Dragon Redeemer, by author Amy Bearce, is the third installment the authors World of Aluvia series. Nellwyn (Nell) Brennan was first introduced in Fairy Keeper in something of an antagonistic role. She served as a foil for Sierra, with a more aggressive personal style. Nell was an enforcer for the ruthless gang of drug-dealing alchemists who was doing what she had to for her family's safety. Nell has struggled with the role she's found herself in the last few years--acting as an unwilling mouthpiece for a mysterious voice advocating balance among all creatures and proper stewardship of the world (usually at the least opportune of times).

Nell has gotten somewhat used to the voice taking over whenever it decides a message needs to be relayed, but she's not entirely at peace with it, nor with having given up her identity as a warrior to learn how to be a healer instead. While her boyfriend Corbin is thrilled with her transition into a peaceful way of life, Nell feels like she's setting aside an integral part of who she is. As a former enforcer, she finds peace and quiet somewhat binding, and realizes that she's actually missing her days of wielding her sword.

This conflict - both within herself and between her and Corbin - comes into sharp focus when the group learns that a magic-user calling himself The Dragon is drawing out all the rats to him including former friends of hers like Jason. The Dragon plans to take over the world and declare all magical creatures - such as fairies, mer-folk, fauns and dragons - as subservient to humans, who can use them and their magical abilities however they want. Now it is Nell's time to stand and deliver while traveling to a far off land to find the legendary Tree of Life and the Sword of Aluvia which is said to have powerful properties or fade away to the background while a new villain rises up and attempts to take over Aluvia.

The final book in the "World of Aluvia" series wraps up the stories of our six heroes - Sierra, Micah, Phoebe, Tristan, Nell and Corbin - quite nicely. While all six are involved, though, this is truly Nell's story. The task for Nell is nearly impossible; somehow find a way to combine sea and land and sky magic, and defeat a powerful Dragon who has been using dark magic to enslave creatures. But with her friends by her side until the end when she's given an even more impressive task; freeing Dragons, Snow Sprites, and Wind Steeds.

I liked reading Nell's interior fight. The world-building was well done, and the characters had personality, though not as three dimensional as I would have liked. The beginning was a little slow but it picked up. I liked seeing the characters grow.

All the main characters in this series have their tailor-made love interests...that's really cliche. The romance felt forced and unnatural.

This is not only the first 'fantasy' novel I've ever picked up but also the first in this series (silly of me to start at book 3 I know!) - what an eye opener!!!!

I have been really missing out on this genre and Amy Bearce's Dragon Redeemer was an amazing place for me to start my journey into this genre.

Whilst I'm sure I would have enjoyed reading the first 2 stories in the arc, it was not a necessity to read them and I don't feel as though I missed out on any information that took away from this plot which is great.

I enjoyed the journey into this magical world where mystical creatures and humans live together side by side - and DRAGONS!? What's not to love!

Nell is an amazing character and lead - a strong, fierce woman who keeps her weapons at her side and is a little rough around the edges, Nell is a very likeable character and you find yourself rooting for her very early on in the story. She does the best with what she has and is loyal to her people.

All in all, a really enjoyable story from start to finish and has definitely opened me up to trying more fantasy type novels!

This was written well enough I didn't have to read the prior stories to thoroughly enjoy it! Amy wrote her characters with a wonderful amount of depth and made you really feel the struggle Nell was going through. It was a fun and fast paced story and will do well on a library shelf!
This was read as an ARC through netgalley.com.

Now I hadn't read that plot summary before I started reading this and I will confess I started the novel pretty confused as to what was going on and why I was supposed to care about various characters, but this book does a pretty good job of explaining what's happened previously (without doing a TV style roundup on the first page). So quite quickly it's clear who you're supposed to be rooting for and what she's currently up to.

Aluvia is an interesting name for a world, not the most creative I've come across but at least it isn't difficult to work out how to pronounce it. Now this is a world with magical creatures, we've got Dragons, Snow Sprites, Wind Steeds (flying flaming wind horses) and we've also got merfolk and fairies. I have a feeling that the real benefit to reading the first two books in this series would be getting a better feel for what the original state of affairs for these creatures was because I'm still not sure I fully comprehend what went down. But the world is interesting (mainly because dragons and mermaids). What we don't really understand, maybe because it was explained earlier and I haven't read it yet, is how magic works. It would appear it can be put into people through various means but the affect of this and why this is the case was never made clear. Probably my fault for starting at book three.

Nell is a cool character. She's a warrior who has had to accept a whole other mantle and run with it when really what she wants to be doing (at least some of the time) is hitting things with a large sword. Now I can relate to that, quite a lot of the time I would like to hit things with a large sword instead of dealing with them diplomatically.

The side characters were also really cool and it is basically for them that I want to read the first two books in this series. I'm intrigued as to how this band got together and I think the first two books will hold the answers. I mean fairy keepers and mermaids? That's my Christmas.

The main thing I didn't enjoy as much as I might have done was the romance. So often the benefit to starting a series nearer the middle/end is the main romance is already established and you can just enjoy it without all the angst. But in this instance there was still so much angst and just irritating mollycoddling which made me really dislike the main romantic interest. I wanted to like him but just couldn't get past my annoyance, die hard fans please feel free to let me know how wrong I am.

I thought that this book was well set out, well paced and well written. It didn't come across as overly descriptive and nor was it lacking. The plot felt well thought out and was realised in a timely way so you didn't feel rushed or confused and have to go back and reread exactly what happened. There was a good old fashioned scooby doo villain in a mask reveal that I won't spoil but to be honest, it is kind of predictable.

Also, there are dragons in this, fairly standard fantasy dragons, nothing particularly new about them, but they did make me very happy.

Final thoughts

I enjoyed reading this book, it caught me up and I wanted to know how the story ended. I'm not waxing lyrical about it now that it's over but I will attempt to find copies of the first two books to flesh out my knowledge of the world. Maybe once I've managed that we'll find ourselves back here for a recap? Only time will tell.

My rating: 3/5 I liked this but I didn't love it.

Dragon Redeemer publishes May 23rd so you've got just enough time to grab yourself a copy either online or in a bookshop (support local business people!).

J

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher (Curiosity Quills Press) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I wouldn't recommend a book if I didn't genuinely enjoy it.

I rarely mention book covers but the one for Dragon Redeemer is a near perfect representation of the story and of Nell. Nell is a warrior first. She keeps her weapons near and dresses in clothes she can move in easily. She is always ready for a fight. Her aggressive stance, her eyes staring directly out of the page whisper, “I see you…” It must have been horrible the first time the Voice took over her body. To lose control and become so vulnerable and unable to defend herself.

I have yet to read Fairy Keeper. It is waiting patiently on my bookshelf (books are very patient). The second book in The World of Aluvia, Mer-Charmer, barely has Nell in it at all. The little bit I saw of her left me thinking she was a benign peace-keeper; someone who kept Sierra in line.

From the very beginning of Dragon Redeemer Amy Bearce ensures that we know Nell loves to fight. Nell loves to win and she rarely loses. Despite being the one the Voice has chosen to speak through, Nell hasn’t let go of her warrior heart and she doesn’t want to. She still practices her skills alone in the woods and gets to use them a little whenever Jasper and other members of his crew come to hassle her. Before she was just a body for the Voice to use. Now the Voice has begun to speak directly to her, in her head. How will her friends react when she tells them she hears Voice?

Aluvia is healing. Magic has returned to the land and the sea. Peace is spreading. Then a new threat comes to claim Aluvia for himself. The Dragon has found a way to control not just dragons but all the magical creatures of the Ice-Locked Lands. With their magic his to command, The Dragon plans to take over the whole of Aluvia within a matter or days or weeks. Thankfully, the Voice can tell Nell and her friends how to stop him IF Nell can keep her head and heart under control. A hard job when she’s been poisoned with The Dragon’s magic-stealing, soul-destroying potion.

I love that Nell is the warrior and chosen leader of Aluvia while Corbin, her beloved, is the one who dreams about the figurative little house and white picket fence. He wants Nell to become a healer and settle into his home community in peace. It is the biggest barrier to their future because Nell wonders if Corbin really knows her in those moments. She is a warrior and a good one but he worries every time she pulls out her sword. Once the Voice begins to speak to her privately, Nell begins to wonder if she even has a choice about her future. The Voice has a plan for her and she might have to give in to it… or lose her heart to The Dragon’s poison.

When I was contacted for the chance to read this book, I was so excited! I had absolutely loved the first two books in the series. This third one did not disappoint and I finished within two days of starting it.

The third installment in the World of Aluvia series, is about Nell Brennan. Nell is rough around the edges but is doing her best to bring messages of peace and healing to Aluvia. Compared to the heroines of the first two novels, Nell is more of a warrior who is struggling to find a place in the world that is not related to the battlefield. She also has a hard time trusting in herself and others as she as been hurt deeply in the past but it does not stop her from trying her hardest to do what is right. It also takes her time to appreciate and accept the "magical" gift that was given to her.

Amy Bearce has created such a beautiful, magical world where humans and magical beings live together side by side. Her writing is very descriptive and easy to follow. I also enjoy that each installment is somewhat connected and that you can see what is happening in the same world, with the same characters but each story is told from someone else's point of view. You do not need to read the first two novels to read this one, but I would recommend reading them in order as there are a few (very) minor parts that may make more sense if you do.

I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys fantasy, YA novels!

Dragon Redeemer is book 3 of a series, before this one I only read the first book. Even though I haven't read the second book of this series, there is only a little information lost but I still enjoyed the book.

Very nice storyline for Nell. The beginning was a little slow.

I really enjoyed the story and seeing the characters grow, and learning more about the setting and mythology of the magic of Aluvia.