The Fire King

By: Kevin Hopson

Narrated by: Terry Jenkins

Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The planet Oabrora faces a perpetual winter after a human mage, Vico, causes all of the volcanos in the dragon homeland of Jifihx to erupt. Three dragon siblings (Mianth, Tulvir, and Hirador) survive the blast and set out on a journey to bring Vico to justice. However, when they cross paths with two humans, they discover a far worse enemy than Vico.

©2017 Kevin Hopson (P)2017 Kevin Hopson

Young adult fantasy

The story is well written as a young adult fantasy story. This was a great listen for my sons who enjoyed it with me. As an adult it was lacking in the depth I have come to expect in a fantasy novel. The narrator did a great job and the author streamlined a story that if flushed out would rival any epic fantasy novel out there. Great stuff. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Dragons' quest for revenge...

Would you listen to The Fire King again? Why?

Probably yes. It's a short listen and quite a good adventure with dragons as the main characters and humans as the villains... It's also intriguing enough to engage the listener, even though I'd like to have some more world-building or a little bit more background information of what happened to the world before the book starts...

What did you like best about this story?

The main characters - the dragon siblings Mianth, Tulvir and Hirador. They are very human in their behaviour, so much so that their personalities make the listener/reader forget they are dragons, except in a few action-packed scenes of fights/battles... Compared to them the human characters in the story are definitely less interesting, less developed, we don't know enough of them to really care what happens to them - that's the weakness of the story, and that's why I've given it only 4 stars.
Also, the first part (the book consists of two parts) was dragging a little, although there was a good twist ending it; the second part was a little bit more logical. Still I found some scenes unnecessary or confusing as to their purpose for the plotline, one scene particularly so (no details for the "no spoilers" reason:))...
But on the whole the storyline is interesting and the pace is quite fast, with some good descriptions of dragons fighting their enemies. And I think young(er) readers/listeners will like the book a lot more than (older) grown-ups, though:)

What does Terry Jenkins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Terry Jenkins' narration is good, I liked the voices he gave all the characters, especially the dwarf (sorry, no name here as I only listened to the book and have no idea how to spell his name:)). I've given the performance 4 stars instead of 5 because at times the narration seemed a little flat (for the lack of a better word...) - Mr Jenkins is great at reading dialogues, but a little monotonous when reading the narrator's parts...
On the other hand, I loved Mr Jenkins' interpretation of all the male characters; each one of them was perfect and each "voice" excellently conveyed the personality of the given character. Female characters were also well done, though it's always more difficult to voice well the characters of the opposite sex:)

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

As it is a rather short audiobook (a little less than 3 hrs) it can easily be listened to in one sitting; it's also interesting enough to make you want to do it without taking breaks:)

Any additional comments?

DISCLAIMER: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Sci-fi? No. It's an YA story.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not really. The book is categorized, imo. This isn't a sci-fi book from any angle. It's a YA story. I do read YA novels and some of my friends do too. But this particular book didn't quite make a good impression in that genre either.

What could Kevin Hopson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Imagining that the author was really going for a YA Fantasy genre, the book would've fared better if the story lasted longer and had more depth. With its short runtime, the characters got no time to develop or make any lasting impression on me. The story itself went by too fast. And I moved on as soon as the story was over. That's not sign of a good book. That's just my experience with the book though.

Any additional comments?

I voluntarily received a free copy of this book from the author / narrator / publisher and I'm leaving an unbiased review.

Dragons meeting teenagers

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I realised it was a YA book after getting this book. I figured I'd give it a chance.
The storyline is going at a really fast pace. I would of like if the plots were more detailed instead of going from one quest to the other with no rest. This book could of be divided in several longer books.
The teenagers just met the dragons and already they were at the end of a some extraordinary journey with nonstop epic twists, but it felt like everything happened in 2 or 3 days.

Would you recommend The Fire King to your friends? Why or why not?

If I had teenage nephews or nieces who were into fantasy, I would recommend it to them.

Could you see The Fire King being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

May be a cartoon.
Or a teenage tv series or animated series

Any additional comments?

The narrator did a good job.
"This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."

The Fire King

I really liked this book. The story was based on a dragon's point of view. The narrator did a great job with the various characters voices which made following who was speaking. I look forward to the next book in the series.

A good YA fantasy story

3.5/5

With the opening line of "I say we kill every human left" Kevin Hopson opens up The Fire King with a kick and goes from there.

The story follows three dragon siblings, as they journey through a post-apocalyptic realm (someone has caused a lot of volcanoes to erupt, blanketing the area and causing an unnatural winter), to find the perpetrator and get revenge. The dragons, against their better judgement, befriend a couple of teenage humans who help them on their quest.

The story moves very quickly from one point to another, possibly too quickly, with little description of events and actions. Much of the story is told in discussion between the characters, which enables Hopson to use best the limited space of the book to give each character clear personalities and preferences. The dynamics between the characters (especially the dragon siblings) was well done and made them feel realistic.

At under three hours The Fire King is a quick read, but it is enjoyable and it is never dull.


Narration is also 3.5/5

Terry Jenkins starts a bit rough but gets into it as the book proceeds. Initially he is a bit shaking, not providing a proper flow and having some awkward pauses mid sentence (I assume at the end of lines or pages), but this eventually disappears. Jenkins provides a variety of character voices, enabling the listener to keep the individual characters clear and distinct. He also acts out the parts, imbibing them with the required emotions and characteristics. Overall an enjoyable listen, once it got moving.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Decent book and story.

It has potential to be a good book but I think it was to short for such a story. The author did a good job bring it to the points needed but a whole lot of details I think could be added.

I do like how the author created the multiple class/ color of the dragon and the magic they do. Even had some undead in the story.

I think I would have enjoyed the book a bit more with a different narrator. I did make t think the voices went well with the characters he was trying to build on. I am an narrator snob and will listen to some books that I have no interest in just for the narrator, so it may be that I am too rough on him.

All in all do the sample. If the narrator is OK to you then worth the listen.

Great story idea poor execution

This had a good story idea however the lack of action, way too much telling I don’t mind some but it was like 75 percent telling what’s going on, and there was way too many dialogue tags that distract you from the story and not just the Swiss but other type as well.

Easy Listening; No Fluff

The book is easy to follow and has a simple story line. The book isn't bogged down with transition scenes and it's pretty straight to the point. There are limited characters so it's easy to keep track of everyone.
I enjoyed the dynamic of the main dragon group and their various roles and personalities.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Review of The Fire King

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”
If you enjoy 2-3 hour long books, this will be an enjoyable listen. A short story set in the fantasy of dragons, dwarfs and magicians. Action and adventure with a good ending.