Off the Bookshelf: NO GOOD DRAGON GOES UNPUNISHED, Rachel Aaron

 

Heartstrikers Book 3

Narrated by Vikas Adam

One evil dragon seer dead. Evil mother dragon overthrown. Friendly dragon apparently, temporarily in control of the Three Sisters clan and willing to be an ally. Mating flight completed. Friendly siblings supporting him.

You'd think everything would be looking up for Julius, the runt of the litter and nice dragon. Nope. Human politics are bad enough, but dragon politics make Washington look like a bunch of kindergarteners with dirty diapers. And then there's the water spirit, Algonquin, who has destroyed the newly awakened Three Sisters and declared war on all dragons. And Algonquin's territory sits in the middle of Heartstriker territory. Not good. Then there are all the assassination attempts and threats on Julius.

All he wants is to spend time with Darcy, but both of them keep getting dragged away by opportunities and duties. Suddenly, Darcy has a chance to be the first Merlin. She's being targeted by a supersoldier with Raven for an advisor, and a snotty mage who considers himself a better choice for that plum role and title.

Warning: you won't like what happens to some of your favorite characters, dragons and humans.

But I've started listening to Book 4, and there's light at the end of the dragon tunnel. Maybe. Of course, with Book 5 waiting ... that might just be a dragon-sized train coming!

Can't wait to find out how this all gets resolved....

Off the Bookshelf: ONE GOOD DRAGON DESERVES ANOTHER, Rachel Aaron

 

Heartstrikers Book 2

Narrated by Vikas Adam

Julius and Darcy have settled down to a pretty satisfactory life, dealing with magical creatures, making a living, and staying out of the reach of his clan. Because you know, dragons, are pretty intimidating and selfish and demanding and kind of hard to live with. Especially when you're like Julius, not just the runt of the litter, but sealed so he can't access his dragon shape and magic.

Then things start getting tricky. Because Bethesda, his mother, has got more plans in the works, and she's decided Julius is useful.

Between two dragon seers manipulating fate and fighting each other, and all that dragon arrogance causing trouble, Darcy and Julius have very little opportunity to make progress on their relationship. The daughters of the Three Sisters seem to be having internal problems, and then some of the most powerful members of the Heartstriker clan suddenly start acting strangely. Julius finds it harder and harder to stay in the shadows, unnoticed by the clan, and ignoring all the scheming and injustice that has been going on for centuries.

How's a nice dragon going to win?

Well, strong hint ... there are 5 books in the series, and this is #2, so it ain't gonna be over for a loooong time.

Which is really good when you think about it, because I love this series!

Off the Bookshelf: MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC, by Rachel Aaron

 

Audible exclusive, audiobooks

Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller

Major fun! Incredible world-building.

This book takes place the same setting as another series by Aaron, with titles like Nice Dragons Finish Last, set in the living city of Detroit.

Okay, I need to find out how I can get by on 1 hour of sleep a day, just so I can indulge in more of these audio books. And yes, the narrator DOES make a huge difference in enjoyment. This is a great narrator, and I agree with another reviewer who said to please keep Zeller for the other books in this series.

Our heroine, Opal, is a cleaner -- someone who comes in and cleans up when someone defaults and is evicted, or dies, or vanishes in the living, magical, fantasy city of Detroit. Just a slice of the background of this alternate reality: magic has returned to Earth, and the air and water spirits and other "gods" have come back and some of them aren't too happy about what happened to the world while they were gone. Detroit is a living entity, constantly changing, and there aren't really any laws -- except that if you're in debt, you better pay up fast, or else.

Opal has a huge debt to pay, and a deadline to meet. She bids on an apartment where the tenant has defaulted -- the city gets some of its money back, and she gets to keep whatever she finds when she cleans out the apartment. But what she finds leads her on a treasure hunt, in and out of danger, facing the underground of this living city -- and takes the reader on a fascinating tour of this strange and magical world, where dragons are real, criminals are everywhere, and vicious, and you don't want to mess with death gods. Enemies and problems just keep popping up, and betrayal clings to her like a bad luck curse -- which shows up as well. She's one tough chick, and readers find out why, bit by bit, as the story careens through the ever-changing landscape.

SO. MUCH. FUN. Of course, I have to find the rest of the stories of Opal and her AI, and the trouble she's still in at the end of the book. Yeah, and when will I have the TIME? Gee, if all my problems were this kind, I'd be a very happy (sleepless) camper!

Off the Bookshelf: DIVINE SUMMONS, Windrider Saga #1, by Rebecca Minor

It's always cool to look up -- and then download and read -- a book by someone you've recently met, in person, talked to, gotten to know. I met Rebecca Minor at the first Realm Makers Conference in St. Louis. Not only has she put together the Faith and Fantasy Alliance (which I still have to remember to join!) but she knows how to throw one incredible "party" for spec fic writers.

Should have guessed from her incredible, intricate elf costume at the banquet that her book would be the same way -- elves, swords, quests, danger, dragons, prophecies, half-bloods, snarky comments. She's got it all!

Vinyanel Ecleriast is an elf warrior with a major attitude. That can be good when your kingdom and your king are threatened by nasty lizardy enemies called the Dragonkin -- not to be confused with real dragons, because at least some turn out to be the good guys. This is only the first book, so I don't know the final score on that one. Vinyanel has already lost most of his fellow-soldiers in the effort to get a power chalice out of enemy hands and to the king. Then he runs into a prophetess with a 'tude of her own, and a problem with heights, which doesn't work out so good when they have to escape certain death on the back of a dragon!

And that's just the first few pages. This is a fast read, and even though some of the prose took on a lavender tinge in spots ... it's fun! Can't wait to see what kind of trouble Vinyanel and his friends/allies/reluctantly accepted mentors face in the next book.