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Fuse #1
Fuse
After being abandoned outside the gate of her village in the middle of the night as a baby, Cora has spent her life in this small village, avoiding the marriage lottery and the advances of men she considers boys, and working in her forge as the best blacksmith… even if no one will admit it.
Until the Shamans come.
They’re looking for someone… or something.
Cora has always had a temper, so when she sees the Shaman attempt to suck the soul of a boy, she stabs him mercilessly.
One problem… Shamans can’t be killed.
Now she’s on the run, fleeing the only home she knows.
Until she runs into a huge, fire-breathing, stubborn dragon.
Little does she know, this beast is more than just a dragon.
He’s fused with a man.
A man that will change her life forever.
Until the Shamans come.
They’re looking for someone… or something.
Cora has always had a temper, so when she sees the Shaman attempt to suck the soul of a boy, she stabs him mercilessly.
One problem… Shamans can’t be killed.
Now she’s on the run, fleeing the only home she knows.
Until she runs into a huge, fire-breathing, stubborn dragon.
Little does she know, this beast is more than just a dragon.
He’s fused with a man.
A man that will change her life forever.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2020
1757 people are currently reading
3410 people want to read
About the author
E.L. Todd
216 books2,729 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author, E. L. Todd is one of the most prolific authors of her genre, having published over a hundred novels. With over one million copies sold, she writes romance stories ranging from contemporary romance, new adult romance, and fantasy romance. She's best known for her Forever and Always Series as well as her Timeless Series.
She loves coffee, ice cream, and anything with sugar.
She loves coffee, ice cream, and anything with sugar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
December 27, 2020
This kind of reads like teenage fanfiction. Im a sucker for dragon/people/fusion plus strong girl storylines, but the writing style just wasnt for me.
January 13, 2021
3.5
This a very slow burn romance. There were a total of 2 kisses in this book and that's the total of the romance.
The story was engaging but I have to admit that I went into it expecting a stand alone but it's not, it's the first in a series. That was frustrating to me, to expect to get the entire story in one book only to find that it's been cut up into segments. While the ending wasn't a cliff hanger, it was a "the next book will be about this next section of the journey" kind of thing, leaving me feeling like I'd only gotten a piece of the story (as cliff hangers tend to make me feel).
I'll read the second one, as the author is new to her role and learning the ropes (as she admits in her afterword), but I highly recommend making sure people know if they are reading a stand alone or a series in future. There is nothing in the listings for this book to suggest it is the first in a series.
This a very slow burn romance. There were a total of 2 kisses in this book and that's the total of the romance.
The story was engaging but I have to admit that I went into it expecting a stand alone but it's not, it's the first in a series. That was frustrating to me, to expect to get the entire story in one book only to find that it's been cut up into segments. While the ending wasn't a cliff hanger, it was a "the next book will be about this next section of the journey" kind of thing, leaving me feeling like I'd only gotten a piece of the story (as cliff hangers tend to make me feel).
I'll read the second one, as the author is new to her role and learning the ropes (as she admits in her afterword), but I highly recommend making sure people know if they are reading a stand alone or a series in future. There is nothing in the listings for this book to suggest it is the first in a series.
April 27, 2021
Fun!!
You know we really don’t have enough new books about dragons these days. Which is a shame because this book was super fun, easy and fast read.
Just like most YA fantasy books we have a brooding, mysterious, hot MC which I will NEVER complain about and a fun extroverted girl MC and they both go on a journey together.
Basic, right?
Well that just happens to be my favorite type of fantasy books so I am here for it! ❤️
Looking forward to book two.
You know we really don’t have enough new books about dragons these days. Which is a shame because this book was super fun, easy and fast read.
Just like most YA fantasy books we have a brooding, mysterious, hot MC which I will NEVER complain about and a fun extroverted girl MC and they both go on a journey together.
Basic, right?
Well that just happens to be my favorite type of fantasy books so I am here for it! ❤️
Looking forward to book two.
July 29, 2024
I honestly have no idea how this book has so many high ratings. 🤔 Hate to say it, but there is absolutely no worldbuilding and no character development whatsoever. The entire plot is laid out through dialogue.💬 If someone isn't talking, it's a goddamned miracle. The FMC spends the entire book constantly asking questions and someone is info dumping the answer right back to her.🙄
Worldbuilding consists of describing where they are walking/washing themselves at that current moment in time.... And then surprise, surprise.... More dialogue. Both main characters--Cora and "Flare"--are immature and come off adolescent for their ages of 21 and 400-somethin' (or whatever...he won't tell us).🤷🏼♀️ It's not cute. The only character I liked was the actual dragon, and even he is a bit boring.🐲
The best part of the book is when Cora is being tortured.🗡️ And even that wasn't all that interesting. I've read better torture scenes.🙊 This story just wasn't executed well. I hate to say it, but it's the truth.
The romance... Boring. The plot... Somehow boring. The prose... Choppy. The worldbuilding... Non-existent. The characters... Insufferable.🫣 I was excited to read this book after downloading it on "Stuff Your Kindle Day". The plot seemed like it was going to blast me out of my pants. I'm pretty disappointed to say the least.😔
⭐/5
Worldbuilding consists of describing where they are walking/washing themselves at that current moment in time.... And then surprise, surprise.... More dialogue. Both main characters--Cora and "Flare"--are immature and come off adolescent for their ages of 21 and 400-somethin' (or whatever...he won't tell us).🤷🏼♀️ It's not cute. The only character I liked was the actual dragon, and even he is a bit boring.🐲
The best part of the book is when Cora is being tortured.🗡️ And even that wasn't all that interesting. I've read better torture scenes.🙊 This story just wasn't executed well. I hate to say it, but it's the truth.
The romance... Boring. The plot... Somehow boring. The prose... Choppy. The worldbuilding... Non-existent. The characters... Insufferable.🫣 I was excited to read this book after downloading it on "Stuff Your Kindle Day". The plot seemed like it was going to blast me out of my pants. I'm pretty disappointed to say the least.😔
⭐/5
December 23, 2020
Yes!
Thank you for getting me out of my book slump! I have not finished an entire book in almost two months. I’ve started so many popular books and been left wanting... I was getting so frustrated because I love to read and I just felt like all of the books I have been trying to read were lack luster. Well, I picked up this book on KU to check it out at 5pm and finished at 2:30am because I could not put it down! I need book 2 now! Please tell me there’s a second book coming!!! There is so much action in this book and even though it’s a romance it was not the entire premise. I need the adventure to keep me interested and this book did just that.
Thank you for getting me out of my book slump! I have not finished an entire book in almost two months. I’ve started so many popular books and been left wanting... I was getting so frustrated because I love to read and I just felt like all of the books I have been trying to read were lack luster. Well, I picked up this book on KU to check it out at 5pm and finished at 2:30am because I could not put it down! I need book 2 now! Please tell me there’s a second book coming!!! There is so much action in this book and even though it’s a romance it was not the entire premise. I need the adventure to keep me interested and this book did just that.
March 4, 2021
I bought this book so you don't have to. It gets one star from me for the premise alone. The plot sounded SO GOOD. And I was ready for a fun and flirty adventure. That was not what was had. The writing is pretty...basic. Its choppy. Time skips occur. There's no room for character development on either side. Characters get introduced then shoved aside if they aren't the main two. The main character is all about "not being bossed around" since she's a woman but it comes off as very dumb when she is in life threatening situations that she has never been in before. At one point, Flare comments that she has never killed a man (making her more worthy of something???) And she acknowledges that as true but then when she does draw first blood that doesnt seem to affect her at all. Cora is also tortured for weeks on end but still has enough strength to fend off an escape. Something that seemed completely unlikely. It was all just...not great. I wanted it to be fleshed out more and for the author to have turned this into a much longer indepth character driven story instead of the quick little outline of a story that we recieved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2021
I have no idea how this book has such great reviews. I’m DNF at 56%. It has the least amount of world building or character development that I’ve encountered in a long time. I like a fast paced novel, but this jumped into the inciting incident in .2 seconds before I ever got to know the MC. A few pages later, the two MCs have supposedly known each other for weeks and one is offended that the other doesn’t trust her... but we got to see none of the friendship developing. It feels like she met him yesterday and is pitching a fit. When they meet a new character, they immediately jump into planning a mission like they’ve known each other for years.
March 27, 2024
I really enjoyed this. It got better.
Hints of romance starting but end leads to next book.
Hints of romance starting but end leads to next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2024
The older you are, the more insane you become. If someone ever confides that information to you, understand it is a gift and an honor.
“Why are you more insane the older you are?”
Flare was quiet as he considered his response. The more things you see, the more people you lose, the more you lose who you are.
✨ Overall Rating: 3.5/5
🔥 Spice Rating: 0/5
📈 Plot: 4/5
🗺️ World Building: 3/5
👤 Characters: 3/5
⚖️ Interpersonal Relationships: 3/5
Themes:
🖤 High Fantasy
🖤 Adventure
🖤 Dragons
🖤 Very Slow Burn Romance
🖤 Young Adult/New Adult
“Why are you more insane the older you are?”
Flare was quiet as he considered his response. The more things you see, the more people you lose, the more you lose who you are.
✨ Overall Rating: 3.5/5
🔥 Spice Rating: 0/5
📈 Plot: 4/5
🗺️ World Building: 3/5
👤 Characters: 3/5
⚖️ Interpersonal Relationships: 3/5
Themes:
🖤 High Fantasy
🖤 Adventure
🖤 Dragons
🖤 Very Slow Burn Romance
🖤 Young Adult/New Adult
May 19, 2021
3.5 Stars
I always love reading about dragons, so when I stumbled upon this book I was pretty excited!
Here are some facts:
✅ First of a series
✅ High fantasy
✅ Dragons
✅ Elves, dwarves and humans
✅ Slow burn romance
✅ Ya (the MC is 21 years old, but I think we can consider the book a YA still)
The main character, Cora, is a skilled blacksmith who was adopted by her guardian, Dorian, after being abandoned by her parents when she was only a baby . While going about her business one day, she witnesses a Shaman trying to kill a child and she successfully tries to fight it off. Problem is Shamans are the scary ghost like creatures who belong to the tyrant king and now they are set on hunting her down, so she has no choice but to flee and leave everything she has ever known behind.
Once on a run, she is drawn by a wounded dragon who asks (or more like demands) for her help. Turns out he has been hunted by the Shamans as well, so the two strikes an unlikely alliance and starts a journey together while trying to uncover each other's secrets...
I liked this book, the concept of the fusion between humans and dragons was refreshing, the world is populated by all the races I came to love as a fantasy fan, Cora is pretty badass and I appreciated the male main character who, with the whole mystery thing going on, is exactly my cup of tea.
The reason why I'm not giving 4 stars, is because while reading this book I couldn't get past the 21st century language used in a world clearly set in some medieval era! Some dialogues didn't feel real to me because I struggled imaging a thousand year old dragon using sayings from our time and world.
Also, I felt like aside from the two main characters everyone else seemed to lack depth, so I hope that we'll see more of the side characters in the next books.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this story and I'll definitely grab the second book too, but I'll be hoping for dialogues that can fit better the time and the setting of the story.
I always love reading about dragons, so when I stumbled upon this book I was pretty excited!
Here are some facts:
✅ First of a series
✅ High fantasy
✅ Dragons
✅ Elves, dwarves and humans
✅ Slow burn romance
✅ Ya (the MC is 21 years old, but I think we can consider the book a YA still)
The main character, Cora, is a skilled blacksmith who was adopted by her guardian, Dorian, after being abandoned by her parents when she was only a baby . While going about her business one day, she witnesses a Shaman trying to kill a child and she successfully tries to fight it off. Problem is Shamans are the scary ghost like creatures who belong to the tyrant king and now they are set on hunting her down, so she has no choice but to flee and leave everything she has ever known behind.
Once on a run, she is drawn by a wounded dragon who asks (or more like demands) for her help. Turns out he has been hunted by the Shamans as well, so the two strikes an unlikely alliance and starts a journey together while trying to uncover each other's secrets...
I liked this book, the concept of the fusion between humans and dragons was refreshing, the world is populated by all the races I came to love as a fantasy fan, Cora is pretty badass and I appreciated the male main character who, with the whole mystery thing going on, is exactly my cup of tea.
The reason why I'm not giving 4 stars, is because while reading this book I couldn't get past the 21st century language used in a world clearly set in some medieval era! Some dialogues didn't feel real to me because I struggled imaging a thousand year old dragon using sayings from our time and world.
Also, I felt like aside from the two main characters everyone else seemed to lack depth, so I hope that we'll see more of the side characters in the next books.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this story and I'll definitely grab the second book too, but I'll be hoping for dialogues that can fit better the time and the setting of the story.
April 14, 2021
I honestly can't understand why this book has such a high rating. The storyline was predictable and I found the writing style amateurish. The characters lack dept and the world was underdeveloped. The premise of this book was so good but the author did very little with it.
July 27, 2021
I don’t understand how this book has such high ratings, it was terrible. It’s a very rare DNF for me, it’s just so cheesy and irritating I feel like I was losing brain cells reading it. Great promise - failed execution.
February 27, 2022
Shit I didn't see that commin
June 12, 2023
"She’s not like the other girls. This one is different. Do we understand each other?” “Different how?” Flare was quiet before he found his response. “She’s pretty damn smart. She can shoot an arrow, and she always hits her mark. When I couldn’t hunt, she killed a full-size bear and dragged it to me. She stabbed a Shaman in the stomach and the eye and still made it out alive. Then she was ambushed by twenty guards and held her own, even though she’d never held a sword in her life. On top of that, she’s half elf. I don’t know what her purpose is, but she’s special. Damn special.”
This sums up the book to the halfway mark, it was going OK, a few odd points in how the plot came together but I was invested. And then the dragon turned into a man and they started interacting properly, and I finally understood this book was not for me, DNF half way through.
If you like the below you'll like this -
- she's not like other girls
- romance interest is surprised she can drink scotch since he's never seen a woman do that in all the long years of his life
- Mary Jane super special over powered main character who we are repeatedly told is smart (surprising for a woman, am I right?) but as yet has not proved any smartness whatsoever
-concious suspension of disbelief required to stay invested in the plot
Bonus -
- love interest and his best mate converse in casual misogyny, he laughs about cheating on a woman because "he couldn't help himself" and says thus is his reason that je is going to go to hell, and this is meant to be charming because he "doesn't regret it". And our main character has 0 thoughts on this, none in her empty head, I don't even know what this inclusion was for other than a get out now sign for people who aren't vibing with the story.
No hate to the author, but I wished I'd done some digging on goodreads before wasting time on this.
This sums up the book to the halfway mark, it was going OK, a few odd points in how the plot came together but I was invested. And then the dragon turned into a man and they started interacting properly, and I finally understood this book was not for me, DNF half way through.
If you like the below you'll like this -
- she's not like other girls
- romance interest is surprised she can drink scotch since he's never seen a woman do that in all the long years of his life
- Mary Jane super special over powered main character who we are repeatedly told is smart (surprising for a woman, am I right?) but as yet has not proved any smartness whatsoever
-concious suspension of disbelief required to stay invested in the plot
Bonus -
- love interest and his best mate converse in casual misogyny, he laughs about cheating on a woman because "he couldn't help himself" and says thus is his reason that je is going to go to hell, and this is meant to be charming because he "doesn't regret it". And our main character has 0 thoughts on this, none in her empty head, I don't even know what this inclusion was for other than a get out now sign for people who aren't vibing with the story.
No hate to the author, but I wished I'd done some digging on goodreads before wasting time on this.
January 15, 2021
I wish this book never ends! (Opens eyes) did it come true?! DAMNIT! But holy shit this was a nice surprise!!! Why did it end though?! Like I wasn't finished, please give me more ro read.
I was in a big reading slumb and saw this book and thought why not? But wauww this story just sucked me in and didn't let go!
Cora.... I just wanna be her! She is so strong I mean the things she goes through and she still comes out on top with fierceness. I admire her so much! She's loyal to the core and honestly normally I would mind that there wasn't any steamy scenes but i didn't mind at all! It felt like we're being teased a bit before the good stuff!
Flare, flare, flare he's a cheeky bastard Allright! But what a great one. I love his directness and how he just says it how it is, no sugarcoating whatsoever. And Rush well I can imagine him being a big strong handsome man I wouldn't mind having in my corner! He's a big teddy beat with a heart of gold! It gutted me the way he thought about himself at some point but I do get it.... hope he redeems himself though.
To sum it all up if you're up for a book with the greatest adventure, beautiful friendship, snarky dragon and fierceness heroine? This is the book you'll need! And omg I hope the second book comes out soon cause it just ended tooo soon!!!
I was in a big reading slumb and saw this book and thought why not? But wauww this story just sucked me in and didn't let go!
Cora.... I just wanna be her! She is so strong I mean the things she goes through and she still comes out on top with fierceness. I admire her so much! She's loyal to the core and honestly normally I would mind that there wasn't any steamy scenes but i didn't mind at all! It felt like we're being teased a bit before the good stuff!
Flare, flare, flare he's a cheeky bastard Allright! But what a great one. I love his directness and how he just says it how it is, no sugarcoating whatsoever. And Rush well I can imagine him being a big strong handsome man I wouldn't mind having in my corner! He's a big teddy beat with a heart of gold! It gutted me the way he thought about himself at some point but I do get it.... hope he redeems himself though.
To sum it all up if you're up for a book with the greatest adventure, beautiful friendship, snarky dragon and fierceness heroine? This is the book you'll need! And omg I hope the second book comes out soon cause it just ended tooo soon!!!
January 9, 2021
The idea of fusing dragons and humans was an interesting one, and the main characters seemed cool at times, but for the most part this book was very simple and it’s characters one-dimensional. I struggled to finish it and found the plot, language used, and character decision making very simple, often cliche, and not well thought out. There was potential, and it wasn’t absolutely terrible, but it definitely wasn’t worth the $5 I spent to buy it.
December 22, 2020
Feels 2
Steam 0
Storyline 5
Overall Rating 5
Kindle eArc provided by Author
Reviewed by Robin
Fantastic start to a new series! I love reading fantasy as a break from romance and I’m so thrilled I found this new story. While reading this book I had a Lost Kingdom/The Outpost (CW tv series) feeling. Cora is somewhat of a misfit in her village and when she’s targeted by a menacing invader, she has to go on the run. We meet Flare...a dragon...who teams up with her on a quest to overthrow the dictator King. I loved the adventure, witty banter and search for elves and dwarves. I’m seriously addicted to this new world and dying to see what comes next! I don’t know how I’m going to wait to find out what’s in store for Cora.
Steam 0
Storyline 5
Overall Rating 5
Kindle eArc provided by Author
Reviewed by Robin
Fantastic start to a new series! I love reading fantasy as a break from romance and I’m so thrilled I found this new story. While reading this book I had a Lost Kingdom/The Outpost (CW tv series) feeling. Cora is somewhat of a misfit in her village and when she’s targeted by a menacing invader, she has to go on the run. We meet Flare...a dragon...who teams up with her on a quest to overthrow the dictator King. I loved the adventure, witty banter and search for elves and dwarves. I’m seriously addicted to this new world and dying to see what comes next! I don’t know how I’m going to wait to find out what’s in store for Cora.
May 30, 2024
3.5
J'ai aimé l'histoire et son déroulé, j'ai aimé découvrir de nouvelles choses (comme la fusion entre un être humain et un dragon) et j'ai aimé les personnages (qui m'ont fait rire).
J'ai eu cependant un peu de mal avec l'écriture, tout se déroule un peu trop vite, il m'a manqué l'étincelle.
J'ai aimé l'histoire et son déroulé, j'ai aimé découvrir de nouvelles choses (comme la fusion entre un être humain et un dragon) et j'ai aimé les personnages (qui m'ont fait rire).
J'ai eu cependant un peu de mal avec l'écriture, tout se déroule un peu trop vite, il m'a manqué l'étincelle.
Want to read
February 1, 2021Cliffhanger, waiting for completion of series. 2nd book coming June 2021.
February 1, 2021
I hope there's a sequel...
December 15, 2022
2.5 stars
I'm not really sure what I can say about this one, as it wasn't really what I was hoping for. I love dragons, but I might not pick up the rest of the books in the series. I was slightly bored and underwhelmed but if you're looking for a safe enough read you should ignore me and pick this up!
I'm not really sure what I can say about this one, as it wasn't really what I was hoping for. I love dragons, but I might not pick up the rest of the books in the series. I was slightly bored and underwhelmed but if you're looking for a safe enough read you should ignore me and pick this up!
June 10, 2021
I totally didn’t realize how much I missed dragon stories till I read this. Decently balanced story elements. The banter between the characters was enjoyable. The female character’s personality was refreshing because she wasn’t super meek but not overly aggressive and impulsive. She also wasn’t perfect, which I liked.
There were some minor issues for me.
I don’t mind books that start off pretty quickly, sometimes I prefer it actually, but the conflict of her being chased started off soooo quickly, it gave me whip lash. We meet the girl, she’s independent and unmarried.... starts off like many other books. We conveniently listen to a story about dragons around a campfire, bad guys come to town, she stabs one , and shes running for her life and then what do ya know... she meets a dragon. It all happens just like that, very suddenly. I just think it would’ve been nice to slow down and spend a little more time on her lifestyle first. Maybe have more interaction with the rest of her family because we only get communication between her and her foster father. Maybe read more conflict before she meets said dragon or something... idk.
Spoiler!!!!!!
Second dislike- so there’s this one part I felt was kinda weird and felt displaced. They are at a friends residence and he pops in on her in her room and startles her. Then he starts teases her about being conservative and asks if she was touching herself.....and I’m like, wait...where the heck did that come from? And then he just kisses her (which thankfully she didn’t appreciate).Up until that point there didn’t seem to be any indication that he would be pervy like that. Rude! That was kind of a turn off. He redeems hisself later. That moment was just dumb to me.
Third dislike-I personally don’t like all the cursing. And sometimes it doesn’t really fit with the context. I can deal if it’s at least used effectively. But it was used so unnecessarily.
Fourth issue- I felt there were a few things that didn’t seem realistic to the type of setting the book is in. Like how she forges a whole sword in one night. And I was like wait.... was that really possible?? The speech sometimes seemed a little too modern. Especially in conversation between the two of them. Use of the word “DNA”……. In this type of setting I’m pretty sure a scientific word like that wouldn’t be used unless I need enlightenment on the period of this story?
Sorry that was long!! It sounds like I didn’t like the book. But honestly I can’t wait to read the next one. I’m a sucker for fantasy quests! I just think that it’s a shame that it didn’t seem to be well edited. The author has potential for writing cool fantasy.
There were some minor issues for me.
I don’t mind books that start off pretty quickly, sometimes I prefer it actually, but the conflict of her being chased started off soooo quickly, it gave me whip lash. We meet the girl, she’s independent and unmarried.... starts off like many other books. We conveniently listen to a story about dragons around a campfire, bad guys come to town, she stabs one , and shes running for her life and then what do ya know... she meets a dragon. It all happens just like that, very suddenly. I just think it would’ve been nice to slow down and spend a little more time on her lifestyle first. Maybe have more interaction with the rest of her family because we only get communication between her and her foster father. Maybe read more conflict before she meets said dragon or something... idk.
Spoiler!!!!!!
Second dislike- so there’s this one part I felt was kinda weird and felt displaced. They are at a friends residence and he pops in on her in her room and startles her. Then he starts teases her about being conservative and asks if she was touching herself.....and I’m like, wait...where the heck did that come from? And then he just kisses her (which thankfully she didn’t appreciate).Up until that point there didn’t seem to be any indication that he would be pervy like that. Rude! That was kind of a turn off. He redeems hisself later. That moment was just dumb to me.
Third dislike-I personally don’t like all the cursing. And sometimes it doesn’t really fit with the context. I can deal if it’s at least used effectively. But it was used so unnecessarily.
Fourth issue- I felt there were a few things that didn’t seem realistic to the type of setting the book is in. Like how she forges a whole sword in one night. And I was like wait.... was that really possible?? The speech sometimes seemed a little too modern. Especially in conversation between the two of them. Use of the word “DNA”……. In this type of setting I’m pretty sure a scientific word like that wouldn’t be used unless I need enlightenment on the period of this story?
Sorry that was long!! It sounds like I didn’t like the book. But honestly I can’t wait to read the next one. I’m a sucker for fantasy quests! I just think that it’s a shame that it didn’t seem to be well edited. The author has potential for writing cool fantasy.
December 18, 2021
Good Idea, Needs More
*****Spoilers*****
It wasn't terrible and not bad enough for a 2 but also not good enough for a 3. Cora is a young human/elf hybrid who isn't aware of her parentage or heritage until she's on the run and meets a dragon, Flare. Flare is fused with a human, Rush. Cora doesn't realize the human and dragon are fused until later but she hears him call to her in her mind for aid. The dragon needs help fixing his wing and they're both on the run from Shamans. Shamans are scary non-human magical beings and are bad. They bring about feelings of dread and terror though no one knows exactly what they are. Cora saves a young boy in her village from one by stabbing the Shaman and then she runs away. Somehow they'll find her and her family so to protect them, she takes off on her own. Dorian, her protector since she was left outside the village gate when she was an infant sees her off after organizing a meet at a location outside their village.
From there, Cora travels with the dragon until the dragon transformed into a man to help save her from some village guards in a town she stopped in to forge a sword made of dragon scales. Cora wasn't caught making the sword, but instead was caught in a potions shop trying to get a potion to help the dragon heal faster. The rest of the book is getting to know Rush/Flare better, joining in his plan to free the other dragons from their involuntary fusions, being introduced to Rush's friend Bridge, trials and exploration for Cora.
I found the emotions to be lacking, the storyline to be interesting but the execution was what brought the book down for me. The placement of events and revelations need to be shifted so that the book flows better. Cora wasn't what I expected at outset, more reckless than anything else. But Rush was worse, particularly since we learn he's the King's son who helped his father conquer the dragons years and years ago. They together have no real plan to accomplish their task, even less resources, and don't sit to think through any of their steps along the way. It's a mishmash of incidents kind of thrown together. The books skips at times without warning. One minute Cora is laying down for bed, the next she's on the road in daylight. The transition is missing in many places throughout the book. The world building needs more to it and I just couldn't get behind Cora. She's this strange mix of curious, reckless, and "brave" but it doesn't feel like she has a real identity either. It was strange but for me, how the author attempts to portray Cora misses its mark. Not interested in the next book even though it's hinting at Cora finding out more about her elven side.
*****Spoilers*****
It wasn't terrible and not bad enough for a 2 but also not good enough for a 3. Cora is a young human/elf hybrid who isn't aware of her parentage or heritage until she's on the run and meets a dragon, Flare. Flare is fused with a human, Rush. Cora doesn't realize the human and dragon are fused until later but she hears him call to her in her mind for aid. The dragon needs help fixing his wing and they're both on the run from Shamans. Shamans are scary non-human magical beings and are bad. They bring about feelings of dread and terror though no one knows exactly what they are. Cora saves a young boy in her village from one by stabbing the Shaman and then she runs away. Somehow they'll find her and her family so to protect them, she takes off on her own. Dorian, her protector since she was left outside the village gate when she was an infant sees her off after organizing a meet at a location outside their village.
From there, Cora travels with the dragon until the dragon transformed into a man to help save her from some village guards in a town she stopped in to forge a sword made of dragon scales. Cora wasn't caught making the sword, but instead was caught in a potions shop trying to get a potion to help the dragon heal faster. The rest of the book is getting to know Rush/Flare better, joining in his plan to free the other dragons from their involuntary fusions, being introduced to Rush's friend Bridge, trials and exploration for Cora.
I found the emotions to be lacking, the storyline to be interesting but the execution was what brought the book down for me. The placement of events and revelations need to be shifted so that the book flows better. Cora wasn't what I expected at outset, more reckless than anything else. But Rush was worse, particularly since we learn he's the King's son who helped his father conquer the dragons years and years ago. They together have no real plan to accomplish their task, even less resources, and don't sit to think through any of their steps along the way. It's a mishmash of incidents kind of thrown together. The books skips at times without warning. One minute Cora is laying down for bed, the next she's on the road in daylight. The transition is missing in many places throughout the book. The world building needs more to it and I just couldn't get behind Cora. She's this strange mix of curious, reckless, and "brave" but it doesn't feel like she has a real identity either. It was strange but for me, how the author attempts to portray Cora misses its mark. Not interested in the next book even though it's hinting at Cora finding out more about her elven side.
October 28, 2023
I really wish I liked this series more. I pushed my way through it, and I shouldn't have. It just wasn't for me. I think I only continued because of how much I loved the MMC. I was also really intrigued by all the different species and their history. I was particularly interested in the shamans and their steeds.
But the FMC was really bland and very inconsistent. She seemed like a strong, headstrong, independent woman at first. And she always seemed excited when she found out a woman was in charge somewhere. But then other times she seemed to unconsciously bash women who weren't like her. She prided herself on her annoying and sexist "not like the other girls" attitude. I also have no idea why everyone loved her and caved to her opinions so often. She wasn't awful or anything, but she was not nearly as persuasive or loveable as the author intended. And I honestly agreed with the other characters when they pointed out how hypocritical she was pretty often.
I also hated Callon. I thought he was rude and closeminded. I hated how much of the last book focused on him. And all of the other characters are sorta forgettable. I really wanted to love Bridge and Lilac and even Captain Hurricane, but we never got to see more than one side of them. They literally only existed to help the MC's.
But the worst part of this series was the dialogue. I don't think I've ever said this about a book before, but there was honestly too much. There were not nearly enough descriptions of what was going on. The author replaced creative and descriptive writing with just having the characters talk about what was happening. And since so much was said into their minds, all the different types of fonts got confusing. Choosing to have Callon's font be all caps was a terrible choice. It always looked like he was yelling and I would have to backtrack to remember to read it in a different tone (even though the tone was rarely described). And so many conversations were extremely repetitive. I felt like a large majority of the book was the characters talking about things we just read about, so it was like we read the same information two or three times. But even worse was the way the characters talked. It didn't match the time period or history at all. It was way too modern. I remember the first time the FMC said "jesus" as a curse. It shows a lack of attention to detail by the author. We have this entire fantasy world without any sort of christianity or other organized religion, so who is jesus in this world and why would that ever be a phrase/curse they used. This type of language just kept taking me out of the experience.
But the FMC was really bland and very inconsistent. She seemed like a strong, headstrong, independent woman at first. And she always seemed excited when she found out a woman was in charge somewhere. But then other times she seemed to unconsciously bash women who weren't like her. She prided herself on her annoying and sexist "not like the other girls" attitude. I also have no idea why everyone loved her and caved to her opinions so often. She wasn't awful or anything, but she was not nearly as persuasive or loveable as the author intended. And I honestly agreed with the other characters when they pointed out how hypocritical she was pretty often.
I also hated Callon. I thought he was rude and closeminded. I hated how much of the last book focused on him. And all of the other characters are sorta forgettable. I really wanted to love Bridge and Lilac and even Captain Hurricane, but we never got to see more than one side of them. They literally only existed to help the MC's.
But the worst part of this series was the dialogue. I don't think I've ever said this about a book before, but there was honestly too much. There were not nearly enough descriptions of what was going on. The author replaced creative and descriptive writing with just having the characters talk about what was happening. And since so much was said into their minds, all the different types of fonts got confusing. Choosing to have Callon's font be all caps was a terrible choice. It always looked like he was yelling and I would have to backtrack to remember to read it in a different tone (even though the tone was rarely described). And so many conversations were extremely repetitive. I felt like a large majority of the book was the characters talking about things we just read about, so it was like we read the same information two or three times. But even worse was the way the characters talked. It didn't match the time period or history at all. It was way too modern. I remember the first time the FMC said "jesus" as a curse. It shows a lack of attention to detail by the author. We have this entire fantasy world without any sort of christianity or other organized religion, so who is jesus in this world and why would that ever be a phrase/curse they used. This type of language just kept taking me out of the experience.
September 23, 2022
Words Matter
1. Confusing
"It almost hit a tree and burned it to the ground." Wait, what? Did it burn it to the ground, or not?
2. Ridiculous
"His statement lingered on for minutes." Come again?
3. Ludicrous
"The constant grime in her hair was giving her a headache from the extra weight." You must be joking!
4. Unbelievable
"It was dark inside the enclosure, but the moon shone through the webbed wing." What?
5. Oxymoronic
"...finding it easier to watch the flames dance to SILENT MUSIC." Huh?
6. Incomprehensible
"...the power in its hind legs was noticeable in the distinct muscles that formed its size." I don't understand.
7. Anachronistic
"...found a set of matches stored inside." At a time without electricity or running water?
8. Impossible
"It made her bones tense." Not physically possible
9. Nonsensical
"...the distant mountains acted as the perfect scenery." I don't think so.
10. Obvious
"There wasn't much to see because it was so dark." Thank you, Captain Obvious
11. Mixed Metaphor
"The annoying tug in her heart said she would see them again, as much as she wished that weren't the case." Enough said
12. Wrong Word Choice
"Despite its density, it was light." There were several of these. It was hard to choose the worst.
If this misuse of the English language doesn't bother you, read away! Enjoy a fantasy tale of dragons, elves, and humans. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but the language usage was distracting. They have people called editors who could help with these issues.
1. Confusing
"It almost hit a tree and burned it to the ground." Wait, what? Did it burn it to the ground, or not?
2. Ridiculous
"His statement lingered on for minutes." Come again?
3. Ludicrous
"The constant grime in her hair was giving her a headache from the extra weight." You must be joking!
4. Unbelievable
"It was dark inside the enclosure, but the moon shone through the webbed wing." What?
5. Oxymoronic
"...finding it easier to watch the flames dance to SILENT MUSIC." Huh?
6. Incomprehensible
"...the power in its hind legs was noticeable in the distinct muscles that formed its size." I don't understand.
7. Anachronistic
"...found a set of matches stored inside." At a time without electricity or running water?
8. Impossible
"It made her bones tense." Not physically possible
9. Nonsensical
"...the distant mountains acted as the perfect scenery." I don't think so.
10. Obvious
"There wasn't much to see because it was so dark." Thank you, Captain Obvious
11. Mixed Metaphor
"The annoying tug in her heart said she would see them again, as much as she wished that weren't the case." Enough said
12. Wrong Word Choice
"Despite its density, it was light." There were several of these. It was hard to choose the worst.
If this misuse of the English language doesn't bother you, read away! Enjoy a fantasy tale of dragons, elves, and humans. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but the language usage was distracting. They have people called editors who could help with these issues.
February 11, 2021
The story is a great story. However, the use of a lot of 21st century jargon and idiom takes the corners off of what could be a great story. I would love to read this with the accepted language of sub-genre.
January 25, 2022
What a waste of time
It seems anymore YA authors are only interested in mass producing trilogies in hopes of being the next J.K. Or Stephanie Meyer, this author in put is a plea at the end of the bug for someone to get her book in the hands of someone in Hollywood…. This being said that means they do not take the time to create a character. To flesh how are heroin with someone wants to follow in a story. Also they can’t make up their mind if they want to speak old English or slang. I’m not sure who she paid to say that this book was great, but this was a train wreck. Little character development, crass humor that didn’t fit, disjointed storyline and a overused plot line with gaping holes.
It seems anymore YA authors are only interested in mass producing trilogies in hopes of being the next J.K. Or Stephanie Meyer, this author in put is a plea at the end of the bug for someone to get her book in the hands of someone in Hollywood…. This being said that means they do not take the time to create a character. To flesh how are heroin with someone wants to follow in a story. Also they can’t make up their mind if they want to speak old English or slang. I’m not sure who she paid to say that this book was great, but this was a train wreck. Little character development, crass humor that didn’t fit, disjointed storyline and a overused plot line with gaping holes.
January 14, 2022
DNF -quit at 15%
It was really hard to get into this. I found the FMC is not likable, also obnoxious & full of herself, like she's better than everyone else, it was irritating. I also found the dragon, Flare, being so obsessed with his scales was just ridiculous, making him super duper vain. The writing style felt simplistic, and almost like it's written for a younger audience, maybe Y/A. The story just didn't pull me in or give me enough background to get past the FMC being so unlikable.
At my age (60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
It was really hard to get into this. I found the FMC is not likable, also obnoxious & full of herself, like she's better than everyone else, it was irritating. I also found the dragon, Flare, being so obsessed with his scales was just ridiculous, making him super duper vain. The writing style felt simplistic, and almost like it's written for a younger audience, maybe Y/A. The story just didn't pull me in or give me enough background to get past the FMC being so unlikable.
At my age (60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
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