Dragon Trial by Debbie Cassidy – A Book Review

Posted April 13, 2020 by Booksandblurbs in Fantasy, Reverse Harem, Reviews / 1 Comment

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Dragon Trial

(Dragon Guard – Book 1)

by Debbie Cassidy
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Fantasy, Slow Burn RH
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down & Dirty

Brand new Fantasy comes to play with a badass Female Main Character, a fantastic best friend and enough action to satisfy even the most stalwart of Fantasy Fans. Oh, and there are dragons! Free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

The stories say that the dragons saved humanity, but all they left were ashes, cinder, and a new breed of human. Welcome to the Outlands, where nobody cares if you scream.

Rogue, Fighter, survivor. I have many roles, but my only purpose is to protect my loved ones and make a better life for them. It’ll take one more job to make my dream a reality.

But fate, the uncooperative bitch, stands ready to twist the knife.

Taken by Dragon bloods, the better-looking result of human and dragon unions, I’m caged and forced to fight in the arena for their amusement.

They want me to bleed, but I’ll be damned if I’ll kiss the sand for them

But there is more to the Arena’s purpose than meets the eye, and I’m beginning to believe that all the stories I’ve been told may be nothing more than fiction. With the help of a man with eyes like flame, and his arrogant, incorrigible brother, I may just survive to find out the truth.

The Bloods are close to executing an awful plan, and the only way to stop them is to escape. My family wait for me. My dream awaits, and freedom will be mine.

Note:

A kick-ass fantasy with a slow burn why-choose romance. Fans of Rise of the Iliri and War of the Gods will love The Dragon Guard series.

Thoughts on Dragon Trial

I adore Debbie Cassidy…. every series she produces is just so different from the rest, and this addition is no different! Taking a sharp turn from Urban Fantasy or even the Paranormal Romance, we venture into Fantasy, finding a dystopian like world ravaged by time, magic and a war no one saw coming.

Misunderstandings and desperation have created four very distinct types of people in this new and dangerous world, the Skins and Bloods, and the Dreki and Humans from which they descended from. It’s complicated, messed up and bloody, and it only gets worse when the war that has been held at a stalemate on the Eastern border is brought to life again as the Bloods devise a way to win…. at the expense of the Skins. Like I said, it’s messed up, but oh so fascinating!

Anya, a Skin by birth (part Dreki, part Human), is a kick butt heroine just trying to survive with her family and her best friend. When a mission goes awry, she is thrown into the deep end of a saga she can barely grasp, yet somehow is down right in the middle of. So begins a tale that weaves through mythology, history and the lands, dancing with magic and gritty humor. It’s rough, often funny and very, very bloody. Cheers!

*I received an ARC of this book and I am thrilled to share my honest opinion!*

Pros:

Very well written.
Atypical FMC, I rather love her.
Helgiel…. #FriendGoals.
Foreshadowing hints at what is coming, but this is Debbie Cassidy…. so it probably won’t fall out like we think.
Well edited.

Cons:

Some parts are a bit confusing at first, but clear on a reread.

Perspective

First Person, Single POV

Ending Type

Cliffhanger

Rating

R to mature

Romantic Dynamic

MMMF or MMMMF

Character Age Range

22+

My Final Verdict on Dragon Trial

This book holds all the earmarks of an Epic Fantasy, while holding tight to the ideals of a slow burn Reverse Harem. Gritty, action filled and fairly funny, this is the perfect escape. Free on Kindle Unlimited!

Published April 9th, 2020
238 Pages