Dragonborn - "Wonderful epic tale"

Guest post by Laura Jean Lysander

An epic, sprawling fantasy adventure saga between the dynamics of humans and dragons, working in tandem to rid the many worlds and dimensions they inhabit of evil; it reminded me of the Clan of The Cave Bear series, yet it is far more reaching within the arcane mysteries, the uses of Magic and Dragon interaction within time and space. The Tale follows two humans who are destined, picked, and sought to aid the dragon race (multiple species of them) which live and interact and understand the humans with divine allowance. This is to thwart the evil of a magic grimoire book created from a dragon's blood and skin. 

 

 

 

I did not find the tale to be particularly highly humorous, or chock full of any comedy but still captivated me into what was going to come up next within the story. It did hold my interest and the descriptive writing of the dragons and the magic interested me. I had a hard time sometimes understanding something that had happened or specific plot changes, for it was not always described specifically as to what it meant, the action or the riddle/clue but it was then mentioned later on, and then it was understood either to leave you wondering or hanging or that most likely my brain being the way it is..just was too daft to get it the first time.

 

The tale follows the interactive lives of the humans, Dragons, and their progeny and the adventures and perils they are symbiotically subject to; the Evil book which is stolen by a rogue criminal starts the tale, however, is not spoken of after 1/3 of the start of the saga tale is written, and it gave me wonder as to what became of it during the entire time the other action was being presented, and who the next evil owner would wind up to be; I thought at the end it would be mentioned or brought back into the story by the antagonist mentioned who I will not mention for not to spoil it, but still, it, the Evil book was not mentioned and it gave rise to that it might be mentioned then in a forthcoming book for this was to be a series. 

 

 

If you enjoy magic and adventure regarding epic family interaction and mystery, one that is not high-tech or hugely humorous, serious, and methodical with a sense of suspense, enjoy the tale! I did and went to sleep wondering how it would end until I finished it the next day.

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Dream of Dragons (Age of Sorcers series book 8) 5 stars

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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Dusk of Dragons (Age of the Sorcerers #6)

Morgan Rice does not disappoint with book six of her Age of the Sorcerers series. I give Dusk of Dragons five stars as the story pulls characters introduced in the previous books into the plot. She does a fine job of bringing closure to some plot threads while lighting the fuse to new strands that keep the story sizzling with fascinating possibilities and burning questions that keep the reader turning the page to see what happens next.

Lenore steps into a role of leadership to pit herself against Emperor Ravin. War draws clear lines between good and evil in the strategies used to reclaim Royalsport. I also enjoyed seeing characters reunited, relationships mended, and more than one romance budding under the surface even amid much death and loss.

As far as magic goes, there is the Royal family’s sorcerer, Sorcerer Grey, and his two apprentices who didn’t know a thing about each other until now. One apprentice is arrogant and full of himself and the other comes from a lowly family--or so he thought until he learned his unloving parents weren’t his parents after all. This whole part of the plot is bubbling under the surface with possible twists and turns that keeps the reader hungry for more.

Along with all that, Rice involves the dragons much more in this book. We learn that they pose an active threat to humans. And speaking of humans, one unique thing in Rice’s fantasy is the scale sickness. People who have it are forced into exile because they may transform into something no longer human but akin to the dragons. Among them is Princess Nerra, who rides on the back of the queen of dragons. The transformed Nerra is unaware of the war or the death of her parents and brother. It adds another layer of possibilities to the story for sure.

The truth is, I could go on and on about various characters that add to the richness of this story, but I try not to include spoilers in my reviews. I recommend Dusk of Dragons to anyone who enjoys fantasy set in medieval settings that include royalty, peasants, sorcerers, dragons, military, and more. Rice is a masterful storyteller.

Other reviews in this Morgan Rice series:

Crown of Dragons (Book 5) 

Ring of Dragons (Book 4) 

Born of Dragons (Book 3) 

Throne of Dragons (Book 2)

Realm of Dragons (Book 1) 

 

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Crown of Dragons (Age of Sorcerers Book 5)

Morgan Rice’s fifth book in the Age of the Sorcerers series does not disappoint. I give Crown of Dragons 5 stars as the continuation of the story of the royals of the Northern kingdom navigate the perils of the occupation of the Southern kingdom’s forces.

I’m amazed at how Rice masterfully weaves a multitude of plot threads and still holds the reader’s attention with so many things going on. I never felt lost or confused. Instead, I hungered to know what happens next for every character. 

In Crown of Dragons, I was happy to see the dragons playing a larger role, as well as more of the reluctant hero, Devin, who was introduced in the first book and only marginally involved until now. He’s an underdog of sorts, gifted in ways he doesn't fully understand and is certainly on a hero’s journey.

Rice provides a spark of magic with several complex characters. The story is unique, interesting, and masterfully merges their paths to add depth to the plot with twists and turns that have me running alongside the character trying to catch my breath.

As mentioned in the reviews of the previous four books in this series, the only thing I find disappointing is that the story isn’t brought to closure but is more episodic. But with that said, I must add that I find the story captivating enough to continue on to the next book.

 
If you are a fantasy reader who enjoys medieval-type settings filled with wizards, dragons, royals, nobles, and peasant folk then this book is for you. And of course, there is the smattering of love in the works on more than one front. I’m ready for Shield of Dragons, book six.

Reviews of Age of Sorcerers books 1-4

Ring of Dragons (Book 4) 

Born of Dragons (Book 3)

Throne of Dragons (Book 2)

Realms of Dragons (Book 1)

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Ring of Dragons (Age of the Sorcerers—Book Four) by Morgan Rice

 

I give Ring of Dragons (Age of the Sorcerers—Book Four) five stars. Author, Morgan Rice, has masterfully woven the plot and multitude of characters into a page-turning Epic. With this many characters an author often loses their way and the plot becomes confusing, unfinished or even boring. Not so in the Ring of Dragons. I was submerged in the story. I cared about the characters. I either loved them or hated them, and those I didn’t know well still served a purpose. Each character does a fine job of carrying their part to make the plot work. There’s no fluff. The words are carefully crafted and tell the story well as this magical world lures the reader forward a step at a time. The only thing I don’t like about the book, is that it doesn’t tie up all the plot threads but leaves the main story wide open and unfinished. It’s more than a cliff hanger. It leave you standing on the cliff. But I love the story enough to buy the next book in the series to keep reading.

 

This book is for fantasy lovers who love dragons, swords and sorcery carried off by complex characters in a unique world with touches of revenge, romance, and backstory to keep it enthralling. I highly recommend this story. I’ve already bought, book five, Crown of Dragons, by Rice and will post a review shortly.

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