Hello, and welcome to today's stop on the blog tour for TRAITOR, book number three in the Dragonrider Chronicles! If you've been following the blog long, then you know I'm a big fan of this series-- I've participated in blog tours for all three of the books, as well as a couple blitzes and promos to help attract some attention to it-- so when the opportunity came around to participate in the TRAITOR tour, I jumped on it.
So now, without further ado, I give you my review of Nicole Conway's third Dragonrider installment. Don't forget to stay tuned until the end... there's a giveaway!
Review
Title: Traitor (Dragonrider Chronicles #3)
Author: Nicole Conway
Publisher: Month9Books
Release Date: May 10, 2016
Format Read: E-book
Rating: Four Stars
Description from Goodreads: Can anyone survive being lost in Luntharda?
No amount of training has prepared Jaevid Broadfeather for the frontlines of battle. Now facing the true horrors of war, with Luntharda looming on the horizon, Jaevid has begun to question everything he thought about his heritage. The only thing keeping him going is his oath to protect his dragonrider brothers. But in an instant, even that slips through Jaevid's fingers as he steps from the safety of his dragon's saddle into the depths of his mother's wild homeland-- the kingdom of the gray elves.
Stranded in Luntharda with his partner, Lieutenant Jace Rordin, Jaevid must finally confront the demons of his own past as he uncovers the truth about a war that began before he was ever born. Armed with a new appreciation for destiny, and flanked by his trusted friends, Jaevid moves to make the final strike against an enemy that has hidden in plain sight for far too long.
One kingdom's traitor will become the world's last hope.
Having read both of the books that came before TRAITOR in the Dragonrider Chronicles, I was super stoked to get to read the third installment. I adore this series, and going through Blybrig Academy with Jae has been an experience I will never forget, so to watch him leave the nest and move on to the battlefront was something that I really enjoyed. Not that I doubted that I'd love TRAITOR, because I knew I'd enjoy it just as much as the first two books (which I did), but stepping away from the Academy scenario was equally interesting, refreshing, and well-done.
From pretty early on, you know that Jaevid is going to have to go into the dark depths of Luntharda, and the whole time I was sitting here like HOW? HOW IS HE GOING TO DO THIS? JUST CASUALLY STROLL INTO THE FOREST? PEOPLE WILL NOTICE? HELLO?? But everything about the execution of this book was flawless. Things that I've been suspecting since book one have finally been brought to light and explained at a more in-depth level, and things that I thought were true ended up being very... NOT true, which is always nice, because reading a book and being able to predict everything is never as fun as the ones that surprise you.
The new characters added into the mix for this book were so great, as well as the ones brought back from past books (FELIX! YAS! <3). And while I'm still very upset over one of the deaths from book two, the addition of these new characters (Araxie, Jace, Prax, etc.) have made the pain a bit easier to bear. I still miss *insert spoilery character name here*, but I'm learning to cope.
As for the plot, once again I thought it was spectacular. Conway creates this fantasy world where humans and elves co-exist (though they may hate each other) and turns it into such a beautiful place with her descriptions of the animals and the scenery and the plant-life that appear throughout the story. There were no cliche turnabouts in book three (Or any of the books, for that matter) and all of the plot points lined up and connected perfectly.
Overall, TRAITOR was a fantastic third installment to the series, and I am stuck waiting for book four. I would give this one a four star rating, and urge you to check it out if you like dragons and elves and underdog characters in your fantasy series.
P.S. I just want to say that I really dislike reading e-books, and here's why: I'm reading along, checking my page count like, "Oh, I still have thirty or so pages left" when suddenly I turn the page and BAM. Acknowledgements. And it left me on a cliffhanger, too, which was geniusly gorgeous.
P.P.S. AND THEN. I keep turning, because thirty or so pages seems like an awful lot of space left in the book for author info and all, and what do I find? A NOVELLA. AW YEAH. So now, I'm going to go read that because I NEED IT.
If this book sounds like something you'd be interested in, I have a few buy links for you:
About the Author
Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE
DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains
to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series,
and is now working on the third and final book.
Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves
frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air
Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from
Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.
She has previously
worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now
embraced writing as a full-time occupation.
Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and
spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s
movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and
dog.
Giveaway
If you'd like to check out some of the other stops for this tour, click HERE
I hope you've enjoyed today's stop on the blog tour for TRAITOR (Dragonrider Chronicles #3) by Nicole Conway. Don't forget to enter the giveaway, and please check out the first book in the series, FLEDGLING!
Happily,
Stephanie
