Kellynch: Dragon Persuasion

Jane Austen's Dragons, Book 6

By: Maria Grace

Narrated by: Benjamin Fife

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

Keeping a hibernating dragon should have been a simple thing. 

Should have been, but it was not. Apparently, nothing involving dragons was ever simple, at least not for Anne Elliot, junior keeper to dragon Kellynch. 

With the estate in debt, Anne’s father in denial, and the dragon’s treasure missing, Kellynch’s awakening is shaping up to be nothing short of catastrophe. Not to mention, there was the pesky matter of her own broken heart and resentment against the old friend who had caused it. 

Captain Frederick Wentworth had spent his life making something of himself in the navy. With the war that kept him employed at an end and a small fortune in prize money, he found himself beached and at loose ends. What was he to do with himself now - take a wife like Laconia, his dragon friend, insisted? Not when none compared to the woman who had broken his heart.

Working as an agent of the Blue Order, managing dragon matters across England, seemed a much better alternative. At least until investigating one such matter sent him directly in the path of Anne Elliot, the woman who had ruined him for all others.

Now a royal dragon rages, a sleeping dragon lurks, and too many treasures have gone missing. Can Anne and Wentworth lay aside resentment, pride, and heartbreak to prevent Kellynch’s awakening from ending in bloodshed - or worse?

Jane Austen meets Pern in a fantastical regency romp bound to delight fans of Jane Austen and Anne McCaffrey alike. 

Book six in the Jane Austen's Dragons series.

©2020 Maria Grace (P)2020 Maria Grace

Epic Finale to Jane Austen Persuasion with Dragons

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review


This book picks up where book 5 left off and runs with it. In a lot of ways Dragons of Kellynch was a setup novel. Here is the payoff. This story is an epic conclusion to the Persuasion duology but can also serve as a series finale. It's quite possibly the best volume yet in the series.

Marie Grace continues to develop the mythology as well as the details of the pact between barons and their dragons and it is fascinating.

Her character work also flourishes. We get to see Anne stretch her wings as the newly appointed Dragon Keeper of Kellynch estate and Captain Wentworth returns so we get to see their interactions. Kellynch has a strong character as an ancient dragon frustrated by the wrongs perpetrated against him. We sympathize with him even while he acts as antagonist. There is mystery and the payoffs include consequences for characters that originally Jane Austen ignored in favor of our main couple's happiness. This is more than stapling a few dragon cameos onto a classic novel - it thrives when it pushes boundaries, introduces its own subplots and builds on the house that Jane built. There's even a wonderful cameo from Elizabeth and Mister Darcy from the earlier books.

Benjamin Fife continues to voice and bring to life english women, sailors, aristocrats and dragons of all shapes and sizes. He makes them each individual and you will forget that they are all spoken by the same man. He doesn't just narrate the text - he performs it.

If you love Jane Austen, dragons and intrigue you are in for a treat.

The best yet in the series!

I've heard others say this is the best book in the series so far, and I think I have to agree. I sped through it in three days (while putting off two other books I had started), I loved it so much! The last book was mostly setup for the Persuasion storyline, and this is where everything begins to pay off. No spoilers, but there are plenty of wrongs to be righted and some mystery concerning dealings in the past.

Aside from that, even more fantastic worldbuilding involving the dragons and the Blue Order. I loved Kellynch by the story's end, despite his rough introduction to us and Anne - it's one of Grace's strengths, to make us like dragons even as they act draconic and show a willingness to eat people.

Fife's narration is as top-notch as always - great dragon voices, great voices for all the human characters, men and women. He definitely adds a dimension to the characters that's missed if you just read the text version. I received a free copy of this audio book for an honest review.

Maria Grace does it again!

Herein we have a wonderfully presented conclusion to a regency romance on the backdrop of gaslamp dragon fantasy. It's hard to imagine anyone doing this better than Maria Grace.

As always, Benjamin Fife gives us an absolutely phenomenal performance. His accents are near-perfect, his voices impeccable, and his sense of rhythm and pacing are second to none. There are few audiobook narrators in the same league as Benjamin.

Now, every bit of complexity that I felt was missing from the previous book (The Dragons of Kellynch) is brought full force into this one!

There is a time jump as we get started here that, while absolutely necessary to the narrative, felt just a touch jarring, but once we get past that the story really picks up and becomes intensely interesting.

Whether you're looking for realistic romance free of contrivances, clever twists that keep you guessing, or intriguing dragon lore that continues to challenge everything you think you know, you're going to find it in this book.

I've said this before but it bears repeating. One of the things that I most appreciate about Maria Grace's brand of fantasy romance is that the situations never feel contrived just to being the couple together. The way events come together always feels natural and, for lack of a better word, real. Although there are certainly coincidences that pull people together, the same happens in real life and her books do an excellent job of simulating that in a way that feels natural.

And as always, although I don't actually like all of them, all of Maria's characters are fully fledged people that feel absolutely real in their motivations, goals, and reactions.

I must add the addendum here, however, that I can't speculate on whether that is a product of Maria's mind or if it comes from the original Jane Austen works that these are adapted from.

I think my favorite moments in this book were getting to see Elizabeth Bennett/Darcy come back into the story. She was always my favorite character and it made me really happy to see her take a direct role in the later events of this one.

Now, this isn't a detractor for me but it needs to be stated that if action-packed "adventure fantasy" is what you're looking for, this is not it. Although there is a certain amount of action here, that is far from the focus.

I find this book upholds very well Maria Grace's pattern of books that feel very similar (in tone) to the "Memoires of Lady Trent" series by Marie Brennan (which is absolutely a good thing!)

My one and only complaint is the one I've had from the start, which becomes less and less of a problem for me as each books builds on the lore, creating what appears (at least to me) to be an entirely new and unique dragon mythology.

I'm speaking, of course, of the way dragons are presented in these books. Some aspects feel a bit whimsy, a bit silly, and I do lament the lack of any truly monstrous-sized dragons as appear frequently throughout European mythology.

However, for all that I have to admit that I do rather admire the vast profusion of different types of dragons and dragon-like creatures that appear, as well as the complex sociopolitical structure of how they interact with one another.

I was told before going into this book that while it is the longest book of the series, it is also the best one. Of course, me being me, I took that with a grain of salt and went into it with a healthy dose of skepticism. But here at the end I actually have to agree! As much as I loved the first three books of the series, this one takes things to a new level that I couldn't help falling in love with!

And this comes through in the ending just as much as the rest of the book. The whole story has been building up to this climax, of course, and I loved everything about its execution.

I truly could not have asked for anything better.

Persuasion & Dragons!

This series really is quite fun! If you haven't read book 5 then read it before this book to get the entire Persuasion storyline (books 5-6). I would suggest reading the whole series for all those who love Jane Austin and stories with dragons, so start with the prequel and then go in order from there. These books are really pretty clean, at most there is some violence but nothing too graphic and there is some mild language (one scene in book 6 where damn is repeated a few times). I have to admit it has been quite a while since I have read the original Jane Austin's Persuasion but from what I remembered it does follow the basics pretty well. Just remember these are adaptations and to add the dragons and create the wonderful flow that she has, there may be some character deviations. Benjamin Fife does a fantastic job narrating these books, he stays consistent with the voices/accents that he gives each of the characters and, yes, the dragon voices are specatacular too! Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and definitely recommend it.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Dragons are not supposed to persuade hearers...

Dragon persuasion makes Anne Elliot a much more interesting person. It also makes sense in this story. According to the rules of the Blue Order, dragons must behave in a certain manner, not posing as humans, not manipulating dragon hearers, not threatening their keepers. So much rule-breaking in this story. It was amazing!

Also for readers who missed Wentworth in the previous book, he is in much of this one. But he has a few things to learn. Not only is Anne now more resistant to persuasion, she also doesn't need a man to rescue her. If he still thinks she's the perfect woman for her, he's going to have to adapt a bit as well. I thought that was a fantastic twist and feminism fit for Austen.

This series is getting better and better. I bought the Anne Elliot/Wentworth pairing more than the Elizabeth Bennett/Darcy one in this rendition (although Elizabeth/Darcy have grown on me as their stories developed further in the Persuasion books.) Their characters and the romance made sense and was charming. I look forward to seeing where Maria Grace takes all of these characters and the dragons next.

I requested a review copy of this audiobook from the narrator and have reviewed it willingly.

Another great addition to the series

Maria Grace has blended Dragons and the characters of Jane Austen's Persuasion perfectly. I was so glad to have Elizabeth and Darcy taking a part in this story too. More details about the Pendragon Accords and the Blue Order just adds to the continuing growth of the dragon world which is so very intriguing. I have all the books and audiobooks in this series. To fully enjoy this books and series I would start at the begining with Pemberely: Mr. Darcy's Dragon or even with the prequel A Proper Introduction to Dragons.
The narrator Benjamin Fife truly enhances these stories. All of his characters and dragon voices are great, he gives each one a different voice or accent.
I was given a copy of this audiobook at my request for an honest review.

Great listen!

One of my favorite authors strikes gold again with another installment of Jane Austen’s Dragons. This adaptation of Persuasion finds another favorite pair of Jane Austen’s world in the fantastic lands of Dragons! Lady Russell, The Elliots and the Musgroves make an appearance when a hibernating dragon is woke to a mystery of who has been stealing from his hoard? Can Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot find out in time?

Amazing!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I now have a new favorite dragon!!! Kellynch is so scary and fearsome but makes a turn for the better when he can finally calm down and get mattes resolved. I love everything about Kellynch! He is my favorite type of dragon and my favorite color. Laconia is pretty awesome too. I’m glad things end well. There is so much mystery around Kellynch and his horde and land. And other issues come up. I’m so glad the bad guy gets what coming to him! To have wronged so many people and only be interested in your own well-being is unacceptable.
This is an amazing addition to the Jane Austen Dragon Series!! If you haven’t read all the books by now you are missing out!!

👍

I love this series. Ms Maria Grace is an amazing storyteller and this book truly shows off her talent. I really enjoyed the combination of characters from the PNP portion of tale into this storyline.

Persuasion, deception & second chances!

Truly captivating and addictive in all its intimate and entangled drama!!
The complexities of human/dragon cohabitation continues to entertain as the rules and politics of the Blue Order become entangled with a sweet second chance romance, betrayal, the unraveling of deceptions and the anticipation of well kept secrets and their revelations. As Maria Grace, cleverly and seemlessly crafts her beguilling draconic web over Jane Austen's Persuasion and incorporates all the joys and perilous tasks involved, in integrating dragons into this much loved pre-established world, as if they should have always been there. It should be crazy but it works so beautifully!!
In Grace's highly capable hands she successfully uses Persuasion as a framework whilst adding a greater degree of vibrancy and a richer depth to the tale; sprung to life delightfully once again by Benjamin Fife's clever and colourful narration.

Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth have been sympathetically and entertainingly cast in roles that suit their characters so very well. With the appearance of past characters in the series: in Elizabeth, Darcy and the endearing Pemberley too, who add comfort, warmth and continuity to this enchanting tale. While new dragon faces add charm, wonderously touching and heart pounding moments to the mix. All enhanced further by the interweaving of subtle wit and engaging intrigue that kept me enthused, ensnared and glued with heightened interest until the very end of the befitting and highly satisfying epilogue.
A wonderful series that should be read in order to understand the intricacies of this colourful world. In a collection of books I need no further persuasion to want to read more of! A must read book and series!!
*Audiobook version highly recommended!!*

Persuasion and dragons

As I said in my review of the previous book in this series, I am not familiar with Jane Austen’s Persuasion, but I have listened to each book in this series with fascination and enjoyment. Maria Grace has seamlessly combined dragons with Jane Austen’s stories. There is even the appearance of much loved characters from earlier books in the series. This book has a sweet and satisfying ending, and I hope there will be more books to follow! The narration by Benjamin Fife was excellent, as always.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review.