Sword of Oak

Dragons Rising #4

by Alisha Klapheke

The water is rising. Time is running out.

In the search of the Sacred Oak where Vahly’s magic will rise in full, she and her cohorts—dragons, elves, and of course, her gryphon familiar—must fly over an expanse of sea that was once the Red Meadow.

They cannot stop. There is no refuge in the spelled saltwater and the sea folk lurk just below its foam-tipped waves.

Vahly must hurry.

Once the Sea Queen renews her magic at the Blackwater well in Tidehame, she will strike again and end the land and its creatures for good. There will be no second chances.

But does the Sacred Oak still live or is does it lay in ruin beneath the flood? Every moment Vahly seeks the Oak is a moment she isn’t training with what magic she already possesses, but without her full power, she’ll stand no chance against the Queen of the rising seas.

Grab the final book in this exciting series today! 

Perfect for fans of Christopher Paolini, Sarah J Maas, and Anne McCaffrey!

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Magic, Audiobook, Romance

187 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2020

About the author

USA 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/...

Reviews

[Tara Grayce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this whole series, and this book brings it to a smashing conclusion! The battle for earth has begun, and the stakes are higher than ever as Vahly, the last human, battles to stop the sea queen from cover the last of the land with water! If you like stories with dragons, elves, and a slowburn human-elf romance that stays on the flirty side rather than super steamy, then this series is for you!

[Brinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one! It was a great continuation of the series, and I'm so happy with where it ended. I expect the next one to be a sort of extended epilogue, and I can't wait to read it. I've fallen in love with the characters and world, and im dreading leaving it

[Allison ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been really distracted while reading this series and I did not give it my full attention. It deserves a reread in the future.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Loved this fourth book in an outstanding series. Looking for a special Oak and Sacred at that. Will they find it before it’s too late. Read this superb book.

[Alexandria Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

All's Well in the End

*****Spoilers*****

The sea queen meets her end but Lilia rises as the new Queen. There was no hint of this as a possibility so I was pleasantly surprised at this development. A solution for Arc is found as well which is fantastic for Vahly and their future together. So much death and destruction in the end to achieve the peace across land and water. I'm glad Nix survived to the end, I liked her. Vahly hasn't been Queen long even though everyone follows her orders so she gets outmaneuvered by the sea queen who easily guesses at Vahly's plots and counters them constantly. The sea queen was vicious but also clever.

For some reason I can't put my finger on, I'm disappointed in this series as a whole. It's possibly a combination of all the death, Vahly's decision making, not enough heroes left to see the new peaceful world created, or that Vahly b wasn't what I wanted her to be but I'm glad to have gotten to the end of the series.

[Crystal D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 4.5 stars! This is a great conclusion to the series. Full of all of the things I enjoyed from the first three books - action, adventure, great characters, great romance. Vahli is a fantastic MC, and Arc is a fantastic love interest. Really liked the conclusions of the plot, and yay for what happened to Astraea!! This series is a well deserved ride that I loved every minute of. It has great pacing, really good magic system, good world building, and lovable characters. Each book is short enough to knock out in a binging session if you so choose, and I appreciated that about this series. Epic fantasy doesn't have to be 600 page tombs, as this had really good pacing, and got from one plot point to another with really great character and plot development, without having major filler. The stakes are high, the story intense, but there's always a shining beacon of hope within the darkness that I really enjoyed.

So yeah, can't say much else about this one. I really enjoyed reading the series, and would recommend it. It's a nice bridge between YA fantasy and adult/epic fantasy, as it goes there with the brutality and darkness, but not enough to make your stomach clench. Can't say enough how much I enjoyed the characters though, their relationships and growth were my favorite part of the series. How they all come together at the end is great too, and the build up from book 1 was totally worth the ride. Fantastic series!

[Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

By this time, I'm really ready for the series to be over. Now, the writing is fine and the story was fine as well. I was just tired of the journey and I wanted to get to the action. Well, this book didn't disappoint. There was a lot of action. It could be called the final battle. Since in truth that is what it was.
So, Vahly and her ragtag group are out looking for all the pieces that will "active" her earth magic fully. In the meantime, Astraea is killing elves, mer-folk, and dragons alike.
It almost felt like there weren't enough of any kynd to really bother with trying to save the continent at this point.
Vahly is the last human (we know). Now, there are only a handful of elves left. And the dragon population has diminished greatly. Thankfully, all's well that ends well.
There were a few profanities, some minor gore (war/battle), crass talk, innuendos, sensuality, sex was off screen and implied.
Overall, the series was a bust for me. I could tell, as I've mentioned before, the books could have been this epic adventure, the world's at stake, but there were so many sidetracks. The magic was interesting. I loved Arc's desire for knowledge but it got old when he questioned everyone and everything.
Give it a try! It could be an epic read for you. I have an unpopular opinion (again).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one has been my favorite of the series! More traveling and adventure. Vahly continues her quest to awaken her magic. 💫🌱 and this is the peak of her and Arc's relationship *swoon* There's one more novella in the series after this but you could stop here and still have a complete story.


👉🏼 Some Quotes:

"I am yours Arcturus," she promised turning his heart to gold. "No matter how this ends up, you're stuck with me."
"And I am yours Vahly. Always. "

. . . . .

"I've read legends about such bindings and curses."
"And none of these darling bedtime stories said anything about the breaking the magic involved?"
"Our bedtime stories are obviously not as merciful as the land kinds' versions. We raise our younglings to be fierce. So, no."
"That's unfortunate, because I'm pretty certain I'm about to die."

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kinda a review of two halves, as once this got moving it was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed the second half of the novel with all the action and tension it had. I struggled with the first half of the novel, which felt very slow. There also seemed to be an imbalance between Vahly and her group and the Sea Queen; frankly, the Sea Queen was just far smarter than Vahly and really should have dominated virtually every encounter.

Don't get me wrong, it concludes the events well and I was fully invested again by the end. But for such a short book - under 200 pages - it struggled to get going and the first 100 pages felt a lot longer than they needed to be. It's a pity as I've really enjoyed the series as a whole, but I think this could have been better if it were more fleshed out and with careful attention to the pacing.

I did like the continued exploration of the world and the various races in it, although most of the races are drastically declined by this point in the series, which was an interesting choice. It's still a series that I'd recommend, but I'd have loved for this to be a good hundred pages longer allowing for more fleshing out of events and less occasions where Vahly is just completely out-played.

[Eel Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most intense, high-stakes installment yet in the Dragons Rising series. The clock is ticking, the seas are swallowing the land, and Vahly’s quest to find the Sacred Oak and the full strength of her magic, feels more urgent than ever.
This book delivers on the pressure that’s been building. The world feels more dangerous, the Sea Queen’s looming threat more palpable. The journey over the flooded lands, with dangers lurking beneath the waves, had me fully engaged.
While there are still moments where the pacing falters or Vahly’s magical growth feels rushed, the emotional stakes and action sequences pull it through. The sense of desperation in this book is real, and for the first time in the series, I felt truly locked into the urgency of Vahly’s mission.
⭐ 3.75/5 — intense, engaging, and the strongest entry so far. The tide is turning!

[Amanda Kuzma · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Epic Conclusion

First let me say I'm sad that this series has ended. Now let me tell you how pretty epic this story was. I was not able to predict anything which made everything so awesome to read.

I was feeling lots of things as I read about Vahly overcoming her fears and doubts as she claimed her rightful place as the Earth Queen. With the support of her closest friends, her love, and her mother she was able to begin to right the wrongs if the past, and ultimately usher in a new age of hope and balance.

I was so nervous about what was going to happen I had to stop reading a couple of times. I was strong and I completed the book, and I'm so happy I did. I would definitely recommend not only this book, but the entire series.

[Kathryn Burnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I devoured these books when I first found them on Kindle Unlimited. I enjoyed the world and the magic system and I waited for the last book to come out and...

I'm not mad, just disappointed. It felt like the author wanted to wrap up this story quickly and move on. It was less than 200 pages and had a little too much Deus ex magica for me. Not that the other books were particularly long but they just kept getting shorter and shorter. Also there were more typos than I usually see. Though it is the first edition so that's bound to happen. I see books by more well known authors have typos in their first printings as well.

Though I just checked kindle and saw she's releasing a fifth book and I'm already in this deep so guess what I'm getting August 31st...

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtakingly Beautiful!!!!!!

This was a stunningly magnificent story and series. I loved how there is so much action, drama, and suspense throughout the entire story. The characters are breathtakingly beautifully developed. The personalities of the characters are so intensely felt throughout it. The descriptions throughout the entire series were skillfully portrayed. Reading this story has you immersed into as if you are the characters. You feel a connection to them on a very deep level. The ending made me feel the joy of the characters. The artwork of the cover is spectacular. This series is a fantastic must read that will not disappoint.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great ending

Yes there are 5 books, but the fifth is a future based novella. This book rounded out the story extremely well. It finalized majority of the story line while still leaving that glimmer of hope that allows us readers to conjure our own futures for the characters in their old and grey years. That being said there were quite a few times I felt the verbiage was too much for the book itself as if the author was searching to enliven the book with a thesaurus. It was also the shortest book in the series being under 200 pages. I hold nothing against short books that round out the story, but there is always room for more depth in a story.

[Sara Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a grand finale. And I mean grand. After excruciating losses, Vahly has to fight her most important and dangerous battle yet. And if she loses, water will sweep over the land and everyone and everything will be lost. And I can't say more for fear of spoilers.

But let's take a minute and talk about Vahly's adopted mother, Amona. Not only is Vahly adopted, but her mother is a different kind. Vahly is human; Amona is dragon. And yet, never does Vahly treat Amona as though she is anything less than her mother, as though biological counts for more and adopted is a lesser form of parenthood. And never does Amona treat Vahly as anything less than her own, coming to her rescue, being for her, always on her side, even when she makes decisions that might seem foolhardy. It's a beautiful relationship, a healing relationship, in a world of families filled with brokenness. Very surprising and very cool.

The finale was everything and has earned Alisha a fan for life. I was given a free copy of the audiobook from the author and have reviewed it willingly.

[Karen Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

One human, four elves and magic to overcome the whole of the ocean

The power in the h grew believably, and the writing of the final battles were enthralling.
But there are still many unanswered questions.
Why is the crown darker?
Where is the singer?
If dragon, human, and elf can visit the Sacred Oak when will the sea folk, are they not equally important in the balance?
Perhaps the proximity to the Oak is why Mattin believed in his superiority and why the sea queen felt the need to become stronger than all, since she had no way to reach its protection?

Was balance really restored?

[Corine · Rating 5 out of 5]

When times were desperate, Vahly found allies in rebel seafolk, the Jade dragons were able to work with the Lapis, and all understood they must work together to achieve balance. Gifts from the spirits were appropriate for Vahly to receive the oak sword. The sea queen very nearly destroyed all hope by capturing and spelling the sword. She refused to give her blood to the oak sword to seal an agreement for peace, dying out of reach of Vahly, but fate had a backup plan…
This series was a romp in edge-of-the-seat fantasy—and I want more!

[Kelly Stepp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klapheke has delivered again with a beautiful and fittingly perfect end to this series. I loved the heightened sense of risk and the wavering realism that Vahly’s character faced. The support, loyalty, and perseverance of their team had me cheering them on and wishing I could jump into the story to assist. The new character additions and more spiritual elements were fascinating and lent even more depth and contemplation to the story. If you love epic adventure, world-ending battles, and complex character relationships, this book delivers!

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story the Earth Queen battles the Sea Queen in a final battle but of course there are things to do first. Vahly and her friends are on a quest to help increase her magic and that was interesting and made me laugh a few times. There was action and lots of adventure as Vahly does her best to survive it all. Just a book that grabs your attention and kept me reading to the end to see what was going to happen next and what Vahly would discover next.

[Carol Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting conclusion to the series. Vahly must go the Sacred Oak to have her powers fully awakened … but the elves’ land was submerged … With the dragons’ ranks so decimated, how will she fight the Sea Queen? Can she really restore balance and peace to the world? If you like believable world building, sassy heroines, an action-packed quest, and a touch of romance, you’ll love this. I received a free copy of this book, with no obligation.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG what a fantabulous conclusion to this epic series! As with the other books in this series I found myself immediately immersed in the story as The earth queen Vahly makes her way to battle the sea queen. With adventures along the way, meeting new allies , blossoming romance with Arc, this had heart stopping moments , nail biting moments and an epic battle To restore balance! A fantastic fantasy series that I cannot recommend enough!

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! The last book in this amazing series did not disappoint! Alisha does not let you down in the conclusion to her Dragons Riding series. There has been so much action, strife, sorrow, and triumph. It is so endearing to see the bonds grow between characters, not to mention the continuing romance between Vahly and Arc. This book beautifully ties it all together, but still leaves you wanting more of this riveting world. 5 stars, no question.

[Andra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epic conclusion to the wonderful Dragons Rising series. This fourth book wraps up the quest to balance magic in the world.

Once again an unlikely group of allies is in the final stages of fulfilling magic and battling the evil sea queen to balance the worlds. An alliance with former enemies will prove to have a tremendous effect on the outcome of the impending war. Expect suffering, loss, sacrifice, trust, and love all for the greater good. Lots of elemental magic throughout.

A new home will be formed "with blood, heart, and magic".

[Dorian Ley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a good end for a fun read

This was a good finish for this series. There are interesting things going on here but as usual, things are easily solved.

Still a fun read and a good palette cleanser if you are looking for a quick, fun series with some great characters (I love Nix!) that you can invest in easily without major dramas going on everywhere you look, this is the series for you.

[Bookish Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was intense! Like nail biting, edge of your seat intense. In this book, Vahly and her band of misfits must band together with everyone on land in order to fight the sea queen and bring balance back to the world. I couldn't put down the last half of the book for anything! Such an awesome book!

[Alicia Scarborough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay!

Well worth the read. I loved how it all came together in the end. The feisty Jades, whimsy Lapis, daring CallBreakers, quick elves, courageous sea rebels and one brave human makes the final scenes epic. Never would I have guessed how this final bout between land and sea would have ended up.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

These characters

These characters have made me love them. I enjoy reading about the dragonsas well as those from the sea. The adventure moves along nicely and the story is well developed. I am so glad there is one more book as I.am not ready for the series to end. Clean well written story.

[Betty Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

Just finished reading all 4 books in this series back to back. I love a good love story & Ms. Klapheke did not disappoint. Written very well with enough friendships, villians, & love to keep you reading non stop.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dashing and daring new adventure that plunges us to the depths of the sea and takes us to the soaring reaches of the sky. Nonstop action that keeps you glued to the very end. A well satisfying conclusion that wrap things up nicely for the series.

[Sandy McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragons rising.

All if the series of dragons rising, to the ending with the sword of oak. Find earth queen vahley and eleven King arcturio. Fighting with dragons, elves and sea kynde to bring peace to the world.
Brilliant