Morgan Rice does not disappoint with book six of the Age of the Sorcerers series. I give Dusk of Dragons five stars as the story draws characters introduced in the previous books into the plot. She does a fine job of bringing closure to some plot threads while lighting the fuse to new threads that keep the story sizzling with fascinating possibilities and burning questions that keep the reader turning the page to see what happens next.
Lenore steps into a role of leadership to pit herself against Emperor Ravin. War draws clear lines between good and evil in the strategies used to reclaim Royalsport. I also enjoyed seeing characters reunited, relationships mended and romances budding under the surface even amid much death and loss.
As far as magic goes, there is the Royal family’s sorcerer, Sorcerer Grey, and his two apprentices who didn’t know a thing about each other until now. One apprentice is arrogant and full of him self and the other comes from a lowly family…or so he thought until he learned his unloving parents weren’t his parents after all. This whole part of the plot is bubbling under the surface with possible twists and turns that keeps the reader hungry for more.
Along with all that, the dragons are much more part of the story now and pose an active threat to the humans. The thing that’s different in Rice’s fantasy world is that some people are infected with the scale sickness and are forced into exile. They have the potential to transform into something no longer human but akin to the dragons. Among them is Princess Nerra who rides on the back of the queen of dragons. The transformed Nerra is unaware of the war, or the death of her parents and brother. It adds another layer of possibilities to the story for sure.
The truth is, I could go on and on about various characters that add to the richness of this story, but I try not to include spoilers in my reviews. I recommend Dusk of Dragons to anyone who enjoys fantasy and especially those set in a medieval setting that includes royalty, peasants, sorcerers, dragons, military and more. Rice is a masterful storyteller.