Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This sweeping fantasy set in bestseller Shannon's Roots of Chaos universe and dramatically illustrated by Cai, fills in the events directly preceding series opener The Priory of the Orange Tree. In the volcanic city of Cárscaro, the ground shakes. Young heir to the throne Donmata Marosa Vetalda, stifled under her father's protective eye, dreams of escaping to distant Mentendon and her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn. Meanwhile, fan favorite former smuggler Estina Melaugo makes a living slaying draconic creatures, now stirring for the first time in centuries. When an old friend offers her a better life aboard an Inysh warship, she refuses to leave the land of her birth. Then the dragon Fyredel reawakens from a thousand-year sleep, all hell breaks loose, and both women's hopes for the future go up in flames. After news reaches Mentendon that Cárscaro has fallen and the kingdom of Yscalin has pledged allegiance to draconic power, Aubrecht increasingly fears for Marosa's life. This prequel installment, a relatively short outing for this doorstopper series, doesn't pack quite the same punch as the first two books, but devoted fans will be pleased by the depth it adds to beloved side characters and the lore of this lush, meticulously drawn world. For those who can't get enough of Shannon's worldbuilding, this will be a treat. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In this prequel to Priory of the Orange Tree, Shannon explores the fall of Yscalin to High Western dragon Fýredel through the eyes of three new point-of-view characters, leading readers right up to the events at the start of Priory. Donmata Marosa is a virtual prisoner of her controlling father, King Sigoso. She dreams of escaping the castle she's been trapped in for years to build a life with Prince Aubrecht, her betrothed. Aubrecht, another narrator, daydreams about Marosa and finally ruling his people fully. Estina Melaugo is a culler of draconic beasts, using her deadly abilities to rescue plagued towns in exchange for food and lodging. She's desperate to find stability and a home, ideally with her lover. As Fýredel awakens and consumes Yscalin, all three characters must choose how to face the dawn of terrible warfare, human betrayal, and fire-breathing wyrms. VERDICT A testament to humankind's endurance and unending hope for a better future, this brief foray into Shannon's fantasy world adds a few additional layers to events mentioned in her other books. Recommended for fans seeking a return to this beloved world with some new perspectives.--Katie Lawrence
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
After 500 years, the Grief of Ages is a distant memory--until dragons hellbent on destruction begin to wake again. In this relatively brief prequel to the epicThe Priory of the Orange Tree (2019), the kingdoms of Virtudom have experienced centuries of relative peace. Marosa Vetalda, the Princess of Yscalin, spends her days behind castle walls under the gaze of her overprotective father, awaiting the date when she'll be wed to Aubrecht of Mentendon, her ticket to freedom. While the book's main focus is initially on the political threads weaving the Western kingdoms together, the frailty of best-laid plans is exposed when evidence of the reemergence of draconic beings reaches castle ears. These tales often come from the cullers who make their living slaying these creatures, and who are often blamed for intentionally waking them for profit. No one alive remembers the Grief of Ages, so no one's prepared when Fýredel, the great High Western dragon, surfaces from the volcanic mountain that towers ominously over Yscalin's capital city of Cárscaro. What follows is the backstory of how the devoted Yscali kingdom comes to shift allegiance to Fýredel and his master, the Nameless One, a main catalyst to events inThe Priory. Overall, this book reads more like history lesson than fantasy adventure, but the sheer terror that befalls the Yscali people as they face Fýredel's pure evil is both powerful and relevant. Marosa's plight further solidifies her as a hero worth remembering; her strength and defiance shine through as hope for the future she's dreamed of slowly flickers out. Devoted series fans will appreciate the added pieces to this expansive narrative puzzle. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
