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Dragons Beyond the Pale (Jane Austen’s Dragons 7)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Smugglers. A kidnapping. A fire-breathing fairy dragon? The Blue Order is falling apart at the seams.

After months in Bath mentoring Dragon Keepers and Friends, Dragon Sage Elizabeth Darcy actually anticipates traveling to London for the Keeper’s Cotillion. Which says a great deal considering the she-dragons who make up the Cotillion board would very much like to show the Sage her proper place.

The she-dragons, though, are no match for what Sir Fitzwilliam Darcy finds waiting for him in London. Threats to the Order on every side, and Lord Matlock demands he keep them secret from Elizabeth. No one keeps secrets from Elizabeth.

In the meantime, Anne and Frederick Wentworth arrive in London with hopes of finally being accepted in good Blue Order society, unaware of the burgeoning maelstrom about to engulf them.

Darcy manages to keep matters under control until a fairy-dragon’s prank unleashes sinister forces who perpetrate an unthinkable crime that could spell the end of the Pendragon Accords and usher in a new age of dragon war.

Can Elizabeth and Darcy, with the Wentworths’ help, restore balance to the Blue Order before the dragons decide to take matters into their own talons and right the wrongs themselves?

 

REVIEW

It was fun to see the dragons come together as a team, from the smallest to the biggest. I’m curious what’s going to happen with the wyrms and sea dragons. The Blue Order doesn’t appear to be the upstanding, benevolent organization it portrays itself as.

This was a more serious side to the novels. There has always been drama with dragons and strife among families, but with the kidnapping, things went a bit darker. The danger wasn’t just risking making a father or sister unhappy. Lives were at risk, and the characters experience a whole range of emotions to go along with that.

Benjamin Fife was outstanding with this huge cast of characters.


Genre: Dragons, Regency
Series: Jane Austen's Dragons |

Reign of the Ancients: The Prophecy

SYNOPSIS

Elf born, raised by wolves, and talks to dragons… Who is this girl? She wants to find out, too, as she abandons the safe confines of her home to discover the truth for herself. Blessed with a magic unlike any before, she discovers a world at war ruled over by monstrous dragons, where the land has been slowly dying beyond that of her cozy little wolf den. The young elf discovers she is known by many names, and some believe her to be the one of prophecy meant to unite the land of Onis. It is no easy task that has been placed on her shoulders. There is no love between the dragons, the elves, the humans, the dwarves, and the drow, so getting them to listen will be quite a challenge. Luckily, the wolf child has an unprecedented team of cohorts to aid and guide her on her quest, but is she ready for such a challenge? Will the ancient dragons’ extreme hatred be overcome so that peace can be brought to the land? Or, will the young girl fail in her quest and bring forth an even greater war between the races?

Join this young elf on her epic quest for peace and self-discovery as she battles against monsters, forms unbreakable bonds, and faces the reigning ancient dragons of Onis.

 

REVIEW

Coming of Age Fantasy

A fun and engaging quest/prophecy adventure story. There is plenty of action, drama, and a touch of romance, even a love triangle developing.

It was nice to see even though she has an amazing amount of power and ability, she’s not infallible. She still has to figure things out as she goes, and makes mistakes.

Excellent world building, and the way the magic works makes sense. All the characters are well-written and add to the entertainment and development of the story.

The author and Aaron Smith made the story come alive. I liked the bits of music and songs that are included in the audio version.

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.


Genre: Coming of Age, Dragons, Fantasy, Magic
Series: Onis Chronicles |

The Yellow Dragon

SYNOPSIS

A little girl who quells demons. An aging dragonslayer. Can they stop the Yellow Dragon before it destroys an entire nation?

Pingzi Po is the only demon queller in the medieval Far East. So far, she has quelled exactly one demon: Benzel of the Wolf, a dragonslayer from the Northlands. Now, she must act as Benzel’s interpreter when he’s charged with slaying a dangerous yellow dragon seen only by an emperor.

But the emperor reveals the Yellow Dragon isn’t an animal—it’s an unidentified citizen in his province, who has threatened to murder the emperor.

Convinced that this unknown citizen is a demon that must be quelled, Pingzi races to unravel the mystery that will reveal the identity of the Yellow Dragon. Can she expose the Yellow Dragon before the emperor is killed and the entire Far East is put in danger?

 

REVIEW

Coming of age fantasy

Pingzi is a clever girl, and also a demon queller. She overestimates herself a bit, but she’s young and does a lot of growing up in the story.

It was interesting and fun to follow the clues with Pingzi as she solved the mystery of the Yellow Dragon, although neither the dragon, nor the outcome were what I was expecting. She has to overcome a lot of obstacles, including her gender, age, and disdain from her family. Fortunately, Benzel is always there for her.

Good world building with lots of politics, subterfuge, and intrigue.

Excellent narration by the author.

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.


Genre: Coming of Age, Dragons, Fantasy, Magic, Mystery

Blood of the Dragon (Dragons of Dorwine 1)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Anuka Sandbar is the most interesting half-goblin alive. Just ask him.

Anuka’s father is a ship captain, retired Naval Commander, and genius engineer. Anuka is just a daring, handsome, witty, red-skinned, dagger-wielding entertainer. When Papa disappears, Anuka sets out to find him. While sailing to a sleazy port city to begin his search, Anuka and some unlikely companions are enslaved by pirates.

They wind up the property of an emissary for the Silver DragonLord, Shimmer. The emissary offers them manumission if they discover the source of massive amounts of illegal DragonsBlood flooding the country. DragonsBlood is the most valuable currency on the continent and is the source of all magic in the land.

With different Dragon factions on the precipice of war, revealing the truth could mean the destruction of the mortal civilization.

What will these unlikely heroes do when their failure means enslavement but their success could lead to a war between the gods?

REVIEW

Mayhem!

This was a fun fast-paced fantasy with pirates. Tons of world building, action, surprises, and twists. There was always something happening, but it wasn’t overwhelming.

Anuka is a great character — snarky and comical. There are several other POV characters, but he feels like the main one. He is searching for his missing father when he’s shanghaied into slavery, along with some unlikely traveling companions. Their only chance to escape slavery permanently is to solve a mystery for their new master, so there is always the threat of the impending deadline looming as they encounter one obstacle after another.

Michael Kramer did a good job with the narration and characterizations.


Genre: Adventure, Dragons, Magic
Series: Dragons of Dorwine |

Dragon Persuasion (Jane Austen’s Dragons 6)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Keeping a hibernating dragon should have been a simple thing.

But it wasn’t. Apparently, nothing involving dragons was ever simple, at least not for Kellynch’s woefully underprepared Keeper, Anne Elliot.

With the estate in debt, Anne’s father in denial, and the dragon’s treasure missing, Kellynch’s awakening was shaping up to be nothing short of catastrophe. Not to mention the pesky matter of Anne’s broken heart and resentment against the meddling old friend who had engineered it.

Captain Frederick Wentworth had spent his life making something of himself in the Navy. With the war that kept him employed at an end and a small fortune in prize money rendering him eminently marriageable, common sense and Laconia, his dragon Friend, demanded he take a wife.

But working as an agent of the Blue Order, managing dragon matters across England, seemed a much better alternative. At least until investigating one such matter sent him directly in the path of Anne Elliot, the woman who had ruined him for all others.

Now a royal dragon rages, a sleeping dragon lurks, and too many treasures have gone missing. Can Anne and Wentworth lay aside resentment, pride, and heartbreak to prevent Kellynch’s awakening from ending in bloodshed—or worse?

 

REVIEW

This story is full of more world building, political intrigue, and dragon drama, including some surprises about Lady Russell. There’s a mystery to be solved, and plenty of old grievances to be redressed.

Anne really grows into a Dragon Keeper and as an individual. The long-time-coming reunion with Wentworth was a bit rocky, but didn’t disappoint.

I love grumpy Kellynch even when he’s threatening to eat people.

I had thought the prior book was short and left me hanging — that wasn’t the case with this book. All the storylines are tied up neatly and those who deserve a comeuppance get what they deserve.

Another stellar job by Benjamin Fife. There were so many dragons and people, but I always knew who was talking.


Genre: Dragons, Regency
Series: Jane Austen's Dragons |

Dragon Keeper’s Cottilion (Jane Austen’s Dragons 8)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Territory challenges. Dragon battles. Baby dragon debutantes. When will the chaos end?

Dragon Sage Elizabeth Darcy longs for life to return to normal, at least as normal as it could be for a Blue Order officer who lives with more household dragons than most small villages. Having two sisters and an infant dragon to present as debutantes to the Order, make ‘normal’ difficult. The fine ladies—she-dragons one and all—of the Cotillion Board make it impossible.

Sir Fitzwilliam Darcy, Knight of the Pendragon Order never envisioned his oath to ‘protect and serve the interests of the Blue Order and dragonkind’ would demand immediate action. But only a Keeper can defend Pemberley’s territory against threats far too big for a baby dragon to manage. Threats against the Pendragon Accords themselves. And only the one closest to the Dragon Sage can protect her from the sinister forces menacing the Order, possibly from within its own ranks.

Can Darcy and Elizabeth ensure the Cotillion strengthens the Order rather than laying the groundwork for its demise?

 

REVIEW

Dragon debuts!

This book contains plenty of politics and dragon drama. The aftermath of Elizabeth’s kidnapping carries through this story, plus there are new problems with dragons trying to claim Pemberly’s territory. Everything forces Elizabeth and Darcy into making difficult decisions and keeping secrets.

Benjamin Fife is perfect — he really brings the characters, especially the dragons, to life. It’s easy to know which ones are fairy and which ones are big and grouchy.


Genre: Dragons, Regency
Series: Jane Austen's Dragons |

Turnspit Dragon (Jane Austen’s Dragons 9)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Dive into the hidden-in-plain sight world of the Blue Order dragons.

A heartwarming collection of short stories peeking into the hidden lives of the dragons, their friends and keepers. Birth, death, love, loss, and the amazing relationships that underscore them all. Visit with familiar characters and learn their stories. Meet entirely new dragons and their friends, while delving deeper into the mysterious world of Blue Order dragon.

Meryton meets Pern in a fantastical regency romp bound to delight listeners of Jane Austen and Anne McCaffrey alike. A short story collection in the world of Jane Austen’s Dragons.

 

REVIEW

I loved this collection of short stories. Especially the second one, where the fairy dragons hatch. Who can resist baby dragons? It was my introduction to the entire series, and I’m looking forward to the full-length novels.

I liked getting a glimpse into this hidden world, and the Blue Order.

Benjamin Fife does an excellent job with the entire cast of characters, dragons and humans! All the voices, tones, accents, and cadences he uses — I don’t know how he keeps track of them all.

I probably did things backwards since this book fills in gaps in the prior stories, but reading it out of order didn’t diminish my enjoyment. I know which dragons I want to know more about.


Genre: Dragons, Fantasy, Paranormal, Regency
Series: Jane Austen's Dragons |