3 out of 5 stars
Ebook. 450 pages. Published November 20th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
Sam of Wilds faced the Dark wizard Myrin and lived to tell the tale. Granted, the battle left him scarred, but things could be a hell of a lot worse.
It’s not until he reunites with Morgan of Shadows and Randall that he realizes just how much worse things could be.
Because the scars have meaning and hint at Myrin’s true plans for Sam and the Kingdom of Verania.
With time running out, Sam and his band of merry misfits—the unicorn Gary, the half-giant Tiggy, Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart, and the dragon known as Kevin—must travel to the snowy mountains in the North and the heart of the Dark Woods to convince the remaining dragons to stand against Myrin. Along the way, Sam learns secrets of the past that will forever change the course of the future.
A reckoning is coming for Sam of Wilds, and there is nothing he can do to stop it.
Likes:
- The mated dragons and their names.
- The plot is getting more intense.
- All the characters that you know and love.
- The humor.
- Randall.
- Backstory that I didn’t know I needed.
Dislikes:
- Book started off with a recap.
- Lady Tina’s propaganda against Sam is basically white national birthirism.
- (No Spoiler) Major character death.
- Sam got annoying and felt privileged.
- Sam doesn’t feel like he’s grown up at all.
- I’m tired of the ‘it’s not fair’ whining.
- I don’t think this book had the ooph of the first one.
- Not memorable.
This book was a little underwhelming for me, which is strange because the plot is heating up. I’m writing this review at the end of the day that I finished reading, and it took me a bit of thinking to realize that what I’m feeling can be boiled down to two words – not memorable. The first book was amazing. The second expanded world and completely changed all of the character’s lives. This one, well, Sam did what he’d been told he had to do.
Don’t get me wrong, this was still a good book. But it lacked the oomph I was hoping for. There were twists and turns, especially at the end. The humor was there and the characters were still great. I just wanted something more.
Part of what I wanted was for Sam to begin to grow up. He had all of the last book to have his ‘it’s not fair’ pity party. I expected more from him in this book. Even an inkling of maturity. That all important character development. I didn’t get it. What was worse, Sam really grated on me a few times. He might have grown up in the slums but he’s acting hella privileged now.
The character who changed the most was Randall. He was really the shining star of this book in my opinion. I didn’t know I needed Randall’s backstory until I got it. And I loved it. It made him so much more than a grumpy old wizard.
There is a major character death in the book, and it wasn’t who I thought it would be. The aftermath was sad, but the actual death scene felt rushed and lacked the impact I felt it deserved. At the same time, I’m glad the book wasn’t any longer. 450 pages is hefty as it is. Though cutting out some of the recap at the very beginning would have lessened the load, as well as the recaps sprinkled throughout the book. But at least Sam finally remembered about bringing the bird back to life.
The mated dragon pair were fun. Their names were just as ridiculous as I expected. I was surprised that Lady Tina showed up. Her propaganda against Sam is basically white nationalist birtherism. It’s just as fury inducing in fiction as real life. But I am now expecting her to be an integral part of the happy ending.
Despite my many complaints about this book, I am looking forward to the final one. I hope it can be a little more streamlined and focused. The plot is definitely getting intense, and I expect epic battle scenes.
Be sure to check out the reviews for The Lightning-Struck Heart (Tales From Verania #1), The Tragic Life of Lady Tina DeSilva (Tales From Verania #1.5), A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2), A Wish Upon the Stars (Tales From Verania #4), and the series review.
Love is Love Reviews 