Siege

The Rider's Dragon, Book 2

By: Deacon Frost

Narrated by: Raya Kane, Jonathan Waters

The invasion has come and Nemesis stands ready.

He's been adjusting to his newfound relationships, but unwelcome guests on his doorstep are souring his mood. If he has to choose between annoying relatives and blood-thirsty orcs, Nemesis might just let in the orcs. Anything's better than Jaden.

Harper has given him a reason not to fly off, yet the black dragon still contemplates the worth of his homeland. If it weren't for the love of his beautiful rider, he might just leave it all behind. For now, Nemesis is bracing himself for the fight of his life.

Get ready to see this forlorn hope transform into a force that bows to no one.

©2023 Deacon Frost (P)2023 Royal Guard Publishing LLC

this story is awesome.

it's well worth the listen. I can't wait to hear more of the story.

great follow up

really enjoying this series. there's plenty of action, humor and political intrigue. excited to see where this is going.

Relationships are tested amidst a looming threat!

In "Siege," Book 2 of The Rider's Dragon series by Deacon Frost, narrated by Raya Kane and Jonathan Waters, the writing is a seamless blend of tension and emotion. Frost crafts a tale where relationships are tested amidst the looming threat of invasion. Kane and Waters deliver stellar performances, bringing the characters to vivid life in this fantasy world.

Still great but not as good as the first

I'll preface this review by saying there'll be some spoilers.

Let's start out with the good. The character interactions are great and Harper is still best girl. Also, shout-out to Raya Kane for making Harper sound even more like the sweetheart she is. The group got even more close-knit in this arc and we really got lots of fun moments as well as some heartfelt moments. A lot of focus went into this. There was a lot of awesome progression too. I'm not sure if things will slow down in subsequent books because things went quick in this installment and if the pace continues there'll be nowhere to progress unless there are hidden things. I'm still loving the non-humanoid MC angle as it shakes things up.

Now to the bad or the complaints if you will. Spoiler heavy warning.

Jaden as the antagonist had his built-up wasted. He shows up and is his usually douchy self. We know from the first book that he had this grand plan, we know he isn't particularly competent but he has resources galore. Yet his machinations never go anywhere. The group mostly remained in a separate hidden base after he arrived so other than a few interactions he's just elsewhere and therefore no major shenanigans as we'd expect. So before he can do anything to the group the big battle starts and he just sort of dies immediately. That's it. The villain died before he could villain. Yes, he orchestrated the battle and got betrayed but still. A big reveal of who was really behind it all as in "surprise it wasn't who you thought it was" but we barely get a setup for the guy before he's defeated. Another complaint albeit smaller one is that it didn't really feel like a siege as the title alludes to. When I think of a siege I think of a long drawn out battle where a stronghold is surrounded. However it's more like a couple of attacks by smaller warbands on the fortification before the legion arrives and then later a big battle after the legion arrived that's over the same day. I'm generally not a fan of protracted battles as they're hard to keep interesting so I'm not very upset but like with Jaden it felt like the time spent on setup didn't match the pay off although it wasn't as bad.

I'm not a fan of the hidden prince trope (which is similar and sometimes related to the chosen one trope) which was revealed in this book even though it was foreshadowed. On paper it's a cool reveal but I find it takes away from the accomplishments of the character as it's now essentially revealed they were born to be special.

Last we have the relationship with Persephone. It happened way too quick and in an awkward way. Yes, the deal hasn't been sealed at all and the MC trained under her for 10 years or so but off screen development doesn't feel satisfying. It should have been handled differently and given more time on screen to develop rather than what we got. It's certainly possible that the forced proximity that was established will give it the time it needs before the deal is sealed. Forced proximity can be a fun trope but it felt like a foregone conclusion in this case.

I realize the bad section takes up the most space but that it isn't reflected in the rating. There's a good reason for that: the book was still good, I'm still looking forward to the next and there's room to improve in the third as this might just be a bit of stumple. Also, it's easier to find faults and describe them than pick out the great things as bad things stick out more and linger in your thoughts.

Seige

This was a good book that was just a notch below the first but still good. I like the non human MC angle this book takes.

Better and better!

Yalll need to get this series! It’s so freaking good! Get the first one and then this one!

fantastic book

A fantastic sequel. Deacon frost writes some wonderful characters.
Lots of action and politics with the right amount of spice.
Highly recomended

Great book 2!

It's gotta be tough to write a book 2 of a series, especially a trilogy.
The 1st book is getting everything set up and introducing the main characters and bad guys.
Book 3 or the last book of a series is wrapping up the story with a climax or peaceful closure, depending on the story.
But book 2 or the middle of the series is maintaining the expectation and elevation of the story. Maybe with a lot of loop-de-loops and barrel rolls.
But I think the author does a great job here, continuing the story line and keeping the reader/listener engaged.
Can't wait for book 3.
I give this book 8 out of 5 stars.