age, but of courage and determination. Klapheke's colourful descriptions put you right inside the story and keep you turning the pages.
I'm off to buy the next book in the series.
I'm off to buy the next book in the series.
April 14, 2024
The first quarter, or kind of the first half, was better than the rest of the book.
July 26, 2020
I thought the world-building was interesting, and I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the dragons and the sea-folk realm. Nix is my favorite, and I hope to learn more about her in future books. :)
May 9, 2019
Needs more work
I don’t wish to give a bad rating for this or any book, I pick up books in the first place because there’s a promise of an interesting and good read. In this case, I liked the synopsis, the map and the cover, however, I have to say that this is by no means a well written book. The prose doesn’t flow smoothly, it is rather abrupt and choppy in places. This can be seen right from the beginning of the book and the writing doesn’t improve later either, although I hoped bad patches would be rather more episodic than they'd been. That’s why I continued reading it. I started skipping pages pretty soon though. Also, the tone of the book created an impression of an inconsistency and a very obvious feeling of a patchwork. There’s an attempt at the timeless lyrical narration in some places, then it changes to a chatty tone, which is often peppered with clichéd cheesy dialogue. In some books it works better to an extent, but not here, it only adds to a general confusion, which is made worse when the phrases crop up that seem particularly too contemporary and don’t fit in the setting or situation – the vocabulary that’s the better fit for contemporary urban novel. Romance of course had to include ‘the display of male beauty’ - a nude scene, that's supposed to be very exciting for the heroine and readers...*sigh*. Although, our heroine did seem to be all atwitter over it.. but here our feelings on the matter completely diverged. It’s a bit tired and unimaginative trope scene even for romance that's based mostly on attraction. Even if the book were better written I don't think romance would've been a bullseye for me. As it is, it requires at least few revisions to make the book more coherent as a whole. I was surprised it's not a debut novel.
Update - It appears I had another book by this author shelved some time ago - Waters of Salt and Sin. It looks like I read the book a bit, but didn't finish it. The writing didn't seem to be a problem there since I didn't leave any notes about it; could've been just the subject of oceans and sea adventures or something else that didn't engage my interest enough. Out of curiosity I've read the beginning of the book after seeing it in my pile and the writing seems to be alright. I haven't noticed any typos in Fate of Dragons, but it's possible it was a rushed job, because the author's storytelling skills in previous book look much better from the start compared to this book.
I don’t wish to give a bad rating for this or any book, I pick up books in the first place because there’s a promise of an interesting and good read. In this case, I liked the synopsis, the map and the cover, however, I have to say that this is by no means a well written book. The prose doesn’t flow smoothly, it is rather abrupt and choppy in places. This can be seen right from the beginning of the book and the writing doesn’t improve later either, although I hoped bad patches would be rather more episodic than they'd been. That’s why I continued reading it. I started skipping pages pretty soon though. Also, the tone of the book created an impression of an inconsistency and a very obvious feeling of a patchwork. There’s an attempt at the timeless lyrical narration in some places, then it changes to a chatty tone, which is often peppered with clichéd cheesy dialogue. In some books it works better to an extent, but not here, it only adds to a general confusion, which is made worse when the phrases crop up that seem particularly too contemporary and don’t fit in the setting or situation – the vocabulary that’s the better fit for contemporary urban novel. Romance of course had to include ‘the display of male beauty’ - a nude scene, that's supposed to be very exciting for the heroine and readers...*sigh*. Although, our heroine did seem to be all atwitter over it.. but here our feelings on the matter completely diverged. It’s a bit tired and unimaginative trope scene even for romance that's based mostly on attraction. Even if the book were better written I don't think romance would've been a bullseye for me. As it is, it requires at least few revisions to make the book more coherent as a whole. I was surprised it's not a debut novel.
Update - It appears I had another book by this author shelved some time ago - Waters of Salt and Sin. It looks like I read the book a bit, but didn't finish it. The writing didn't seem to be a problem there since I didn't leave any notes about it; could've been just the subject of oceans and sea adventures or something else that didn't engage my interest enough. Out of curiosity I've read the beginning of the book after seeing it in my pile and the writing seems to be alright. I haven't noticed any typos in Fate of Dragons, but it's possible it was a rushed job, because the author's storytelling skills in previous book look much better from the start compared to this book.
February 25, 2020
An okay fantasy novel with a promising story, but very confusing geography
I'm not gonna lie, while I do think the book was an okay read it was definitely a slog for the first, say, 50%. There was a lot that struck me as odd or contrived, but there was nothing so odd or contrived as to completely put me off the book. I think knowing "Fate of Dragons" was less than 300 pages helped me soldier through.
All of that said, the one thing that really threw me off (that I haven't seen discussed anywhere else here) was the world's geography. The setting for "Fate of Dragons" is called the Isle of Sugarrabota and is referred to numerous times as just such a place: an "isle." For me, "isle" is a word that is always used to refer to a very small hunk of land surrounded by ocean. Think the Isle of Wight or the Isle of Man - these are not large areas. But in this book, the term seems to be describing an area that I thought was supposed to be around the size of Manhattan or maybe Kodiak Island, but that I think is actually closer to maybe New Zealand or even a slightly smaller Greenland. Manhattan and Greenland are not the same size, by a long shot, so you begin to see where my confusion stems from?
The map accompanying the book doesn't help; it also makes the world of the book seem very small, but then reading how "the marshes are extensive" and that "the map showed the scorched and smoking ground reaching for miles and miles" makes me think this is definitely not supposed to be an island like Manhattan, but something almost like a small continent. Maybe it's supposed to be and the use of "isle" is done for emotional reasons, e.g. that the heroes are trapped in a small space that is threatened to be swallowed up? Maybe you're supposed to feel claustrophobic? If that's the case, fair enough, but it's still difficult to track the movements of our heroes when we don't really know the size of the space they are supposed to be inhabiting.
Now that I have vented my spleen about the world's geography, let me say a few other things about the book:
- the best characters are Nix and Ryton
- our main character (Vahly) feels a lot like Bean from Netflix's "Disenchantment"
- while it seems clear this book is fantasy for adults (Vahly is 23) it reads much more like a YA novel
- the deaths of several characters we meet and like was very unexpected, so my hat is off to Klapheke for that curveball
- the descriptions of food are mouthwatering
- the bromance between Ryton and Grystark is great and pure and real
- some of the jokes are spot on, some not so much
- the use of several less than easy to understood words or phrases is off-putting and interrupts one's reading flow e.g. "golden earthblood" for lava (I think) and "sennight" which is a very archaic term for a calendar week and one I had to stop and look-up because I had never read it before
- the Sea Queen is evil in the most delicious way
- by the end of the book all five realms are ruled by queens - nice
I'm not sure if I will continue reading this series. I think it has promise, but any book where half of it is a slog and the main character isn't even the best character leaves me less than enthused to read on. I think there's a lot of people out there who love (or would love) this book, but I don't think it's me. Still. Two stars. I liked it.
I'm not gonna lie, while I do think the book was an okay read it was definitely a slog for the first, say, 50%. There was a lot that struck me as odd or contrived, but there was nothing so odd or contrived as to completely put me off the book. I think knowing "Fate of Dragons" was less than 300 pages helped me soldier through.
All of that said, the one thing that really threw me off (that I haven't seen discussed anywhere else here) was the world's geography. The setting for "Fate of Dragons" is called the Isle of Sugarrabota and is referred to numerous times as just such a place: an "isle." For me, "isle" is a word that is always used to refer to a very small hunk of land surrounded by ocean. Think the Isle of Wight or the Isle of Man - these are not large areas. But in this book, the term seems to be describing an area that I thought was supposed to be around the size of Manhattan or maybe Kodiak Island, but that I think is actually closer to maybe New Zealand or even a slightly smaller Greenland. Manhattan and Greenland are not the same size, by a long shot, so you begin to see where my confusion stems from?
The map accompanying the book doesn't help; it also makes the world of the book seem very small, but then reading how "the marshes are extensive" and that "the map showed the scorched and smoking ground reaching for miles and miles" makes me think this is definitely not supposed to be an island like Manhattan, but something almost like a small continent. Maybe it's supposed to be and the use of "isle" is done for emotional reasons, e.g. that the heroes are trapped in a small space that is threatened to be swallowed up? Maybe you're supposed to feel claustrophobic? If that's the case, fair enough, but it's still difficult to track the movements of our heroes when we don't really know the size of the space they are supposed to be inhabiting.
Now that I have vented my spleen about the world's geography, let me say a few other things about the book:
- the best characters are Nix and Ryton
- our main character (Vahly) feels a lot like Bean from Netflix's "Disenchantment"
- while it seems clear this book is fantasy for adults (Vahly is 23) it reads much more like a YA novel
- the deaths of several characters we meet and like was very unexpected, so my hat is off to Klapheke for that curveball
- the descriptions of food are mouthwatering
- the bromance between Ryton and Grystark is great and pure and real
- some of the jokes are spot on, some not so much
- the use of several less than easy to understood words or phrases is off-putting and interrupts one's reading flow e.g. "golden earthblood" for lava (I think) and "sennight" which is a very archaic term for a calendar week and one I had to stop and look-up because I had never read it before
- the Sea Queen is evil in the most delicious way
- by the end of the book all five realms are ruled by queens - nice
I'm not sure if I will continue reading this series. I think it has promise, but any book where half of it is a slog and the main character isn't even the best character leaves me less than enthused to read on. I think there's a lot of people out there who love (or would love) this book, but I don't think it's me. Still. Two stars. I liked it.
August 8, 2020
Interesting Enough to Read the Next
*****Spoilers*****
The story is certainly interesting, enough for me to read the next but this one went quickly. Sometimes too quickly and with not enough detail or explanation. We get to meet Kemen, Ibai, and Dramour and get to thinking of their loyalty as a positive and helpful thing for Vahly but then they're killed. Vahly learns of the ritual for her kind and is off then turns then back by herself to wash in the waters. I still don't understand why the King of the Elves killed her companions but not Vahly and Arc too. It would seem the best solution to stamp out the Earth Queen right away. Shrugs. I like that we understand right away that Vahly and a dragon pairing is not possible, it puts much more in perspective and keeps focus on the story instead of having to consider potential complications from that quarter. Maur's hatred seems overdone though, especially given that Vahly is human and probably won't outlive any of the dragons.
Vahly I felt like I didn't really get to know her much. She's mesmerized by Arc but given that he's the first male she's met who she could possibly mate with, I don't find the connection surprising or special in any way. But they're friends/allies/something soon after they met. The "deception" of Arc and Vahly pretending to be a couple was poorly done in my opinion. I'm not sure how elves show affection but some hints at affection just seemed off.
I don't get the sea queen at all and though I've come to somewhat admire Ryton's (sp.) character, I wonder what will happen when he meets Vahly during her quest to complete her ritual. Speaking of which, she's off to try but has a wealth of knowledge now at her disposal in the elves' libraries or wherever they keep them, but doesn't think to take advantage so learn more about what she's supposed to do to become the Earth Queen. Vahly is driven by instinct so hopefully she can figure it out.
*****Spoilers*****
The story is certainly interesting, enough for me to read the next but this one went quickly. Sometimes too quickly and with not enough detail or explanation. We get to meet Kemen, Ibai, and Dramour and get to thinking of their loyalty as a positive and helpful thing for Vahly but then they're killed. Vahly learns of the ritual for her kind and is off then turns then back by herself to wash in the waters. I still don't understand why the King of the Elves killed her companions but not Vahly and Arc too. It would seem the best solution to stamp out the Earth Queen right away. Shrugs. I like that we understand right away that Vahly and a dragon pairing is not possible, it puts much more in perspective and keeps focus on the story instead of having to consider potential complications from that quarter. Maur's hatred seems overdone though, especially given that Vahly is human and probably won't outlive any of the dragons.
Vahly I felt like I didn't really get to know her much. She's mesmerized by Arc but given that he's the first male she's met who she could possibly mate with, I don't find the connection surprising or special in any way. But they're friends/allies/something soon after they met. The "deception" of Arc and Vahly pretending to be a couple was poorly done in my opinion. I'm not sure how elves show affection but some hints at affection just seemed off.
I don't get the sea queen at all and though I've come to somewhat admire Ryton's (sp.) character, I wonder what will happen when he meets Vahly during her quest to complete her ritual. Speaking of which, she's off to try but has a wealth of knowledge now at her disposal in the elves' libraries or wherever they keep them, but doesn't think to take advantage so learn more about what she's supposed to do to become the Earth Queen. Vahly is driven by instinct so hopefully she can figure it out.
March 10, 2025
NA that’s actually NA and not just an excuse for smut and drug use. I think the MC is actually 23 which is refreshing. Fantasy that’s actually fantasy and not tropey romantasy garbage. Dragons, elves, sea kingdoms. This book is what I was looking for.
The reason it is not a 5-star read for me was because I felt very disengaged with the world building and info dumping. The thing about world building: you just have to keep going. Eventually, you will retain the info. At the climax of the story, I found myself confused by a few things. Everyone has unique names and I had trouble remembering who was who. I did understand the general idea though. I think going forward I will be more engaged in the rest of the series. Or maybe on a second read.
The reason it is not a 5-star read for me was because I felt very disengaged with the world building and info dumping. The thing about world building: you just have to keep going. Eventually, you will retain the info. At the climax of the story, I found myself confused by a few things. Everyone has unique names and I had trouble remembering who was who. I did understand the general idea though. I think going forward I will be more engaged in the rest of the series. Or maybe on a second read.
July 19, 2019
Where to begin , first this is fantastic . A story that draws you in and doesn't let go from the start to the finish you will be like WOW . The world building is perfect with just the right amount of detail and the main characters are perfect and you keep turning pages till late into the night because your vested in the characters and you have to know what's going to happen next . Alisha Klapheke has another best seller here and we the reader's are the lucky ones who get to enjoy her imagination . So pick this up and cancel any plans you've made because once you start reading this you will not want to put it down .
August 10, 2019
The Good
– Confident writing style,
– A likeable main character who pushes the book forward
– Fun banter between characters
– Satisfying ending
– Start of a slow burn romance?
– Very few typos/errors
– Cool setting
– Some cool battle scenes
The Bad
– Slow set-up
– Inefficient world-building in beginning
– "Helena the healer" was mentioned a dozen times but only makes a brief appearance
– Notorious weak spots in prose
– A couple serious flaws in world-building logic
Fate of Dragons is an interesting and imaginative dive into a world of dragons, merfolk and fae—but it's a short one. Although it stands on its own, it's hard not to feel like its a kneecapped "Part One" of a full-length tome.
Story
Fate of Dragons biggest weakness is it's beginning. The story after contains a number of noteworthy and enjoyable scenes, but I got slogged down a lot in the beginning. I think the best way to describe it is inefficient—there's a lot of stuff that doesn't really matter and long scenes with not much which does matter. The best example is a Lapis dragon named Helena. Helena doesn't factor into the plot at all, but Vahly mentions her some dozen-odd times, many specifically as "Helena the healer." But she only appears maybe once, for a throwaway moment. She might be more relevant in future books, but she's not relevant in this one. (She doesn't even heal Vahly!) It's not a great foot to start on. Readers want the details to figure out what's happening, but it's hard to get an accurate idea when you're not sure what's important and what's not.
The storytelling gets tighter as the book goes on, thankfully. Vahly plans to search out elves with a band of misfit dragons and on the day they plan to leave, a particularly curious elf with a faulty memory turns up. There's lots of fun banter within the group, and once they arrive in the elven forest the really good scenes start hitting. A strange mystery awaits them in elven lands, along with with some heartbreak, the beginnings of romance and a truly awesome showdown.
The worldbuilding is kind of a mixed bag. On one hand, there's great attention to details in the underwater realm and how the sea kynd live and function. On the other, there are some really weird lapses. One is the mention of chocolate confection wafers, which raises all sorts of questions about how such a thing is even PROCESSED on a tiny island. And secondly: Dragons have a humanoid form, and in this humanoid form female dragons like Nyx apparently have human-proportioned curves, which just... makes no sense. Mammals and reptiles are different. Why would reptiles present with human-proportioned fat storage and why is this seen as sexually attractive to dragons?
Characters
Vahly is the primary focus and point of view character, but the story switches to chapters from Ryton, a sea kynd/merman, from time to time. Vahly's goals are straightforward: she wants to seek out the elves to see if they have knowledge of a human power ritual. Internally she struggles with feelings of alienation as the only human and a sense failure as a "failed" Earth Queen and saviour. She's a character who's easy to root for: she never languishes in these feelings, she's doing something to push the plot forward and her feelings of "otherness" touch on something most readers can relate to—who hasn't felt like an outsider at some point?
Ryton's chapters have yet to intersect with Vahly's. His plot feels more like a slow-burn into something bigger. However, Ryton's chapters offer important insight to both his and his kin's feelings on this eternal power struggle with the dragons. With years and years of war behind them, the sea kynd hate dragons both due to what they've been taught—aren't the dragons so selfish for having two forms?—and because they've all lost family and friends in the war. Ryton is determined not to lose his last remaining friend to the dragons.
Although he's not a point of view character, elf Arcturus also plays an important role. With chunks of his memory out of reach and unable to access all his abilities, he introduces a curious plotline of tampered-with elves and becomes a romantic interest for Vahly. He's a decent guy, if a bit weird, and holds promise as an interesting element in future books.
Writing Style
Fate of Dragons is told in the past tense, third-person point of view.
Klapheke's style is fairly average. Her prose is readable, unobtrusive and gets the job done. There are a few weak word choices and oddly worded sentences, but overall her style is solid but unremarkable.
Themes and Representation
Tbh, there isn't really anything on the representation front.
I feel like the theme of feeling like an outcast is handled well and an important part of Vahly's character, but it's not a predominant theme. The same can be said for Ryton and the themes of war and loss.
Recommended For...
If you like dragons and elves and mermaids and quests, why not? Fate of Dragons is relatively short and very digestible.
– Confident writing style,
– A likeable main character who pushes the book forward
– Fun banter between characters
– Satisfying ending
– Start of a slow burn romance?
– Very few typos/errors
– Cool setting
– Some cool battle scenes
The Bad
– Slow set-up
– Inefficient world-building in beginning
– "Helena the healer" was mentioned a dozen times but only makes a brief appearance
– Notorious weak spots in prose
– A couple serious flaws in world-building logic
Fate of Dragons is an interesting and imaginative dive into a world of dragons, merfolk and fae—but it's a short one. Although it stands on its own, it's hard not to feel like its a kneecapped "Part One" of a full-length tome.
Story
Fate of Dragons biggest weakness is it's beginning. The story after contains a number of noteworthy and enjoyable scenes, but I got slogged down a lot in the beginning. I think the best way to describe it is inefficient—there's a lot of stuff that doesn't really matter and long scenes with not much which does matter. The best example is a Lapis dragon named Helena. Helena doesn't factor into the plot at all, but Vahly mentions her some dozen-odd times, many specifically as "Helena the healer." But she only appears maybe once, for a throwaway moment. She might be more relevant in future books, but she's not relevant in this one. (She doesn't even heal Vahly!) It's not a great foot to start on. Readers want the details to figure out what's happening, but it's hard to get an accurate idea when you're not sure what's important and what's not.
The storytelling gets tighter as the book goes on, thankfully. Vahly plans to search out elves with a band of misfit dragons and on the day they plan to leave, a particularly curious elf with a faulty memory turns up. There's lots of fun banter within the group, and once they arrive in the elven forest the really good scenes start hitting. A strange mystery awaits them in elven lands, along with with some heartbreak, the beginnings of romance and a truly awesome showdown.
The worldbuilding is kind of a mixed bag. On one hand, there's great attention to details in the underwater realm and how the sea kynd live and function. On the other, there are some really weird lapses. One is the mention of chocolate confection wafers, which raises all sorts of questions about how such a thing is even PROCESSED on a tiny island. And secondly: Dragons have a humanoid form, and in this humanoid form female dragons like Nyx apparently have human-proportioned curves, which just... makes no sense. Mammals and reptiles are different. Why would reptiles present with human-proportioned fat storage and why is this seen as sexually attractive to dragons?
Characters
Vahly is the primary focus and point of view character, but the story switches to chapters from Ryton, a sea kynd/merman, from time to time. Vahly's goals are straightforward: she wants to seek out the elves to see if they have knowledge of a human power ritual. Internally she struggles with feelings of alienation as the only human and a sense failure as a "failed" Earth Queen and saviour. She's a character who's easy to root for: she never languishes in these feelings, she's doing something to push the plot forward and her feelings of "otherness" touch on something most readers can relate to—who hasn't felt like an outsider at some point?
Ryton's chapters have yet to intersect with Vahly's. His plot feels more like a slow-burn into something bigger. However, Ryton's chapters offer important insight to both his and his kin's feelings on this eternal power struggle with the dragons. With years and years of war behind them, the sea kynd hate dragons both due to what they've been taught—aren't the dragons so selfish for having two forms?—and because they've all lost family and friends in the war. Ryton is determined not to lose his last remaining friend to the dragons.
Although he's not a point of view character, elf Arcturus also plays an important role. With chunks of his memory out of reach and unable to access all his abilities, he introduces a curious plotline of tampered-with elves and becomes a romantic interest for Vahly. He's a decent guy, if a bit weird, and holds promise as an interesting element in future books.
Writing Style
Fate of Dragons is told in the past tense, third-person point of view.
Klapheke's style is fairly average. Her prose is readable, unobtrusive and gets the job done. There are a few weak word choices and oddly worded sentences, but overall her style is solid but unremarkable.
Themes and Representation
Tbh, there isn't really anything on the representation front.
I feel like the theme of feeling like an outcast is handled well and an important part of Vahly's character, but it's not a predominant theme. The same can be said for Ryton and the themes of war and loss.
Recommended For...
If you like dragons and elves and mermaids and quests, why not? Fate of Dragons is relatively short and very digestible.
September 11, 2020
Such an amazing listen! Thoroughly enjoyed this story and meeting Vahly! I really like how different this story was from most fantasy books I have read- the narrator really gives it life and gets you invested with the telling. I need to read the next book!
November 27, 2021
While the world was interesting, and the plot line had promise, I found the writing lacking. There were times when the decision-making was abrupt, and the actions & scenes either rushed or disjointed. It felt more like a younger level of literature, but kudos to the author for writing and putting her work out there.
June 14, 2019
This was a quick, enjoyable read.
With a distinct magic system divided into different parts based on the elements, Author Klapheke had a detailed and well-described world. Dragons, elves, and a remaining human all mix in this world and each has something to defend against the evil sea queen.
This is the first book in the series and I look forward to reading more.
With a distinct magic system divided into different parts based on the elements, Author Klapheke had a detailed and well-described world. Dragons, elves, and a remaining human all mix in this world and each has something to defend against the evil sea queen.
This is the first book in the series and I look forward to reading more.
March 22, 2020
A great story I really enjoyed it
September 12, 2021
Really enjoyable and some great twists.
December 14, 2023
3.5 but also DNF at 75% just didn't draw me in. May try again at another time
June 3, 2025
Exciting fantasy novel about dragons, elves, sea folk, and one last human. I look forward to continuing the series!
February 27, 2020
*Source* Kindle
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Alisha Klapheke's Fate of the Dragons is the first installment in the authors Dragon's Rising series. 23 years ago, the last human child was born and saved by Dragon Matriarch Amona. Vahly is the apparent last surviving human and destined to be the prophesied Earth Queen. She bears a Blackwater mark between her eyebrows—a shimmering oval that represents the origin of creation and magic in this world. But, she has no powers. She's living in a world that doesn't much care for the fact that she's human and powerless.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Alisha Klapheke's Fate of the Dragons is the first installment in the authors Dragon's Rising series. 23 years ago, the last human child was born and saved by Dragon Matriarch Amona. Vahly is the apparent last surviving human and destined to be the prophesied Earth Queen. She bears a Blackwater mark between her eyebrows—a shimmering oval that represents the origin of creation and magic in this world. But, she has no powers. She's living in a world that doesn't much care for the fact that she's human and powerless.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
April 21, 2019
This book is an amazing and unique tale of Dragons, Elves, Sea Creatures, Humans and Magic. Our heroine is just an ordinary human (or is she?) who is expected to do great things. Vahly lives in a world where Dragons and the Sea Queen (really she is a witch) are battling for the last bit of dry land. Vahly needs to discover her own magic and with the help of a hot elf she sets off on an epic journey. Her story and her friendships are vivid and captured my heart. This book kept dragging me farther into the story with each page. I just didn't want it to end- I wanted to keep reading and living in that world... Books like that become my favorites. I can not wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.
March 14, 2021
Second read through and I still love it. The promise of merfolk is what drew me. Thougg they are unlike any sea being I have read before or since, I still really enjoyed them. Vahly's story is very compelling. Ms Klapheke is so excellent with her world building, I always get sucked in so thoroughly, I don't want to put it down!
March 30, 2025
Fate of Dragons by Alisha Klapheke is the first in a four book series that also includes a novella. It's a romantasy adventure with dragons and elves and a chosen one trope. It is also a quick read for those who like shorter fantasies. It is marketed toward young adults, but I think it would fit squarely in the new adult category as the main character is in her early twenties when the series begins. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I'm glad I bought the omnibus set that includes all four novels and the novella.
The worldbuilding for this novel is great. We open with Vahly scaling a cliff to gather a healing plant for one of the dragon kynd she lives with. All of the land dwelling beings left in the world seem to inhabit a single island and the sea folk are set on destroying it. The castle and caverns of the Lapis clan of dragon, who took Vahly in as a baby, is intriguing and well drawn. I don't think I've read a fantasy recently that depicted dragons as having a many leveled castle/cavern dwelling or a set hierarchy like the one in this book do. Most of the dragon books I've read have had the beings living in dwellings looking fully human and only dragoning out when they want to fly. Or the converse of that is dragons only as dragons and living in caves in the mountains or acting as flying steeds for humans. But Klapheke depicts them as a intelligent creatures who can shift to look more human, but still retain their dragon scales and qualities. They have a complex society with a matriarch as their head and distinct clans between the Lapis, the more scholarly clan, and the Jades, the more war-like clan of dragons. There are also a group of dragons that are referred to as oath breakers because they aren't attached to either clan. These rebel dragons are actually some of Vahly's closest friends because like her, they don't seem to quite fit in with the rest of society as they should.
In addition to the worldbuilding and clan development for the dragons, I also found Vahly's characterization to be relatable and sympathetic. Vahly lives among the dragons because the matriarch of the Lapis dragon clan saved her right before the last human settlement on the island was flooded by the sea witch and her army. Amona, the Lapis matriarch, believes that a special mark that Vahly bears means that she is destined to be the last Earth Queen and will be the one who will stop the sea witch from flooding their island home and save the dragons and elves that remain. This belief sets up the source of conflict in the novel very well as Vahly has no magical powers whatsoever. Worse, she has no idea why or if there is a way to awaken any she might have lying dormant inside because there were no human records saved before the sea witch killed the last of the humans off. But the waters keep rising to ever more dangerous levels and time is of the essence for all land dwelling beings if they want to stop their home from being destroyed. One of Vahly's best friends of the oath breaker dragons, Nix, has told Vahly that the Lapis clan might not have any human records in their library but they do have some recorded by the elves, a group the dragons dislike for some reason. This knowledge is what sets Vahly off on her quest to not only discover if any elves still exist in the Forest of Illumahrah, but also to see if they know of any human rituals that might help Vahly awaken her powers. Vahly feels her failure to be the savior everyone was counting on keenly. We also get a sense of the deep loneliness she feels as the last human growing up amongst dragons. It also sets up her reaction to Arcturus, the first elf she encounters, and her eventual love interest as well, because he is the first being she'd ever seen who is at all like her. The romance in this first book though is only hinted at, making it a very slow build romantasy.
My only complaint is that some of the secondary character development could have been deeper. I think if we had spent a little more time seeing Vahly interacting with some of these characters and her journey had been a bit longer, I could have connected to them more. I think the relationship development between Vahly and Arc could have been developed more for him as well. I didn't really get a good feel for him as a three dimensional character. He was more a pretty elf with lots of power to me more that a fully realized person. Perhaps his story arc will be more developed in the other books, though. I am definitely intrigued enough with the plot and Vahly's journey to keep reading more in this series.
The worldbuilding for this novel is great. We open with Vahly scaling a cliff to gather a healing plant for one of the dragon kynd she lives with. All of the land dwelling beings left in the world seem to inhabit a single island and the sea folk are set on destroying it. The castle and caverns of the Lapis clan of dragon, who took Vahly in as a baby, is intriguing and well drawn. I don't think I've read a fantasy recently that depicted dragons as having a many leveled castle/cavern dwelling or a set hierarchy like the one in this book do. Most of the dragon books I've read have had the beings living in dwellings looking fully human and only dragoning out when they want to fly. Or the converse of that is dragons only as dragons and living in caves in the mountains or acting as flying steeds for humans. But Klapheke depicts them as a intelligent creatures who can shift to look more human, but still retain their dragon scales and qualities. They have a complex society with a matriarch as their head and distinct clans between the Lapis, the more scholarly clan, and the Jades, the more war-like clan of dragons. There are also a group of dragons that are referred to as oath breakers because they aren't attached to either clan. These rebel dragons are actually some of Vahly's closest friends because like her, they don't seem to quite fit in with the rest of society as they should.
In addition to the worldbuilding and clan development for the dragons, I also found Vahly's characterization to be relatable and sympathetic. Vahly lives among the dragons because the matriarch of the Lapis dragon clan saved her right before the last human settlement on the island was flooded by the sea witch and her army. Amona, the Lapis matriarch, believes that a special mark that Vahly bears means that she is destined to be the last Earth Queen and will be the one who will stop the sea witch from flooding their island home and save the dragons and elves that remain. This belief sets up the source of conflict in the novel very well as Vahly has no magical powers whatsoever. Worse, she has no idea why or if there is a way to awaken any she might have lying dormant inside because there were no human records saved before the sea witch killed the last of the humans off. But the waters keep rising to ever more dangerous levels and time is of the essence for all land dwelling beings if they want to stop their home from being destroyed. One of Vahly's best friends of the oath breaker dragons, Nix, has told Vahly that the Lapis clan might not have any human records in their library but they do have some recorded by the elves, a group the dragons dislike for some reason. This knowledge is what sets Vahly off on her quest to not only discover if any elves still exist in the Forest of Illumahrah, but also to see if they know of any human rituals that might help Vahly awaken her powers. Vahly feels her failure to be the savior everyone was counting on keenly. We also get a sense of the deep loneliness she feels as the last human growing up amongst dragons. It also sets up her reaction to Arcturus, the first elf she encounters, and her eventual love interest as well, because he is the first being she'd ever seen who is at all like her. The romance in this first book though is only hinted at, making it a very slow build romantasy.
My only complaint is that some of the secondary character development could have been deeper. I think if we had spent a little more time seeing Vahly interacting with some of these characters and her journey had been a bit longer, I could have connected to them more. I think the relationship development between Vahly and Arc could have been developed more for him as well. I didn't really get a good feel for him as a three dimensional character. He was more a pretty elf with lots of power to me more that a fully realized person. Perhaps his story arc will be more developed in the other books, though. I am definitely intrigued enough with the plot and Vahly's journey to keep reading more in this series.
September 9, 2019
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Fate of Dragons is a classic epic fantasy series-starter, with a cast of dragons, elves, merfolk and one solitary human hero.
Vahly, is the main character and – unusually for epic fantasy – she was supposed to be the Chosen One, but something has gone very wrong. The four elements of earth, air, water and fire are out of balance, as are the respective races. Humans (earth magic) are almost extinct; the elves (air magic) have isolated themselves; the dragons (fire magic) fight amongst themselves and watch anxiously as the magic waters of the merfolk – toxic to the dragons – spread insidiously across the land, swallowing everything and everyone in their way.
With the help of a rogue elf and a roguish band of dragon allies, Vahly sets out on a last ditch attempt to ignite her dormant Earth powers before the waters take the world. Meanwhile beneath the sea, Ryton, right-fin man of the Sea Queen, attempts to balance his duties to his family, friends and the rest of his people, whilst curbing his queen’s power hungry excesses. Let the war games begin!
I was pulled straight into the world Alisha Klapheke has created here, and was caught up in the action for the majority of the book. There was just one point towards the middle of the plot where I completely lost the thread. There is a jump in the action which left me floundering and confused, flicking back to what I had read previously and wondering if there were missing pages in my ebook. My confusion lasted right up until the author revealed that there was a logical and necessary reason for my bewilderment and suddenly it all made complete sense again!
The ending resolves the immediate issues, whilst setting the scene for the further quests and battles to come. The worldbuilding of the four elements, races and powers, and the engaging characters of Vahly and her brave band of misfits make this fantasy stand out from the crowd and hook you into wanting to find out what happens next.
Fans of classic dragons-and-magic epic fantasy will enjoy this and I will be waiting eagerly to find out where the series goes next.
The humans, eyeing her from their settlement below, had first reported the signs of the Sea Queen’s growing power. Rumbling earth. Beached sea life. Afraid and lacking the earth magic they once used to fight the sea, the humans had given the dragons permission to soar over their territory. Unlikely allies against a common enemy.
– Alisha Klapheke, Fate of Dragons
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Fate of Dragons is a classic epic fantasy series-starter, with a cast of dragons, elves, merfolk and one solitary human hero.
Vahly, is the main character and – unusually for epic fantasy – she was supposed to be the Chosen One, but something has gone very wrong. The four elements of earth, air, water and fire are out of balance, as are the respective races. Humans (earth magic) are almost extinct; the elves (air magic) have isolated themselves; the dragons (fire magic) fight amongst themselves and watch anxiously as the magic waters of the merfolk – toxic to the dragons – spread insidiously across the land, swallowing everything and everyone in their way.
With the help of a rogue elf and a roguish band of dragon allies, Vahly sets out on a last ditch attempt to ignite her dormant Earth powers before the waters take the world. Meanwhile beneath the sea, Ryton, right-fin man of the Sea Queen, attempts to balance his duties to his family, friends and the rest of his people, whilst curbing his queen’s power hungry excesses. Let the war games begin!
I was pulled straight into the world Alisha Klapheke has created here, and was caught up in the action for the majority of the book. There was just one point towards the middle of the plot where I completely lost the thread. There is a jump in the action which left me floundering and confused, flicking back to what I had read previously and wondering if there were missing pages in my ebook. My confusion lasted right up until the author revealed that there was a logical and necessary reason for my bewilderment and suddenly it all made complete sense again!
The ending resolves the immediate issues, whilst setting the scene for the further quests and battles to come. The worldbuilding of the four elements, races and powers, and the engaging characters of Vahly and her brave band of misfits make this fantasy stand out from the crowd and hook you into wanting to find out what happens next.
Fans of classic dragons-and-magic epic fantasy will enjoy this and I will be waiting eagerly to find out where the series goes next.
The humans, eyeing her from their settlement below, had first reported the signs of the Sea Queen’s growing power. Rumbling earth. Beached sea life. Afraid and lacking the earth magic they once used to fight the sea, the humans had given the dragons permission to soar over their territory. Unlikely allies against a common enemy.
– Alisha Klapheke, Fate of Dragons
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
July 23, 2019
Fate of Dragons Alisha Klapheke (Dragons Rising #1) Publication date: March 27th 2019 Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
This the first book in a new magical dystopian high fantasy world, by Alisha Klapheke. The authors beautifully created world building will pull you in.
Alisha intricate world building is actually some of my favorite in Ya Fantasy. Richly magical and immensely entertaining!
The authors ability to use mixed POV’s and keep the overall pace is definitely notable. She has the ability to intricately build the storyline to make this a classic fantasy. She sets this novel up to make it a precursor to the following books to come. With some of the most amazing cast of magical characters, Fate of Dragons definitely caught me by surprise.
In a turbulent world where The Sea Queen And her cutthroat clan of sea-folk, wants to conquer everything in her path using brute force and strategic warfare to win her battles. The Sea Queen mad plan is to drown the entire world.
Vahly, the is the last human that holds the fate of the world on her hands.
She is nonchalant and reckless She bears a Blackwater mark between her eyebrows—a shimmering oval that represents the origin of creation and magic in this world. powerful. Raised by Dragons she is the sole survivor of the Earth Kynd, But one thing..her powers lay dormant.
Nix, is an incredible shapeshifting renegade Dragon. She is a smuggler, choosing to live outside any Dragon Clan
Arcturus, Arcturus is alchemist Elf, with royal elven blood who is fascinated by magical science. His memory has been en altered.
I was captivated from page one, with Elves and their elemental magic. Dragons, and their dragonfire, To our hero that must rise above and meet her destiny. I found this story to be engrossing, well thought out, perfectly paced, exciting and intelligent. There were some suspenseful moments, but more importantly, Alisha knows how to write interesting and fully developed characters which we care about. I admired their strength and their weakness. The strength in this book was not only in magical fantasy World, but in the characters themselves. This book was an engaging atmospheric read that was both riveting and intensely entertaining!
Band of Brackers, Dragon Rising Book Two
is scheduled to be released July 31, 2019
•
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December 18, 2024
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This book is the first in the Dragons Rising series. In addition, I believe other books are set in this world.
The author has created a magical world with Air, Earth, Water, and Fire spirits. Vahly is the only human left and is the Earth Queen. Merpeople have Water magic. Dragons have Fire magic. And the Elves have Air Magic.
The Sea Kingdom is lead by a cruel and ruthless queen who wants to flood the world with water and kill all the other kind. She has been successful with humans with the exception of Vahly. She now wants to eradicate the dragons. Her high general, Rydon, does not like dragons because his sister died in a battle and he now wants to end them. This seemed understandable, but the battle had been initiated by the sea kingdom. At times you think he might have a more reasonable side, at least relative to the Sea Queen, but he is ruthless.
Vahly knows she is supposed to be the Earth Queen because she was born with a mark on her forehead, but she does not know how to access her powers. She had been rescued as a baby by a Dragon Queen as the last of her people died. The Dragon Queen raised her as her own and they love each other. However, many dragons reject Vahly because she has no powers and cannot help them.
She decides to ask the Elves if they can help her release her Earth magic. She is friends with dragons who do not belong to a clan. Her friends are quite wonderful and they set off to help her find the elves. In a dangerous marsh, she discovers Arcturus, a gentle elf scientist who has been left for dead. Arcturus quickly becomes an ally as they discover treachery amongst the elves. Vahly and Arcturus are clever in following the clues and figuring out what might be going on.
The story is told from Vahly and Rydon’s point of view.
There were a couple of things I did not like about it, but I didn’t think they were very material. Arcturus is far older than Vahly. She is in her early 20s while he is several hundred years old. This happens in some fantasy worlds and with different authors, but I always wonder about the discrepancy in their experiences. Wouldn’t Vahly (and others in different books) seem young? I did like Vahly and she was brave, loyal, and smart. Another is that the relationship developed over a few days. I think this could have happened over a few books. The book was mostly about Vahly’s journey to find her powers and that was the focus.
I liked the book. It felt like a good start to the series. This book concluded with one part of the story complete.
This book is the first in the Dragons Rising series. In addition, I believe other books are set in this world.
The author has created a magical world with Air, Earth, Water, and Fire spirits. Vahly is the only human left and is the Earth Queen. Merpeople have Water magic. Dragons have Fire magic. And the Elves have Air Magic.
The Sea Kingdom is lead by a cruel and ruthless queen who wants to flood the world with water and kill all the other kind. She has been successful with humans with the exception of Vahly. She now wants to eradicate the dragons. Her high general, Rydon, does not like dragons because his sister died in a battle and he now wants to end them. This seemed understandable, but the battle had been initiated by the sea kingdom. At times you think he might have a more reasonable side, at least relative to the Sea Queen, but he is ruthless.
Vahly knows she is supposed to be the Earth Queen because she was born with a mark on her forehead, but she does not know how to access her powers. She had been rescued as a baby by a Dragon Queen as the last of her people died. The Dragon Queen raised her as her own and they love each other. However, many dragons reject Vahly because she has no powers and cannot help them.
She decides to ask the Elves if they can help her release her Earth magic. She is friends with dragons who do not belong to a clan. Her friends are quite wonderful and they set off to help her find the elves. In a dangerous marsh, she discovers Arcturus, a gentle elf scientist who has been left for dead. Arcturus quickly becomes an ally as they discover treachery amongst the elves. Vahly and Arcturus are clever in following the clues and figuring out what might be going on.
The story is told from Vahly and Rydon’s point of view.
There were a couple of things I did not like about it, but I didn’t think they were very material. Arcturus is far older than Vahly. She is in her early 20s while he is several hundred years old. This happens in some fantasy worlds and with different authors, but I always wonder about the discrepancy in their experiences. Wouldn’t Vahly (and others in different books) seem young? I did like Vahly and she was brave, loyal, and smart. Another is that the relationship developed over a few days. I think this could have happened over a few books. The book was mostly about Vahly’s journey to find her powers and that was the focus.
I liked the book. It felt like a good start to the series. This book concluded with one part of the story complete.
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