In a far away kingdom, an immensely powerful soul is trapped in a jewel called a dragon tear. Whoever holds it has access to great magical power, but, as in all times and places, power is seductive and dangerous.
And, as with all trapped souls, this one wants to escape.
~
Orphaned at a young age, Zenia Cham has fought and scraped her way into a position of honor as an inquisitor for one of the city's temples. But an even greater destiny awaits. Impressed by her deeds, the king offers her a prestigious position as one of his elite Agents of the Crown.
The missions will be dangerous, and she’s not sure she wants the partner she’s being assigned—a cocky noble lord from a wealthy estate—but she has the opportunity to distinguish herself as she serves not only the city but the entire Kingdom.
How could she say no?
There’s just one problem. The king gives her a mysterious dragon tear that’s nothing like the other magical gems she’s seen. She may need its power to stay alive in this perilous new job, but dare she rely upon it?
For a limited time, you can get the complete Agents of the Crown fantasy series for a massive discount.
Books included are:
Eye of Truth Blood Ties Duty Bound Elven Fury Dragon Tear
Continuing in the fashion of everything I have read by her, Agents of The Crown is epic in scale, dripping with wit, and filled with characters who evoke thoughts of people in my own life. An engaging read which I thoroughly enjoyed throughout.
A throughly enjoyable series of books which, to me at least, seemed to have a slightly more serious nuance to them. That’s not to say that they were not not filled with the same whimsical and self deprecating humour as other books by the author, as they were, it’s just it was delivered in a more adult fashion, but only slightly. All the characters have distinct personalities and traits, even quirks such as “Rat Racing”, that make them very engaging. The setting in which these adventures take place is an interesting concept. The weapons technology is as advanced as pistols and muskets, but swords, axes and bows are all in common use too, some of which are also magical, along with fairly sophisticated steam powered vehicles which are used for transportation. The sheer diversity of magical and mythical creatures that inhabit this world means you are never sure what may make an appearance next. While the story wraps up satisfactorily at the end of the fifth book it would be nice to see all these characters return for more adventures, and there is certainly plenty of scope to allow that to happen.
Loved the fast pace and having the woman as the main character and hero, for a change. The ending was expected, but would have been better if the stratified social structure was changed to allow a marriage across social classes, rather than have the king elevate one to the upper class to preserve the other.
The adventures and characters in this series were absolutely riveting. Magic, elves, war, trolls, dragons galore! I love reading about epic quests and fantastical creatures. The political and social issues Zenia faced also spiced up the story a lot. Even though the romance was developed very slowly and is low angst, it was still very enjoyable.
Side note: Rhi is such a kick@ss best friend and sidekick. I love her humor and her tendency to boink people with her bo.
I did have a few minor issues with the writing. The story seems to take place in a historical steampunk setting, but many modern phrases are used like "trendy", "nah", etc. I found that to be a little disconcerting, but it can be easily overlooked. Additionally, in the first book, the part about the princes dying from a disease the family was susceptible to was a bit far-fetched to me, but to each their own.
I am sad that the series ended after book 5; I got the feeling from earlier books that there would be more books in the series. The ending did sum up everything nicely, but I was looking forward to more. *sigh*
Another lovely, well written and adventurous series from LB. Gave 4 stars because I don't think it has a rereadable quality for me. As usual the characters have lots of wit and banter but it feels like the romance between the main characters is lacking.
The last book, Dragon Tear feels off pace with the rest of the series and makes the ending feel very abrupt. The first 4 books are like historical (steampunk) mystery/sleuth stories, with Lord of the Rings-type fantasy (Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli/human, elf, dwarf replicas) and the 5th book felt like a forced traveling adventure with all new rules of magic at play.
Having writing from two different points of view was interesting but I appreciate that LB generally does not do this. It can get confusing to jump back and forth but since the two main characters are often in different places, it makes sense in this case.
I would really like to know what happened to Cutter in book 5. One moment he is with the others, they go into battle and he is never mentioned again.
I wasn't sure at first if I would enjoy this series (books 1-5) but it turned into a really good read. The books are not huge cliff-hangers if you read them one by one but I would recommend reading the whole series to get the full effect. The characters show good development as you go and the plotting is both straightforward and well done. I didn't like the main character at first but her growth as a person is how you would like to see a friend improve. The side characters are as well drawn as the main without becoming more important to the story as the protagonist. I don't like to write reviews that tell you the story so I won't give a synopsis but I will give the overall books a 4.5/5 and suggest you read them. If you're trying to figure out what the story is about, I found it to be similar to Jasmine Walt's series about magicians and shifters, although Buroker only writes about magic, elves, trolls and orcs, no shifters. Good reading! :)
Enjoyed this series which is about humans, and supernatural fantasy figures at war. The story is about division of society royals and commaners, rich and poor. Mages with magical Dragon years which control others and read their minds. The young inquitione r loses her job trying to control a young Zander back from the wars. Trying to control him and read his mind becomes about a magic symbol he was unaware of created a situation where she loses her job. The Zander gets her hired by the king and starts a political situation which results in war with trolls other and orces. The former inquisitors is now a captain for the king drives a dragon tear with a dragon on it. She develops a relationship with the Dragon who is trapped by orces. The story has romance and intrigue and battles
I’m very glad to have purchased this as a complete series for a big discount. She is a wonderful storyteller and I haven’t read anything I didn’t enjoy. This series was a fun, adventurous, fantasy/steam punk tale with all the typical elements, even a unicorn. Each book is it’s own story and develops our heroes from one case to the next. There is some world building though most of the story takes place in the same city. My only issue is the same issue with all of her books and that is the juvenile ‘does he like me?’ love interest of the main characters that gets way too much attention. I’m sure it’s just me and others probably enjoy that element but I just think it’s a lot. Other than that, I loved it!
Super fantasy with castles, elves, dwarfs, magic, etc!!!
As stated in the heading, there is plenty in this series for everyone. Included in that list are dragons, trolls, romance, comedy, drama, suspense, and enough of all things fantasy for everyone. Lindsay Buroker has outdone herself with this series. When I finished reading the last book I longed for only one thing, and that was more books in this series! I knew what I needed to do. I would have to read other books by the author until we all convinced her to write MANY more books in this series. There is an unlimited number of cases ready for the Agents of the Crown to solve! Zenia & Jev's kids can have little adventures finding hidden passages built into the new castle built on Zenia's estate with the aid of dwarfs magic. All could be surprised to learn that Reesa learns to talk in the Kingdom's language at the same time their children learn to speak. And we will all be surprised to learn that a certain shaman we thought was killed, when Zenia blew him out of Reesa's prison cave, is actually alive. There are some ideas to kick around. Please get back to us, Lindsay, as soon as you are able. ;-) We'll be waiting.
Lindsay Buroker can definitely write an excellent action novel/series! Having just finished this one, on the heels of the Dragon Blood series, I am SO hooked! This 5 book series takes you from getting to know the core characters, through various trials & crises requiring them to defend the kingdom (or each other), to saving the best thing that ever happened to both them (personally) & the kingdom! Action, battles, logic, more battles, romance, loyalty, still fighting someone or another, strategy, bad guys, family drama! The series has it all, but written in a way that draws you in and makes you care. You want to know what happens next. This is a good introduction series for getting hooked on Lindsay Buroker. You should read it!
Usually I don't like to read a series all at once, I prefer to take my time and have a break between books. This is a truly epic series, and I pretty much read all 5 books one after the other. I tried to stop and savour the last one but read it at breakneck speed anyway.
Zenia our main protagonist is brave and warm, smart and funny. An excellent character throughout. But all of the other characters are really well drawn and complete too. There is a series of mythical creatures who are very believable, each book moves on from the previous one seamlessly. The story in each book is very well told and complete and left me wanting more - the best way to finish a book in my opinion.
Highly recommended for lovers of fantastic fiction.
If you want an amazing fantasy adventure, this book is for you. The moment I started reading the series, I was hooked. The writing was really nice and it complemented the story really well. The world of the book is filled with many different groups of people like elves (my personal favorite) and dwarfs. You never know what will happen next which makes the story even more interesting. The only thing I would change is the ending of the book as I feel a marriage between different social classes would have been better. Also, I would have liked it more if only her mother was mentioned in the speech at the end rather than both her mother and father (if you want to know why, you should read the book!). Based on some of the scenes in the book, I recommend this book for high school and up.
The human country of Kor has never been as unsettled as presently what with having settled a war with the elves and the weary soldiers having returned. But the king has died as well. And the three crown princes. And now the convocation selected the youngest boy of three brothers to succeed as the new king. The new king, however, surprised by appointing two total "strangers" as the new captains of the Agents of the Crown. Which is where a heck of a lot more fun and adventures started gelling into quite a fabulous epic fantasy series of five books, now available in this box set. Which means I got to read a book a day over a period of five days with an excited grin for those five days now. As will you. Enjoy.
If you love Robin Hobb, Jennifer Fallon, David Eddings or Trudi Canavan and Dragons a strong female inquisitor and a dashing solider who falls in love then this set of books is for you.
Theauthors writing draws you in so deep that five books fly by, one of the things I love is the equality of the sexes, sure there are ditzy women and men, yet both main characters are stong on their own and a force to be reckoned with together, with the secondary characters becoming so entwined the pages really do turn themselves. This is the 2nd series of books I have read and I'm hoping desperately for more xx
I really enjoy Lindsay’s books. They are always good fun. But (with the exception of Star Kingdom, which has a lot of characters with various personalities) there are generally two versions of series by Lindsay: where the man is serious and the woman is funny or the other way round. And I am honestly getting just a tiny bit bored with these variations. (Which is why Star Kingdom is by far my favorite)
To spend a week or two reading this omnibus is absolutely fine. But I will likely forget most aspects of these books in a couple of months.
This series is captivating, action packed, witty, and keeps you wanting more. Each character has endearing flaws that bring the cast together. Lindsay Buroker is not known for rehashing the same old tales with different scenery-- and she doesn't disappoint this time either.
The world she creates is vibrant. You can easily envision walking down the streets or cruising the terrain. You feel as if you are on this epic journey to another world to battle racism, misogyny, politics, love, family, and religion all whilst healing battle wounds from the past.
I cannot possibly say enough good things about this box set. I loved the characters (although you won't like Zenia at first, but she is amazing later). I loved having all the different supernaturals such as Elves, Orcs, Trolls, Dragons, and seeing them for their strengths. The story had tense moments, laugh-out-loud moments, sexy times, and magic. And the story line itself will easily capture the reader's attention and hold it through the entire story arc.
This author is really good, and you will find her books rarely have a typo. The story line is tight and well-paced. This set is definitely worth reading and I fully and enthusiastically recommend it.
I enjoyed this very much. The series started strong and just kept getting stronger. The character's interaction was fun and mostly realistic. My only quibble is the idea that 4 of the 5 main characters all had the same sense of humor...but it's not impossible that that's what drew and kept them together. Slightly predictable at times, but mostly I just enjoyed the story without trying to figure out what came next. There were just enough left field turns that changed so much that any theory I'd come up with. Unexpected, but not unbelievable.
I'd recommend this to anyone who loves vaguely steampunk fantasy with fun characters in a strong story arc.
If you lika a good fantasy saga with magic, mythical races, battles and brave heroes and strong heroines on quests, you might like Agents of the Crown. The book bundle wasn't too long or two short, and the author did a good job world building without bogging down the reading. The action was fast paced and characters were engaging and captivated the reader with strong well written personalities. The Heroine was strong and intelligent and the interdynamics between characters made the books fun to read.
This was a great set of books. Quite possibly the longest running unresolved sexual tension in literary history. ;) This was my first time reading one of Lindsay’s books, and I have to say I’ll read more. It was fun, and funny, full of action and memorable characters. It’s great to see a heroine who is not a sword wielding wild woman, but is both strong and very feminine in her own way. The concept of how the magic worked as also fun. The society, the various temples, the underworld, the upper class, were all well drawn and interesting. Good, tropy, epic fantasy.
The five stars are for inventiveness, for likeable characters, for humor, and for good endings. Each book in the series (five) continues the story of Zenia and Jev, commoner and royalty, in a fantasy setting filled with elves, dwarves, ogres and orcs, war, a king, and a dragon. No book in the series labored to be more than it should be and if romance sort of got in the way sometimes, it was okay. I enjoyed the series.n
Lindsay Buroker is definitely a good writer. Her characters are well developed and enjoyable. There is a little less action than I like but hey you can’t have everything. Each story is written so that they stand alone but you will get more out of it if you read the series in chronological order. OK Lindsay you have a new fan but if you want that final star from me a little more action please. Alright, I may be shallow but I like the battles.
This one of the best Series I have ever read. It was the most imaginative book ever The characters were great the way you talked about them made it easy for me to see them I'm my mind. I wood love it if you would write another series of this starting with the marriage of Jev and Zenia',s marriage. Maybe helping the agents to find love even the dragon. Thanks for such a great experience. Sherry Mortensen
This was a great read with the main characters being very human or dwarf or elf😁 The story line is clearly written and easy to follow. There is good humor throughout along with the romance. And of course the no way out scenarios that usually go along with these types of books but it’s all in good fun reading. You took me away from reality each time I read and that is what it is all about. Thanks for the great work!
I found this through a KU recommendation. I am so glad I chose to take that recommendation! This series does not disappoint! The characters are great. They are strong and witty. So much adventure, with just the right amount of forbidden romance and humor. I highly recommend! Now that I'm finished with Zenia and Jev, I'm so sad! I really hope for some sort of bonus follow-up, or even a spin-off...I just know I need more of them and their friends!!
A noble profession of protecting the public, that evolves into a nobler responsibility
While reading this series, one is pulled in by the characters, the storyline, the humor, and the sarcasm. It brings a group of people together to form a cohort that will protect the land, and the crown. Bonds forged in adventure, and battle that will last a lifetime. Possibly a lifelong commitment from Zendia and Jev.
At the end of the last book in the series my eyes filled with tears. I haven't been this emotional with a collaborative some time. You're an excellent author. I clearly envisioned each of your characters. I don't re-read many books. This one will definitely be added to the list of books worthy to be read again and again. Thank you for this wonderful story.