I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond Narrator: Helen McAlpine
Series: The Fireborne Blade #1
Published by Macmillan Audio, Tordotcom on May 28, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures
Length: 4 hours 44 minutes
Pages: 176
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm
Kill the dragon. Find the blade. Reclaim her honor.
It’s that, or end up like countless knights before her, as a puddle of gore and molten armor.Maddileh is a knight. There aren’t many women in her line of work, and it often feels like the sneering and contempt from her peers is harder to stomach than the actual dragon slaying. But she’s a knight, and made of sterner stuff.
A minor infraction forces her to redeem her honor in the most dramatic way possible, she must retrieve the fabled Fireborne Blade from its keeper, legendary dragon the White Lady, or die trying. If history tells us anything, it's that “die trying” is where to wager your coin.
Maddileh’s tale contains a rich history of dragons, ill-fated knights, scheming squires, and sapphic love, with deceptions and double-crosses that will keep you guessing right up to its dramatic conclusion. Ultimately, The Fireborne Blade is about the roles we refuse to accept, and of the place we make for ourselves in the world.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
I really enjoyed this book! It is short but the story doesn’t feel small at all. This book had everything I had hoped it would have from the dragons and magic to some huge surprises that left me questioning everything. The characters grew on me over the course of the story and I could not wait to see how things would work out for them in the end. I am so glad that I decided to pick up this entertaining story.
Maddileh is a knight on a quest to retrieve the fireborne blade from a dragon known as the White Lady. This is an impossible task, but she will do her best with the help of her squire, who she doesn’t completely trust. The story jumps back to the past a few times and we get to learn Maddileh’s backstory and a glimpse of how dangerous dragons are. She not only needs to worry about dragons on her quest but the ghosts of others who have died often prove to be just as deadly.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Helen McAlpine did a fantastic job with the narration. The voices she used for both the male and female characters were incredibly well done and helped bring this story to life. This is the first time I have listened to her work as a narrator and must say that I was quite impressed. I am certain that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to others. It is not often that a twist completely surprises me so I was thrilled that this book did exactly that. I found the story to be very exciting with plenty of action (and dragons) to keep me entertained. I am thrilled to see that there will be more books in this series and hope to read those just as soon as I can get my hands on it.
I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and Tordotcom.
Sometimes short is nice. And I do love dragons. 😀
There are so many dragon fantasies these days and I have enjoyed many. I don’t know this one though.
That is short
But it sounds so good
One of my issues with fantasy is that they can be way too long so the length appeals to me. This sounds like a good read and I will have to try the audio.