Dragoon: War of the Princes

ORIGINAL REVIEW: 4.5 stars — great followup to the first book. Again, lots of great action, an intriguing and unique built world, hilarious banter between characters, a flawed protagonist that has been thrust into the craziness again….oh yeah, and Rune. *sigh* Hmmmm, how am I going to do this review without giving anything away? Impossible. Maybe I will just say that I enjoyed this one equally as well as the first, but there are still a few tiny things that bothered me on occasion (but obviously not enough for me to round down). 1) Katelyn could get a little caught up in her maudlin self-defeatist attitude…luckily that was usually countered with a friend calling her on it. And really, she does have a lot on her shoulders, though she really could learn to lean on her friends and allies more. 2) Sometimes the details about the world became overwhelming, and since I’m actually the type of reader who needs a lot of realistic touchstones to enjoy a story, it became taxing on my imagination….it’s really a personal preference thing. (ie I enjoy paranormal, but usually not all out fantasy) 3) Huh, I thought I had a 3rd, but now I can’t think of it. I really do enjoy that these books don’t have cliffhanger endings…they set up for the next book, but you can still feel you got a bit of a conclusion in there. That being said, I am *not* looking forward to Monarch based on the synopsis…NO KATELYN NO!!! In summary: Prepare for intensity, prepare for heartbreak, prepare for horrifying images, prepare for snark….good stuff. ON REREAD: 4.5 stars — DUDE! I seriously forgot how tense and crazy and occasionally heartbreaking this book was!! I just…I’m so glad it’s as good as I remember. Minus the toned down snark from Katelyn. That still makes me sad, and I still don’t understand why the author or the traditional publisher made that decision… I loved that we got extra time with a few of the Haven characters in this one, though I still want more. I’m so intrigued about Kyle’s abilities. I really loved that by the end we got to learn even more about the nature of Haven and its people as well. I don’t remember that as well from my first readthrough, so I wonder if that’s new, or my memory is just crap. I cannot believe the horror of Lastland. Like, it’s freaking crazy. Just when you think they can’t get more depraved, you learn more. I loved a few of the twists and turns, and hated a few others. I’m so glad I’m finally going to find out what happens next, because I think it’s going to be epic.

It is books like 'Haven' and 'Dragoon' that inspire me and makes me ridiculously excited about reading, about the art of imagination and storytelling. Ivanovich is an excellent writer. Truly gifted. I just love her writing style, how everything just flows. When you're reading you'll experience that the story is writing itself, and it does so flawlessly. (Feel free to read my review of the first installment, Haven.) Again, I loved Katelyn, our protagonist. Her narrating voice is so solid, and "good gravity", is she sensible, smart, and selfless. I admire her and her ability to make strong, fearless decisions. Never the damsel-in-distress and never a weakling, yet so easy to relate to emotionally. I also very much appreciated her witty nature. At the end of the day, she was an eighteen-year-old girl who'd managed to do what few could. It was so interesting that Ivanovich decided to include Katelyn's friends from Haven in the Outside World, and it had me wondering if the story would go down a doomed route because of it. Would Katelyn's epic journey be weighted down by constantly having to look out for her friends and rescue them? Would they put her in unnecessary danger and risks due to their lack of knowledge? The answer is no. Surprisingly enough, it worked very well. It made Katelyn more vulnerable and it lent her more strength. There was always a possibility she wouldn't make it back home, to Haven, but with people she cared about with her, she had to. And they were willing to fight by her side. Things didn't turn out the way I'd expected with Dylan; though, despite my hopes(?) it was realistic for Katelyn and Dylan to have a rough, conflicting relationship. Ivanovich let Dylan stay true to his nature but in an enjoyable way. I liked not liking him. As I mentioned in my Haven-review, romance isn't what you think of when you're reading these books. However, the story is driven by the heart. Fake identities, flying ships, explosions, immense danger, and an impossible quest aside - Katelyn's heart always wondered about the one person, the one dragoon. Rune. And it drove the story to be more relatable and hopeful. There wasn't much romance, but it was just enough to be a small step towards something greater. Rune is unlike any other love interest that I've read about. He is unwillingly stoic. There is so much to understand about him. Dragoons are not seen as people and they aren't worthy or allowed to feel, to care, and to love. I look forward to experiencing more of Rune's character development. 'Dragoon' is a highly enjoyable read without a dull moment! Will I read the rest of the series? Yes Will I read more from the author? Yes

I had downloaded the first book for free and liked it enough to buy this second volume. The story takes off a few months after the end of the previous novel, and is just as full of incident and adventure. The voice of the interesting young protagonist gives these books their special attraction.

Enjoyed reading the sequel! Good story line, lots of action and suspense tied in with romance! Looking forward to the next!