Return of the Dwarf King

Adventures of Finnegan Dragonbender

By: Charley Case, Martha Carr

Narrated by: Austin Rising

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

After years of searching, Finn has finally found the motherload. Unfortunately, there’s no way to get it home. And he’s got to meet John Wayne.

Stranded and alone in Denver, Colorado, Finn and his partner Penny (a foot and a half long Faerie Dragon) search for friends and allies in this strange new land. 

But something about this place isn’t right. Magic has gone underground, and has anyone seen John Wayne? 

Lucky for Finn he’s a Dwarf, and underground is where he does his best work. 

Join Finn, Penny, and their new friends on an adventure that spans the globe and holds the fate of an entire planet in its twists and turns. And just maybe a tall Dwarf and a small dragon can find their place in the universe.

©2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Fun concepts and a unique magic system

The book has a fun take on the genre. Giant dwarves from space with a unique magic system and relatable characters.

A hero Finnegan Dragonbender

Much of this story is built from the world of Michael Anderle in The Magic Compass. The mechanics, who keep Earth running are gnomes called Huldus. Bubbles are the form of magic that magical creatures use. All humans are magical, but our magic has become dormant. A peabrain is that smaller brain buried at the top of your spine along the back of a person’s neck. It is undetected by science and holds the innate magic humans possess. It is the part that contains magic.
Earth is an organic ship with a level of sentience. Everything, even people on earth is cargo. It was pulled into the obit around the sun when a young gnome tried to steer around a meteor shower. He took the curve to sharply and Earth got sucked into the stream of the Milky Way.
Now welcome to Finn’s world. He is a 6ft 5in tall dwarf (and that is the correct term per Finn) who carries an axe called Fragar. He is a hero. I say that because many of our protagonist are anti-heros. Not Finnegan Dragonbender, third son of a dwarf king. His partner is Penny an elf dragon. They have been companions in space enjoying old earth reruns of John Wayne.
They end up on earth and they think they have hit pay dirt, but can they get back home? To navigate our world they have the assistance of an anthropologist, Mila Winters, a peabrain. Even being a peabrain she can take all the magic stuff around her pretty well. They team up together to rescue Mila’s co-worker from Dark Star. There is great fighting action, wit, humor and a little romance. I got a problem with the romance happening so quickly after 3 days. It was an enjoyable story.

6ft 5in Dwarf and a Faery Dragon

I read this book when it was released earlier on this year and loved it (and the next 3 books that followed).

I was very excited to see that it had been released on audio and bought it and listened to it straight away.

Finnegan Dragonbender is a Dwarf, who stands at 6ft 5in short lol. His companion is Penny, a very rare and special Faery Dragon.

Finnegan has been searching for the lost ship earth for a long time so he can meet his idol, John Wayne.

Finn and Penny finally find earth and crash land. Thinking everyone aboard the lost ship (earth) still has magic, he gets confused and calls people peabrains (the term for an awakened magical person). Everyone takes offense at this as it is now seen as an insult.

Finn then meets Mila and the adventures begin. Although her peabrain hasn't awoken, she can see his rune tattoos on his face. Finn can't sense any magic in her, so what is she?

Plenty of action and snark in this book.

I have never listened to this narrator before but Austin does an excellent job on the narration, especially when he's doing Penny's chirps and shrees, and he keeps the story flowing nicely.

This book is from the Terranavis Universe, which also includes The Adventures of Maggie Parker, The Witches of Pressler Street and The Lone Valkyrie.

If you need background on what peabrains are and why the earth is a (space) ship, I recommend you start with The Adventures of Maggie Parker.