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Holy POV changes Batman! I did not care for the constant and many, many POV changes in this book. It is the one pet peeve that I cannot ignore in book series. Most of the various branches of the storyline did get tied up by the conclusion of the book. I thought that the details and world building was tiptop but did not care for some of the character development in this final instalment of the series.
Historic novel based on the teen life of Alexander te Great. The author did extensive research and was thorough in her detailing. There were a lot of characters, as I previously pointed out, but she did a good job developing them so that their time in the spotlight were necessary to rendering the facts as they formed.
I would recommend the story to readers who were interested with the subject matter. Otherwise this book series could fall flat by the end.





*****I was provided this ARC by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions herein are solely mine and unbiased. *****

Such a great ending to the series! It's all so beautifully written and unique and Eleanor Herman ended the series so perfectly! It was absolutely action packed and binge worthy!

Do I Recommend this book? Yes!!

Notes and Opinions: You can never go wrong with magic and history in the same book. This has been such an epic series and I freaking love it. And it's about Alexander the Great. Eleanor's writing gets better and better with each book. The love triangle has even become more evident in this book. God, this book has to be my favorite one in the series. The only thing that threw this off was the ending. It felt a nit rushed but overall, READ THIS SERIES!

This is the 4th and final book in Eleanor Herman's epic fantasy series. I've enjoyed how this series weaves together Greek mythology, complicated characters, magic, romance, and betrayal. This book picks up where book 3 (Reign of Serpents) left off, and the story is told from the perspectives of Alex, Heph, Kat, Jacob, Zofia, Olympias, and Cynane. Alex is busy fulfilling his prophecy, Heph constantly wonders about his feelings for Alex and Kat, Kat is torn between Heph and Jacob, Olympias can't stop plotting, Cynane is just as bloodthirsty and leads Amazons, and Zofia is focused on keeping her child safe and finding her lost love.

At times, the variety of perspectives gets confusing and jumbled, although I appreciate that the author doesn't skimp on details and allows for richer storytelling. With that said, I struggled with how fickle the romantic relationships were. Kat was initially one of my favorite characters, but in this book, she was too indecisive. I wasn't satisfied with the endings for some characters, but overall most loose ends were tied up.

I received an e-copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DAWN OF LEGENDS is the fourth and epic finale to the Blood of Gods and Royals YA fantasy series by Eleanor Herman. It reimagines the life of a young Prince Alexander before he became Alexander the Great. Filled with political intrigue and adventure this series brings the ancient Greek world alive with its rich historical detail, infusing it with myth and magic.

The Last Epic Battle
The realms of ancient Greece, Egypt, and Persia come to vivid life with rich historical detail as Herman intertwines myth and magic while reuniting Prince Alexander of Macedon with his friends in one last, epic stand against the Spirit Eaters.

The Fates, a Palace of Gold and the Fabled Gordion Knot
Once again, the story alternates between Prince Alexander and a cast of fascinating characters, each with their own viewpoints, moving the story into a broad sweep across empires as the last battle unfolds.

As Prince Alexander searches for the Water of Life while trying to unravel the very threads of Fate, his travels will take him to the famous palace of King Midas and the unsolvable Gordian Knot where his path finally crosses with the runaway Persian Princess Zofia.

Amazons, Spirit Eaters and Honey Bees
While spying on the Aesarian Lords, Kat and Jacob uncover a horrible secret about the very nature of the Spirit Easters, while Princess Cynane is building an army of new Amazons yet, hiding her very identity as she trains these warrior women. In the Cimmerian forest, Joseph makes a discovery which nearly cost him his life, but can be used against the Persian army.

Pegasus, the Muses, the Fountain of Youth and Threads of Fate
Throughout the series, and especially in this concluding volume in the Blood of Gods and Royals series, we see Alexander, now a King, and those closest to him, not only battling forces of magic and monster, of war and political intrigue but against the invisible ties of the Fates themselves.

The ending here especially brings them all together and I loved the conclusion the story takes. I will admit, that for those many threads and character's voices to finally come together, it took some patience as far as reading goes. Imagine four books later and you have a lot to recapture for your readers and closure to bring.

In the End

This series was everything I could have wanted for an inspired story about a young Alexander the Great. The ancient world and its history are brought to vivid life as Herman magically infuses it all with the legends and myths surrounding Alexander.

Recommended for:

I highly recommend this series to fans of the genre and readers fascinated by the legendary Alexander the Great. I will definitely be picking up more of Eleanor Herman's books!

Dawn of Legends is the fourth installment in author Eleanor Herman's Blood of Gods and Royals series. Inspired by a teen Alexander the Great, steeped in true history and infused with the magic and Greek mythology, the explosive finale to the Blood of Gods and Royals epic fantasy series is full of royalty, war, magic, forbidden love, danger, betrayal and the triumph of the human spirit. The story begins right where Reign of Serpents left off with a Giant tidal wave and ends with the very Fates themselves, as Prince Alexander of Macedon steps into his role as visionary warrior and unites the Greek States, leading them all to a new dawn of legends.

As an FYI, there are 7 main characters featured in this story with several others added just because they happen to fit in the authors narrative. Four of them are historical figures, 3 of them are figments of the author's imagination. Earth Blood, Snake Blood, Smoke Blood and Spirit Blood all reveal themselves; through Princess Cynane who seeks to build an army of new Amazons; through Kat and Jacob who will spy on the Aesarian Lords and make a plan to defeat the deadly Spirit Eaters; through runaway Persian princess Zofia who gives birth to a new Fate; with cameos from Aristotle and a young Asesop; and through Alex and Heph, reunited friends who together will turn the tide of war into the greatest alliance all of history.

Alexander is a character who I will spent little time with even though this is supposed to be his story. In this world, he has regained control of his mind and body thanks to Jacob and Kat. Now, it is time to stand up and deliver. But, the dreaded spirit eaters are rising quickly and spreading. Alex needs allies, and he needs to find a way to defeat the spirit eaters before they destroy his country. History has all the information you need about Alexander, and what he did in a very short period of time before dying. My disappointment lies in the fact that Alex and his twin sister Kat spent way too little time together, and then it's quickly gone. So, let's carry on....

Cynane, Princess of Macedon (d 323 BC) was the real half-sister to Alexander. She was the daughter of Philip I & was famous for her military knowledge: she conducted armies, and in the field charged at the head of them. In this book, Cynane resents her family, and what they've put her through, including being forced into marrying a King who soon died. Never say that Cynane was not goal oriented. She had a vision and that vision leads her to put together a group of New Amazons who will eventually help Alexander.

The final historical figure is Hephaestion, Alexander's best friend, constant companion, and General in Alexander's army. Curious is that they both died during the same year. Heph has had feelings for Katerina since they both found themselves seeking answers as to Kat's magic. There is a hint that Alex and Heph had a similar relationship to that of Achilles and Patroclus. I will let history itself determine whether the author was accurate, or just adding another layer to the legend of Alexander.

Olympias of Epirus was Alexander's mother and one of the most conniving, underhanded, and manipulative characters both in this book, and in real life. I think she was added to this series because many of her choices led to where Alexander eventually gets. I also loved the fact that we have another villain who isn't afraid to get her hands bloody. In the end, Olympias led a very long life and outlived Alexander and the other historical characters in this book. Not a spoiler.

The three fictional characters are Jacob, a boy from a small village who fell in love with a girl named Katerina, and lost her. Jacob is a Earth Blood. He joined the fictional Aesarian Lords who have been a bunch of naughty boys. Jacob's love for Kat brings them together, but will it be enough? Katerina was written to be Alexander's twin sister. Same mother and father. However, Katerina has magical abilities called Snake Blood that allows her to interact with animals. Katerina's story, in the end, was one that I didn't agree with at all. She also irked me by not making a choice between Jacob and Heph who loved her with equal passion. But, since she was written as a young woman who yearns for independence, what happens to her is kind of appropriate.

The last character is Princess Zofia who has been through more than any other character in this series. From losing her sister, to being kidnapped into slavery, to finding a mythical Pegasus, to being chased and sought out by a powerful character who wants her baby, and later joining the New Amazons under Queen Cynane. Like Kat, and Cynane, Zofia doesn't actually jump for joy about being married off to someone she doesn't love. She has her own reasons and her own goals

The last book in this series moved really slow, but in he end began to pick up and really draw me into the story. I was anxious for this installment of the series to finally be release so I could continue the story. But try as I may, I just could not get interested in this book. The draw to keep me interested was not present in this story as it was in the last, and unfortunately it was not enough to keep me reading. I really would have liked to have known the fate of the characters, but just not going to happen for me.

Received an ARC from Net Galley. Perfect culmination of the series. Loved the twists in the character roles and where they wound up!

Hmm... I really do enjoy this series and am glad how it ended. There were plenty of twists and turns in this volume just as much as the last installment I just wish there weren't so many darned POV's. I feel they take away from the story. I will definitely recommend this who like historical fiction with a dash of fantasy that accelerates with action and plot in every installment.

DNF'd this book, was very disappointed in it. I couldn't get into the conclusion novel. This novel just wasn't working for me. I was so looking forward to enjoying the end of this series, but ended up disappointed instead.

This was a great addition to the series. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other. A must read.