WARDRAKE
by J.A. Jaken
Series: The Dragon Mage Chronicles Book IV
Length: 91,000 words
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, M/M Romance
Purchase Links
Series Webpage: http://jajaken.com/novels/dragonmagechronicles.htm
Synopsis
Andrei and Jander return home to the city of Vallerin with the grimmest possible news and tell their king to do what he can to prepare his people for war. Kirin is heading toward the capital with a legion behind him, and he is determined to take revenge both on Andrei and on the apprentice he believes supplanted him in his former master's heart. This time, with the might of an entire dragon army at his command, he very well might succeed.
Carra's Review
Once again the author delivers a descriptive, intense story as she wraps up the Dragon Mage Chronicles series here in Wardrake. Everything so far has been building to an immense final conflict between the heroes and Kirin, and with the forces Kirin has amassed—both human and dragon—it’s uncertain how Jander, Andrei, and everyone in Vallerin can come out of things on the right side of victory.
Jander and Andrei’s relationship is stronger than ever, and every scene between them keeps reiterating this. Andrei continues exhibiting his unwavering support of Jander and his abilities as a dragon mage, even as doubts continue to plague Jander as he realizes the scope of what Kirin is bringing to bear. The love between them is unquestionable and inspiring.
Meanwhile, as everyone in Vallerin is scrambling to prepare for Kirin’s army to begin its assault help does start to arrive…though whether it will be enough is anyone’s guess. On a personal level, there is also still the tension between Boaen and Alluin that at this point borders on resignation. I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed for these two for a while now, hoping for something to come about to allow them to stay together. An answer comes, though the convenience of it was just a touch unsatisfying.
The tension and suspense continues to build throughout this story, spurred on by the discovery of spies amongst the ranks. Things are still highly uncertain as the attack begins as Kirin’s army appears to far outnumber Alluin’s forces. Everything will boil down to the dragons, which means both Jander and Kirin are center stage. The end did not come about at all like I expected, and I haven’t decided if I’m satisfied with both Kirin’s and his assistant Daryn’s moments of self-realization.
Wardrake kept my attention securely wrapped up, and overall was a 4.5-star read for me. There are some loose ends that were not fully tied up, so while this was the final book of the series there is still the potential for future related stories. I truly enjoyed this series (and yes, you do need to read them in order), and would absolutely recommend it to any fan of fantasy and adventure romance. This book and series are meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
About the Author
J.A. Jaken has been writing fictional stories and novels for more than ten years, most frequently in the fantasy and science fiction genres. She got her start in the profession writing slash fanfiction, where she has published numerous stories under the pen-name Rushlight. Over the years she has written short stories and novels in genres ranging from science fiction/fantasy to gothic horror to modern detective mysteries, most with at least a touch of m/m romance to them. She lives at home in the southwestern U.S. with her college-aged son, a cat, and the family Rottweiler. Outside of writing, her interests include studying foreign languages, practicing martial arts, riding horses, and collecting medieval weaponry
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