Adventure. Competition. A duel to the death.While on a journey to the famous city of Thronehold, Volke Savan learns of the Sovereign Dragon Tournament. The massive celebration involves hundreds of arcanists competing for fame and glory, and Volke is determined to win.Dark forces dwell in the city, however, and rumors of the legendary world serpent spread amongst the shadows. Whoever bonds with a … shadows. Whoever bonds with a god-like mystical creature will gain magic beyond compare, and the queen’s guards suspect cutthroats will use the chaos of the tournament to hide their plotting.
Unsure of who to trust, Volke investigates the terrible rumors while advancing in the ranks of the tournament. Unfortunately, the true villain may be closer than he realizes…
Continue the Frith Chronicles with the third book, Coliseum Arcanist!
Praise for the Frith Chronicles!
“Absolutely brilliant.”
– Archaeolibrarian for Knightmare Arcanist (Frith Chronicles, Book 1)
“With a thoroughly satisfying ending that hints at an incredible future for the series, Dread Pirate Arcanist is an unequivocal triumph.”
– ManyBooks for Dread Pirate Arcanist (Frith Chronicles, Book 2)
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Okay, so this book has the capability to break me! Coliseum Arcanist is the third book in the Frith Chronicles and we return once more to Volke, Illia, and the rest.
Gille is working hard to find a cure for the plague and is accompanied by the Frith Guild to see the queen. Only, they get more excitement than they bargained for when they find out there will be a tournament for a new sovereign dragon arcanist. Illia is still dead set on revenge on Calisto but the others are excited to participate.
Wow, so much happens here! This is a long book but not a single word is wasted. So many new characters to meet and old ones to reacquaint with. Volke is, of course, the star of the show but he doesn’t hog all the limelight. Through his eyes, you see the others and how they change and grow. Zaxis is still obnoxious but I’m also hoping he will calm down and become a better man. He is still young after all.
The ending of this book, the last few chapters, are absolutely action-packed. There is never a dull moment and I will admit to my eyes leaking too. I had a suspicion about the outcome of the last match when I read the description given in Volke’s book but how it was written was just amazing. The rest of it came as a surprise and I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what happened next.
With a cliffhanger you have to read to believe, I seriously can NOT wait for the next book in the series. You definitely have to read all of them in order to get the full experience but what an experience it is. I really can’t recommend this series, or this book, highly enough.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!
I read the first two books of Shami Stovall’s Frith Chronicles (Knightmare Arcanist and Dread Pirate Arcanist) and added Coliseum Arcanist (Frith Chronicles #3) to my TBR list. Read on for my thoughts!
Synopsis (from the author):
Adventure. Competition. A duel to the death.
While on a journey to the famous city of Thronehold, Volke Savan learns of the Sovereign Dragon Tournament. The massive celebration involves hundreds of arcanists competing for fame and glory, and Volke is determined to win.
Dark forces dwell in the city, however, and rumors of the legendary world serpent spread amongst the shadows. Whoever bonds with a god-like mystical creature will gain magic beyond compare, and the queen’s guards suspect cutthroats will use the chaos of the tournament to hide their plotting.
Unsure of who to trust, Volke investigates the terrible rumors while advancing in the ranks of the tournament. Unfortunately, the true villain may be closer than he realizes…
What I liked:
I enjoyed Volke’s continued growth as well as the growth of the other characters. The interplay between the humans and their Eldrin fascinated me, as did the increasing magical abilities the humans gained. Ilia started to mature more than I expected, and the mystery surrounding Adelgis’ relationship with his father adds a layer to the story. Of course, I have to mention Karna and Fain, two new characters who add intrigue and action to the tale. Don’t forget, too, the plot and overarching story that Shami Stovall continues to build.
What I didn’t like:
Volke, though he continues to grow as a character, still lacks some basic sensibilities about romance, relationships, and the like. It would be nice to see him realize there are potential partners for him.
Overall impression:
Coliseum Arcanist was an excellent continuation of the series. An expansive overarching plot, good characters, and plenty of intrigue and action kept me turning the pages. If you like fantasy, this book (and the rest of the series) is a great read!
My rating:
5 Stars