The Dragon's Blade

The Last Guardian, Book 3

By: Michael R. Miller

Narrated by: Dave Cruse

Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

As winter wanes, the fragile bonds of the Three Races begin to break. With Darnuir recovering from his addiction, and Blaine reclusive in the hallways of his Order, it falls to Lira to manage the mounting tension between the humans and zealous dragons before catastrophe strikes from within the city walls.

In Brevia, King Arkus unveils his new weapons to the Assembly of Lords, but is it a gift to his people or a threat? Cassandra fears the latter and vows to curb her father’s new unchecked power that she herself helped to create. 

And beneath the burned mountain of Kar’drun, Dukoona suffers at the hands of his Master. His one hope now lies in the crippled spectre Sonrid, who is forcing his broken body back to the mountain in order to play his part, or die and be free from his pained existence.

Darnuir awakes weakened and to an alliance on the brink. He must, at last, become the leader the dragons need, but will he be too late to save his people, not just from Rectar, but from years of their own mistakes?

©2018 Michael R. Miller (P)2018 Michael R. Miller

Original story

Miller has given us a very unique take on a fantasy world. Dragons as you've never seen them portrayed, heroes in many shapes and types, and magic comes at a cost. Good versus evil on many fronts. Highly enjoyable.

Audiobooks can been made or ruined by the narrator. Cruse was magnificent in his narration. Despite a huge cast of characters, their voices were done expertly. Each character's voice (male or female) was consistent and distinct. He has emerged as a outstanding talent. I was very impressed.

A fitting end

This series is one of the more original fantasy genre I’ve had the privilege of reading. Please do not read this without reading the first two books—you will be horribly lost. The narration is excellent and I will be seeking out other books read by Dave Cruse in the future as he truly brought the book to life.

If you are on the fence for this series please just read it, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy it.

Parents: there is some mild language and quite a bit of war/gore. Beyond that I’d deem this appropriate for 14 or older.

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

A good finish to a good series

I received a free audio copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This isn’t a single book review, but a trilogy review, so it may look a little different to the normal one. Darnuir, Prince of Dragons, is reborn twenty years after his arrogance causes a split among the races of his land. The Dragons (not the big scaly ones, although it does suggest they were once like that), are super soldiers, protectors of the land from the Shadow (Rectar), who doesn’t require an introduction. The story, in its essence, tells of Darnuir’s efforts to reunite the land against its frightening foe, one who can turn people to his side with ease. Can the reborn Dragon (sorry for WOT reference) learn from his earlier mistakes and...well, you get the gist. Just for the record, it’s not all plain sailing. Here are my thoughts on the book(s):
The Reborn King - the first book in the series was actually the weakest, and this is actually a shame, because the trilogy as a whole is an enjoyable read. The problem with TRK is it doesn’t really have a whole lot going on except for Darnuir discovering who he is and what his powers are. It’s not awful, but there’s certainly a lot of talk. But, trust me, it’s worth sticking with
Veiled Intentions - here’s something you don’t hear every day. Book two, at least in my amateur opinion, is actually the best of the bunch. Rectar’s plan to rule the land begins to escalate, and he leads his army on a rampage with only the Splintering Isles, a small island with few warriors, standing in his way. If Rectar can win here, Darnuir will not have time to rally the other races to his cause. There are also signs of fracture among Darnuir’s people, and the hopes of alliance are slim
The Last Guardian - a good finish to the series. Darnuir has sent out emissaries to raise extra allies, but they are constantly beset by Rectar and his minions. But wait. Not only are there problems in Darnuir’s camp, but there seems to be dissent in Rectar’s too, which suggests the Shadow’s control is not what he believes. The alliance still struggles to get humans on board as the king of Brevia continues to thumb his nose at Darnuir. Can his daughter Cassandra sway his mind, or will the alliance of races fall before it has its day in the sun?
Good story. It’s not overly original, but it is fun, with some races that appear a little different to the norm. The conflict throughout, right up to the end, keeps you guessing as to whether Darnuir and Co will succeed. The various conflicts, on both sides, is nicely done and believable, and the characters are generally likeable, or eeevvviiillll. The plot is the best part of the book though, ticking over throughout and always keeping us on our toes and causing us to question if we believe we know what will happen
Finally, the narrator. He did a great job mostly, adding the right tone when required, and mixing humour with gravitas. If I had one complaint, and it may not have been his decision, the use of traditional accents (Scottish and so forth) to identify the various different races has been done to death and never really been a great idea. Perhaps mixing accents or trying new ones might have been a better idea. Then again, this could be applied to a hundred different books.
Verdict
After a rocky start, things heat up in a hurry as the trilogy progresses.

Talking heads

The entire series is mostly a bunch of talking the little bit of action was somewhat entertaining for a bit but mostly it was just boring. Almost none of the characters are likable least of all the principals. I listened to the entire thing hoping for something redeeming but it was a disappointment from start to finish. It was a waste of time and money.

Kept bringing me back.

Would get busy and not listen for a while. Sometimes for weeks, yet I would always come back. Like an old friend who you are completely comfortable with, I could pick up as if no time had gone by. Ejoyed the story and narration equally.

an amazing read. and beautiful end to the series

such a great book. I really enjoyed it. the story unfolded and had me guessing over and over again, the story had a beautiful ending and story that I've not seen before and wasn't just another copy and paste of another story with a land of fantasy and dragons and humans and all the other races.

An Epic Conclusion

The Last Guardian finishes up The Dragon's Blade trilogy and it is excellent. The Three Races teeters on a knife's edge as they are left trying to pick up the pieces enough for the final assault on Kar'drun. Darnuir fights his battle with magic addiction, Blaine is a shell of his former self and tensions are rising between dragons and humans.

This was an epic conclusion to The Dragon's Blade trilogy. As much as it's an end-all battle with Rectar, himself, it's just as much a struggle between three races that can't let go of their pasts. King Arkus continues to spiral out of control (or at least shows his true nature) with regards to his beliefs on dragons and The Three Races are on the verge of collapse. Even if Darnuir can defeat Rectar, he may have another battle to fight that could sever the ties between The Three Races for good.

I love the epic final battle, but loved the chess match between The Three Races as well. Michael Miller did a great job of weaving these story lines together and you can understand why each race behaves the way they do. I'm a little disappointed this series is at an end because I enjoyed it so much. It's a great fantasy adventure and I definitely recommend it.

As always, Dave Cruse nails the narration. He did a great job throughout this series and this book is no exception to that. I had no complaints about his work.

*I received a free copy of this audiobook and am leaving a voluntary review. My thoughts and opinions are my own and genuine.

Well Developed Story

This is an Epic story in grandeur and all that the main character Dainier tries to take on. To bring all beings into acceptance, from dragon, troll, human etc. into a new paradigm. I have both the audio book and the trilogy. I chose to go for the audio book when I fell on the ice this winter and was laid up. Wow! I was not not disappointed. I love the narrator's voice, Dave Cruse, and his inflections on the different characters made it even more entertaining. I was thoroughly hooked on the story and the different take the author has on dragons, trolls and others plus his evil characters. The characters are very well developed and believable in their rolls. For lovers of sword and sorcery this is truly an adventure that is engrossing and one I looked forward to hear everyday. A page turner I highly recommend.

fantastic ending to the series

Miller has matured as a writer . Excellent story , built on the previous books.... profound and exciting equal measure .

Unexpected

Darnuir finally awakens from his addiction induced coma to turmoil and conflict between the races. The connection he once worked so hard to build before the last battle is almost frayed beyond repair, and with the looming fight seemingly days away, he must find a way to unite everyone, and build their strengths & defences in time for the final battle.

A good read. Not at all how I thought it would end though.

loved this story

loved it and had to re-listen to it for a second time. well written story !