Epic in scale, this enticing adventure features plenty of tense moments and striking characters.
A high fantasy novel offers magical powers, high-stakes duels, and competing kingdoms.
In this first installment of a series, Prince Gerard Caltheos, 17, is undergoing some intense training. Gerard is, at the behest of his alcoholic father, Genthar, attempting to unlock something called the Flame. Flame is one of the powers that the Thaumas wield: magical abilities that are present in the land of Tamaria and include Cold, Wind, Water, Earth, and Light. It is all new territory for Gerard and Genthar, as they are not from Tamaria but a nearby kingdom that has not always had peaceful relations with its neighbor. Gerard’s training is a dangerous endeavor. What’s more, it is conducted in secret. Meanwhile in Tamaria, a tournament takes place where contestants utilize the powers in duels. The winner will become the next High Thauma, an important rank of distinction that even comes with some land. Cobain Scott of Greyhill, 22, really wants to win, yet his efforts fall short in his final duel. Nevertheless, he is rewarded for getting so far in the tournament by being assigned to protect King Norwin Zakarian’s family. This new gig puts Cobain in direct contact with the beautiful Emillira, the monarch’s daughter. Emillira’s father is in poor health and her brother, Dane, is set to inherit the throne. While Norwin is keen on keeping the peace with neighboring Averose, Dane advocates for a more combative stance. Elsewhere, it is rumored that a different magical ability is being put to use: the power of Dark. It is something that has not been seen in decades and certainly spells trouble.
Readers meet a multitude of intriguing characters, all with their own concerns and motivations, from the get-go. And these players are not ones to sit idly by. There are marriage considerations, troop movements, and discussions of war, to name just a few topics. Even with so much in motion, Parker’s story unfolds in a digestible manner. While it may take readers a few pages to understand the Thaumas’ powers, they are revealed without too much extraneous explanation. Likewise, the concerns about an upcoming major clash are summed up nicely by Dane: “We grow too complacent.” Once the conflict is in play, readers are kept in suspense as to how it will all end, particularly with moments like “The air was thick with the scent of death, the lingering smoke of burnt flesh.” Many characters also have backstories that add to their depth, such as Cobain’s strained relationship with his father. Still, at times the swift pace is slowed down by details and comments that are not entirely necessary. Discussing the many differences between Dane and his sister, the story notes: “Where Dane wielded words like reckless strikes, Emillira wielded them like a physician’s scalpel—precise and careful.” At other times, individuals simply state the obvious. During a battle, someone comments: “I wish I was out there fighting.” Such assertions do not add much to a story that, though extensive and expansive, still manages to be under 600 pages. And despite some clutter, those pages provide a nuanced take on the high fantasy genre.
Epic in scale, this enticing adventure features plenty of tense moments and striking characters.Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9798998502804
Page Count: 542
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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