*This book was received via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
An orphan searching for her future unlocks a destiny she never imagined…
War has engulfed Destia, reaching even the remote country-side, where foundling Eva Thirsk lives. When army recruiters come to town, Eva sees a chance to find a place where she truly belongs—something she’s never found on her adopted family’s farm. She enlists, hoping for adventure…and perhaps a chance to learn what happened to her parents.
But when one of her missions goes disastrously wrong, a powerful enemy is accidentally freed. The Venistrare Warlock, sealed away eons ago to protect Destia, has been unleashed—and things begin to change for Eva.
Strange visions, an electric sense of energy, and an odd feeling of deep connection to Perrell, the pack dragon she’s befriended… If she didn’t know better, Eva would think she’s somehow gained magic. Including the ability to bond to a dragon, but that’s not possible at her age…is it?
As the war rages on, the stakes grow higher each day. Can Eva and Perrell figure out Eva’s new powers in time—or will they be consumed by the fires of annihilation?
My Thoughts
Pack Dragon by Eva Richardson is the first book of a new series, Dragon Defenders of Destia Part One. This book was released September 27, 2023.
This is a slow moving YA Fantasy. Even though it’s slow, you are still drawn in to the characters, specifically Eva, and wanting to know more about her mysterious past and where life will take her. There is also a bit of description, which adds to the slow moving feeling.
I’m not sure about Oliver in places. There are a few scenes which have me wondering how real he is. There is a moment towards the end where Oliver and Eva are trying to figure out what the enemy is up to, and I totally expected Oliver to figure it out, but it was Eva who chimed in. It also feels like Eva gets lucky a few times in her fights. She struggled in training, and is just learning about some new abilities of hers, but seems to be able to manage the fighting with these new abilities with extreme precision.
The world feels like the usual, medieval like fantasy world with dragons. As Eva and others visit places, that’s when we learn about those areas.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much about this book to have it stand out from other fantasy books. Overall, I gave this 3.5 stars of 5. It was somewhat entertaining, and it did let me forget about reality for a while.