Bradley P. Beaulieu's latest high fantasy novel, "The Dragons of Deepwood Fen," is a complex tapestry of magic, politics, and dragons. This new installment is set in a world where two suns, Lux and Nox, create a unique magic system based on their Auric and Umbra powers, influencing every aspect of life. Despite the intriguing premise and rich world-building, the novel struggles with pacing and character engagement, resulting in a mixed reception among readers.

Beaulieu excels in creating a vivid and intricate world. The dual-sun system, with Lux and Nox bathing the world in their respective magic, provides a fresh and compelling backdrop. The integration of magic into every element of the environment, from rocks and plants to animals and humans, showcases Beaulieu's talent for detailed and immersive world-building.

Dragons are central to the story, serving as mounts and bonded companions with unique powers derived from the suns. This aspect of the novel is particularly captivating, with the dragons' roles and abilities intricately linked to the plot and characters. The bond between dragons and their riders, especially through the character Rylan, adds depth and emotional resonance.

The novel touches on significant themes such as colonialism, religious conflict, and the thirst for power. The mythology surrounding the gods, the five shrines, and the paragons enriches the narrative, providing layers of intrigue and tension. Beaulieu's exploration of these themes through the characters' struggles and the political machinations enhances the story's complexity.

Unfortunately, The novel's pacing is a significant drawback for many readers. The story unfolds slowly, with multiple points of view that can make it challenging to fully engage with any single character. While the intricate world requires explanation, the slow build-up and frequent perspective shifts hinder the narrative's momentum, making it difficult to maintain reader interest.

Despite a large cast of characters, only a few stand out as memorable. Rylan Holbrooke, a dragon singer and thief, and Lorelei Aurelius, an inquisitor, are the most compelling protagonists. However, other characters feel underdeveloped and their brief chapters disrupt the narrative flow. The limited time spent with each character prevents deeper emotional connections, which impacts the overall engagement with the story.

The plot takes a considerable amount of time to become clear, which may frustrate readers. While the last part of the book picks up pace and excitement, the slow lead-up detracts from the overall experience. The reader is often aware of the plot's direction long before the protagonists, resulting in a sense of narrative redundancy and missed opportunities for more dynamic storytelling.

"The Dragons of Deepwood Fen" is a book with immense potential that, unfortunately, doesn't fully realize its promise. Beaulieu's masterful world-building and the innovative use of dragons are highlights, providing a rich and immersive setting. However, the slow pacing and fragmented character development detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the novel's themes and the climactic ending offer glimpses of the engaging story that could unfold in future installments.

For fans of Beaulieu's work and those who appreciate detailed fantasy worlds, this novel offers enough to warrant a read. However, it requires patience and a willingness to navigate through its slower sections to reach the more rewarding moments. As the series progresses, there is hope that the pacing and character development will improve, allowing the story's full potential to shine.

Liz Gorinsky, conocida entre otras cosas por fundar Erewhon Books y haber sido editora en Tor, tiene como handler en Twitter @2muchexposition, haciéndose eco de una de los problemas más habituales de la literatura en general y me temo que de los géneros fantásticos en particular. Pues si Liz se hubiera leído The Dragons of Deepwood Fen se tendría que cambiar el nombre a @waytoomuchexposition, porque me temo que Bradley P. Beaulieu se ha pasado no varios pueblos si no varias regiones de exposición.


Partiendo de la base de que The Dragons of Deepwood Fen es un libro bastante largo, quizá esta inmersión en la creación del mundo podría haber estado un poco más dosificada, pero a Beaulieu no le tiembla el pulso en comenzar el libro con el estudio alquímico y una explicación pormenorizada de cómo algunas personas son capaces de utilizar los portales para viajar, presentarnos las diversas facciones que pelearán a lo largo de la novela y su jerarquía y la tipología de dragones a los que irá haciendo referencia. Todo esto, solo en el prólogo. La verdad con un comienzo así debería haberme ido preparando, pero esperaba mucho más de la nueva obra del creado de la saga The Song of Shattered Sands. Porque además el mundo que crea en esta nueva serie es tremendamente arquetípico, tomando el Imperio Romano y la Iglesia Católica como inspiraciones pero sin aportar mucho más, me temo.

Al libro le sobran páginas como a un esquimal le sobrarían capas de ropa en Écija en agosto, pero es que por desgracia también el ritmo es exasperantemente lento y los personajes tienen poquísima profundidad. El sistema mágico parece interesante, con esa confrontación entre la oscuridad y la luz, con dragones de cada uno de los bandos, pero cuando empieza a sacarse poderes de la manga, convenientemente extraídos de un pasado poderoso y oculto, me pierde completamente. La relación con los dragones, que se ve que se han vuelto a poner de moda, sí que me parece muy atractiva, ya que por un lado hay quienes se enlazan con ellos a un nivel espiritual y psíquico y quienes simplemente utilizan otros métodos coercitivos para domeñarlos. Ahí estaba el germen de un sistema muy atractivo, pero se pierde en el maremágnum de párrafos y más párrafos banales.


Además me he percatado de que hay escenas calcadas unas de otras. Cuando uno de los protagonistas canta a los dragones, siempre hace los mismos gestos, pues no hace falta que todas las veces me pongas todos los gestos, me vale con que digas que llevó a cabo su ritual habitual o algo así. Lo mismo pasa cuando utilizan unas ciertas drogas que inhalan y luego se frotan por las encías. Pues con que me lo digas una vez me vale, no hace falta que en cada ocasión me vuelvas a decir que se frotan las encías, ni que esto fuera un anuncio de colutorio.

La verdad, no puedo recomendar una novela que no ha llegado a entretenerme. Una tremenda decepción.

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen is the first book in a new fantasy series by Bradley P. Beaulieu. Released 5th Dec 2023 by Astra on their DAW imprint, it's 496 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in 4th quarter 2024 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is the start of an epic political high fantasy series and readers should be prepared to spend some time with the world building and character backgrounds which that entails. The plotting is deliberate and not fast. The world is intricate and there are numerous primary and secondary characters. The book does not include a list of dramatis personae; the ebook format makes content searching much easier.

The chapters alternate points of view between numerous characters; each chapter is labeled clearly with the point of view, but it does make keeping track of the story more challenging. This is not an light-beach-read, it requires a considerable effort to keep track of the cast of characters, the political machinations, and the deliberate pacing (some will say slow).

Four stars. Definitely one for fans of heavy political fantasy and intricate world building. There are dragons, which is a definite bonus. It would be a great choice for public library acquisition, home reading, and gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-ARC! I do my reviews on my social media platforms. I am currently working on getting through my reviews so stay tuned! Leaving a rating as a placeholder for me and to not effect the books rating in order to post this. Thanks again!

I was provided with an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book falls within the high fantasy genre, characterized by a multitude of characters and diverse perspectives across chapters, as is customary in this literary realm. Nonetheless, Beaulieu achieved something quite remarkable. I found myself deeply immersed in every perspective and character presented. Although I may not have harbored fondness for every character individually, I did not feel compelled to hasten towards my favorites, as each viewpoint offered something intriguing. The copious amounts of political intrigue and multifaceted story elements added layers of mystery, ensuring sustained engagement throughout.

This marked my inaugural encounter with Beaulieu's prose, and it proved to be a captivating experience. The narrative unfolds effortlessly, striking a delicate balance between clarity and vivid description, while the inclusion of humor and natural dialogue enhances the storytelling without resorting to unnecessary embellishments.

I really wanted to love The Dragons of Deepwood Fen by Bradley P. Beaulieu, as I am a huge fan of fantasy novels with dragons. The premise of the book intrigued me and the writing style was engaging, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into the story. I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and the plot felt slow-paced and lacking in excitement. Despite several attempts, I ended up putting the book down and moving on to other reads.
I will say that the world-building in The Dragons of Deepwood Fen was well-done and the author definitely has a talent for creating vivid and immersive settings. The descriptions of the fantastical creatures and landscapes were beautifully detailed, which is why I haven't completely written off giving this book another chance. Perhaps reading it in physical form rather than on my e-reader would make a difference in my enjoyment of the story.
Although I DNF'd The Dragons of Deepwood Fen, I can see the potential for it to be a book that fantasy lovers could enjoy. While it wasn't the right fit for me at this time, I could see myself giving it another shot in the future. If you enjoy epic fantasy adventures with dragons and intricate world-building, this may be worth a try. Just be prepared for a slow start and give it a fair chance before making a final judgment.
3/5 STARS!

Need dragons? An epic quest? Traitors trying to save the world? Get The Dragons of Deepwood Fen!

I haven't read any other Bradley P. Beaulieu books but they are now added to my TBR. The Dragons of Deepwood Fen (which I always call Deepwood Glen, I'm a dumb I know) follows Lorelie an inquisitor, and Rylan a thief as they try to find out what is happening in the empire. This book has wonderful world-building that pulls the story together in so many ways.

I don't normally go in for dragon books, but dang, this one shows me why I should try more!

DNF @ 14% - multiple attempts at starting.

By this point, too many POVs were introduced and I couldn't keep track of anything to start as they only slightly overlap in the beginning, most likely intersecting later in the story. However, I was not hooked into any of the POVs to want to know more and how they connected.

The writing felt clinical and slow and I could not see myself going forward with reading the remainder of the story despite the intriguing mystery and lore about dragons given in the earlier chapters. I can tell the writer is talented, however, this just did not cut it for me.

Welcome to 2024 everyone, and I wish you a year of excellent reads for all of you. In pursuit of that goal, we have a hot new book right off the press that is a lot of fun. The Dragons of Deepwood Fen is the first book in a new series by Bradley Beaulieu of Sharakhai fame. Much like Beaulieu’s other work, it’s a lore-intensive tome filled to the brim with a vibrant world dripping with flavor. This time around we are in a deep lush forest filled with colorful dragons and bushels of political intrigue. I want to just babble about all the cool dragons you will get to meet, but I guess I should tell you about the plot first.

Deepwood Fen has a tangled mess of a plot that feels very unapproachable to explain, but I promise is smooth sailing when you get into it. At a high level, the story is about a vassal state to an oppressive Empire that is bucking at the shackles. The vassal in question is the city-state of Ancris (located in the Deepwood Fen, a massive forest). Populated by the nature-loving Kin, Ancris is a rich location with many factions that have strong opinions on their Imperial overlords. The Red Knives in particular are absolutely not having it and have planned a violent revolution via raising and controlling an undead god. Understandable, some of the other powers in Ancris are not super cool with the Knives controlling an unstoppable immortal minion, despite also not loving the Empire, so there is a whole lot of friction going on. We follow a member of the Red Knives, a priest of a different religious faction, an investigator of the Empire, and an independent dragon singer as they all poke and prod a dangerously explosive situation until things begin to catalyze.

As always, Beaulieu is a master of making a location feel alive and a character in its own right. Ancris has a tangible rich history and identity that feels inspired by the Sherwood forest – a location filled with rakes, rogues, and enterprising individuals. One of the aspects I really like about Ancris is it has this vibe of a small neighborhood scaled up to a metropolis. People know each other, or at least know of each other. Every time characters meet other characters they are either distantly related to them or know them through acquaintances or reputation. It gives Ancris a very unique and memorable feel, even before you begin taking in its fascinating ecology, traditions, and structure.

The world itself is also brimming with mystery and magic. The centerpieces, as alluded to by the book title, are the dragons. Giant mounts that people of the world bond with, these reptiles come in a myriad of colors with different powers and they have dispositions that feel like the cross of a horse and a dog. The Empire exclusively bonds with metallics (golds, silvers, bronze, etc.) and has banned the bonding of chromatics (green, red, blue, etc.) which are native to the Deepwood. The Kin have a culture of bonding with chromatics and are understandably pissed. In Dungeons and Dragons fashion, each dragon has characteristics to their breed – primarily a unique breath weapon. The dragons are so much fun and I want one immediately. While they do get a ton of page time, I can’t help wishing that they were given an even larger piece of the pie. Beaulieu understandably wanted to spend the majority of his time on this intricate political knot he created, but unfortunately, he made super cute giant dogs that I want to roll around on the floor with so he kinda shot himself in the foot with his own success.

I am a bit uneven in my affection for the characters of the story, but the range goes from beloved to enjoy a lot. I would argue that Rylan the dragonsinger and Lorelei the inquisitor are the most central characters and I adore them. Rylan is a proxy for Ancris and Lorelei the Empire at a high level, and they both do a good job characterizing the good and bad (mostly bad in Lorelei’s case) of both forces. The other characters are all interesting, but they often serve more as vignettes that progress the rest of the central story. There is a child with special magical powers among the Red Knives, and while she is quite nice she feels fairly empty outside her ability to move the story along.

The story of the book is very enjoyable and kept me fully engaged the entire time I was reading the book. All the characters saw nice progression, and the ending of the first book left me excited to read the forthcoming second. But, I do think the narrative suffers a little from too much focus on elements that are weaker in the scheme of things. As mentioned earlier, the world/dragons/city are the real gems in this book. We spend so much time on the political machinations and mystery of what the bad guys are doing that it can start to feel a little overbearing and I began to pine for more time in the dragon pens learning cool facts about these incredible mounts. I don’t think this is a huge criticism, but I do think I could have enjoyed the book a little more had our time been partitioned slightly differently.

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen is an explosive new entry from Beaulieu that builds the foundation for a story that will undoubtedly reach the same heights as his Sharakhai series. The dragons of this world are exciting, and the culture of Ancris sucks you in and makes the pages of the book come alive. If you are looking for a new book to start the year off right look no further.

Rating: The Dragons of Deepwood Fen – 8.5/10
-Andrew

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book for an honest review.

I quite enjoyed this book, the action packed story and the vibes. After reading the fourth wing/iron flames books. I've been in a dragon high and this has definitely added to the vibes and high. The world building is a little slow, so be prepared to take in a lot of information in this book. Ebook are soo deceptive, as it was a dense book, with much to tell. I look forward to seeing what development occurs next in the world built by Bradley P. Beualieu

10/10 for cover art!
8/10 for characters
8/10 for world building
4/5 would recommend

You had me at dragons! So unique and new this book was the really interesting beginning to the series— excited to see where this goes!

I was unable to finish this book, I thought it had a strong start, but I never quite became engaged in the proceedings.

Before diving in, I fully recognize that I probably wasn’t in the best headspace for this book. All throughout November and during most of December, my reading slumped, as did my natural predisposition for enjoying media and looking for the best in every title. I couldn’t really get into this book, and while I do think my mood influenced it, I’m not sure it was entirely to blame.

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen follows a thief and dragon singer, an accomplished inquisitor, a girl with budding mysterious powers, and a high member of the Church, all caught in a conflict between said Church and the rebels—pardon, the Red Knives.

The inspiration for the themes and overall context was not lost on me. Before the book begins, there’s an attempted ethnic cleansing of the Kin, motivated by a fictitious religion clearly based on Christianity, and the discrimination is very much present throughout the book. This translates into prohibiting Kin magic rituals, including bonding with certain subspecies of dragons. And wouldn’t you know it—our first protagonist is bonded to one, of course.

I’ll say this—the dragons were incredible. I loved reading about their physical traits, expected behaviour, abilities, and personalities. In fact, I’d say our main two dragons have more personality than the four main POVs. This was the biggest issue for me, as a character-driven reader. It needed a bit more balance between character and plot development to engage me.

The plot itself was a bit contrived. I feel like I could summarize the general plot to a child, but all the nuances would be lost. There were too many named characters with single roles too. And while we’re on names, I’d also suggest taking another look. I bought the audiobook and was confused more than once between Aarik and Irik. Azariah (and many other characters) also ended up adding to the confusion.
I genuinely see the potential in this story, hence my disappointment. I think another round of edits would’ve smoothed over some of these issues. The prologue itself was a terrible way to start the book. There are at least five explanations right there, with zero subtlety. More than one begin with “[term] is X”. There were also several instances of (nearly) word-for-word repetitions of information, both in the e-ARC and the audiobook. I know we can do better than that.

So, will I come back for book 2? Maybe. Sadly, it is not a priority at the moment.

This book is for you if you enjoy:
- dragons
- multiple POV
- a mystery subplot in your fantasy books
- religion-based conflicts.

Many thanks to NetGalley, DAW and Bradley P. Beaulieu for a chance to read and review this book. No thought is ever truly original, but I tried my very best.

A fantasy novel according to my heart, the start of an intriguing series. A fascinating world building, good storytelling and well plotted characters.
And the dragons. A story I loved and strongly recommend
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen is an enjoyable start to a new fantasy trilogy by Bradley P. Beaulieu. Though the novel has a few issues, Beaulieu offers up an interesting world, a complex political set-up, and a nicely original use of that old fantasy standby, the dragon,

Ancris is the chief city of a long-standing, aggressively imperialistic empire, with the “vassal state” of the Holt having held them off enough to carve out a small amount of self-rule (wihthin the empire) under their political leader known as the Imperator. The Holt still chafes under imperial rule, with a group known as the Red Knives waging a campaign of guerrilla/terrorist violence. Meanwhile, Ancris is still not fully recovered from its own internal struggles, which had culminated years ago in an attempt by the Church to take over.

Into this fraught situation come our two main characters. Rylan is the bastard son of the Imperator (although the two have a strained relationship) and a dragon singer, one who can communicate with and heal dragons. He’s also half Kin, an ethnic group who lived in the Holt and whose people and rituals have been systematically oppressed. Part of that oppression is a ban on penalty of maiming or death of bonding with an “umbral” dragon, a type resistant to to the magical crops the Empire uses to control its dragons. Despite his better instincts Rylan becomes entangled with the Red Knives on what he had hoped was a single task but which ends up with him pulled even deeper into their machinations.

Meanwhile, in Ancris, Lorelai is a gifted inquisitor whose investigating the drug trade in the city leads her to uncover a connection between the Red Knives and the Church, particularly a fervent sect known as the Chosen, led by the mysterious Hissing Man. Like Rylan, she gets pulled ever deeper and eventually the two, working together, uncover a plot to raise an ancient magical force involving ancient artifacts, an undead, murder, and betrayals within betrayals.

Other point of view characters pepper the narrative, though with less page time: Rhiannon, a young girl with magical abilities coveted by the Red Knives; Azariah, leader of the Church in Ancris; Ordren, another Inquisitor; and The Hissing Man.

The political/thematic set up is nicely complex, with its multitude and variety of tensions: ethnic antagonism, conflict between states, family tension (parent-child, between brothers), church-state conflict, dissension amongst the oppressed over how to deal with their oppressor, and discord amongst conspirators. I also liked how the political conflict connected to the use of dragons in the novel, with the acute difference between bonding dragons with consent and binding them to your will via magical devices. A difference that also ties in nicely (or not) to the theme of imperialism, as both the type of dragon (umbral) and method of bonding are long-held traditions in the Holt, ones that have been ruthlessly suppressed by the Empire, even to the point of hunting umbral dragons nearly to extinction
Dragons are also part of the magic system, as consuming a dragon scale will confer certain abilities depending on the type of dragon and where the scale came from on the dragon. It’s an interesting magic system, though I wish we had a somewhat better holistic sense of it. Another interesting use of magic is how the trees in the Holt Forest, Citadel trees, have a sort of communal memory, think of a combination of Dune’s genetic memory and the World Wide Wood.

The two main characters are mostly engaging both singly and individually. Rylan’s difficulty in being between two worlds, his desire to fit into his family, his connections with dragons, and his clash between his hatred of the Empire and needing to act so as to save the Empire are all compelling stories. That said, while the situation of his family was tense, I would have liked more on his emotional interactions/relations with them, as those felt a bit too stock— bullying brother, nice sister, cold father.

Lorelei’s story, meanwhile, offers a bit of police procedural/noir to the mix, and it’s hard not to root for her due to her determination, sense of duty, and desire to do what is right even in the face of some harsh consequences. Her work (and life) is further complicated by some agoraphobia, though while the issue is raised several times it never felt fully integrated or pervasive enough.

The other characters fare less well I’d say, more one-dimensional and/or one-note, and with several of them involved in plot lines that are pretty clearly signposted and offer less of the complexity of the storylines surrounding the two main characters. I think too that getting all of their POV’s right at the start hurt the pacing of the narrative somewhat as we were swishing so often. I’m not even sure all of these characters needed a their own POV and wouldn’t have minded some winnowing so we could spend more time exploring the characters whose story had some rich potential that wasn’t quite met in the novel as is. Rhiannon especially felt like she was given some short shrift, with her plotline probably the most emotionally and morally fraught and ripe for a deeper, longer dive.

With all of that, The Dragons of Deepwood Fen was a bit of a mixed bag for me, with the positives being the two main characters, the themes, and the general world-building, and the more problematic elements being pacing, secondary characters, and a lack of enough depth in some areas. In some ways, though, this first book feels more of a set-up for what is to follow, so based on that, and how much I enjoyed Beaulieu’s other work, I’m expecting a stronger book two.

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen
by Bradley P. Beaulieu
The Book of the Holt #1
High Fantasy
NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: December 5, 2023
DAW
Ages: 17+

Rylan Holbrooke is a dragonsinger and a thief who because of his skills discovers the Red Knives were up to something.

Lorelei Aurelius is an inquisitor who also stumbled onto a plot that involves the Church and the Hissing Man.

Rylan and Lorelei's paths cross, and they piece together what they know and find out the Red Knives, the Church, and the Hissing Man are working together to awaken a demigod.


Rylan and Lorelei, in my opinion, are the two MCs, but they are not alone! There are at least four other characters who also have their own (short) chapters throughout the book. Yes, what they are doing has something to do with the plot, and I can see the reasoning why, but there had to be a better way to do this. Their introductory chapters were too short so there wasn't time to get to know them.

And because of their chapters, the reader pretty much knows what the plot is before the MCs, so it feels as if the story is rambling around in circles while Rylan and Lorelei figure out what is going on and then try to stop it.

It wasn't a bad story, but I don't feel there's enough world or magic building, and the dragons didn't get much spotlight even though they are in the title, so I don't think the title has much to do with the story other than there are a few dragons and Deepwood Fen is a place in this world. So if one is going to read this because of dragons, you're going to be disappointed!

While there is drug use and violence, the reason why I don't think it's for readers under 17 is because with all of the characters filling the pages with information, it's very hard to follow.

I just didn't enjoy it enough for it to reach the next star. Less rambling and a little more action and dragons would help.

Do I want to know what happens next? Eh...

2 Stars

📚The Dragons of Deepwood Fen by Bradley P. Beaulieu
⭐️⭐️⭐️
💗Thank you to NetGalley, DAW and the author for providing the opportunity to review this title.
🌈This review is given via a free e-arc and is my personal opinion on the above story
📱Shared on Goodreads and on Instagram stories @tinydragonbooks.

The Deepwood Fen holds a secret. The dragon riders of the rebellious Red Knives are harbouring a dark magic that they hope to use to overthrow the Empire and restore their people to their rightful place. Entangled in their plans are Rhylan- son to the Imperator and dragon singer, Rhiannon- niece to the leaders of the Knives, with the power to speak to wisps of the dead, and Lorelai- one of the lawful inquisitors.
Drawn into unlikely partnerships and facing not only unknown magic and foes, but also the sinister religious zealots, the Chosen, whose aims are known only to themselves.

This action/adventure high fantasy with Roman elements was a fun read! I am already a fan of Beaulieu as a reader of the Shattered Sands series so I had high hopes for TDODF. The multiple POV worked well (although at times was hard to follow) and gave us insight to a multitude of characters, and there was a moderate level of gore & violence typical of this type of storyline. The fantasy elements were fantastic- I love animal sidekicks and the mind connection & grumpy/sunshine vibes from the dragons were my favourite part. Having dragons with different powers/characteristics was so interesting and there was some dry humor dialogue, which I caught myself laughing at.
The settings descriptions were also well written, although the step by step descriptions of armour/weaponry/ buildings did slow down the pace. I enjoyed the multiple Magic systems (alchemical, thaumaturgical, runic, etc) and the other fantasy creatures we got to meet. (Although, the use of the word ‘citadel’ was so overused, I didn’t count but there were so many!)
For readers who like Jim Butcher or GRRM, or who love a story with military elements, rebellion and political machinations.

3,5 stars

Beaulieu is a well known name in the fantasy genre, but I had yet to read a book by him. Starting with a book that has dragons in it, seemed like a good place to start.

The Dragons of Deepwood Fen lets us meet Rylan, the bastard son of a leader in the city that he lives in. A small time thief who gets asked to do something much bigger than he bargained for. Through Rylan we get a decent look at the world. He has one foot in the city and one foot in the Holt. We get to see both sides.

The world in this book is interesting. There are saints and legends from many generations passed that shaped the world, and also partially the current divide. These were real people with real magic. The dragons are a part of the world but just as there is a divide between the people, they divide the dragons. Some dragons are good while others get killed.

While this book nearly counts 500 pages, the story itself is very straightforward in that there really wasn't any surprise. The foreshadowing was not subtle and if you read a lot of fantasy you see most of the things coming from a mile away. My complaint is that while we spend a lot of time with Rylan, we get too little background on him. More on his interactions with his half siblings, his father, other dragons there. More about the dragon singing.

I think this book is very much a set up for the bigger plot that came forward at the end of the book. That we needed to get through this to get something much better in the next book.

That doesn't mean that this is a bad book. I enjoyed reading it for what it was. I liked Rylan and his bond with his dragon. I liked getting the bits and pieces of this world. Some of the side characters amused me. It just didn't ask a whole lot of me as reader. And sometimes that is fine too.

3.5 stars. I have mixed feelings about this book. There were things I really liked about it. The dragons would be number one on the list. I also really liked some of the characters, but I got frustrated at times with the choices a couple of them made. One of them was really just a child, but she annoyed me so much as she ignored her conscience and continued to do everything that she was told to do with little to no push back. In general, I get frustrated with fantasy books where the evil plans of certain characters come to fruition despite everything the heroes keep throwing at him, or because the would be heroes are clueless as to what is going on. This was one of those types of books. I much prefer when there are wins and setbacks on both sides throughout the story, at least until closer to the end.

Another annoying thing for me was the use of the C word a couple of times. I know some people will roll their eyes at this, but I don't care. The word bothers me. Then there is the very slow pace of the book. There are a lot of character points of view in this book. I enjoyed most of them, but I feel like it caused the pacing of the book to be rather slow. I also thought the book could have included more about the dragons and the dragon riders. We get a couple of pretty good battles between dragons and riders, but it would have loved more.

Despite some disappointments, I do really want to keep reading and see what happens with these characters, Rylan and Lorelei in particular. I liked how the book showed the relationships between the riders and the dragons and how one society bonded with them while the other tried to control them. I also enjoyed the political intrigue that went on between each faction and how they wanted to use each other to get what they wanted. I also have to add that I love that cover. I love it so much that I want a hardcover copy of this book for that reason alone.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and DAW for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An in-depth fantasy world (with dragons!) with multiple POVs occurring on opposite ends of a conflict, and it’s not until things really kick off where we can see how everything interconnects and works together. If you like slow-building fantasy where there are both heroes and villains on every side, then you’ll like this novel. Much of the slow advance to learning how everything works together strongly reminded me of Samantha Shannon’s “Priory of the Orange Tree” - if you liked how slow and in-depth that novel is, I think you’ll find similar enjoyment from this novel as well. (And this book does start slow, but trust me it does pick up once the events start unfolding.)

This story is told through multiple POVs, but I will say that for once I didn’t have much confusion about who was who. The characters (and their names!) were unique enough that I was able to pretty early on identify who and what was going on - which is rare for me, I’m kind of stupid in this department normally. I liked how much of the worldbuilding was slowly given to us by the world and actions of each named character, and while there was a lot of information to take in it never felt info-dumpy to me. Something I really liked about the multiple POVs in this book is that many times the character we were reading about would either mention, or talk to another character - and then we would have a POV from that character. It made connecting who was who easier in my opinion, as we had essentially an introduction to that character and then a more in-depth look into them.

My only issue with this novel was that there were a few times I was kind of confused about what the conflict exactly was, or what goal the characters were working towards. It could be that I wasn’t paying as close attention as I should have, but sometimes the characters would decide on a plan that didn’t make a great deal of sense to me - nor did it fit into the urgency of what exactly was going on.

However, I found this book engaging enough that while it was personally a slower read, it was an enjoyable one. I was engaged as we were learning more about the interconnections of the politics and the church, and thought the religious twist that the characters discover was really well done.

(Also, I don’t know what it is, but it seems like every book I read with a religion has a similar twist to it - Seven Faceless Saints and The Ghost and the Fallen, are two novels with a similar religious situation going down.)

The ending was an interesting twist, and I will be reading the next in this series to see what these characters do with the events that unfolded at the end of this book.