Audiobook Reviews 4/5 Stars: Dragonia Rise of the Wyverns by Craig A. Price, Jr.

 

4/5 Start to a Larger Epic Tale

Summary:

Devarius and a rag-tag band of refugees flee oppression at the hands of the evil empire. For years, the Resistance has bided its time, trying to build, hide, and build some more. Devarius and crew just might give them the edge they need to rise up against the Dragonia empire.

 

Additional Comments:

– Plot 4/5 – It’s a tried but true plot: the evil empire beating up on everybody and the pure of heart standing against the oppression.

– Pacing 3.5/5 – A huge chunk of the book covers the search for the Resistance. In hindsight, this could have been summarized in a chapter or two because the “real” action doesn’t really happen until they reach their destination.

Side note: Various characters from the Dragonia Empire have bit parts in here, but none really stand out enough to become familiar. I like their parts, but I think the page count could have been evened out a little more to focus on their motivations.

– Characters 3.5/5 – Devarius is a decent enough fellow. I imagine most readers will end up caring about his fate. I don’t remember the love interest’s name, the first lady, or the sidekick. I do remember the sidekick managed to annoy me on several occasions.

– The love angle 2.5/5 – Nearly every conversation with the love interest goes like this “I want to come.  I can help.” Devarius – “You can’t come. I can’t think around you.” Love interest – *frustrated brooding* “Okay, fine.”

– World-building 4/5 – I love all the details here. The different powers for the wyverns are really awesome. Dragons stand out quite a bit.

– Final Battle 4.5/5 – Well-described and epic. (Motivation for the battle stands on shakier ground, but it’s still a great fight scene.)

– Narration 4/5 – Nicely handled.

– Closure 3.5/5 – There’s an unspoken “to be continued” on this story. Personal preference, I need more closure than that. It’s a good pausing place, but there’s so much left unsaid and undone.

Conclusion:

There’s definitely more to the story. If epic fantasy is your thing, check out the Dragonia series.

 

Associate links to follow…

This Book…

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.


Audiobook Reviews: 3.5/5 The Journey of the Bell by Spencer Hawke

I pulled the picture from Audible.

Summary:

A very short novella about two men and a secret society.

Additional Comments:

  • I heard the audiobook. The author has a very nice reading voice.
  • The book’s mostly a setup for the rest of the series, so in that sense, this is a prequel. However, I personally didn’t like that twenty minutes of this book are actually an excerpt from a different book.
  • Historical fiction always takes liberties with facts and public figures. The Eyes of Athena are probably supposed to be the Masons. I probably missed something but I sort of wish I knew more about how the fictional counterpart got its name.
  • It’s all right, but I think it would be more enjoyable as a prequel, meaning as something to fill in gaps and give greater depth to things for current fans of the regular series. It’s really about the setup of the secret society and two random early members, not about Ari.
  • The skipping around in the timeline threw me a bit.

Conclusion:

A story geared more toward fans of the Ari Cohen series. It’s also light historical fiction. If you’re looking for a quick read, it’s a decent fit.

*I received a copy of the audio free. I chose to review it.*

As Always …

If you want the chance to get the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge.

If you’re an author (or a narrator) with an audiobook you’d like featured, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

Audiobook Edge and it’s Matchmaker Program are completely free now, but if you wanna donate anyway, go for it 😉

Er, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.

Prime Student – Oh, how I wish I was still a student.

Kindle Unlimited

Free Kindle Reading App