#fantasybookreview

In MT Meiklejohn’s The Dragon Prophecies, elemental magic and powerful dreams weave together to take the reader on a journey of knowledge, mystery, and restoration. When the last of the Knowledge Dragons disappeared eons ago, it plunged the land into a period of darkness.Now, years later, Cassandra, a young woman with the power to use the Song of Stones, embarks on a quest to restore balance. To do so, they must find the Dragon Prophecies and perform certain tasks in order to reach their goal. The path isn’t easy, but they find assistance in unlikely places and begin to unravel the mystery as to why the dragons disappeared and what must be done to bring them back into the world. Many fantasy stories follow specific tropes. It’s simply part of the genre. The key to an engaging fantasy story is how those tropes are addressed. Meiklejohn does a great job of doing something different with the magic in her novel by making it focus on nature and elements.The only way to initiate the return of the missing Knowledge Dragons is to bring together the five Energy Wielders. The protagonist, Cassandra, can hear the Song of Stones, which allows her to use sand, ores, and crystals to create sculptures of power. Finlay, a young man, can speak with animals. They also have the ability to speak with one another telepathically. Author MT MeiklejohnThere’s so much to unravel with the first book in this series as it covers so much ground and moves quickly. That’s one of the things I appreciated about this story. There isn’t much time to catch your breath as you follow Cassandra and her companions in their quest. Every few pages is another obstacle, another brush with danger, and another mystery for them to solve before they can move on to the next phase of their quest.The narrative is written in a way that I think will appeal more to younger readers. It’s a coming-of-age story at its heart. The younger characters are learning about themselves, their abilities, and discovering love and friendship. There is also a sweetness to the story that I enjoyed. The young characters sincerely want to do the right thing. They see someone - or something - in trouble and they want to help. Meiklejohn’s The Dragon Prophecies is an excellent beginning to what looks to be an exciting series. The world-building is slow and methodical, the characters unique and compelling, and the path they must take is winding and mysterious. These are all traits of good storytelling. This is highly recommended for lovers of coming-of-age fantasy and, of course, dragons. This review was originally posted at Reader Views. For more book reviews and recommendations, check out my Reading List page.RB

Carrying a story over the course of several books is no easy task. It’s the writing equivalent of running a marathon. Suz Eglington keeps the momentum going in Rebirth of Meredith Hallow: Kiara Noir Mother Nature Series, the third outing for her protagonist. In this volume, Kiara is straddling the line between adolescence and adulthood, trying to prepare to be a queen while still trying to understand - and control - her new powers. All this while trying to fulfill a promise to find and rescue Meredith Hallow. And not set herself on fire.I enjoyed the adventure, humor, and edge-of-the-seat excitement of this novel. Eglington does a wonderful job of capturing the naivety and indecision of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood. Her protagonist, Kiara Noir, has so much to deal with that it’s no wonder she’s confused, makes rash decisions, and questions her ability to be the person she wants to be. Nothing is quite what it seems to be, including friends, enemies, and love. Author Suz EglingtonTo add to her troubles, she’s traveling the lands to learn about the kingdom she’s going to rule and meet her future subjects. Even some of her traveling companions, like her cousin, Katana, seem to hate her and insult her at every turn. The story flows like their travels over this imaginary kingdom, slowing for character and plot building, then speeding up when things go awry. While the story is dialogue-heavy, it keeps the narrative flowing and helps to build the relationships and small details that make this story so rich. I also enjoyed the secondary/supporting characters. They were all unique and well-constructed, each with their own wants, needs, and motivations. In fact, I felt they carried the story as much as Kiara did. The magic, the history, and the world-building were also well done. It wasn’t difficult to immerse myself in this story because it felt real.The one thing that I felt was frustrating was Kiara’s habit of making bad rash decisions. Towards the end of this book she begins to learn, but in the preceding pages I found myself getting annoyed with her. Not that it’s a bad thing. Obviously, that was simply her character acting as she would.I really enjoyed Rebirth of Meredith Hallow and look forward to the next one. I think this story is great for a YA audience, and even for more mature readers who love a good fantasy. This review was originally posted at Reader Views. For more book reviews and recommendations, check out my Reading List page.RB