Dream of Dragons is the final book in the Age of Sorcerers series by Morgan Rice. I give it five stars and applaud how she ties up every plot thread with her large cast of characters. She leaves no questions rattling around in the brain by the end of the story.
Like real life, not everything goes the way one hopes as the plot takes some surprising twists. It is enjoyable to read an unpredictable story. It keeps me hungry for more. In this case, it costs a few beloved characters their lives. I will say no more because I do my best not to include spoilers in my reviews.
Throughout this series, Rice shows the reader how the magic in her world works, enough to understand what various characters are doing as they conjure up what they need in a given circumstance. In this final book, the lines of good versus evil are clear between those wielding these magical powers. This includes dragons, humans trying to get their hands on the amulet which can control the dragons, and three sorcerers, each with their own plan for how things should play out.
Watching the members of the royal family grow in their roles in this last book brought a measure of satisfaction as well as disappointment. Not a bad kind of disappointment, but the kind of disappointment we experience in real life when things don't work out the way we would like. The living out of their destinies brings with it a fantastical realism and Rice delivered one scene that really caught me by surprise near the end.
Along with this, there are a few different relationships going on throughout the story, to make you hope boy-gets-girl, or girl-gets boy, and even one case where enemies might just be falling in love. In this final book, all this is resolved.
I recommend Dream of Dragons as well as the entire Age of Sorcerers series to fantasy readers, especially those who enjoy “clean fantasy” free of explicit sex. If you enjoy sword and sorcery fantasy, this series is a must-have for your bookshelf.
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