After learning the Queen of Galia wishes to destroy her, and sent men - including her father’s killer - to Alyria to arrest her, Erynn and her friend, Adena, fled Caraden Castle and set out on a journey to find her birth parents and the Order of the Cael, a group she hopes can help her. Blamed soon after for murdering the King of Alyria, they now find themselves hunted by Alyrians and Galians.
In their race to escape, they find themselves hampered by two things: there are only two bridges out of Alyria and both are heavily guarded - and they have also learned of a Galian plot to kill the Crown Prince of Alyria and the only possible solution to warning him in time lies in the completely opposite direction.
Choosing to save the Crown Prince - and possibly achieve justice for her father at the same time - Erynn sets out west with Adena to try and locate an old friend, who she hopes has the falcon they need to send an important message. Along the way, she discovers more about who she is and why the Queen of Galia wishes to destroy her - and the destiny it seems she may have been born to face.
Dragon Fire is the second book in the Cael Stone trilogy, following on from The Last Falcon.
I have not read the first book in the series, and this sadly meant that I struggled to get to grips with the story. There was no initial recap or round-up of the characters and events from book one, so Dragon Fire felt more like a continuation as opposed to a stand-alone story.
This was a shame, as it prevented me from feeling invested in the characters and their world. Right from the very start, characters arrived with no introduction, motives were left unclear, and key events fell flat as their significance was missed.
It felt as though large parts of the book were left with little action, and although this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it did feel a lot like superfluous padding. The dialogue was a little stilted at times as key plot points were often set up using clunky exposition.
Despite this, the world-building was great and this fictional world showed promise. Once you do get to the bottom of what is happening and why, the premise is also intriguing. Erynn, the main character, is plucky and intelligent yet she also has a kind heart. These are undoubtedly the parts that manage to rescue the story and show potential for the last book in the trilogy.
Although Dragon Fire missed the mark for me, if you enjoy reading fantasy, why not give it a try?
Rating: 2 stars
Dragon Fire is available to buy now.
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