Would you betray yourself for someone you love? The ash dragon Kavariel's continued absence from Navafort unleashes a new threat. From Carine's home of North Esten to the princes' royal family, no one is safe. Desperate for an answer, Carine, David, and Giles encounter stealthy creatures, journey deeper into Navafort, and teeter precariously at the moral edge of good magic and bad, all while shadowed by a mysterious girl from a foreign land. But even as they band together to protect life and the kingdom, the biggest threat to everything...is each other.
I was fortunate during a recent conference to meet the author T.K. Kiser. In talking, it seemed like her books would be a great fit for my blog, so she was generous enough to offer me a copy in exchange for an honest review of Death Dragon’s Kiss . I also read the first book in this series and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was excited to see what the next leg of this journey would contain.
The setting for this series was interesting from the opening pages of The Firebrand Legacy, the first book of the Manakor series. A world where dragons exist and are both worshiped and feared, plus a complex and unique magic based system is just what my fantasy-loving heart ordered. I was excited in this book that we got to see even more of the world, experience more of the magic system and explore a bit more of the myth and lore of this world. It’s clear the author has really put some thought and heart into her setting.
With the plot of the first novel (mostly) wrapped up, I was very interested to see where the author would go for her next book and she did not disappoint! The story for this sequel took a completely new turn that gripped me early on. The book did have a slightly slower start that I’d expected, given the fast passed nature of the first book, but it quickly picked up and made for a fun, exciting read.
I was the most impressed in Death Dragon’s Kiss with the development of the characters. We get to know the characters well through the first book in the series and the main character Carine, goes through a number of changes throughout the story, but even in this book she continues to grow and change. Her friends, David and Giles, also go through some great development. What delighted me the most, however, was seeing their relationships evolve in change with the characters.
Death Dragon’s Kiss is the second book in the Manakor series. The book is geered towards younger end of the Young Adult spectrum, but I highly recommend it for any lover of fantasy, dragons and magic. The series is full of twists and excitement, but it’s also a quick read perfect for traveling around the holidays.