Fairspell Academy

Dragon Defenders of Destia, Part One, Book 2

By: Ava Richardson

Narrated by: Isabella Tugman

A YA Dragon Rider Fantasy Adventure with a Unique Magic Spin

Dragon rider school is far more dangerous than Eva ever dreamed it would be…

She and the dragon Perrell have arrived at Fairspell Academy, ready to begin their training. But the prejudices that plagued them in Scaldrift are even worse in the capital. Everyone thinks Eva’s from the wrong social class to become a dragon rider, and Perrell is far too small to become a battle dragon. How can they prove themselves if they’re not even allowed to try?

It’s up to Eva to prove herself once more—but her magic behaves in strange ways. Eva wields earth magic, but she can also see air and fire magic. She might be able to mix the three—but that’s strictly forbidden.

When Eva and Perrell fail their first test, they must prepare for a tournament that will finally prove their worth—or see them kicked out of the academy. Mixing magic is forbidden, and could land Eva in serious trouble. But when disaster strikes at the tournament and lives are on the line, she may have no choice…

©2023 Relay Publishing (P)2025 Relay Publishing

Entertaining Listen

Not only is this audiobook a great listening experience, but the story is entertaining as well. The narrator did a dynamite job with the different vocalizations of each character. The pacing of her reading was spot on. I never lost interest in either the storyline or the narrator. Both were great. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the narrations for each book in this fun series.

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

Eva and Pernell

Eva and Pernell are trying to prove that they belong at the school. As things come to light Eva more then ever wants to just to feel like she isn't a "imposter".

Getting Deeper Into the World and the Dark Forces

I thoroughly enjoy the young adult fantasy fiction this author writes. She builds complex worlds and yet is able to make them distinct from each other. The magic in each world she creates varies as well. This is the second book in the Dragon Defenders of Destia series. I'm a voracious reader (or listener), so I have always read or listened to many books between books in a series. One thing I like about this author is how she weaves in backstory from the prior book (or books effortlessly) so you get brought up to speed quickly, whether you’re new to the series or have read the prior book(s). In this one, our heroine is trying to find her way at the magical academy. She's older than most students there, having discovered her magical abilities and bonding with a dragon not long before the book opens. Most, if not all, other students are of a much higher social class than she is, and she is treated poorly by most people there because of it, students and some teachers alike. Everyone seems determined to throw roadblocks in her way constantly or not give her a chance. Not only is she of a lower class in society, but her dragon is a pack dragon, not a large battle dragon. Several strikes against this team!

However, she has unique abilities that emerge and grow in this book. It makes things more difficult for her to get along with the other students and society’s rules, yet it gives her unique insight and power. The workings of this world are complex, and in this book, we start to truly get an understanding of it and its history, as well as the troubles it is facing and that will become even more problematic soon. The heroine learns more about herself and her deep family history. She finds an unlikely ally in the highest social class. And as with all this author's books, the book has a budding romance. I don't want to give too much away, but if you enjoy YA dragon fantasy, it's hard to find a better author than this one. Highly recommended, though it would be best to read or listen to the first book to get a better sense of where exactly the heroine is coming from and what she has faced before this. You can still understand this book without doing so, but you will appreciate it more deeply with that background.

Fairspell Academy - Easy to Enjoy YA book

I nearly didn’t continue this series via audiobook as I didn’t enjoy the narrator when I listened to the first book Pack Dragon, but decided to give it a go. I’m glad I did. The narrator seems to have finally settled into the reading and it was a lot more enjoyable.

The book picks up straight after the events of Pack Dragon with Ava enrolling at Fairspell Academy for dragon rider. It does a great job of dealing with the notion of discrimination because someone is different, and the banter and tension between Ava and Oliver is well written.

Dragon Riders
Academic Setting
War
Resourceful FMC
Slow Burn Romance (over multiple books)
Class Discrimination.

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

Small but Strong

Danger, suspense, action and more. We are following Eva and Perrell, but we also have Oliver and Hane. They arrive at the academy late and have a lot to make up. Others feel she should not be there, can she show them she and her dragon are just as good? What will happen when they join the tournament? Will they prove themselves?.

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