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Ragond's Witch Hunter #1
Dragon's Mage
A witch hunter is thrust into a magical, dragon-filled world...
At sixteen, Yanna Gray is part of her family’s Virginia based witch hunting enterprise, helping rid Earth of anything—and anyone—magic. But her militant life goes south when an enchanted amulet goes missing. Before Yanna can reclaim the artifact, the thief opens an interdimensional portal flinging Yanna into a frightening magical world.
Ragond is straight out of the forbidden fairy tales Yanna once read. Mythical creatures, witches, and mages live in harmony with humans. Here, all she’s grown up believing is turned on its head—especially when she discovers her own magical abilities.
Without access to a portal to Earth, Yanna is invited to shelter at Stonehaven—the training ground for witches, mages, and dragon riders—where she discovers true friendship, camaraderie, and a surprising bond with an ancient dragon. But all too quickly, Yanna’s magic-hunting past catches up to her.
Now, to save her friends and the dragon who partnered with her, Yanna must decide what she believes and who to trust.
Or her past might become Ragond’s downfall.
At sixteen, Yanna Gray is part of her family’s Virginia based witch hunting enterprise, helping rid Earth of anything—and anyone—magic. But her militant life goes south when an enchanted amulet goes missing. Before Yanna can reclaim the artifact, the thief opens an interdimensional portal flinging Yanna into a frightening magical world.
Ragond is straight out of the forbidden fairy tales Yanna once read. Mythical creatures, witches, and mages live in harmony with humans. Here, all she’s grown up believing is turned on its head—especially when she discovers her own magical abilities.
Without access to a portal to Earth, Yanna is invited to shelter at Stonehaven—the training ground for witches, mages, and dragon riders—where she discovers true friendship, camaraderie, and a surprising bond with an ancient dragon. But all too quickly, Yanna’s magic-hunting past catches up to her.
Now, to save her friends and the dragon who partnered with her, Yanna must decide what she believes and who to trust.
Or her past might become Ragond’s downfall.
425 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2022
About the author
Ava Richardson
160 books439 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
April 29, 2022
A new family for Yanna and a new world for us readers! Ava Richardson creates a well crafted tapestry of life within an unknown universe. Delightful escapism - and, of course, ‘there be dragons!’ Highly recommended. I am already looking forward to reading the next in the series.
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.
April 30, 2022
This is book one of the Ragond’s Witch Hunter series and the main character is Yanna Gray (16), who lives with her parents and a few others, in a series of ever moving bases in Virginia for their Witch Hunting legacy. She has known nothing different, never been to school and not even allowed to read any books unless selected by her parents. They move around the country, hunting for witches and paranormal objects, they consider dangerous. The only others her age, are Ash (16) and Felix Levian (12), whose parents died in an accident whilst out hunting and her parents took them under their wing. She never seems to do anything well enough for her parents and is constantly berated by her parents who are the leaders of the group, Cassius and Nia Gray. They follow a tradition and legacy that their families have followed for hundreds of years and she knows nothing different. She is already having to take part in jobs with her parents and the others and doesn’t like everything her parents and the other adults do. Even Bronwen, a supposed historian, who joined their group of witch hunters about a year ago, is more highly thought of than her. Ash manages to know more of the laws of their organisation and not make the mistakes she seems to when out on a mission.
Their latest target is a magical amulet that is supposedly very dangerous in the wrong hands, and is owned by an art collector who seems to know nothing of its real purpose. They get into the collectors home, but Yanna manages to set off an alarm on the glass case holding it and they have to make a run for it. Ash manages to grab the amulet and her dad locks it up in the safe in their van, once they get back to their current hideout and after he tells her off! When Ash notices someone in the van in the middle of the night, Yanna runs out to accost the person with him and ends up in a chase with Bronwen, before being pushed through an interdimensional portal. It takes her to Ragond, a realm between Earth and Mythos, with dragons, magic, witches and mages, as well as lots of other magical beings she has never seen before! It reminds her of the forbidden book of fairy tales she got from a local library when she was much younger, that her mother took from her and described as evil. A young man on a dragon finds her first, but she is too afraid and shocked by the appearance of the dragon to stick around! Everyone one seems to live happily together, nothing like what she was brought up to believe. She stops in a small inn, hoping for some food, water, and a place to sleep, as well on information of how to get back to Earth and her family.
She is directed to a man at one of the tables, called Wyatt, who tells her that the portal to Earth hasn’t worked for years, not since the war and someone coming through from Earth isn’t very common. He thinks that the portal may have started working again if she came through as she said, but the only portal to Earth is actually over an hour’s journey away and leads direct to Florida. A sudden commotion out by the stables by the inn, bring everyone outside and it seems like some damage was done to the building. As Wyatt tries to help a man out, the roof comes down and somehow Yanna uses magic to hold the material off them. She doesn’t realise at that point, that Bronwen has managed to get through a portal and is after her! He offers her a place at Stonehaven, a school originally for dragon riders, but now also for witches, mages and so much more. Ragondians, Mythoi, Earthians and even Aurium all attend and seem to mix together, somewhat surprising considering the war not long ago. Wyatt is in fact Professor Catullus and teaches at the academy, originally from Earth and driven from there with his wife and daughter, by witch hunters some twenty one years ago. By her actual parents! Thankfully she gave Ash and Felix’s surname when asked. The Dean of the school is Zephyr Anderson, who is an aerial witch and dragon rider, also from Earth originally.
Another student Farcia Galdorian offers to show her around the school and the rest of Stonehaven. She is a dragon rider with her dragon Leony, but also studies some mage magic and other subjects. Her family expect her to be a dragon rider soldier in the Ragondian army, as have all of her family before her, even if it isn’t really what she wants to do! She can’t believe that Yanna doesn’t want to even take part in dragon rider lessons or get close to a dragon, but they scare her silly. She starts to accept that magic is real, she has to as she can see it all around her and she starts to rethink how she was brought up and what her family did. She still can’t afford to let anyone see her witch hunter tattoo or know her real purpose back on Earth, but she hates lying, especially to Wyatt, since he has been so nice and helpful to her. But Bronwen has indeed followed her and wants something from her and won’t stop until she gets it. She is actually a witch and managed to fool her parents and the rest of the group for a year. She follows a particular brand of witchery, long thought lost in the distant past, with their own methods and beliefs. Their main one was about the realm of Ragond and its use of magic. Meanwhile Yanna has started her classes and made some friends, as well as attract the attention of a very particular and fussy dragon, Phaedron, who has been looking for a rider for some two hundred years! She has no interest in becoming a dragon rider and tells him that, but he wants to bond with her being his rider, no matter what she says. She is somewhat forced into her first ride on a dragon and soon finds it exhilarating and is more inclined to agree with Phaedron, but also wants to go home. But what home would be is hard to imagine now she has seen magic for real and realised she is a mage herself. She would have to live in hiding forever and never see her parents again, which wouldn’t be too much of a hardship, but she does miss Ash and Felix.
Bronwen catches up with her, sending a magical being after her and not caring who she hurts or damages along the way. When she doesn’t manage to get what she wants the first time, she doesn’t give up and ends up increasing the danger to others, to Yanna and the people all around her. Yanna is going to have to come clean about her past and who might be after her, if she wants to stop her friends, teachers and dragons being hurt or killed. It will take an assorted group of magic users to be able to stop Bronwen and the powerful magic boost she has from the amulet. Loads of magic and background for the start of this new series, starting on Earth and then portalling to Ragond, with lots of familiar characters from previous books. I loved the quirky dragon Phaedron, who has to learn about patience and not constantly bothering someone to force them into a course of action they themselves want! Farcia has a hard time, insisting she must accept her family’s role for her in life, instead of what she really wants, but the danger they face soon shows where her true strengths lie, which was nice. Yanna has had a complete one eighty change in her views of magic and witches, seeing for herself that it is the magic or non-magic user, who is either good or evil not magic itself. An interesting ending to the first book, with news of Ash and what he has been trying to do. Bronwen isn’t finished messing with Yanna and now we have Ash mixed up in the tale too. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Their latest target is a magical amulet that is supposedly very dangerous in the wrong hands, and is owned by an art collector who seems to know nothing of its real purpose. They get into the collectors home, but Yanna manages to set off an alarm on the glass case holding it and they have to make a run for it. Ash manages to grab the amulet and her dad locks it up in the safe in their van, once they get back to their current hideout and after he tells her off! When Ash notices someone in the van in the middle of the night, Yanna runs out to accost the person with him and ends up in a chase with Bronwen, before being pushed through an interdimensional portal. It takes her to Ragond, a realm between Earth and Mythos, with dragons, magic, witches and mages, as well as lots of other magical beings she has never seen before! It reminds her of the forbidden book of fairy tales she got from a local library when she was much younger, that her mother took from her and described as evil. A young man on a dragon finds her first, but she is too afraid and shocked by the appearance of the dragon to stick around! Everyone one seems to live happily together, nothing like what she was brought up to believe. She stops in a small inn, hoping for some food, water, and a place to sleep, as well on information of how to get back to Earth and her family.
She is directed to a man at one of the tables, called Wyatt, who tells her that the portal to Earth hasn’t worked for years, not since the war and someone coming through from Earth isn’t very common. He thinks that the portal may have started working again if she came through as she said, but the only portal to Earth is actually over an hour’s journey away and leads direct to Florida. A sudden commotion out by the stables by the inn, bring everyone outside and it seems like some damage was done to the building. As Wyatt tries to help a man out, the roof comes down and somehow Yanna uses magic to hold the material off them. She doesn’t realise at that point, that Bronwen has managed to get through a portal and is after her! He offers her a place at Stonehaven, a school originally for dragon riders, but now also for witches, mages and so much more. Ragondians, Mythoi, Earthians and even Aurium all attend and seem to mix together, somewhat surprising considering the war not long ago. Wyatt is in fact Professor Catullus and teaches at the academy, originally from Earth and driven from there with his wife and daughter, by witch hunters some twenty one years ago. By her actual parents! Thankfully she gave Ash and Felix’s surname when asked. The Dean of the school is Zephyr Anderson, who is an aerial witch and dragon rider, also from Earth originally.
Another student Farcia Galdorian offers to show her around the school and the rest of Stonehaven. She is a dragon rider with her dragon Leony, but also studies some mage magic and other subjects. Her family expect her to be a dragon rider soldier in the Ragondian army, as have all of her family before her, even if it isn’t really what she wants to do! She can’t believe that Yanna doesn’t want to even take part in dragon rider lessons or get close to a dragon, but they scare her silly. She starts to accept that magic is real, she has to as she can see it all around her and she starts to rethink how she was brought up and what her family did. She still can’t afford to let anyone see her witch hunter tattoo or know her real purpose back on Earth, but she hates lying, especially to Wyatt, since he has been so nice and helpful to her. But Bronwen has indeed followed her and wants something from her and won’t stop until she gets it. She is actually a witch and managed to fool her parents and the rest of the group for a year. She follows a particular brand of witchery, long thought lost in the distant past, with their own methods and beliefs. Their main one was about the realm of Ragond and its use of magic. Meanwhile Yanna has started her classes and made some friends, as well as attract the attention of a very particular and fussy dragon, Phaedron, who has been looking for a rider for some two hundred years! She has no interest in becoming a dragon rider and tells him that, but he wants to bond with her being his rider, no matter what she says. She is somewhat forced into her first ride on a dragon and soon finds it exhilarating and is more inclined to agree with Phaedron, but also wants to go home. But what home would be is hard to imagine now she has seen magic for real and realised she is a mage herself. She would have to live in hiding forever and never see her parents again, which wouldn’t be too much of a hardship, but she does miss Ash and Felix.
Bronwen catches up with her, sending a magical being after her and not caring who she hurts or damages along the way. When she doesn’t manage to get what she wants the first time, she doesn’t give up and ends up increasing the danger to others, to Yanna and the people all around her. Yanna is going to have to come clean about her past and who might be after her, if she wants to stop her friends, teachers and dragons being hurt or killed. It will take an assorted group of magic users to be able to stop Bronwen and the powerful magic boost she has from the amulet. Loads of magic and background for the start of this new series, starting on Earth and then portalling to Ragond, with lots of familiar characters from previous books. I loved the quirky dragon Phaedron, who has to learn about patience and not constantly bothering someone to force them into a course of action they themselves want! Farcia has a hard time, insisting she must accept her family’s role for her in life, instead of what she really wants, but the danger they face soon shows where her true strengths lie, which was nice. Yanna has had a complete one eighty change in her views of magic and witches, seeing for herself that it is the magic or non-magic user, who is either good or evil not magic itself. An interesting ending to the first book, with news of Ash and what he has been trying to do. Bronwen isn’t finished messing with Yanna and now we have Ash mixed up in the tale too. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
April 28, 2022
The first in a new series, again set in the world of Ragond but with an unexpected twist at the beginning of the story. Our heroine, Yanny, is a young, trainee witch hunter on Earth and is suddenly catapulted onto Ragond where she is surrounded by witches. The very people she has vowed to hunt down. Add into the mix the dragons and other mythical creatures of Ragond and you have a recipe for her worst nightmare.
The story centres around Yanny as she tries to navigate this new world without giving away her murky past while trying desperately to get back to Earth. Yanny has magic, even though she tries frantically to deny it, which in itself is a mystery for another day. Unbeknown to Yanny when she came through the portal she brought an enemy along with her, one that will stop at nothing to reclaim the amulet that caused Yanny's present situation.
Along the way she meets a mentor, makes a new friend and bonds with Phaedron, an enormous dragon. This coming of age story is slightly different to the normal heroine and dragon tale. Yanny doesn't trust easily, doesn't accept or understand her magic and is finding it hard to keep a grip on reality. Someone is trying to kill her and all she wants to do is find a way home. Home where she knows she will have to go into hiding. She has some difficult decisions to make and some serious soul searching before she can start to trust and grow into her new life.
We meet some of our old friends from Ragond and some new characters who are shaping up to be colourful, loyal and humorous. Brilliant start to a new series. I am looking forward to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story centres around Yanny as she tries to navigate this new world without giving away her murky past while trying desperately to get back to Earth. Yanny has magic, even though she tries frantically to deny it, which in itself is a mystery for another day. Unbeknown to Yanny when she came through the portal she brought an enemy along with her, one that will stop at nothing to reclaim the amulet that caused Yanny's present situation.
Along the way she meets a mentor, makes a new friend and bonds with Phaedron, an enormous dragon. This coming of age story is slightly different to the normal heroine and dragon tale. Yanny doesn't trust easily, doesn't accept or understand her magic and is finding it hard to keep a grip on reality. Someone is trying to kill her and all she wants to do is find a way home. Home where she knows she will have to go into hiding. She has some difficult decisions to make and some serious soul searching before she can start to trust and grow into her new life.
We meet some of our old friends from Ragond and some new characters who are shaping up to be colourful, loyal and humorous. Brilliant start to a new series. I am looking forward to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 27, 2022
If you like fantasy romances, you'll enjoy this story which is the first book in the Ragond's Witch Hunter Series. I'm not a usual reader of this genre but I enjoyed it and thought it was well written. The characters were interesting and had a lot of depth. I read a free advance reader copy via Bad Boy Updates and voluntarily chose to review it.
April 29, 2022
Yanna is a sixteen year old that has known no other life than hunting witches and magical beings and has not interacted with anyone outside of her parent's group. She was taught that all magic is evil. During one of their assignments she is thrust through a portal and lands in Ragond, a world she thought was just in fairy tales. While trying to find a way back home she meets a man from Earth who takes her to Stonehaven, and reluctantly she trusts him to help her. The more time she spends at the school the more she begins to question everything she was told her whole life. She also finds she seems to have an affinity for magic, and dragons! Now the witch who she was chasing on Earth in in Ragond and she is looking for Yanna. She has to trust her new friends, and abilities, to survive the attacks and find a new future in Ragond. Great tale! I received this ARC from Bad Boy Updates.
May 2, 2022
As a junior member of a witch hunting group, Yanna had been brought up believing that anything magic was evil, and any witches were automatically evil. Transported to another world, Yanna discovers that everything she had been taught was wrong. As Yanna adjusts to her new reality, she has to come to grips with the actions she participated in and decide how to deal with the inner conflicts this creates.
Yanna is a very appealing character, and the difficulties she confronts in adjusting to her new reality make this a compelling story. Well worth five stars.
Yanna is a very appealing character, and the difficulties she confronts in adjusting to her new reality make this a compelling story. Well worth five stars.
May 2, 2022
Another great story about Ragond, as Yanna gets transported to a new realm and finds out many new things about herself, magic, and the life she previously lived on Earth. So nice to catch up with some previous characters and follow Yanna's story including her bonding with a dragon which she never would have suspected. She deals with a new enemy and makes some great friends and a total new way of life and acceptance. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!!.
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.
April 28, 2022
Yanna's Truth . . .
I really loved this story! Yanna Gray has been raised to think of all magic as evil and something to be eradicated. But when an amulet artifact disappears, Yanna is thrown into a portal sending her to a world of magic.
Ragond is exactly like the fairytales full of mythical creatures, witches, and mages that she heard about as a child. But magic is normal here and her own newly revealed magic shows her it is not inherently evil. Yanna settles in at a training ground and actually makes friends. She also bonds with an ancient dragon, Phaedron. But the past catches up with her because the thief Bronwen who opened the portal also came through. Will Yanna’s magic be powerful enough to fight against Bronwen and protect her new friends? Does she have what she needs to defeat her enemy and save everyone she cares for?
I really loved this story! Yanna Gray has been raised to think of all magic as evil and something to be eradicated. But when an amulet artifact disappears, Yanna is thrown into a portal sending her to a world of magic.
Ragond is exactly like the fairytales full of mythical creatures, witches, and mages that she heard about as a child. But magic is normal here and her own newly revealed magic shows her it is not inherently evil. Yanna settles in at a training ground and actually makes friends. She also bonds with an ancient dragon, Phaedron. But the past catches up with her because the thief Bronwen who opened the portal also came through. Will Yanna’s magic be powerful enough to fight against Bronwen and protect her new friends? Does she have what she needs to defeat her enemy and save everyone she cares for?
April 28, 2022
Ava Richarson does a wonderful job with Dragon's Mage and Yanna's story. Ava takes Yanna from hunting witches and all things magical to having her eyes open and a larger world view and acceptance of all people. Of course, this is very simplified because the story turns hate, fear, and a slew of negative emotions into acceptance, love and confidence. I found the beginning a little slow to get into, but Ava is developing Yanna's beginnings of her witch hunting and relationship with her parents. After that is established, the book really takes off with Yanna going through the portal to Ragond in another dimension.
By the end of the book, I am so into the story that I can hardly wait for book Two. This is definitely a series worth reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
By the end of the book, I am so into the story that I can hardly wait for book Two. This is definitely a series worth reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 27, 2022
Hanna is 16 years old and a witch hunter. While trying to recover a stolen amulet she is transported to a world of Dragons, witches and mythical creatures who live in peaceful co-existence. Everything she has be taught is evil and wicked all in one place and she is trapped there. As she comes to terms with her situation and come to know the people can she overcome her upbringing and embrace her developing powers. Ava Robertson always builds wonderful involved and entertaining worlds, with great characters and stories and this one is a super example. I will definitely be reading more of these stories. Huge fun.
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 1, 2022
this was another wonderfully done book by Ms. Richardson, I always enjoy going through Ms. Richardson's book. The characters were great and I always enjoy the storyline. Can't wait to read more from Ms. Richardson.
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.
April 27, 2022
Yanna was a witch hunter on earth, who gets pulled through a portal fighting with a witch, Bronwen, to another realm. She is befriended by Wyatt, a teacher of mage magic, in Stonehaven school. Yanna struggles with magic being good, having Phaedron the dragon choose her to be his rider and lying to Wyatt about how she arrived at the realm and what she was. This book is a good story with adventure, magic and self discovery.
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.
April 27, 2022
Dragon’s Mage by a Ava Richardson is yet another excellent coming of age story. Once again the queen of dragonriders has created a story with unique original characters that is seamlessly woven in to the stories of previous books. In this book has created a character and situation so compelling, attention grabbing, and thought-provoking that I couldn’t stop reading it from the moment I saw the first page. Now I eagerly await the next installment of this new trilogy begun with Dragon’s Mage.
April 28, 2022
Yanna, the heroine of Dragon's Mage, is a complex character in a tough situation. She is forced to reevaluate all that she thought she knew about the world. She gets scared and keeps going. She thinks, really thinks, about what she learns. She learns to trust and value herself and others. And she gets chosen by a dragon. And that is just plain cool.
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.
April 27, 2022
Family is who cares for you not who you are tied by blood to but it is not always easy to see . An enthralling story suitable for young adults and those of us that are not so young . This is the start of a series and if you like magical creatures, adventure and excitment you really wont want to miss this
I recieved an arc and this is my honest and voluntary review
I recieved an arc and this is my honest and voluntary review
April 28, 2022
What an interesting story. It started off something less than expected but turned interesting within the next couple of chapters. I wouldn’t have normally finished reading it but I decided to take a chance and I’m glad I did. The suspense kept me on edge and drew me in. I’d like to see what happens next.
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.
April 27, 2022
Brilliant
I wasn't sure at first but I have really loved this book. The start of another great series in the Ragond collection - absolutley cracking!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I wasn't sure at first but I have really loved this book. The start of another great series in the Ragond collection - absolutley cracking!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 24, 2024
Wow really enjoyed this fantastic story. Yanna is part of a witch Hunter family and magic is evil, so to be suddenly thrust into world with magic and dragons is a shock. Yanna has to overcome her prejudices against magic, witches and dragons as well as train, possibility of a dragon bond, develop and help Ragond. The developing plot and Yanna’s character growth, development and road to possible redemption in trying to make her way in a new world makes this an exciting fantasy adventure read. This is a fantastic well written story with memorable characters. I love the characters and the crossover between the worlds. I really loved this book and it is well worth a read. I look forward to the next book in the series.
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
Next on my reading list, I was feeling like reading about dragons. I discovered books by author Ava Richardson, and it seems she has a whole bunch of series that all tie together. Out of them all, the synopsis for this book spoke the most to me. It has the "isekai" aspect of being transported to a magical world, it has a school setting, and it has dragons. It sounded like a fun time. So how was it?
Overall, I'd say this was a good story. It has a lot of characters in it, but fleshes a good chunk of them out decently well, Things are explained to us, like the different worlds, the varied kinds of magic, dragon rider bonds, the witch hunters and what they do. It's a long story, so it does drag a bit at times, but I was never really bored with it, which is always a plus. It's clear that this story ties in with other book series from the author, but it does a good job at standing on its own. If anything, I wish the story could have been more ambitious with itself. We don't see many locations as it is, which is understandable, but still, I hope we see more in the future. The layout of the school was really confusing to me, and the way the author constantly described things (both parts of the school and dragon flying) as being "miles" high felt off. We also don't get to see enough of Yanna exploring the other world or making friends; like how a group of students are the first ones she meets and one would thinks that they would become her friends, but then they just disappear from the story. I was also not a fan of the story moving along for a long time on the back of Yanna's festering paranoia that often veered into idiocy. I get that she's young and it's how she was raised, but it went past the point where simple common sense should've kicked in, so that was a bit annoying.
And sadly, I was especially disappointed with the people in the setting. There are humans, but then they show that there's also minotaurs, gorgons, bird people, possibly more. But none of these characters get any attention, no main or supporting character are any of these. This is just a personal thing, but when I read books about fantasy, I most especially want to see creatures of myth and fantasy as important characters in the setting and genuinely relevant to the story; mainly, because human characters are already prevalent in any type of story, and the same cannot be said for fantasy races. Case in point, the dragons are a fairly important aspect in the book due to the presence of dragon riders. They don't get as much spotlight as I'd like, but what they do get is quite good and engaging, helped a lot by the author making these dragons sentient and speaking, which I enthusiastically applaud, as I feel that dragons will infinitely be better when they're sentient and can communicate verbally or telepathically, than when they are just mindless beasts or more akin to regular animals, so my compliments to the author for giving us the best type of dragon in her story. Chief among them was Phaedron, the dragon who expresses an interest in main character Yanna. He was my favorite character in the book, full of personality while also being strong, wise, supportive, and even humorous from time to time. Every scene with him was a delight, he honestly stole almost every part of the story he was in, that's for sure. We only got to see a couple other dragons get any attention, but I liked both of them as well. It's clear the author loves dragons and it shows, they were easily highlights of the book, the only disappointing thing about them being how they all seem to blend together when it comes to their appearance (all of them seem to be simply green with the occasional bit of black or brown to add in) and how they seem to have no powers, like, I didn't see a single one breathing fire, or ice, or lightning, or show any other kind of magical skill beyond the bond with a rider. Regardless of their lack of variety, it still remains that the dragons were well written and well established into the story, and I enjoyed that.
So, while the book has several flaws, the story never gets boring and it's still a well told, decently executed story. I found myself enjoying it, from the contrast of Yanna's old life to her new one, the contrast of the people in her old life (especially some seriously toxic parents) to the people in her life n her new home, the delightful dragons, fun bits of action. I look forward to reading the second book of the series.
Overall, I'd say this was a good story. It has a lot of characters in it, but fleshes a good chunk of them out decently well, Things are explained to us, like the different worlds, the varied kinds of magic, dragon rider bonds, the witch hunters and what they do. It's a long story, so it does drag a bit at times, but I was never really bored with it, which is always a plus. It's clear that this story ties in with other book series from the author, but it does a good job at standing on its own. If anything, I wish the story could have been more ambitious with itself. We don't see many locations as it is, which is understandable, but still, I hope we see more in the future. The layout of the school was really confusing to me, and the way the author constantly described things (both parts of the school and dragon flying) as being "miles" high felt off. We also don't get to see enough of Yanna exploring the other world or making friends; like how a group of students are the first ones she meets and one would thinks that they would become her friends, but then they just disappear from the story. I was also not a fan of the story moving along for a long time on the back of Yanna's festering paranoia that often veered into idiocy. I get that she's young and it's how she was raised, but it went past the point where simple common sense should've kicked in, so that was a bit annoying.
And sadly, I was especially disappointed with the people in the setting. There are humans, but then they show that there's also minotaurs, gorgons, bird people, possibly more. But none of these characters get any attention, no main or supporting character are any of these. This is just a personal thing, but when I read books about fantasy, I most especially want to see creatures of myth and fantasy as important characters in the setting and genuinely relevant to the story; mainly, because human characters are already prevalent in any type of story, and the same cannot be said for fantasy races. Case in point, the dragons are a fairly important aspect in the book due to the presence of dragon riders. They don't get as much spotlight as I'd like, but what they do get is quite good and engaging, helped a lot by the author making these dragons sentient and speaking, which I enthusiastically applaud, as I feel that dragons will infinitely be better when they're sentient and can communicate verbally or telepathically, than when they are just mindless beasts or more akin to regular animals, so my compliments to the author for giving us the best type of dragon in her story. Chief among them was Phaedron, the dragon who expresses an interest in main character Yanna. He was my favorite character in the book, full of personality while also being strong, wise, supportive, and even humorous from time to time. Every scene with him was a delight, he honestly stole almost every part of the story he was in, that's for sure. We only got to see a couple other dragons get any attention, but I liked both of them as well. It's clear the author loves dragons and it shows, they were easily highlights of the book, the only disappointing thing about them being how they all seem to blend together when it comes to their appearance (all of them seem to be simply green with the occasional bit of black or brown to add in) and how they seem to have no powers, like, I didn't see a single one breathing fire, or ice, or lightning, or show any other kind of magical skill beyond the bond with a rider. Regardless of their lack of variety, it still remains that the dragons were well written and well established into the story, and I enjoyed that.
So, while the book has several flaws, the story never gets boring and it's still a well told, decently executed story. I found myself enjoying it, from the contrast of Yanna's old life to her new one, the contrast of the people in her old life (especially some seriously toxic parents) to the people in her life n her new home, the delightful dragons, fun bits of action. I look forward to reading the second book of the series.
November 28, 2023
"Hexenjäger von Ragond" by Ava Richardson is a captivating journey into a world where magic and dragons take center stage. The story commences on Earth, where Yanna Gray, raised as a witch hunter, is thrust into the dimension of Ragond through a stolen magical artifact. This unexpected twist imparts an urban-fantasy quality to the trilogy.
Protagonist Yanna undergoes a fascinating character development. As a former hunter, she now confronts the beings she once fought against, and this transformation is authentically portrayed as she navigates her identity in the magical world of Ragond. The Stonehaven Academy, where Yanna finds herself, not only provides an intriguing setting but also introduces well-crafted supporting characters like Wyatt, Farica, and Ash, enriching the narrative.
The integration of dragons into the storyline is particularly well-executed. Yanna's bond with her dragon enhances the emotional depth of the narrative and opens up intriguing possibilities for its development. The magical world of Ragond comes to life with its diverse creatures, witches, and wizards, while Stonehaven Academy serves as a compelling backdrop for Yanna's adventures.
While the overall plot is engaging, some intense scenes could benefit from more detailed exploration to immerse readers even further. Nevertheless, the writing style remains fluid and enjoyable, complemented by a book cover that aptly captures the story's atmosphere.
In conclusion, "Hexenjäger von Ragond" is a recommended read for fantasy enthusiasts. Ava Richardson skillfully weaves together adventure, magic, and the internal journey of the main character into a compelling tale. The opening of this trilogy promises not only exciting twists but also profound insights into the world of Ragond and the evolution of Yanna Gray.
"Hexenjäger von Ragond" von Ava Richardson entführt die Leser in eine faszinierende Welt, in der Magie und Drachen eine zentrale Rolle spielen. Die Geschichte beginnt auf der Erde, wo Yanna Gray, aufgewachsen als Hexenjägerin, eine abrupte Wendung erfährt, als sie durch ein gestohlenes magisches Artefakt in die Dimension von Ragond gezogen wird. Dieser Einstieg verleiht der Trilogie einen urban-fantastischen Charakter, der sie von anderen Werken der Autorin abhebt.
Die Protagonistin Yanna durchläuft eine beeindruckende Charakterentwicklung. Als Jägerin konfrontiert sie nun die Wesen, die sie einst gejagt hat. Diese Wandlung wird gekonnt und nachvollziehbar dargestellt, während Yanna in der magischen Welt von Ragond nach ihrer Identität sucht. Die Akademie Stonehaven, in der Yanna landet, bietet nicht nur eine interessante Kulisse, sondern auch eine Vielzahl von gut ausgearbeiteten Nebencharakteren. Wyatt, Farica und Ash tragen zur Vielschichtigkeit der Handlung bei und verleihen der Geschichte zusätzliche Tiefe.
Besonders gelungen ist die Integration der Drachen in die Erzählung. Yannas Beziehung zu ihrem eigenen Drachen trägt nicht nur zur emotionalen Bindung bei, sondern eröffnet auch faszinierende Möglichkeiten für die Handlungsentwicklung. Die magische Welt von Ragond wird durch die Vielfalt der Kreaturen, Hexen und Magier lebendig, und die Akademie Stonehaven bietet eine spannende Kulisse für Yannas Abenteuer.
Obwohl die Handlung insgesamt packend ist, könnten einige spannende Szenen intensiver ausgearbeitet sein, um die Leser noch stärker in die Geschichte zu ziehen. Dennoch bleibt der Schreibstil flüssig und angenehm, und das Cover des Buches fängt die Atmosphäre der Erzählung treffend ein.
Insgesamt ist "Hexenjäger von Ragond" eine empfehlenswerte Lektüre für alle Fantasy-Fans. Ava Richardson verwebt geschickt Abenteuer, Magie und die innere Reise der Hauptfigur zu einer mitreißenden Geschichte. Der Auftakt dieser Trilogie verspricht nicht nur spannende Wendungen, sondern auch tiefgreifende Einblicke in die Welt von Ragond und die Entwicklung von Yanna Gray.
Protagonist Yanna undergoes a fascinating character development. As a former hunter, she now confronts the beings she once fought against, and this transformation is authentically portrayed as she navigates her identity in the magical world of Ragond. The Stonehaven Academy, where Yanna finds herself, not only provides an intriguing setting but also introduces well-crafted supporting characters like Wyatt, Farica, and Ash, enriching the narrative.
The integration of dragons into the storyline is particularly well-executed. Yanna's bond with her dragon enhances the emotional depth of the narrative and opens up intriguing possibilities for its development. The magical world of Ragond comes to life with its diverse creatures, witches, and wizards, while Stonehaven Academy serves as a compelling backdrop for Yanna's adventures.
While the overall plot is engaging, some intense scenes could benefit from more detailed exploration to immerse readers even further. Nevertheless, the writing style remains fluid and enjoyable, complemented by a book cover that aptly captures the story's atmosphere.
In conclusion, "Hexenjäger von Ragond" is a recommended read for fantasy enthusiasts. Ava Richardson skillfully weaves together adventure, magic, and the internal journey of the main character into a compelling tale. The opening of this trilogy promises not only exciting twists but also profound insights into the world of Ragond and the evolution of Yanna Gray.
"Hexenjäger von Ragond" von Ava Richardson entführt die Leser in eine faszinierende Welt, in der Magie und Drachen eine zentrale Rolle spielen. Die Geschichte beginnt auf der Erde, wo Yanna Gray, aufgewachsen als Hexenjägerin, eine abrupte Wendung erfährt, als sie durch ein gestohlenes magisches Artefakt in die Dimension von Ragond gezogen wird. Dieser Einstieg verleiht der Trilogie einen urban-fantastischen Charakter, der sie von anderen Werken der Autorin abhebt.
Die Protagonistin Yanna durchläuft eine beeindruckende Charakterentwicklung. Als Jägerin konfrontiert sie nun die Wesen, die sie einst gejagt hat. Diese Wandlung wird gekonnt und nachvollziehbar dargestellt, während Yanna in der magischen Welt von Ragond nach ihrer Identität sucht. Die Akademie Stonehaven, in der Yanna landet, bietet nicht nur eine interessante Kulisse, sondern auch eine Vielzahl von gut ausgearbeiteten Nebencharakteren. Wyatt, Farica und Ash tragen zur Vielschichtigkeit der Handlung bei und verleihen der Geschichte zusätzliche Tiefe.
Besonders gelungen ist die Integration der Drachen in die Erzählung. Yannas Beziehung zu ihrem eigenen Drachen trägt nicht nur zur emotionalen Bindung bei, sondern eröffnet auch faszinierende Möglichkeiten für die Handlungsentwicklung. Die magische Welt von Ragond wird durch die Vielfalt der Kreaturen, Hexen und Magier lebendig, und die Akademie Stonehaven bietet eine spannende Kulisse für Yannas Abenteuer.
Obwohl die Handlung insgesamt packend ist, könnten einige spannende Szenen intensiver ausgearbeitet sein, um die Leser noch stärker in die Geschichte zu ziehen. Dennoch bleibt der Schreibstil flüssig und angenehm, und das Cover des Buches fängt die Atmosphäre der Erzählung treffend ein.
Insgesamt ist "Hexenjäger von Ragond" eine empfehlenswerte Lektüre für alle Fantasy-Fans. Ava Richardson verwebt geschickt Abenteuer, Magie und die innere Reise der Hauptfigur zu einer mitreißenden Geschichte. Der Auftakt dieser Trilogie verspricht nicht nur spannende Wendungen, sondern auch tiefgreifende Einblicke in die Welt von Ragond und die Entwicklung von Yanna Gray.
May 24, 2022
Recommended: yes!
For a dragon story! For a story with the "realizing you were wrong about everything you thought you knew" storyline, for respectful characters that I was constantly pleasantly surprised by, for only the occasional stupid teenager decision
Thoughts
The simplest way I can review this book is to say that I will be continuing the series, for sure.
This was a decent introduction to the world, and I can't wait to meet more of the characters in it. There are a lot of books already set in this world, but I'm new to it and can't wait not to be. Hooray that there are so many other books to read from here! :D
I love books where the main character's understanding of the world is challenged, and that is exactly what Yanna is going through. She's a witch hunter, a killer of those who channel evil magic. But now that she's in a world OF magic, and actually, she herself is now one of those evil magic users... maybe it's worth a second thought. No surprise that there's a lot of angst around this for Yanna as she wrestles with making her own decisions or adhering to what she has always been taught and trained.
I think angsty is actually a pretty good word for this book overall, because there was a lot of it. No shade, though. Yanna is literally and metaphorically thrown into another world! I'm pretty sure I'd lose my shit if dragons were suddenly overhead, too. I love the little pieces of lore thrown into the story as well to explain the differences between all the realms. Dragons being relegated to lizard form when on Earth was a delightful little touch.
There's a bit of character development in here primarily for Yanna, with a little bit for the main people around her, but I think more will come as the series continues. There was so much time spent on her mindset and adjustment to the new world that most other things took a backseat. Action does NOT, however! This had a pretty quick pace to it, and there was usually one exciting thing or another happening. I was actually a little bored with the first section of time before she comes to Ragond, but once there, I was totally committed!
This book was by no means perfect. Some decisions made seemed a bit obtuse at times, or exposition dragged on a little to obviously like with a professor just giving two pages of history lessons. But you know what? It was really, really fun. At no point was I annoyed with that lengthy, non-subtle exposition because it was so interesting and I was so excited to learn more!
The conflict hinted at for the second book seems to be moving away from what we saw in this first book, but I'm not worried. I'm actually really thrilled for it because it's a whole new type of conflict (and angst, I'm sure!) that will result. I don't think we're done with the issues from book one, though. And of course I cannot WAIT to see more of the DRAGONS AND MAGIC! Good thing this book is titled after both of those things. 😂
Thanks to NetGalley and Relay Publishing for a free copy. This is my honest review!
For a dragon story! For a story with the "realizing you were wrong about everything you thought you knew" storyline, for respectful characters that I was constantly pleasantly surprised by, for only the occasional stupid teenager decision
Thoughts
The simplest way I can review this book is to say that I will be continuing the series, for sure.
This was a decent introduction to the world, and I can't wait to meet more of the characters in it. There are a lot of books already set in this world, but I'm new to it and can't wait not to be. Hooray that there are so many other books to read from here! :D
I love books where the main character's understanding of the world is challenged, and that is exactly what Yanna is going through. She's a witch hunter, a killer of those who channel evil magic. But now that she's in a world OF magic, and actually, she herself is now one of those evil magic users... maybe it's worth a second thought. No surprise that there's a lot of angst around this for Yanna as she wrestles with making her own decisions or adhering to what she has always been taught and trained.
I think angsty is actually a pretty good word for this book overall, because there was a lot of it. No shade, though. Yanna is literally and metaphorically thrown into another world! I'm pretty sure I'd lose my shit if dragons were suddenly overhead, too. I love the little pieces of lore thrown into the story as well to explain the differences between all the realms. Dragons being relegated to lizard form when on Earth was a delightful little touch.
There's a bit of character development in here primarily for Yanna, with a little bit for the main people around her, but I think more will come as the series continues. There was so much time spent on her mindset and adjustment to the new world that most other things took a backseat. Action does NOT, however! This had a pretty quick pace to it, and there was usually one exciting thing or another happening. I was actually a little bored with the first section of time before she comes to Ragond, but once there, I was totally committed!
This book was by no means perfect. Some decisions made seemed a bit obtuse at times, or exposition dragged on a little to obviously like with a professor just giving two pages of history lessons. But you know what? It was really, really fun. At no point was I annoyed with that lengthy, non-subtle exposition because it was so interesting and I was so excited to learn more!
The conflict hinted at for the second book seems to be moving away from what we saw in this first book, but I'm not worried. I'm actually really thrilled for it because it's a whole new type of conflict (and angst, I'm sure!) that will result. I don't think we're done with the issues from book one, though. And of course I cannot WAIT to see more of the DRAGONS AND MAGIC! Good thing this book is titled after both of those things. 😂
Thanks to NetGalley and Relay Publishing for a free copy. This is my honest review!
September 3, 2023
Excellent Magical Academy New Series Start
I'm familiar with this author's complex magical world of Ragond, and I found this first book of a new series set in that world to be a worthy addition. First, she does a fantastic job showing us the Earthen realm the young heroine comes from; let's just say she's not treated well by her family and so has massive trust issues that will have repercussions throughout the rest of this book. The author does this by starting the book with couple of scenes of her living in that world and how she is treated. Another brilliant thing the author did was provide backstory about Ragond in a creative way: a teacher in the new realm the heroine is thrust into gives her a quick synopsis of the new world she is now a part of. This makes complete sense within the context of the story, and it certainly catches up people who perhaps may not have read the other series about this world. Ultimately, this is a magical academy book. While I'm a massive Harry Potter fan, I don't like how so many speculative fiction authors have jumped on that bandwagon. However, yet again, this author exceeds my expectations by creating such a fantastically complex, believable, and totally awesome magical academy. I love how it is student-driven, and even dragon-driven at times, where the teachers and administrators come across as though they are training future peers, not as those who look upon students as lesser than or that they are so much above them. They are fallible, too, within the story. The author also did a great job showing us how the heroine not only struggles to find her way in a new realm but also must learn how to trust. When she was in the Earthen realm, her family was part of a group that came across a bit like a cult in the way they perpetrate mind games. The heroine can't believe that anyone would be kind without having an ulterior motive or forgive her past transgressions against people like them. She has a fantastic growth arc, and it is not always a straight Road. As always with this author, highly recommended.
I received a free promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.
I'm familiar with this author's complex magical world of Ragond, and I found this first book of a new series set in that world to be a worthy addition. First, she does a fantastic job showing us the Earthen realm the young heroine comes from; let's just say she's not treated well by her family and so has massive trust issues that will have repercussions throughout the rest of this book. The author does this by starting the book with couple of scenes of her living in that world and how she is treated. Another brilliant thing the author did was provide backstory about Ragond in a creative way: a teacher in the new realm the heroine is thrust into gives her a quick synopsis of the new world she is now a part of. This makes complete sense within the context of the story, and it certainly catches up people who perhaps may not have read the other series about this world. Ultimately, this is a magical academy book. While I'm a massive Harry Potter fan, I don't like how so many speculative fiction authors have jumped on that bandwagon. However, yet again, this author exceeds my expectations by creating such a fantastically complex, believable, and totally awesome magical academy. I love how it is student-driven, and even dragon-driven at times, where the teachers and administrators come across as though they are training future peers, not as those who look upon students as lesser than or that they are so much above them. They are fallible, too, within the story. The author also did a great job showing us how the heroine not only struggles to find her way in a new realm but also must learn how to trust. When she was in the Earthen realm, her family was part of a group that came across a bit like a cult in the way they perpetrate mind games. The heroine can't believe that anyone would be kind without having an ulterior motive or forgive her past transgressions against people like them. She has a fantastic growth arc, and it is not always a straight Road. As always with this author, highly recommended.
I received a free promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.
April 27, 2022
One of the things I love about Ava, is her ability to draw one in from the beginning, to evoke emotions, to feel such empathy and sympathy for the characters. It was quite sad to read how Yanna is treated by her parents, how insignificant she is to them. At 16, she should be eyeing guys, not trying to decipher why she can do no right in her parents eyes. Thank goodness she had Ash and Felix who genuinely care. Indoctrinated from a young age to fear and loathe witches as evil doers, Yanna has a hard time reconciling the methods of the Witch Hunters, yes, she's one too. Well, all she has been told by her parents is tested to the limit when Yanna finds herself sucked in through a portal to Ragond. I love the world of Ragond and the familiar characters I got to enjoy in the previous series. No, it's not a spinoff, nor a continuation, rather it's a brand new series in a familiar world, and a different MC. I so enjoyed Yanna's reactions, her incredulity, her genuine fear of the very people she's been taught to erradicate! I guess I would be as fearful to suddenly see huge Dragons I had been taught were pure evil. And then there are the witches or mages she cannot trust, although everyone is warm and friendly. The plot and world building are great, the story delightful. Yanna's one of those characters that got under my skin, I fell in love with her immediately. I loved that Zephyra and Wyatt feature in the book too and I loved seeing how Yanna finds her way, and an awesome dragon to boot, in a totally unknown world, amongst those she had been taught to revile and the realisation that she is more than her cold unfeeling parents led her to believe. There is always a beginning, a middle and an end in all Ava's books and this journey has just begun. Excited for more
January 28, 2023
Absolutely Wonderful!
Ava, Ava, Ava... Where have you been all my life? A truly amazing story! I am a slightly more than middle aged man living in Long Island, NY. I grew up in NYC, in an alcoholic, dysfunctional home and my coping mechanism always led me to Sc-Fi/Fantasy books, whereas I could forget about life for a while and imagine myself in strange lands, battling different demons than the ones IRL.
My parents threw me out of the house at 16 years old when I challenged their belief system, stood up for myself and REFUSED to allow them to beat and berate me anymore! I would rather be homeless than submit. It was a volatile time in my life as you can imagine, dropping out of school, living on the streets, not knowing where my next meal would come from. But a HUGE weight had been lifted. I REALLY identified with Yanna's struggles with her parents NOT being, well, family, merely procreators. I too, realized that I could now make my own choices, limited as they were and that just because someone shares blood with you, doesn't mean they're family.
And like Yanna, I had a LOT of stuff going for me too. I had a black belt in martial arts (which gave me discipline and confidence that I was at least PHYSICALLY safe to some degree), I was smart enough to get by, I had some carpentry skills passed on by my deceased grandfather, and the willpower to survive. And most importantly, I had a few Fantasy paperbacks in my rucksack! I got a part-time job at a store called Forbidden Planet, which gave me access to THOUSANDS of books!!
This is the first book of yours that I have read and am extremely grateful that I came across your work. Yanna's struggles are REAL, and the message you delivered is powerful. Great job! And thank you!
>^..^<
Ava, Ava, Ava... Where have you been all my life? A truly amazing story! I am a slightly more than middle aged man living in Long Island, NY. I grew up in NYC, in an alcoholic, dysfunctional home and my coping mechanism always led me to Sc-Fi/Fantasy books, whereas I could forget about life for a while and imagine myself in strange lands, battling different demons than the ones IRL.
My parents threw me out of the house at 16 years old when I challenged their belief system, stood up for myself and REFUSED to allow them to beat and berate me anymore! I would rather be homeless than submit. It was a volatile time in my life as you can imagine, dropping out of school, living on the streets, not knowing where my next meal would come from. But a HUGE weight had been lifted. I REALLY identified with Yanna's struggles with her parents NOT being, well, family, merely procreators. I too, realized that I could now make my own choices, limited as they were and that just because someone shares blood with you, doesn't mean they're family.
And like Yanna, I had a LOT of stuff going for me too. I had a black belt in martial arts (which gave me discipline and confidence that I was at least PHYSICALLY safe to some degree), I was smart enough to get by, I had some carpentry skills passed on by my deceased grandfather, and the willpower to survive. And most importantly, I had a few Fantasy paperbacks in my rucksack! I got a part-time job at a store called Forbidden Planet, which gave me access to THOUSANDS of books!!
This is the first book of yours that I have read and am extremely grateful that I came across your work. Yanna's struggles are REAL, and the message you delivered is powerful. Great job! And thank you!
>^..^<
June 7, 2022
First I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me this book for free in exchange for an honest review and the second thing I would like to say is that I would have loved this book if I had read it 3 years ago.
The last 3 years I’ve slowly gone from reading almost only YA to reading mostly adult but I hadn’t noticed the shift regarding that until I read this book.
It’s a good book and I will recommend it to anyone that reads YA and likes fantasy without question but it wasn’t my area of enjoyment anymore which makes me a little sad. It’s a great idea for a story and I really liked the main character Yanna and how she stood up for herself later in the book and didn’t let anyone else make her decisions for her.
But I had two problems with this book that took it down to a 3 star instead of a 4 star. The first was the cringey moments throughout the book, for example when Yanna runs away and then comes back, it was just too many times of running away and then coming back for me. I don’t really know why this annoyed me so much, it might be because of my age and how I lean more towards adult books at the moment.
The second thing that took it down to a 3 star was the endless info dumping, this is a dealbreaker for all the books I read. I like to experience new things with the characters and not have everything explained in detail every time something new pops up for the character to learn about.
But overall it was a good book and a great book even if you enjoy YA. A bonus was that our main character is POC and I love seeing more of these kinds of fantasy stories with POC main characters cross my reading path.
The last 3 years I’ve slowly gone from reading almost only YA to reading mostly adult but I hadn’t noticed the shift regarding that until I read this book.
It’s a good book and I will recommend it to anyone that reads YA and likes fantasy without question but it wasn’t my area of enjoyment anymore which makes me a little sad. It’s a great idea for a story and I really liked the main character Yanna and how she stood up for herself later in the book and didn’t let anyone else make her decisions for her.
But I had two problems with this book that took it down to a 3 star instead of a 4 star. The first was the cringey moments throughout the book, for example when Yanna runs away and then comes back, it was just too many times of running away and then coming back for me. I don’t really know why this annoyed me so much, it might be because of my age and how I lean more towards adult books at the moment.
The second thing that took it down to a 3 star was the endless info dumping, this is a dealbreaker for all the books I read. I like to experience new things with the characters and not have everything explained in detail every time something new pops up for the character to learn about.
But overall it was a good book and a great book even if you enjoy YA. A bonus was that our main character is POC and I love seeing more of these kinds of fantasy stories with POC main characters cross my reading path.
November 17, 2023
Yanna, eine Hexenjägerin, gelangt in eine andere Dimension, in der es nur so von Hexen und anderen Wesen wimmelt. Wird sie es schaffen, unter den neuen Umständen zu bestehen und einen Weg nach Hause zu finden, vor allem, wenn eine Hexe es auf sie abgesehen hat?
Yanna durchläuft in diesem Buch eine gute Charakterentwicklung. Sie reflektiert über ihre Vergangenheit und gesteht sich Fehler ein.
Die Schüler und die Lehrer der Akademie haben mir gut gefallen. Sie sind nett und hilfsbereit und haben keine Vorurteile Yanna gegenüber und nehmen sie ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken auf. Meine Lieblings-Nebencharaktere in diesem Buch sind Wyatt, Farica und Ash. Auch die Drachen haben mir gut gefallen, vor allem der Drache von Yanna.
Die Handlung finde ich interessant. Die Idee, dass eine Hexenjägerin in einer Welt landet, wo die Wesen leben die sie gejagt hat, finde ich interessant. Auch den Einbau der Drachen finde ich gelungen. Jedoch habe ich die spannenden Szenen als nicht so spannend empfunden beziehungsweise ich hätte mir noch mehr Spannung gewünscht.
Das Cover gefällt mir gut und passt auch gut zur Geschichte. Der Schreibstil hat mir gefallen und das Buch ist flüssig zu lesen gewesen.
Ich kann das Buch Fantasy-Fans empfehlen, die eine gute Geschichte über Drachen und Magier lesen möchten, in der die Hauptperson ihre Einstellung komplett ändert und einsieht, dass sie ihr bisheriges Leben falsch gelebt hat.
Yanna durchläuft in diesem Buch eine gute Charakterentwicklung. Sie reflektiert über ihre Vergangenheit und gesteht sich Fehler ein.
Die Schüler und die Lehrer der Akademie haben mir gut gefallen. Sie sind nett und hilfsbereit und haben keine Vorurteile Yanna gegenüber und nehmen sie ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken auf. Meine Lieblings-Nebencharaktere in diesem Buch sind Wyatt, Farica und Ash. Auch die Drachen haben mir gut gefallen, vor allem der Drache von Yanna.
Die Handlung finde ich interessant. Die Idee, dass eine Hexenjägerin in einer Welt landet, wo die Wesen leben die sie gejagt hat, finde ich interessant. Auch den Einbau der Drachen finde ich gelungen. Jedoch habe ich die spannenden Szenen als nicht so spannend empfunden beziehungsweise ich hätte mir noch mehr Spannung gewünscht.
Das Cover gefällt mir gut und passt auch gut zur Geschichte. Der Schreibstil hat mir gefallen und das Buch ist flüssig zu lesen gewesen.
Ich kann das Buch Fantasy-Fans empfehlen, die eine gute Geschichte über Drachen und Magier lesen möchten, in der die Hauptperson ihre Einstellung komplett ändert und einsieht, dass sie ihr bisheriges Leben falsch gelebt hat.
May 15, 2022
This book centers around our main character (Yanna), who is the daughter of prolific witch hunters, as she is swept away from Earth to the magical realm of Ragond. She is forced to examine her beliefs about witches and magic. The experience she’s having does not match up with what her parents have taught her. This is a sweet tale of making your own way and examining your own biases.
This book would be well suited for middle grade readers and people who aren’t very familiar with fantasy. The world was very well thought out - most likely due to the author’s numerous other books that are set in this world. The plot was good, if not a little predictable, and the ties to our world were a nice surprise. The writing and characterization are where this book fell a bit flat for me. I found myself fighting to like the characters as well as having to push through some redundant writing.
Overall, this book was a fun read and a good introduction to fantasy as well as the author’s magical realm of Ragond. It contains many good components and is with checking out if you enjoy magic schools, dragons, and found family. Seasoned readers of YA and/or fantasy may not enjoy this book as much.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
This book would be well suited for middle grade readers and people who aren’t very familiar with fantasy. The world was very well thought out - most likely due to the author’s numerous other books that are set in this world. The plot was good, if not a little predictable, and the ties to our world were a nice surprise. The writing and characterization are where this book fell a bit flat for me. I found myself fighting to like the characters as well as having to push through some redundant writing.
Overall, this book was a fun read and a good introduction to fantasy as well as the author’s magical realm of Ragond. It contains many good components and is with checking out if you enjoy magic schools, dragons, and found family. Seasoned readers of YA and/or fantasy may not enjoy this book as much.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
January 30, 2025
I haven't often dipped in to the YA fantasy genre and I'm glad I did with this one. Author Richardson has created several very unique worlds with complicated magic - AND there are dragons! The story fbegins with the 16 year old MC (born on Earth) where she has been indoctrinated to believe magic is evil and is forced by her Witch Hunter family to remove all forms of magic from Earth. She's finally old enough to help her family search for anyone using magic or magical objects and she is required to assist in removing the magic from witches in horrifying callous methods. Which give the MC nightmares and she begins to question her family's "job". MC is bullied unmercilessly by her parents every time she makes a error and she considers leaving. Just when she decides to leave, she catches a witch trying to steal back a magical object and while fighting with this witch the MC is dropped into an entirely unknown "world" where magic is cherished and taught. And she faces more than one real live talking dragon. Her upbringing, which she hides, impedes her ability to fit in and causes all sorts of problems. She must come to grips with her past so she can help the three magical worlds rebuild and survive attacks - some even from Earth. Come along for the ride! It's wild, with plenty of growth on the part of the MC. Well worth the read.
May 12, 2022
Yanna Gray has been brainwashed by her parents into believing that witches and magic were evil and needed to be got rid of. This night they were going to a old house to find an amulet. Ash found it but Yanna triggered the alarm so Ash broke the case and stole it. Everyone ran and when they got to the van they made there getaway. Back at base Cassius Yanna’s father said she was careless and could have gotten then arrested. Later that night Bronwen stole the amulet and made off into the woods. After shouting to get everyone up Ash and Yanna took off after her. Yanna got hold of the amulet and cut her hand Bronwen was still chanting and a portal opened and Yanna got sucked in. She landed into some woods and a boy riding a dragon offered to help so she turned and ran. She spent the night in the woods next day she went into town. All kind of strange people passed her she eventually made it to an inn and met Wyatt Catullus. He was also from Earth but had been there a long time. Wyatt told her she was in Ragond there was a bang and Yanna formed a shield around the three men. Then Wyatt took her to Stonehaven a school to help them with there magic. It turned out Bronwen had followed her through. This is when thing go wrong I’m not going to spoil the rest only to say it’s a lighthearted story that I enjoyed. I received an ARC for an honest review which I have given.
October 18, 2024
This book is the first of the third Ragond trilogy, and my review is actually for all three books. You'll enjoy the series more if you read the 6 books that precede it. I was happy that characters from the previous two trilogies were written into this one, as the Witch Hunter stories pull everything together. Very unique, interesting, and well-developed. My only complaint is that some of the magical explanations became very complex and may have slowed down the action at some points. Yet, even those explanations added to the overall world-building. I read all 9 books consecutively, so perhaps my brain was simply getting a bit tired. Regardless, I highly recommend all of the Ragond books.
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