Sword of the Fallen

(Hearts of Dragons, Book 1)

by G.J. Ogden

A dragon’s heart has the power to forge kingdoms - or shatter them.

Sir Torin Cadwell, Knight-Captain of the Watch and the tyrant king’s illegitimate son, has spent his life torn between loyalty to his father and the pull of destiny. For generations, his bloodline has been cursed by a bitter feud with Kyhrax, the Flame of Zarag-Gul - the most feared dragon in Westskyr.

The city of Dun Morlaig survives only because of the Breath - a magical barrier fueled by the crystallized heart of Astreya, the Great Mother dragon. Once a benevolent guardian, Astreya was slain by Torin’s ancestor, leaving Kyhrax consumed by grief and burning for revenge.

When Astreya’s Lament - the sword that holds the Great Mother’s heart - is stolen, the Breath falters. Chaos erupts as Koblyn monsters and dragon-worshiping cultists lay siege to the city, and Kyhrax prepares to unleash his long-awaited vengeance.

Defying the king’s command, Torin allies with Ruxandra Elyr, a ranger of the Order of the Green Bow, to recover the stolen sword. But Kyhrax’s wrath will not stop at Dun Morlaig. If the Flame of Zarag-Gul is not stopped, his fury will consume all seven realms and usher in the age of dragons.

I'm not going to lie. Sword of the Fallen is an enjoyable tale of knights and dragons, of loss and despair, but also hope and redemption. But it is also the hardest book I've had to review thus far. I really wanted to love this book, but there were a few things that kept me from getting there. 

Torin is a great hero that you can't help but like. He's that guy that most everybody wants to be friends with, but is humble enough that it doesn't go to his head. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his struggles, his friendships and his history. In fact, most of the characters in this story are well written and bring about genuine feelings for them. And then there's the main villain, Leoric Draven. It's really hard to explain, but the closest I could come would be to say that I just didn't like the way he was written. Was he the villain? Yes. Did he do some horrific things? Also yes. But I never could believe him as a villain. I hope that I'm the only one with this problem, because a character like Torin deserves a great foe.

But none of that kept me from liking the book. It's a fun read and the potential for greatness is there. I'll likely checkout the next book in the series when it comes out. 

I'd like to give a special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

And, as always, please make sure to like this post and follow my blog if you haven't already. I'd greatly appreciate it! Until next time, my friends!

G.J. Ogden's Website

Sword of the Fallen on Amazon