Wow! What a stunning follow-up to the wonderful ‘The Last of the Firedrakes’. I’d been eagerly awaiting this book since the second I put down the first and boy was I not disappointed.

Farah Oomerbhoy has developed so much as a writer and in this instalment I felt even more at home in the world of Avalonia, and loved how the world-building had strengthened so much. Traveling alongside Aurora through the war-torn kingdoms, we get to see more of more of the Kingdoms of Avalonia, and the dangers that behold our princess.

I loved the development of her character and the strength of her resolve to face the worst, even whilst at times still acting like a typical teenager, which made me so happy to see. We see developments in her love-life as well, but you’ll just have to read that yourself – no spoilers from me. Only to say, there is a new player in the game we call love!

Oomerbhoy has the most beautiful writing style which twists and flows, taking you along in the story with ease. I read for hours before realising that it was late at night, because I was so immersed. The sign of a great storyteller.

4 Stars!

I just read the very last page, what can I say? I absolutely adored The Rise of the Dawnstar! There are so many emotions I am feeling right now, shock being the most prominent of them all! Don't worry, it's a good shock but my goodness, THAT ENDING!

That being said, let's get into why I loved this book...

All the fantastical plot twist! Throughout the story, all of these beautiful twists would just pop up out of nowhere that were completely unguessable!! What can I say, THE PLOT WAS FANTASTIC!

The Worldbuilding- From the moment I read the first book, The Last of the Firedrakes I was in love with the world of Avalonia. But I must say, delving into this sequel was even more magical! I loved the wonderful journey into Elfi!

The Writing- Farah has a lovely way with words, this story will jump out at you and pull you in! The descriptive writing had me so immersed in the story and I didn't want to stop reading leave!

The Romance- Pretty much every book that I pick up has romance, it's my favorite thing about a story. The romance within this book was heart-pounding, heartbreaking and swoon-worthy! I will warn you that there is a *slight* love triangle. If you are a follower of my blog you know I practically detest triangles, but I LOVED THIS ONE! Either I'm changing as a reader or Farah just has oh-so-incredible talent! I'm going with the incredible talent!

All-in-All: A wonderful sequel that will have you immersed in an incredible world full of fantasy, amazing plot twist and swoon-worthy romance!

In an Oyster Shell - Rise of the Dawnstar is a invigorating fantasy with excellent world building,

The Pearls - The world building was excellent. There were seven different lands in this one world. Each land had its own culture and distinguished attributes. It takes a lot of talent to make a world as believable as Avalonia is.

The characters were well developed. Aurora is a unique character. She is part fae and part mage and that makes her really unique. As the main character she stands up to the challenges she is faced with. Her development is something interesting to follow. The fact that there are mages and fairies makes the story very interesting.

The plot was well developed. The concept was well executed. This is a great second novel in the series. I would say that you can read it as a stand-alone. Though to get the whole story it is best to read the series. The pacing was quick. There was always something going on. The author does not make life easy for Aurora. This makes for a page-turning story.

The Sand - It was a well-done book.

4 Pearls!

I was beyond excited when this book popped up in my email. I read The Last of the Firedrakes (See my Review by clicking the title) way back in 2015 and was continually checking to see when the follow u would be coming out. Two long years and it's here and well worth the wait.

Rise of the Dawnstar picks up right where we were left in Last of the Firedrakes, with Aurora on the run, Kalen and Rafe by her side. I love how Farah simply just throws us right back into the action, that being said if you haven't read The Last of the Firedrakes you will be lost so make sure to get caught up before diving into Rise of the Dawnstar.

My favorite part from the first book is still present in this one, Farah Oomerbhoy's magnificent world building.

"I pulled over in ny bed of damp moss and fallen leaves as muted sunlight shone through the trees and woke me to another day. The earthy fragrances of the forest floor lingered as dewdrops danced in the cook morning breeze, dazzling the woods with a myriad of colors, spectacular in the light of first dawn."

I mean come on...how gorgeous is that? Can't you just see yourself nestled down on the damp forest floor watching the world slowly come awake while you do the same? I am enthralled with her words and the beauty she creates as she gives us this world of Avalonia. It is so easy to get lost in all the descriptions but and this is a huge selling point for me, Farah does not over do them. She doesn't bog us down with every little descriptor, she gives us just enough to make the world come to life in our minds, so we can feel ourselves standing with the characters in the forests, on the ships, in the towns. Farah spins such a beautiful web that you can't help up throw yourself into it hoping to get stuck.

Another favorite aspect for me with this series is the strength of Aurora. There is no question that she is struggling, that she isn't sure how to help, or if she is hurting more than helping. She is full of self doubt, fears, and worries. However, she never backs down, she never gives up. She is still a bit naive, but instead of just going along with things or always thinking the best of others she has started to look through her rose colored glasses with a bit of a jaded eye. She knows now that everyone isn't looking out for her or the countries best interests. Even when she thinks she can trust someone it often turns out she should not have. Everyone in this world is out for something and Aurora is starting to see that, but she doesn't let it stop her. She's finding her way, she's discovering that her strengths do not lie only in her magic, she's growing and becoming what I hope will one day be a true Warrior Queen.

Let's talk romance a little and I can't say much because the romance in this story is tied to the plot and I do not want to give anything away. I am still 50/50 of Rafe, or perhaps we should call him Rafe the Rake? I love him, but I am not so sure he's the guy for her even though Aurora believes it with all her heart. I know I shouldn't look at his past was we look to his future but man it's hard to not remember what a player he is/was. Then there is the new addition of the Prince of the Night Court who I kinda adore, (it's always the moody ones that call to me, haha) and who I am afraid is going to have his heart broken and I hate broken hearts. Also, this romance thing that is going on...not sure it's really a love triangle but it's gonna be a major part of book three, leaves us with a cliff hanger and ugh, cliff hangers they make me so angsty. It's one thing for a romantic book character to be angsty totally another thing for me to be, lol. Honestly I want all the 'heroes' in this book to have their happily ever afters, Rafe, Kalen, the Pirate Prince, (YES readers, PIRATE. PRINCE.) the Prince of the Night Court...I even kinda hoped a new, I don't know that I'd call him evil, just misguided maybe (I am holding out hope still) character who does a very bad thing finds his HEA. I don't know what is going to happen I like Rafe just fine, but I am going to say for now I am totally Team Tristan (the Night Court Prince) and am afraid that along with his heart mine is going to be broken too. *cries*

I am in dire need of the third book now and so very hopeful that it comes quicker than this one. I don't begrudge an author needing to take their time to make sure their work is up to their standards I want the best book possible as much as they want to give it, but when you leave off like this one did I am not sure a two year wait is gonna work out for me, haha.

If you love beautiful world building, strong female heroines, handsome men, cunning Fae, suspense, twists and turns, fantastic character development, a cliff hanger (ack!), and an all around great read this is a wonderful fantasy series to pick up. I read this in one sitting because it simply just pulls you right into the world and action and you don't want to look away until you get to the end. There are parts of the story that won't surprise you and others that will take you completely off guard and have you shaking your head, perhaps shouting out at the book Nooooo! In the end you are just going to want more. I need more, I need to know what happens, I need to see Aurora fulfill her destiny, I need HEA's...all the HEA's, I need everything and I know that though my angst may ratchet to the highest level Farah is going to give us all the book we need when the next one comes out and I can't wait!


~HAPPY READING ~

The seven kingdoms of Avalonia are crumbling and evil is spreading across the land like a plague. Queen Morgana is close to finding a way to open The Book of Abraxas and it’s only a matter of time until she uses the power trapped inside its pages to enslave the entire world.

With Avalonia growing more dangerous by the day, Aurora must travel through war-torn lands and deep into the heart of the fae kingdom of Elfi. Her goal is to find a legendary weapon infused with the last of the realm’s ancient magic—the only weapon in the world powerful enough to stop the queen.

Aurora might have survived her first battle against Morgana, but the true fight to save her kingdom and restore her throne has only just begun. -Goodreads

If you haven't read the first book, I would recommend it. I thought, although the story isn't that original, it was still written amazingly and I was excited at each page. This book took a different turn than the first one and I was thrown back by that. Book two is focused on romance and yup if you didn't know what I meant by that statement, I mean there is a love triangle. And let's be honest, that annoyed the crap out of me. It bothered me because although it wasn't the driving force of the novel it became really clear as to what would be happening next.
There was no real surprises in this book, however, that does not mean it isn't written just as good as the first book. Aurora loses sight of what is important but she gets back on track once her distraction is gone. But biggest issue with Aurora is she isn't the Queen she should be and I don't know if she will and that makes me concerned. I understand that there need to be growth and development through a space of time but man, she was killing me. I don't mind romance. I mind love triangles. I mind when a focus shifts from the life changing world changing mission to what about the man I am in love with. This is not to say that this is all Aurora did but there were times when some decision was based off her emotions for someone she doubted.

Beyond that and the love triangle -_- the book was written well and I didn't expect anything different from this author. I wasn't as excited as I was in the first book but that does not mean I wasn't into this book. The pace was great, the overall story was what I wanted in Aurora's development to becoming Queen but her enthusiasm was not really there. I wish there was more fight and more twist and turns but a solid book two.

Overall,

3 Pickles

The kingdoms of Avalonia are crumbling under Queen Morgana's rule. Her reign is one of fear and darkness. The kingdoms that haven't been conquered yet are starting to get weaker and to want to bow to her.
Aurora Firedrake is the long lost heir to the throne of Illiador and she has recently discovered that she possesses way more power than anyone ever suspected. She is a half-fae and half mage, a powerful combination of very powerful, and royal, bloodlines. The Princess starts a journey in order to stop Queen Morgana, er evil aunt, from opening The Book of Abraxas and using the power trapped inside its pages to enslave and doom the entire world.
In order to defeat the Queen, Aurora must master her powers and uncover truths that were buried long ago. She decides to travel to Elfi, her Grandmother's kingdom, the fae kingdom so that she can learn about her true gifts and just how far she can go.
Along this journey, she faces new and old dangers and she learns important lessons that stay carved in her heart for life. New friendships and enemies are made, but who will win?
I must start this review by stating that this book was definitely worth the wait! Even tough I advise you to re-read the previous instalment before diving into this book it was not hard to pick up the pace and the story just where I left it!
The magical kingdom of Avalonia is back and with it come many novelties! The world has changed due to what has come to happen, actions have consequences and this time they're not good. Things are dying and the environment itself helps you get into the mood this story requires.
We all love powerful heroines but Aurora Firedrake is different! She has flaws and she ends up recognising them, she is played by people with malicious intentions and she loves wholeheartedly. These characteristics only make her more real and more of an example of what a main character should be: not perfect, flawed, real.
Along her new travels, Aurora meets new realities and new people and I have to say that I was amazed by how much diversity there is in the world of Avalonia. There are good and bad people, there are manipulative people and people who love you. In the end, there is a balance.
I will not extend my review much further because I'm afraid I cannot reveal anything else without spoiling the end. What I can tell you is that this book will make your heart leap, it will make you cry, laugh and love and it will stay in your heart even after you have finished reading it.

Omg, I didn't think this could get any better after the first book, but I was wrong! This installment was so engrossing that I couldn't put it down! The author does a great job of making the story more intricate without it bogging the reader down. The protagonist Aurora makes mistakes at first, like any normal 17 year old, but she does a lot of growing up and maturing, learning from her mistakes. Rage continues to dazzle as the charismatic Eldorian prince, and we finally get to meet some hot fae warriors, including the Prince of the Night Court Tristan. Woo hoo! Talk about sexy fae! This installment wonderfully weaves together what were seemingly loose plot threads and details from the first book. I loved it! The ending broke my heart a bit, ensuring I'll anxiously await the third book :)

Will leave this review on Goodreads and Amazon.

"Aurora Darlington was gone. Nothing in the world was going to change that. I was Aurora Firedrake, and I was born to be a queen. The people of Illiador needed me, my people needed me, and this time I would not fail them."

As Avalonia continues to be plagued by the evil queen Morgana, Aurora Firedrake, a powerful Fae-Mage, must decide how to defeat her and reclaim her rightful throne. Fleeing from the refuge of her allies, Aurora sets off with Kalen and Rafe to traverse the hostile regions of Avalonia in order to find her mother and free her.

But as the war wages, deception and betrayal arising at every turn, and new obstacles present themselves, her quest for her mother, and few strategies for defeating Morgana quickly fall apart.

All but one; a legend of an ancient weapon, with ancient magic. Having faced the evil queen once and miraculously surviving, will she finally be able to defeat the queen once and for all if the legendary Dawnstar truly exists? Now, it is their only hope.

------------------------------------

Holy smokes, guys. I've found a new favorite series. This book was amazing! Just when I thought I started to figure out the twists, new elements were thrown in and totally took me by surprise. Not to mention, there is just so much going on in these books! It's like having the best of all worlds mixed together in one voluptuous series!

Now that the essentials of world building were fulfilled almost fully by the first book, it cleared the path for an action-packed, topsy-turvy plot line to blossom and overflow with such richness in detail, depth, and engagement. The writing is exquisite, the pacing is non-stop, and yet again, the world building is phenomenal. (I think I've said that before?)

As I say in majority of my reviews, I don't like to discuss too much so I don't spoil the plot for anyone who may want to read this book and hasn't yet. But, if you haven't yet, you really should give The Avalonia Chronicles a try. I hope I've made myself clear. *grins*

Now that my inner fan-girl has had a moment to shine, let's get down to this review:

The story starts off from where it left off in book one, which I appreciated. I think it would have worked for some time to pass between the stories of the two books, but it definitely wasn't necessary.

Character Breakdown:

There are many characters in this book, but I am only going to discuss a select few here.

Aurora grew up quite a bit from The Last of the Firedrakes and was much more tolerable. Frankly, this is the sole reason why The Last of the Firedrakes received a full star less. There were still a few instances where Auroroa acted rather juvenile, (but it has to do with boy-issues, and that happens to everyone.) Also, she's just seventeen, so it's to be expected to a point. I was so glad that her inner-monologue was much more...fruitful, rather that frivolous. Rather than focusing on her own plight, she stepped into her role and adjusted accordingly.

Rafe: This passage concludes my hypotheses from my review of The Last of the Firedrakes:
"No, Aurora. That was an excuse to spend more time around you and not look like a complete fool when you questioned my motives for always turning up when you needed me. I didn't want you to think I was a stalker."
I smiled at this. "And were you?"
"What?"
"Stalking me?" I teased.
Rafe shrugged, but I could see the mischievous gleam in his eyes. "I wouldn't call it stalking."

Is it OK to think some forms of stalking are cute? Or does that also qualify me as a stalker?

Tristan: At first, I really didn't know what to think of him. His outright cruelness towards Aurora was in my mind, completely uncalled for. Especially when considering the fact that she is royalty. His own, and the blatant racism of the High Fae in general towards Fae-mage Aurora was excruciating at times. I was glad when he finally came around. Once the reader understood a bit of Tristan's history, it makes some sense why his initial reaction toward Aurora was that way. As the plot unfolds, I found myself liking him more and more. I did find this change in character to be almost too abrupt to be realistic though.

I'd like to warn those who loath love triangles now that one does present itself. However, the issues surrounding this geometric relationship made me hardly mind its existence...until the very end of the book. My heart hurts. I truly feel bad for those who must concede their feelings for that of duty. I daresay that it would take much gall to be the ruler of a kingdom and put foremost its success rather than your own happiness.

With all that said and unsaid, I can't wait to see what will happen next. The story, characters, and overall feeling of this book were devastatingly magical.

5 stars - but I think you already guessed that.

"Faith is the greatest magic of all. It can lift the world out of the darkness and bring it into the light. Be the Star of the Morning, the light that fills the world with magic. Be the Lightbringer, the Breaker of Shadows. Believe in yourself, Aurora Firedrake; believe in the Dawnstar. For if you have faith, anything is possible."

Book: The Rise of the Dawnstar
Author: Farah Oomerbhoy
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Wise Ink Creative Publishing, for providing me with this galley in exchange for an honest review.

The Rise of the Dawnstar is the second book in The Avalonia Chronicles. We have been waiting almost two years for the second book and I must say that it has been well worth the wait. The Rise fo the Dawnstar picks right up where The Last of the Firedrakes left up. There is no slow start and we jump right back into the action.

Aurora and the gang are on their way to find the Book of Abraxas, with Queen Morgana closing in behind them. They meet a pirate along the way and find themselves betrayed more than once. There's a lot of really great and well written fight scenes as they try to make their way out of danger. It's a fun start with lots of adventures. Plus, we get to see even more of Farah's amazing world building skills.

Aurora seems to be growing stronger as not only a warrior, but as a character. She is realizing her full propose in Avalonia and is starting to fully embrace it. She still gets herself into trouble and still has to have the others get her out of it, but it's okay. It really adds to the story. Still, when reading this, you do have to remember that she is still a teenager and her mistakes are those that teenagers make all the time. She is a very complex character still with many sides. She can be stubborn, strong, capable, a fighter, jealous, and spiteful...Yeah, there's no other way to put it, but she is a real girl.

Aurora and Rafe, whose romance I loved in the first book, kind of goes dark. I thought Rafe was going to be the normal fairytale prince, who enjoys helping those in need. I guess not. He almost holds Aurora back in this book; it's almost like he can't stand her being maybe a little bit stronger than he is. Still, I did like him, but I do think he needs to let up a little bit on Aurora. We also get to see a little bit of Rafe's past and realize that he may not be the dreamy prince we all thought he was. He is engaged to another and is still running around with others. Hum....Maybe Aurora doesn't have all that great of tastes in guys after all.

Tristan becomes a central part of the story. I really didn't like his character when we were first introduced to him, but he has started to grow on me. I really do hate how Aurora is playing him, but still...We learn about Tristan's dark past in this book and find out why he is the way he is. Once you learn his story, you can't help but to feel sorry for him.

Once again, Farah delivers a wonderful and amazing, truly magical book. Sure, it took us almost two years to get it, but it was well worth the wait. I cannot wait for book three!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy to review.
Farah Oomerbhoy has done it again!
I had the pleasure of being able to read The Last of the Firedrakes and was completely enchanted with it. The Rise of the Dawnstar held true and delivered another slam dunk for YA fantasy.

We find Princess Aurora Firedrake in the aftermath of her battle with Morgana, trying to get to the safety of her fae grandmother's kingdom of Elfi. The one and only place with the capabilities to protect and shelter her while she learns to control her fae and mage powers while she figures out how to take back her throne from the evil and ruthless Morgana. Barely escaped from her last encounter, more pure luck than skill, she knows she can't risk another encounter untrained again, or she won't make it to see her home again. Her powers still only loosely contained by her family amulet which she must wear at all times, lest she lose control.

Torn for her feelings for Prince Rafe, as he helps her on her way to Elfi. They only grow closer, but with his engagement, to Lady Leticia, a promise he feels he must keep to his late mother. She knows there's no chance they can truly be together. Too many things stand in her way that she must endure before she can even consider acting on such feelings. Both have duties to their kingdoms, both which are in dire peril.

In Elfi she finds herself in a cold, strange world, ruled by old pure blood hierarchy. The grand daughter of a queen she may be, she is still seen as merely a weak half-breed, a mage which cannot be tolerated or trusted. She must harness her fae powers and prove herself a warrior, worth of her fae heritage. Or her standing and protection hangs precariously in the balance. Manipulation and politics surround her on all sides, she must trust in herself and find a way to prove to herself to everyone that she can become the queen she's destined to become and find the truth.

You will not be disappointed by this one. I can't wait to see where Aurora and the Dawnstar go next.

In ‘The Last of the Firedrakes,’ we saw main character Aurora as she became aware of the magical realm of Avalonia, and all the fairies, mages, and other mythical creatures that exist. She was thrust into a foreign world with political upheaval, a complicated family history, and had her first flirtation with a boy.

In ‘Rise of the Dawnstar,’ we follow Aurora as she meets new allies, new boys, and learns more about her Fae abilities.

The Avalonia Chronicles are page-turners through and through, and their slight similarities to the Harry Potter series and King Arthur legends only made me want to keep reading. Recommended for any YA or fantasy reader.

This novel was an amazing sequel!! I enjoyed the plot twists, romance, betrayal, action, and adventure. Things are never what they appear to be and the fey have many ways of manipulating others to their agendas. The story is from Aurora's point of view and we see her thoughts and the trials she must go through to save her kingdom.
Aurora and Rafe, the prince of Eldoren, are on the run and seeking out allies who will help them. They run into a contact of Rafe's, who gives them information. They are almost caught but saved by one of Rafe's friends. However, he has ulterior motives and when Lucien, the high mage for Morgana, keeps finding them, they learn the truth. Rafe gets Aurora to ship so she can travel to her grandmother, queen of the fey. Rafe tells Aurora he loves her and he will get back to her. Aurora loves him too.
Aurora begins training with her fey magic and improving on her fighting skills with the fey. In the court of the fey, you cannot trust anyone. Tristan, the prince of the night court is a member of the elite guard and has to "protect" Aurora. He is prejudiced against mages and does not like Aurora because she is half-mage, half-fey. Aurora warns the fey of Morgana's plans, but they are fey who will betray her. Aurora discovers many things at the fey court, which help her to become stronger and realize her true potential. However, will they be able to stop Morgana's army and prevent evil from returning from whence it was banished? I loved the plot twists and cannot wait to read the next novel to see where Aurora's choices will take her.