To be published 04.03.25…
SPOILER ALERT: This is book 2 in a trilogy. Check out this review instead if you haven’t read book 1: ‘Dragonfall’ by L.R. Lam
On the Feast of Flowers, Arcady severed their bond and killed Everen. Back where she started, with little money and a false name, Arcady forges ahead with her mission to clear her grandsire’s name. With only just enough money for the first year of university, time is not her friend.
Everen is not dead. Instead he has been thrust back home to Vere Celene and imprisoned for his own protection. But the dragons’ are running out of time and he still may be their only hope. Fate tells him he must heal the dreamer so it does not wake. Fate tells him he must return to Arcady.
Against all expectations, a glimmer of their bond still exists. Can Everen and Arcady learn to trust each other again and rebuild their bond in time to save both the human and dragon worlds from an enemy that should have died a long time ago?
In some ways the plot of this book reads a bit-like a second chance for the characters, but they are different people than the first time around and the stakes are even higher. Their shared history makes it both easier and more difficult; they understand each other now, but trust is hard to come by when you’ve been burnt by that person before. However, what really adds depth to this second chance is Sorrin. She plays a much greater role than in the first book and begins to use her own agency rather than acting merely as a pawn on someone else’s board. Overall, it is the growth of all three characters that dictates their chances of success.
Arcady’s growth is more apparent near the end of the book, when she finally gets the answers to her questions about the Plaguebringer. She has been working towards this for almost two whole books, but in the end the achievement of this goal seems more like a footnote in her story. I think that this ability to move on from the past and embrace a new future will be essential in the final book of the trilogy.
Many writers would have ended the series here, with their characters having accomplished their mission and with their future an open door of possibilities. I like that L.R. Lam is making this a trilogy and giving us a chance to see what happens next for the characters we have grown to love.
Escape to the Bookshelf 