4 out of 4 stars
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When Dragons Die is a 215 page fantasy novel by Mark Franzosa. It is the second book in The Scrolls of Exodoria series.
This story takes place after the city of Allew has been captured by Sart and Selene’s army of orcs, and they haven’t emerged in a 100 years. We follow a young mage named Kit who doesn’t understand why the West continues to monitor the Selart Empire since they seem content to stay where they are. Despite this disinterest in the war, Kit has accepted a position protecting a ship scouting Allew. It’s the only way he can get promoted to the top of guild, and he needs that promotion to finally be able to propose to his girlfriend, Molly. He seems to be in good hands as Captain Smyth is the only captain to successfully return from 5 previous scouting missions. Unfortunately for the first time in a century things are about to change. The ship is attacked and despite Kit’s best efforts their mission is a failure.
Kit finds himself shipwrecked and alone far North of his home in Azure Bay. Now he has to find his way home to report what happened. As he starts his journey south, he stumbles across the Fae who have always been neutral in the war between the West and the Sellart Empire. As he deals with the royal family in the Fae Kingdom, Kit has suddenly found himself in the middle of yet another attack. Even though he desperately wants to get home, he commits himself to helping the Fae however he can. Kit is sent on a short but urgent mission, and returns with a mysterious helmet. It’s not long before he finds himself an integral part of this 100 year old war. Although trying to discover where loyalties lie and whom he can trust is proving to be a daunting task.
When I first took this review I didn’t realize that it was the second book in a series and I was concerned that I would be lost. However my worries were ill founded because this story easily stood alone. I’ll admit I did cheat a little in that sense because I read the description of the first book on Amazon before I started this one. I can tell you though that the prologue gives you enough information and that it wasn’t necessary.
I did find the book a bit of a slow starter, but it wasn’t long before I became very invested in the main character Kit. I found Kit to be a very relatable character as he does his best to navigate all the unfamiliar scenarios that he faces. As the story progressed, I found it harder and harder to set this book down. The story had plenty of twists and turns but all in ways that added to the story and not just for the sake of being tricky. Mr. Franzosa seems to have found the balance between keeping a story interesting and not adding unnecessary plot turns.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I truly enjoyed the story and found the characters compelling. I think if you enjoy books that involve magic and mythical creatures that you’ll find this book worth picking up. I personally have every intention of reading the first book, Darkness Falls, as soon as possible, and will be looking forward to the next installment.
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When Dragons Die
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