What do you think?
Rate this book
The Stone Crown #3
Dragon Freedom
She sacrificed her freedom to save the kingdom from a tyrannical ruler—and may have doomed them all.
No sooner has Narissea successfully recovered the Stone Crown and used its power to fend off Inyene, the evil Metal Queen, then she realizes the crown can’t be removed. And it’s consuming her mind with its poisonous whispers. Irrational commands and uncharacteristic rage burst forth before she considers their impact. Dragons across the land are enslaved by forced obedience to her every word. And those who fought alongside her abandon the quest to keep the artifact from Inyene.
But it’s the voices that drive Narissea toward madness. Voices of the world’s dragons that never cease thundering through her skull—until one breaks through the rest: The voice urging her to take up the throne as High Queen.
In desperation, Narissea consults Torvald’s scholar king to help unravel the mysteries of the crown’s creation and crush its growing control over her. But the Stone Crown has a will of its own—and it will use whatever means necessary to accomplish its evil goal.
Now Narissea must find a way to destroy the crown.
Before it destroys her.
This novel contains violence.
No sooner has Narissea successfully recovered the Stone Crown and used its power to fend off Inyene, the evil Metal Queen, then she realizes the crown can’t be removed. And it’s consuming her mind with its poisonous whispers. Irrational commands and uncharacteristic rage burst forth before she considers their impact. Dragons across the land are enslaved by forced obedience to her every word. And those who fought alongside her abandon the quest to keep the artifact from Inyene.
But it’s the voices that drive Narissea toward madness. Voices of the world’s dragons that never cease thundering through her skull—until one breaks through the rest: The voice urging her to take up the throne as High Queen.
In desperation, Narissea consults Torvald’s scholar king to help unravel the mysteries of the crown’s creation and crush its growing control over her. But the Stone Crown has a will of its own—and it will use whatever means necessary to accomplish its evil goal.
Now Narissea must find a way to destroy the crown.
Before it destroys her.
This novel contains violence.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2020
200 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Ava Richardson
151 books428 followersAva Richardson writes epic page-turning Young Adult Fantasy books. She creates lovable characters and drops them into intricate worlds that are barely contained within your eReader. Ava has written 21 YA dragon fantasy series, including her bestselling series Return of the Darkening and her recent series, Destia's Dragon Shifter War.
She grew up on a steady diet of fantasy and science fiction books handed down from her two big brothers – and despite being dog-eared and missing pages, she loved escaping into the magical worlds that those authors created. Her favorites were the ones about dragons; where they’d swoop, dive and soar through the skies of these enchanted lands.
She grew up on a steady diet of fantasy and science fiction books handed down from her two big brothers – and despite being dog-eared and missing pages, she loved escaping into the magical worlds that those authors created. Her favorites were the ones about dragons; where they’d swoop, dive and soar through the skies of these enchanted lands.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 28, 2020
This is book three of the Stone Crown series and catches up with Nari (Narissea), Abioye – the young brother of Queen Inyene who enslaved Nari and many others in her mines, Montfre – the young mage, and Tamin – Nari’s uncle in name only. The last book ended with Nari and her dragon Ymmen finding the Stone Crown and Nari using it to defeat Inyene’s metal dragons and her army that came for the crown. But once she put it on her head and used it against Inyene, she has found out that she can’t remove it! Wearing the stone crown has left her mind in a muddle as she is bombarded with whispers, not knowing where they are coming from or who.
What she doesn’t realise, is that what she says is taken as orders to other dragons and even simply her thoughts, can cause distress and anger amongst the dragons, free, linked to dragon riders or wild ones. She is also not reacting like herself, getting angry and irrational for no reason and even Ymmen feels the impact of her changed behaviour. He is not immune to her use of the crown and tries to get her to not use it. He tells her it is a tool for darkness and evil. Mainly from those who created it and what they used it for. It should have stayed hidden for eternity, but Inyene would have taken it if Nari didn’t.
There is one voice that starts to come through more strongly amongst the whispers and Nari wonders if it is her own, or one of the first dragons, telling her she can be the High Queen and rule all of the kingdoms. She has the power to control all of the dragons around the world in her hands and if it wasn’t for her dragon and small but loyal group of friends, she would no doubt have succumbed to madness by now. The voices want her to use the crown and destroy any who would stop her! Inyene has continued with her path of destruction and is using large numbers of her metal dragons to spread dissent among people in all the kingdoms.
As Nari and her large group of fighters make their way towards Torvald, the home of the dragon riders, to attempt to find a way of removing the stone crown from Nari’s head, without it causing her death, they are attacked once again, but this time by such large numbers, defeat seems likely. Nari uses the powers being whispered in her head, to demand the help of other dragons, who go almost mad in their attempts to carry out her wishes against their own wills. She has made enemies of these dragons and all others that could hear her demands.
Her small army splits after this atrocious and almost one-sided battle, most leaving to look for other survivors from their tribes. Only Nari’s main gang remain and they have to try and talk her down and back in control of herself. Tamin is a great help with grounding her in her Dava ways and traditions to draw her back when she starts to get lost to the voices. She needs to get to Torvald now, even more urgently, to see if they can help to remove the crown and help them to destroy it, before it destroys her and the relationship between humans and dragons for good. Nari has a huge battle to undertake with those voices that are trying to take her over. An ancient dragon is calling her from their sleep and it may be her only hope.
Another fantastic read in this series. I thought it was a much faster and easier read than the last book and was surprised to see it was actually well over three hundred pages long! The storyline was much more compact and flowed so much better, which made it a pleasure to read. Inyene is still the evil one in this book, but there are others that doubt Nari and want her power for themselves. A wolf in sheep’s clothing and even a David vs Goliath tale in the telling. Nari’s small group of loyal friends, grown from shared conflict and strife, are great characters in their own right and are coming out into their own. I can’t wait to see where the series takes us next. I received and ARC copy of the book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
What she doesn’t realise, is that what she says is taken as orders to other dragons and even simply her thoughts, can cause distress and anger amongst the dragons, free, linked to dragon riders or wild ones. She is also not reacting like herself, getting angry and irrational for no reason and even Ymmen feels the impact of her changed behaviour. He is not immune to her use of the crown and tries to get her to not use it. He tells her it is a tool for darkness and evil. Mainly from those who created it and what they used it for. It should have stayed hidden for eternity, but Inyene would have taken it if Nari didn’t.
There is one voice that starts to come through more strongly amongst the whispers and Nari wonders if it is her own, or one of the first dragons, telling her she can be the High Queen and rule all of the kingdoms. She has the power to control all of the dragons around the world in her hands and if it wasn’t for her dragon and small but loyal group of friends, she would no doubt have succumbed to madness by now. The voices want her to use the crown and destroy any who would stop her! Inyene has continued with her path of destruction and is using large numbers of her metal dragons to spread dissent among people in all the kingdoms.
As Nari and her large group of fighters make their way towards Torvald, the home of the dragon riders, to attempt to find a way of removing the stone crown from Nari’s head, without it causing her death, they are attacked once again, but this time by such large numbers, defeat seems likely. Nari uses the powers being whispered in her head, to demand the help of other dragons, who go almost mad in their attempts to carry out her wishes against their own wills. She has made enemies of these dragons and all others that could hear her demands.
Her small army splits after this atrocious and almost one-sided battle, most leaving to look for other survivors from their tribes. Only Nari’s main gang remain and they have to try and talk her down and back in control of herself. Tamin is a great help with grounding her in her Dava ways and traditions to draw her back when she starts to get lost to the voices. She needs to get to Torvald now, even more urgently, to see if they can help to remove the crown and help them to destroy it, before it destroys her and the relationship between humans and dragons for good. Nari has a huge battle to undertake with those voices that are trying to take her over. An ancient dragon is calling her from their sleep and it may be her only hope.
Another fantastic read in this series. I thought it was a much faster and easier read than the last book and was surprised to see it was actually well over three hundred pages long! The storyline was much more compact and flowed so much better, which made it a pleasure to read. Inyene is still the evil one in this book, but there are others that doubt Nari and want her power for themselves. A wolf in sheep’s clothing and even a David vs Goliath tale in the telling. Nari’s small group of loyal friends, grown from shared conflict and strife, are great characters in their own right and are coming out into their own. I can’t wait to see where the series takes us next. I received and ARC copy of the book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
April 7, 2020
This is the third and possibly the last in the series and I would recommend reading the previous books first .
Narissea successfully recovered the Stone Crown and used its power to fend off Inyene, the Metal Queen
There is just one problem- the Crown cannot be removed and it has its own agenda, its even affecting her
dragon , Ymmen .
Hearing all the voices of multiple dragons is driving her mad …….. until one breaks through her defences , urging her to take up the throne as High Queen and destroy , destroy !!.
Determined to resist as long as she can Narissea seeks Torvald’s scholar king , to help unravel the mysteries of the crown’s creation and stop its growing control over her .
It is only with the help of Ymmen, and her friends, Abioye and Montfre by her side that she can resist…….for now …. but for how long and at what cost ?
This is a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy novel , with great world building and wonderful diverse characters .
I would recommend this great series to fans of this genre who want original storylines .
I was given an arc of this book by NrtGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review .
Narissea successfully recovered the Stone Crown and used its power to fend off Inyene, the Metal Queen
There is just one problem- the Crown cannot be removed and it has its own agenda, its even affecting her
dragon , Ymmen .
Hearing all the voices of multiple dragons is driving her mad …….. until one breaks through her defences , urging her to take up the throne as High Queen and destroy , destroy !!.
Determined to resist as long as she can Narissea seeks Torvald’s scholar king , to help unravel the mysteries of the crown’s creation and stop its growing control over her .
It is only with the help of Ymmen, and her friends, Abioye and Montfre by her side that she can resist…….for now …. but for how long and at what cost ?
This is a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy novel , with great world building and wonderful diverse characters .
I would recommend this great series to fans of this genre who want original storylines .
I was given an arc of this book by NrtGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review .
February 26, 2020
ONE CHOPPY ROLLERCOASTER RIDE!!!
Crap on toast! Ava delivers one intriguing approach with this tantalizing storyline and enticing plot, fusing this baby together seamlessly. Action packed hard hitting pulse racing heart pounding nailbiting page flipping dynamo, thrusting this little fella to life beautifully. Unveiling a foray of drama, turmoil, distress, underlying threats and perplexing situations along with a boatload of evil intentions and dodging calamity, you have one block busting adventure. A swirling throng of baffling circumstances and stirring events, propel those churning emotions into play, front and center. Tumbling through the trials and tribulations, along with astonishing twists, sleek turns and crisp lines, testing our characters in ways they could have never anticipated. The personalities are well matched and blended with enough flaws for diversity. The characters and scenes are so colorfully descriptive it gives the illusion you were right there in the middle of ground zero with them. Fantastic job Ava, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
Crap on toast! Ava delivers one intriguing approach with this tantalizing storyline and enticing plot, fusing this baby together seamlessly. Action packed hard hitting pulse racing heart pounding nailbiting page flipping dynamo, thrusting this little fella to life beautifully. Unveiling a foray of drama, turmoil, distress, underlying threats and perplexing situations along with a boatload of evil intentions and dodging calamity, you have one block busting adventure. A swirling throng of baffling circumstances and stirring events, propel those churning emotions into play, front and center. Tumbling through the trials and tribulations, along with astonishing twists, sleek turns and crisp lines, testing our characters in ways they could have never anticipated. The personalities are well matched and blended with enough flaws for diversity. The characters and scenes are so colorfully descriptive it gives the illusion you were right there in the middle of ground zero with them. Fantastic job Ava, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
February 22, 2020
An evil Crown with a mind of its own. Narissa is in a tough spot. Because the Crown of Stone is on her head the dragons don’t trust her not abuse it’s power and enslave them. They have taken off and even threatened her. But without them she and her allies can’t stop Inyene and her mechanical dragons. She has to find a way to remove the Crown and stop Inyene. The ending of this book wasn’t what I thougt it would be. Hopefully there is another book where Narissa and Abioye will be together again. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
February 29, 2020
Third book in the Stone Crown series, Dragon Freedom, continues the story of Nari, Ymmen and her friends. Having stopped Inyene from gaining the stone crown, Nari discovers that there is a price for putting it on her own head. Whispers in her mind telling her what to do, Ymmen saying the crown is evil and should be destroyed, the only problem, she can't take it off. And Inyene is not done wreaking havoc. How can she stop her if she is losing her mind? Compelling and fascinating. What a world has been created!
I received a free ARC from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free ARC from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 24, 2020
Fantasy at it's best!
Dearest Reader if you have gotten this far you know that Good over Evil always is the Best. It is all about choices.
Nareesie could have easily succumbed to the evil,but, in each of us there is that Good. Some say if you are good, you are weak. It is much harder to work with good intentions than taking bad short cuts of selfishness.
I so loved this Series!
Th again Ava,,,Bravo!
Dearest Reader if you have gotten this far you know that Good over Evil always is the Best. It is all about choices.
Nareesie could have easily succumbed to the evil,but, in each of us there is that Good. Some say if you are good, you are weak. It is much harder to work with good intentions than taking bad short cuts of selfishness.
I so loved this Series!
Th again Ava,,,Bravo!
February 28, 2020
Another great book by Ava Richardson! Drama-filled, suspensful and intriguing, with amazing characters and a brilliant storyline with vivid descriptions that brought both story and characters to life. Fans of epic fantasy will definitely love this!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 20, 2020
What an ending to an amazing journey. A LOT happens, pain, tears, joy. So many setbacks, but Nari never stops. Always doing the right thing, even when it's hard. Freedom always has a price.
I recieved this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I recieved this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 28, 2020
Annoying epilogue
The only thing that really annoyed me was in the epilogue was Nari kept saying The empty plains, which was something she wouldn't say as was pointed out several times in the whole series of books.
The only thing that really annoyed me was in the epilogue was Nari kept saying The empty plains, which was something she wouldn't say as was pointed out several times in the whole series of books.
October 6, 2020
Surprising ending
To follow Ymmen, Abioye, Fargal, Lady Red (aka Ritiva) through the final battle was exhilarating. A series well worth reading. No it is time to read other stories by Ava Richardson.
To follow Ymmen, Abioye, Fargal, Lady Red (aka Ritiva) through the final battle was exhilarating. A series well worth reading. No it is time to read other stories by Ava Richardson.
February 26, 2020
I enjoyed this story. It was interesting. it was filled with drama, excitement and an incredible storyline. The characters are really brought to life in the story. I look forward to more!
March 27, 2020
Stunning
This trilogy was simply fascinating ! I would love to read a sequel. The dragon song story was brilliant. More PLEASE!
This trilogy was simply fascinating ! I would love to read a sequel. The dragon song story was brilliant. More PLEASE!
April 24, 2020
Adventure and dragons!
Slow start, but it quickly becomes a real page turner. The characters, both human and dragon, are well developed and loveable.
Slow start, but it quickly becomes a real page turner. The characters, both human and dragon, are well developed and loveable.
December 28, 2020
I feel
Once you've opened your heart to the living of the tale you will never be the same. You'll be bigger, better, richer in your soul.
Once you've opened your heart to the living of the tale you will never be the same. You'll be bigger, better, richer in your soul.
February 5, 2021
Great read!
I am not a young reader, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this trilogy! You won't be disappointed when you choose to read it!
I am not a young reader, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this trilogy! You won't be disappointed when you choose to read it!
March 9, 2021
To the last word
As always, Ava Richardson weaves an amazing story - endings offer new beginnings and a thirst for more but each series stands happily on its own,
As always, Ava Richardson weaves an amazing story - endings offer new beginnings and a thirst for more but each series stands happily on its own,
November 19, 2021
Magico final para una trilogia emocionante
Me he facinado con los dragones toda mi vida y esta trilogia es una muestra maravillosa de su historia me encantó
Me he facinado con los dragones toda mi vida y esta trilogia es una muestra maravillosa de su historia me encantó
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews