Light Adventure Romantasy

Image copied from Bookshop.org

Fate of Dragons by Alisha Klapheke is the first in a four book series that also includes a novella. It's a romantasy adventure with dragons and elves and a chosen one trope. It is also a quick read for those who like shorter fantasies. It is marketed toward young adults, but I think it would fit squarely in the new adult category as the main character is in her early twenties when the series begins. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I'm glad I bought the omnibus set that includes all four novels and the novella. So, here is a review of what I loved and what I would have loved more of.

First, the worldbuilding for this novel is great. We open with Vahly scaling a cliff to gather a healing plant for one of the dragon kynd she lives with. All of the land dwelling beings left in the world seem to inhabit a single island and the sea folk are set on destroying it. The castle and caverns of the Lapis clan of dragon, who took Vahly in as a baby, is intriguing and well drawn. I don't think I've read a fantasy recently that depicted dragons as having a many leveled castle/cavern dwelling or a set hierarchy like the one in this book do. Most of the dragon books I've read have had the beings living in dwellings looking fully human and only dragoning out when they want to fly. Or the converse of that is dragons only as dragons and living in caves in the mountains or acting as flying steeds for humans. But Klapheke depicts them as a intelligent creatures who can shift to look more human, but still retain their dragon scales and qualities. They have a complex society with a matriarch as their head and distinct clans between the Lapis, the more scholarly clan, and the Jades, the more war-like clan of dragons. There are also a group of dragons that are referred to as oath breakers because they aren't attached to either clan. These rebel dragons are actually some of Vahly's closest friends because like her, they don't seem to quite fit in with the rest of society as they should. 

In addition to the worldbuilding and clan development for the dragons, I also found Vahly's characterization to be relatable and sympathetic. Vahly lives among the dragons because the matriarch of the Lapis dragon clan saved her right before the last human settlement on the island was flooded by the sea witch and her army. Amona, the Lapis matriarch, believes that a special mark that Vahly bears means that she is destined to be the last Earth Queen and will be the one who will stop the sea witch from flooding their island home and save the dragons and elves that remain. This belief sets up the source of conflict in the novel very well as Vahly has no magical powers whatsoever. Worse, she has no idea why or if there is a way to awaken any she might have lying dormant inside because there were no human records saved before the sea witch killed the last of the humans off. But the waters keep rising to ever more dangerous levels and time is of the essence for all land dwelling beings if they want to stop their home from being destroyed. One of Vahly's best friends of the oath breaker dragons, Nix has told Vahly that the Lapis clan might not have any human records in their library but they do have some recorded by the elves, a group the dragons dislike for some reason. This knowledge is what sets Vahly off on her quest to not only discover if any elves still exist in the Forest of Illumahrah, but also to see if they know of any human rituals that might help Vahly awaken her powers.Vahly feels her failure to be the savior everyone was counting on keenly. We also get a sense of the deep loneliness she feels as the last human growing up amongst dragons. As she interacts with them in the story, we learn that she is not widely accepted nor can she take it for granted that she will always be safe if she crosses a line with one of the dragons in her clan. Vahly has been raised to be all to aware of the fact that without Amona's protection she could easily become roasted meat for the other dragons who see her as a puny nuisance rather than the answer to their troubles. The interactions and Vahly's place in this world were different and very realistic in this way.

There were some things that I would have loved to see more in this novel, though. For one thing, I would have liked to have spent more time with Vahly in the realm of dragons, especially to see her interact with the ones she sees as friends. We do get to see her interact with Nix, a dragon cider house owner. We get to meet and have some limited interaction with some of the other oath breaker dragons. But I didn't feel we got nearly enough time with them or got to learn enough about them as characters to truly be able to connect with them. For this reason, when events unfold later in the story those events don't have quite the impact I think they could have if we'd spent more time with some of the secondary characters who aid her on her quest. I felt the same about the love interest in the story with the elf Arcturus that Vahly saves. In the blurb for the book, it hints that Arc might have some dark secrets of his own. But I didn't feel this conflict with him was as fully realized as it could be and I felt that the connection between him and Vahly was a bit rushed. I would have liked for them to have spent more time adventuring and getting to know one another in order for us in turn, to get to know Arc more to be able to connect with him fully.

All that being said, I do think Fate of Dragons is a fun read and I do plan to read the rest of the books in this series. As I mentioned earlier, the series is complete and there is even an omnibus available where you could purchase all the books in one. By clicking on the title link you can get your own copy of this novel on bookshop.org. Or if you'd like to check out what other books Alisha Klapheke has for sale, feel free to visit her website at alishaklapheke.com.

Next month I will be reviewing fun, fairy tale inspired adult fantasy A Reluctant Assassin by J.C. Morrows. It is a tale inspired by Cinderella, but what if Cinderella went to the ball not to meet the prince but to assassinate him. Check out the book cover and blurb below, both copied from bookshop.org.

Kayden never thought of herself as the Belle of the ball, much less that she would be unexpectedly thrust into the royal palace, surrounded by society darlings - all vying for the Prince's attention. But Kayden's intentions are far from innocent, as she has a mission to complete - to get close to the Prince... and kill him.

As she enters the palace under a false identity, Kayden must navigate the treacherous world of royalty and high society, all while hiding her true intentions. She may appear to be just another princess, but beneath the façade lies a cold-blooded killer waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Prince Dvarius is not prepared to take the crown just yet. He never wanted to rule, but due to his father's sudden death and an ancient law, he must find a bride before he can take his rightful place on the throne. And the one woman who catches his eye just might be the very same one who is plotting to end his life.

As Kayden and Dvarius' paths intersect, the tension between them grows, and they must navigate their conflicting desires and the deadly secrets they hold. Will Kayden carry out her mission, or will she succumb to the allure of the Prince? And will Dvarius be able to uncover the truth before it's too late?

For fans of The Selection and Throne of Glass this thrilling tale of love, betrayal, and royal intrigue will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Buy now and discover the dangerous world of A Reluctant Assassin in this unique Cinderella retelling.