Dragonspawn

The Dragonspawn Trilogy, Book 1

By: Ava Richardson

Narrated by: Kim Churchill

Some secrets are best left buried.

Desiree Black’s foster family welcomed her years ago, but most of the villagers merely tolerate the 17-year-old’s presence with barely concealed hatred - and fear. Dez herself can’t stomach remembering the strange power that rose up inside her and left her brother with a shattered arm. The only peace she finds from others’ accusing stares is in the misty swamps surrounding the village. Swamps that have long held mystical secrets.

Secrets that are ready to be exposed.

After a narrow escape from the town bully sends Dez deep into the swamps, she stumbles across a glowing, warm stone buried in the muck. Long-hidden truths are divulged when a crazy hag rescues her and sets Dez on an extraordinary new course - to become one of the legendary dragon riders.

Now Dez and her dragon hatchling must harness their magical link on the long journey to join the Rebellion - and avoid the enemy closing in on them. But it’s in the heat of battle where Dez discovers the painful reality of her forgotten past.

And exactly why she can’t be trusted.

Queen of the Dragons Ava Richardson invites you to immerse yourself in a dragon-filled world with epic magic, fearless characters, and, at its heart, the deep bond between dragon and rider.

©2020 Relay Publishing (P)2021 Relay Publishing

Ava

if you have read and/or listened to any of Ava's story you can't help but get sucked into the world she creates. This one is no exception. Looking forward to see how this story plays out.

Amazing Adventure !!!

Audiobook is narrated by Kim Churchill who will bring the story alive for you! Desiree Black (“Dez”) is afraid of her strength, not wanting to hurt people, yet with a strong desire to fulfill her destiny. Sparring with her older foster brother, Khan Roser, she hesitated then overcompensated with her wooden sword and ended up thrusting it hilt-deep in a cypress tree. Only her great strength let that happen and let her pull it out again. If she didn’t do better, the Rebellion captain who was watching from the sidelines would decide she wasn’t worth recruiting. She imagined drawing on the strength of the trees around her and it steadied her. Their final attempt to impress the recruiter was about to start. She saw Khan’s face and knew what he would do. But once more, she feared her strength that could seriously injure him, and it made her hesitate.

Pieter, her younger foster brother then asked to join the sparring – but on Khan’s side against Dez. He wanted her to show her full strength, make her fight with instinct rather than hesitate and try to hold back. She wanted to fight in the Rebellion to honor her dragon-rider parents and help stop the Spirit King. But once again, her fear of hurting them distracted her and Khan got the points he needed to be recruited for the Rebellion. What she feared was rumors that the Spirit King was sending recruiters this way, too, and if she didn’t leave with the Rebellion now, chances were good that she’d end up a conscripted soldier in Ashimax’s army which would be intolerable! She would have to somehow find another way to impress the recruiter that didn’t involve sparring.

Wandering and thinking about her situation, she was surprised when Jaklin Moild and her pack of bullies came up behind her to mock her about her failure. Jaklin played with a knife in her hands. Dez knew she could fight all of them, but she didn’t want to hurt them. Jaklin threw a handful of swamp mud all over her, then the gang moved in and grabbed her roughly as they hurled her into a deep, bad-smelling bog. Jaklin kicked her hands every time Dez tried to get out of the bog, fearful that alligators would be drawn to the bloody dead duck carcass she spotted. Sure enough, she heard at least two of them and the bullies hurried away, leaving her to fend for herself.

With the alligators in pursuit and trying to cut off her escape, she ran deeper into the swamp until she tripped over a large rock. But the rock had purple veins that were actually glowing. Digging it out of the mud, she found it was larger than she realized and felt warm. Engrossed in her find, Dez did not hear the gator that began to lunge at her, mouth opened wide, until a walking stick smacked it on the head. The old “gator lady” had saved her, surprisingly lifting the rock out of the mud and handing it to her. Then she took Dez home with her to tell her about the “rock” she had found.

Another shock also awaited her when the old woman took off her disguise and told her she was her Aunt Lula Black! She also told her that her parents were the king and queen of Gald before Ashimax destroyed it—and that Dez was actually a princess. Lula was a dragon-rider and when she fell from her dragon’s back, she had a vision that a dragon rider would rise from the southern swamplands and become a great hero for the Rebellion. She knew that Dez would be that hero! And her rock with the purple veins was her destiny -- a dragon egg. Is this what she needed to join the Rebellion? Can she actually become a dragon rider with the help of her Aunt and fight for the Rebellion against the Spirit King?

This book is so amazing! It will grab the reader’s imagination and never let go! It flows so well that it feels as if you are living the story and not just reading it! Grab your copy and follow Dez’s amazing adventure to see if she is indeed the hero who will save the world from the Spirit King!

Unoriginal, just a different perspective

Though this story was a enjoyable diversion it was Way to much like many other books bring written lately. The main Character is afraid of her own abilities, has a older Foster brother who has to be the Best at Everything, and a Jerk. The younger Foster brother is quite, intelligent, and a Good person. Most of the time the reader/ listener knows what is going to happen next because it is so much like previously written Storylines. Narrator does a good job with the characters voices and the storyline.

Don't Discourage

A fascinating world brought to life by Ava. Finding one's place is more often a struggle than smooth, and I love how Ava brings Des's forth.

The narrator had a tendency to sound a bit robotic especially in the beginning. She did smooth out and come more in character throughout the story. though it seemed to falter here and there though.

Still an amazing story! So, don't let the narrating discourage you.

*I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Just ok

"yeah, didn't see that coming...smirk". This was my common thought throughout the book. It was also just a little...just a little...too much whining. Not really interested in the rest of the series, as the plot is completely obvious.