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secre's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I was intrigued by the first in this series, I sped through the second in the series. It gained some of the depth that I was missing in the first novel, yet it kept the light YA feel that would make it attractive to younger readers as well. Vahly has started to unlock her Earth powers, but without several more steps she will never be able to challenge the Sea Queen. Her magic is leading her to a ruined city, long since taken over by the sea. It's a place no dragon can follow her, for the salt water is deadly to them.
Along with the additional depth, the characters here really started to come alive and aside from the obviously building romance between elf and human, I really enjoyed the dialogue between various characters and the relationships that were strengthening throughout. The sea scenes were also far less jarring in this novel as they felt more balanced and in keeping with the rest of the tone; it might just be there were more of them and we got to see the culture beneath the waves, not just tiny snapshots. I also loved the inclusion of the griffon egg and Vahly's new familiar. The world-building continues to be excellent and we get to see elements that were hinted at in the previous novel, yet not expanded on. I liked the glimpse we got of the Jade Dragon Call Breakers and the greater view of the undersea given how important it is to events.
In all, this is a great follow up to the first in the series and I'm excited to see where it goes next. It's clean and fairly light reading. There are some battles, dark magic and minor swears, but nothing that would be concerning.
Along with the additional depth, the characters here really started to come alive and aside from the obviously building romance between elf and human, I really enjoyed the dialogue between various characters and the relationships that were strengthening throughout. The sea scenes were also far less jarring in this novel as they felt more balanced and in keeping with the rest of the tone; it might just be there were more of them and we got to see the culture beneath the waves, not just tiny snapshots. I also loved the inclusion of the griffon egg and Vahly's new familiar. The world-building continues to be excellent and we get to see elements that were hinted at in the previous novel, yet not expanded on. I liked the glimpse we got of the Jade Dragon Call Breakers and the greater view of the undersea given how important it is to events.
In all, this is a great follow up to the first in the series and I'm excited to see where it goes next. It's clean and fairly light reading. There are some battles, dark magic and minor swears, but nothing that would be concerning.
krislyncarty's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
caitygrace9's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
acadian_wanderlust's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
teri_b's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I finally made it back to this series as I wanted a quest and some dragons and elves and humans trying to save the world.
In this second book we see the quest really starting with Vhaly having to find answers that eventually might benefit all living things.
I found the story okay until I got to the end of this book.
There, I all of a sudden felt very satisfied with the story I had read.
What I really love about this series is the group of people, each of a different race, that have agreed to go onto this quest for the benefit eventually of all earth creatures. The sea and its people are amiss as they are the ones waging war towards anything that is not sea.
I love the banter, the kindness, the camaraderie as well as the emotions that are being discussed, as all have to deal with having lost people of their own kind in this ongoing situation of contention and the sea wanting to swallow it all up.
I also love the representation of nature and the care & love that is shown towards it, as there is a common awareness of being part of the earth and very much needing it in order to survive.
In this second book we see the quest really starting with Vhaly having to find answers that eventually might benefit all living things.
I found the story okay until I got to the end of this book.
There, I all of a sudden felt very satisfied with the story I had read.
What I really love about this series is the group of people, each of a different race, that have agreed to go onto this quest for the benefit eventually of all earth creatures. The sea and its people are amiss as they are the ones waging war towards anything that is not sea.
I love the banter, the kindness, the camaraderie as well as the emotions that are being discussed, as all have to deal with having lost people of their own kind in this ongoing situation of contention and the sea wanting to swallow it all up.
I also love the representation of nature and the care & love that is shown towards it, as there is a common awareness of being part of the earth and very much needing it in order to survive.
Content Warnings
please check for content warnings
constant2m's review against another edition
5.0
I am loving this series! Vahly and her friends set off to find other ways to gain her powers as the earth queen and find, among other things, an egg. And since there are already plenty of dragons, and so it can't be a dragon egg, we get a twist - a gryphon egg. Humans were known to love their pets after all. And this gryphon is everything we didn't know to hope for - just don't fight Vahly's love interest out of a misguided-yet-super-cute need to protect her! Complete with underwater adventures and a few "cons," this book is non-stop adventure from beginning to end. And of course, a cliff-hanger, making me thankful I have the entire series. You have been warned.
bookdragonheart's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. I would love to give this more, but there are some points of the story that just seem move way too slowly, and it’s difficult to keep everything interesting. There’s a whole side story here that you know is going to go somewhere, but it just seems to take a long time, and is made into more of a narrative than necessary. The POV jumps between characters, some on the « good » side, some on the « bad » side, and it’s a bit unclear why we’re getting so much of the opposing side of things. I’m not sure if we’re supposed to understand better the viewpoint of the « bad guy » or if it’s intended to round out the story from all perspectives. That said, I’m committed to the story now, and am curious to see how things play out, since it was definitely a cliffhanger ending.
deann_f's review against another edition
4.0
This one was bit bit more complicated to follow but there was so much going on! What a ride!
bookish_heidi's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the world building in Fate of Dragons, but I really loved getting to know the characters better in this book! They're all such fantastic characters! And her familiar is amazing! I can't wait to start the next book!
pagesinkedinshadows's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved getting to know the characters better in this book! All of these characters are just fantastic! Her familiar is incredible and I can't wait to start the next book!