I received the ALC from Dream Scape Media. Meh is all I can really say about this book. The best part was how great the narrators were. Talons depression was exhausting and Calista is annoying, and the plot holes were too abundant to not focus on. I won’t be reading or listening the next book/ series revolving around Lily.

In this conclusion to the series, everything was wrapped up in an HEA.

The big showdown between Talon and his uncle that was hyped to death for the first three and a half books was oddly brief.

The female narrator always sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

3.75 stars ⭐️

The crazy thing was that I read the first two books in this series, but somehow missed book 3. When I was awarded this ARC, I had no clue that I had missed a book until I started and after about 10 minutes, I started thinking, "Uh oh, I can't seem to remember how we got here ...exactly?" I have a kind of weird thing about NOT reading books out of order, but for some reason, I decided to go ahead and just go on with this book. I do not think that it negatively impacted the enjoyment of this book - so that is a good thing.

While this isn't the last book in this series, it IS the last book in this particular story arc - with the MC's of Talon and Calista.

I will say that thee was a lot of action in this book. From the very beginning, everyone is traveling across the seas for one war, then come back and end up fighting in ANOTHER war. so there is a lot of drama.

The main focus of the story though is that we have finally gotten to the end result of the agreement that Talon entered into to gain his powers over the dead. It is time to pay the piper. This book is more emotional than the previous books - or at least I do not remember the other books being emotional at this time.

There are all kinds of fun things going on - action, drama, dragons, underworld gods, war, captive dragons, and vengeance. Sounds fun, right?

I will say this one thing. After reading the story promo for book 5 - there is absolutely NO way that I am interested in continuing with this series. That takes nothing away from the first 4 books in this series - it is just going in a direction that I do not think I could stomach. I gasped just reading the promo. No....just no.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this audio ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on Jan 07, 2025.

The Dragon Queen is the conclusion to Penelope Bassetti’s "Death" series. Despite it being my first encounter with Bassetti's works, I found it easy to dive into this final book without having read the first three books. However, this experience has certainly sparked my curiosity to explore the rest of the series.
The story centers around Talon, a former pirate determined to reclaim his rightful throne from his uncle, King Barron. Talon's journey is rife with peril and uncertainty, as he doesn’t expect to survive this war. Yet, his unwavering resolve to face his uncle keeps him moving forward. Does King Barron know his newphew survived these past 20 years and does he suspect him to be the death king.

At the heart of this tale is the relationship between Talon and Calista, evolving from enemies to lovers. Their romance adds a layer to the story, as well as Talon grappling with the decision to forsake Queen Eldinar for personal happiness and live out his life with Calista or embrace his fate.

Think dragons🐉 elves, 🧝‍♀️pirates, 🏴‍☠️underworld, 🪦kingdom 👑and ⚔️war.

An enjoyable read, I did think this book would focus more on Calista, considering its title, The Dragon Queen. I would like to thank NetGalley for providing an audiobook copy of this novel and Penelope Bassetti for the opportunity to review it in exchange for an honest review.

This is a captivating read that will sweep fans of fantasy romance and dark, adventurous tales off their feet, particularly those who crave enemies-to-lovers stories, heart-pounding action, and the thrill of discovering hidden secrets and magic.

21% in... I STG if this dude kills another person in her family I will be PISSED if she don't drop his ass.
48% in... CHILDREN???? Nah, F*ck off dude.
Okay, I'm done! I LOVED the ending!

About this listen
Talon says the most horrible thing—that he doesn’t expect to survive the war.It’s an outcome I don’t want to consider. My whole life has been an endless reign of suffering until I found him. He was the one who caused this misery—but he’s also the one that healed it. Happiness is a terrifying joy, because once you have it, all you can think about is the moment you lose it.It’s been decades since Talon has been to the Southern Isles, the place that had been his home for most of his life. Ethan says the place has changed, that the citizens are locked inside the kingdoms, that sailors can’t get into port without an inspection, that the people are starving from a mysterious plague.Before the battle can commence, we need to know what we’re up against, so I volunteer to enter the castle as a maid and report everything I know. I’m not there for a week before I see that Barron is exactly the swine that Talon says he is. It’s there that I discover a horrid list of truths.It’s there that I discover the Southern Isles have been destroyed by a dictator, and Barron is already prepared for war—because he knows exactly who the Death King is.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for this ALC!

The Dragon Queen
Death Series, Book 4
By Penelope Barsetti
Narrated by Ramona Master, Michael Ferraiuolo
Release date 01-07-25
Length 10 hrs and 18 mins
Publisher Dreamscape Media

This series is THE ONE if you love…
🖤⚔️True enemies to lovers⚔️🖤
❤️‍🔥🔥🌶️A hot a steamy connection🌶️🔥❤️‍🔥
🥵A hot MMC hell bent on vengeance😡
🐉Dragons!🐉
✨Gods and goddesses ✨
👑 rival for the crown👑
Trigger warnings: “open door” sexual content, abuse, rape, unaliving of children not in explicit detail, but in context of the story

This last book in The Death Series was action-packed from the first page. I was so invested emotionally with these main characters at this point that I could not wait to see it play out. The MMC had gotten himself in and predicament seemingly impossible to come back from, and the heartache from all the main characters, including dragons, was palpable and agonizing as a reader too. That’s when you know the author has you really hooked with their words and plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this final piece of Calista and Talon’s story and loved the conclusion. There were a couple characters in the series that seemed to “Fall off of the story, however, so I was a little disappointed to not learn of their fates. I’m giving this book the max 5 stars it has rightfully earned. Thanks so much for to NetGalley and publisher for an amazing read of The Dragon Queen in exchange for my honest review. I’m so sad it’s over but relished the ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great continuation of this series. This book was so well done and was a great reading experience. I am loving this series so much.

The Dragon Queen
by Penelope Barsetti
Narrated by Ramona Master; Michael Ferraiuolo


Audiobook rating : 4 stars
Book rating : 3 stars
Overall rating : 3.5 stars

This series comes to an end with the fourth book the dragon queen. Writing was good so was the audiobook. Both the narrators are good but the male narrator was just amazing, his voice changes were done so good.

I have problem with the plot. The war between Baron and Talon should have been much furious than it was actually shown in the book. It just felt so underwhelming after hyping it up for 3 books that it disappointed me. The war takes place in initial parts of the book and then another war rages which I feel was again underwhelmed given the amount of harm done in the process.

I felt that there should have been more action which I even felt in book 3. Also Callista doesn't really do anything in the book, not this one not even earlier one. It made me even more disappointed. Four books down the lane, and she can't even fight properly. I do not like the books where women do not really do anything. I liked Queen Eldinar's character in previous book but in this book she seemed far too immature and not something a queen who has lived for a very long time will behave.

Overall the audiobook is nicely done but the book falls short .

Thank you Netgalley and dreamscape media for the book.

I wasn't sure how this story would go, but I really enjoyed it. The story revolves around a man named Talon, who is working with dragons and others to defeat the King of the Underworld and all his minions. Usually, I don't like dragon stories but this one was written very well and had a lot of unique situations and ways in which dragons interact with humans. The narrator did an excellent job including different voices for the various characters. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an advance copy of this audiobook, in return for an honest review.

ROAR!!! I was so satisfied with this ending. So many twists and turns to get there but well worth the emotional ups and downs along the way. Talon, Calista and everyone, including a bunch of pirates fight to get back his kingdom. After the win, there is a BIG twist and it takes an emotional toll before recovery. Well worth the rollercoaster to get to the good stuff.

I didn’t realize it was already booked 4 so I quick had to catch up but this is an amazing series! I really enjoyed it!
Everything I wanted and more!

This one wasn't my favorite. There's nothing "dragon queen-ish" about this book 🤷‍♀️ I expected it to be more about Calista, but even after he died, it was more about Talon.

I enjoyed this series, but it wasn't for me overall. I really enjoyed the narration and how this author incorporates world building into her stories. This world is magical and wonderful and I am super thankful to have received this audiobook!

I could not access all of the previous books so I was a little lost on this book. I did find 2 of the first books so I got some background but this felt a little thin to me. The narrators deserve a special mention though as they really made it come alive.

Penelope Barsetti delivers a dramatic conclusion to The Dragon Queen with a mix of high stakes, romance, and intrigue. Talon and Cassandra’s journey is marked by sacrifice, resilience, and the unrelenting pursuit of a better future. The Southern Isles, once Talon’s home, become a battlefield of political strife and personal redemption, with Cassandra’s daring infiltration adding tension and suspense.

The dual POVs provide an intimate look into both protagonists' fears and desires, bringing a strong emotional resonance to the narrative. Talon’s vulnerability and Cassandra’s courage shine through, showing their growth as individuals and as a couple. The narration by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo elevates the experience, adding depth and emotional texture to the characters.

While the book boasts well-executed editing and a satisfying arc for the main characters, the pacing sometimes feels uneven, oscillating between rushed developments and prolonged scenes. Some plot points remain unresolved, leaving readers with anticipation for the next installment.

Overall, The Dragon Queen wraps up the series with compelling character development and an engaging storyline, despite minor flaws in pacing. Fans of the series will find it a bittersweet and satisfying read.
You're right—let me expand on that.

The narration by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo deserves special mention. Both narrators bring a unique and engaging depth to their respective characters. Ramona Master captures Cassandra’s strength, vulnerability, and determination with grace, while Michael Ferraiuolo delivers Talon’s intensity and emotional complexity with a commanding presence. Their voices complement each other perfectly, immersing listeners in the story and enhancing the emotional impact of key scenes. The dual narration truly elevates the audiobook experience.

I still don’t know exactly how I feel about this. Calista is such a side character and given the name of the book I thought she was finally going to get her moment. Yet I feel like it never happened. The big battle was much less big than I expected and even the next part seemed to feel both rushed and dragged on. I think the dragged on part is just due to Calista’s whining. I have an hard time giving examples without giving away too many spoilers….

Overall I did enjoy the series and this book did wrap it up but I can’t help but feel like it was missing something.

The Dragon Queen- book 4 in The Death series.

I needed more time with Calista (and not the jealous Calista) in this book, and also not so much "relasionship drama" but otherwise a great ending for the story about Talon & Calista.
The tension and action is captivating, the dragons are great and the worldbuilding is so nicely done.

The dark romance got more grey vs the beginning of the series, and the story got maybe a little too long... But still a solid action-packed romantasy.
The 5th book (a sequel to the series) sounds really good, so I might be back 😉

3,5-4 stars and a thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC

This book was an easy ready for me, but I did not love it, I’m not entirely sure what I didn’t enjoy, as weird as that sounds. The book just wasn’t overly rememberable for me.

Unfortunately it was a no for me

It’s an easy read but gave me nothing and the 2 stars was because it was easy, essentially I was just was just staring at the time waiting for it to finish.

I don’t think the title to be honest had reverence as much as it should have because it was not about her.
But it was just a bit blahhh.

The story line is there but the writing just wasn’t great
I’m so sorry

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review