Author: Farah Oomerbhoy
Genre: young adult, fantasy, romance, adventure, magic,
Published: August 15, 2015
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn't seem so bad.
AVALONIA is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms - including killing anyone who stands in her way.
Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora's arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dead.
With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever.
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The Last of the Firedrakes has a well imagined setting with a good world building and a stubborn and strong heroine.
{ what i like }
Oomerbhoy created a world made me want to get into. She threw in several magical/mythical creatures into a setting so magical, it's so easy to get sucked in. Despite the number of things she incorporated here, nothing seemed oddly out of place. There're fae, mages, pegasus, and a few more.
There was also enough world building for me to get into Avalonia. Throughout Aurora's journey, the world is slowly being introduced. I like how it didn't overwhelmed me - how Oomerbhoy allowed me to take in every details of the story one at a time (this is a great plus for me since I'm not the biggest high fantasy fan).
Aurora - a stubborn && strong heroine.
Aurora had enough of high school drama so suddenly being sent to a world she's completely unaware of is (sort of) a good escape for her. Her life sucked - she was bullied and her guardians do not like her. When she stepped into Avalonia, while things weren't really good then, she was glad to find people on her side.
Her overwhelmingly strong magic and being the heir to the throne of Illiador made her Avalonia's hope of taking Morgana, a selfish and power hungry ruler, out of her throne. She also has this strong sense of pride. It brought her to trouble but she's young and being the rightful Queen of Illiador, she wants to show how stronger she is than what many plainly think (particularly when she had to hide her real identity from everyone).
the romance!
I like it but I don't really love it. I guess you can say I'm okay with it. I'd LOVE to see them together though - how it could even happen is beyond me now because of the things revealed in the end. Okay, let's briefly talk about Aurora and Rafe - the Black Wolf.
Rafe saved Aurora from the dungeon she was locked in when she was kidnapped from her Earth. This act, I believe became one of her reasons to like him. He saved her and she never was saved by anyone. Ever. Rafe is a nice and strong guy. He's the Black Wolf for a reason - he saves faes from being taken unjustly. He's an outlaw saving those who experience injustice (at least that's what I think). Yet he remains to be a mystery to Aurora. We all know this kinds of mysterious guy.. The moment Aurora found out the mystery behind his cause, his identity, I find myself smiling from ear to ear hoping the two of them to happen. But it looks like things won't really be easy for them.
the twist!
Oh, don't we all love twists? We all look forward to them. I didn't expect The Last of the Firedrakes to have a twist, honestly. So I didn't see this coming. The twist basically changed the game for Aurora. Now I'd love to see what happens next.
{ what i didn't like }
Some things felt a bit convenient. Like doors being left open, and saviors coming at the most convenient time. I don't know. I know I should be happy but at times, I feel that they weren't very reasonable. I'd shout: why in the world?. But you know, it might just be me. You guys might feel differently.
OVERALL, The Last of the Firedrakes is a good high fantasy read. It never felt overwhelming despite the number of things Oomerbhoy incorporated in it. It involves a likable heroine and a ship-worthy romance. It has its twists that somehow caught me off guard. While some things felt a bit convenient for me, they were not enough for me to dislike this. I still greatly enjoyed this and would love to read the next book!
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| 3.5 |
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{ how about you }
Do you like reading high fantasies? What do you like most about them? What magical creatures/elements would you like to read about?
let's connect!
