Review: The Last of the Firedrakes (Avalonia Chronicles #1)

The Last of the Firedrakes (Avaolia Chronicles #1) by Farah Oomerbhoy
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: August 15, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥

Book Description:

16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad.

Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear.

With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever.

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"The Last of the Firedrakes" by Farah Oomerbhoy was the start of a great premise for a story. It's a high fantasy young adult journey with easy to understand language, making it nice to read.

Although I did enjoy the start to Oomerbhoy's "Avalonia Chronicles" series, it took me awhile to read. There is over 400 pages, and it's written mostly in exposition where the protagonist is telling the reader what is going on in her head as well as around her. The story centers around 16-year-old Aurora, and is mostly told through her. I wish there was more dialogue and character interaction to help the story move along.

The exposition isn't necessarily a turn off though. Aurora is a likeable character, so it's not a bad thing to be inside her head so much. Throughout the story, Aurora goes from a scared newcomer who knows nothing about the magical world of mages and fae, to someone who takes it upon herself to learn as much as she can and gain confidence in herself.

A lot happened in this book. Aurora's journey is a long and twisted one, and that makes the book always changing and going in new directions. There were some points when I think that the author could have drawn certain scenes out more to give a bit more detail, because sometimes things seemed like there were rushed through.

This wasn't necessarily a quick read, but if you're looking for a story you want to invest in - then it's one I would recommend. I'm intrigued to see where Aurora's journey takes her next, and what the rest of the series has to tell.

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Author Bio:

For Farah Oomerbhoy, writing is a passion and reading her solace. She is a firm believer in the fantastic and magical, and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest.

Farah lives with her husband and three children in their family home in Mumbai, India. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Mumbai. Her first novel, The Last of the Firedrakes, Book 1 of the Avalonia Chronicles will be published worldwide in August 2015.

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