Waiting on Wednesday: Dragon Soul by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett

Meme from Breaking the Spine

You know, I suspect it is rather tacky to have a comeback post in form of a meme, but I really wanted to do WoW because there’s this book I’m really, really excited about. And yes, I AM BACK FROM MY HIATUS. Well, after 12 pm EST today anyhow, when my last exam is officially over and I can kiss my campus goodbye for the rest of the summer. Technically at the time this is published I am not yet over my hiatus, because I should be studying for the exam I will have in a couple hours (holy sh*t alfjsjalfja;f). Buuuuuut, I want to procrastinate, SO HERE I AM.

Dragon Soul by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett

With just two novels under their belts, young writers Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett have established themselves as two of the hottest new stars in fantasy. Havemercy introduced readers to a brilliantly realized world riven by an intractable war between the kingdoms of Volstov and Ke-Han—a war in which the great dragons of Volstov—deadly hybrids of machine and magic—and their equally fierce human riders were all that kept the dark sorcery of Ke-Han at bay. In Shadow Magic, Jones and Bennett brought the common humanity of the opposing sides to life in an adventure that showcased once again their talent for creating not only fantastic settings but vivid characters to inhabit them.

Now Jones and Bennett are back with their most accomplished novel yet, featuring the return of two beloved characters, the brothers Rook and Thom. When the war was at its height, there was no fighter on either side who could match Rook for sheer arrogance and skill. Only Rook could ride the great dragon Havemercy, whose savagery and bloodlust matched his own. Thom could not be more different. Bookish, diffident, reserved, he yearns for his brother’s approval—yet fears he can never earn it.

With the war over, and an uneasy truce holding between Volstov and Ke-Han, it seems the perfect opportunity for the long-lost brothers to forge a bond by taking a trip together. At least, that’s how it seems to Thom. Rook hasn’t given a rat’s ass about anything since the end of the war, his brother included, and he’s not about to start now. Not when the one thing he loved in the world—Havemercy—lies scattered in pieces across Ke-Han.

Then Rook and Thom discover that someone is buying up bits of the fallen dragons, including Havemercy. Though the dragons are dead, the magic that powered them is not—and if that magic and the technology created to harness it should fall into the wrong hands, the fragile peace could shatter. An agent from Ke-Han, a sorceress from Volstov, and a group of desert tribesmen are all in the race, and the future rests on whoever gets there first. But all that matters to Rook is that someone is desecrating his girl, so he vows to leave no stone unturned in laying her to rest—and taking his revenge.

ASDL;FJAFJASDLFJ THE THIRD BOOK BY THE JAIDANI TEAM!! LAFJKLASDJKFAS I love this series. It might not be obvious from the majority of my reviews, but fantasy is one of my favourite genres. I’m pretty big on YA Fantasy (Graceling, anyone?), but I’m also highly fond of select Adult Fantasy genres as well. And I waxed poetry on my love for the book Shadow Magic wayyyyyyyyyyy back when this book blog got started(see review) Don’t let its crap cover fool you; this is actually one of the best East Asian-inspired fantasies I’ve ever read.

I will admit though, I actually wasn’t terribly excited about this book until the character reveals came along. As the summary insinuates, it makes it seem like very much a Boy’s Adventure, and all of Jaidani’s previous works have given no indication of countering this. (I mean, there was a smalllll likelihood of maybe one lady pov from the mention of a female magician, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.) They always write in the style of 4 persons, 2 entwined storylines, and every single time the narration was coloured by men. Which was great for the first two books, but I was ready for some ladies to step up on stage, you know? AND IT HAPPENED. Through a reliable reviewer, I found out that not only is there a female lead in the story, but there are TWO. And one of them is from Ke-Han! (I prefer the Ke-Han over Volstov, but I understand that this is a minority opinion.) Just knowing that there will be more females and more Ke-Han appearances makes me squee in pure delight. It made me go from ‘oh look, the third book, I’ll check it out when it’s in my library’ to ‘ OMG CAN THIS BOOK COME OUT NOW?! I SHALL BUY IT IN ALL ITS FIRST EDITION HARDCOVER GLORY, YESSSSSSSSSSSS’

So yes, I’m seriously pumped. WHO’S READING THIS WITH ME?! (Also, if you haven’t read Shadow Magic yet, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?! Go buy it now.)

*buries self in last minute cramming*