“Dragon Blood: Omnibus” by. Lindsay Buroker
A Book Review with SPOILERS

I loathe washing dishes. Every day sometimes two or three times a day, it is never-ending. It’s not so much the act of washing dishes I hate, but the time it takes to stand there, washing my life away with soapy bubbles. So, as a way to distract myself from the time ticking away, I enjoy listening to a good audiobook. I happened upon this book when I was in between Audible credits. My audible subscription includes the first three books, and I like dragons so, I gave it a shot. It was a good choice.

First Impressions: 

Immediately, I was a little confused about Jaxi because she just started talking to Sardelle. Initially, the image of someone trapped under a building popped into my head until it was clarified later. Then their conversation style took some getting used to because Jaxi, the talking sword, jumps into thoughts and conversations, sometimes without warning. 

Quick Review: 

The book starts with Jaxi speaking to the main character Sardelle. Apparently, Sardelle and Jaxi had a mountain collapsed on them 300 years prior, and Sardelle had been in some kind of suspension during that time. Newly released from the mountain, she finds the world is much more hostile toward magic than she remembered during her time. For this reason, she is forced to hide her magical powers. Now, the mountain she lives on is a mining prison, and she isn’t a prisoner. 

Sardelle encounter’s Colonel Ridge Zirkander when he first arrives as the newly appointed head of the prison. Colonel Zirkander is a pilot, and he was sent there as punishment for insubordination toward a superior officer. 

Sardelle, who is not really a prisoner, has to make up a fake prison file so she can stay long enough to free her soul blade, Jaxi, from the mountain. However, she helps Zirkander save the prison from attack and eventually develops a relationship with him in the meantime. 

Over the next two books, you get to meet Lieutenant Caslin Ahn, the daughter of a hitman who became a pilot despite her father’s wishes, and Tolemak, a.k.a Deathmaker.  He earned the name ‘Deathmaker’ after creating a deadly poison that was stolen from him and used on both his homeland and Iskandia, making him one of the most hated and feared people in two countries. 

After Tolemak helps Ahn escape capture, he returns to Iskandia and helps save them all from the deadly concoction he created. As a reward, the king of Iskandia has allowed him to stay in his country and work as a scientist with his own lab. 

The story progresses further beyond the first three books, which leads the characters to other lands, the discovery of dragons, and other betrayals where the small group must band together to overcome for the sake of their survival and their country. This is a nice long series with a total of 11 books, including book 5.5 “Under the Ice Blades,” 7.1 “The Fowl Proposal,” and 7.5 “Shattered Past.”

Favorite Moments: 

In the first book, my favorite moment was when Zirkander took a small group with him to find an enemy flying craft they shot down. Sardelle snuck out of the prison to go with them. On this little adventure, the soldiers are attacked by a magical owl that is out to kill them. It is the first scene where Sardelle really has to battle against another magical force. 

In the second book, my favorite moment is when Tolemek realizes Lieutenant Caslin Ahn may be tiny, but she has a deadly aim. Also, when they are on their way to Iskandia and Caslin finds out that Tolemek isn’t the monster everyone makes him out to be. 

Recommendations: 

Overall this is a good story. A few parts were kind of silly, such as one part when Zirkander, Tolemek, Sardelle, and Caslin are going up to his cabin to conspire. Zirkander and Tolemek have a history, and neither man would care much if the other just died suddenly. The solution Caslin Ahn suggests to helping them build a positive relationship was a snowball fight. 

However, aside from the occasional moments like this, the story is excellent and has kept me following along to see what happens next. I hope you take the time to explore this world of dragons and magic.

Happy Reading!