The Defenders’ order is dying, but that’s no surprise. They’ve been in hiding for over a hundred years, and apprentices are getting harder to find – hardly anyone can see the dragons anymore. Eppie is a successful pickpocket. She keeps her cache – and her ability to see the dragons – well hidden. One day she picks the wrong pocket, and the next thing she knows she’s been brought in to a … a mysterious secret order of swordsmen and swordswomen. She’s their last apprentice, their last hope. With far too little training, she sets out to help save the dragon Tiada, but if her mentor and the others fall in the battle, who will defend the dragons next time?
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I’m in the hospital right now, which overall sucks, but one great thing about it is that I’ve the freedom to binge read when I want to. Usually I don’t, as “variety is the spice of life” even in reading, but there have been times when a particular series is just so addictively good that the need-to-binge is just triggered. Amelia Smith’s Anamat series is an example of this. I downloaded its first book Scrapplings, Children of the Dragons, almost as much for its beautiful cover as for the appeal of the book description in its publisher’s blurb. As I noted in my separate review of that book, I love fantasy “when it’s done in a way that’s both innovative and enjoyable.” That was totally the case with book 1, and I fell in love with Darna (an absolutely superb leading character) and with Myril, Iola, Thorat and the rest of the supporting cast. In fact, the book was sooo very good that I just had to (really had to) get into book 2, Priestess of the Dragon’s Temple. That story (about Iola’s battle to become the next ambassadress to the dragons’ realm – and to turn the temple back to being a true sanctuary of the dragons) of course totally drew me in, so no surprise then that I simply had to (HAD to) turn right to book 3. Of course that book, The Defenders’ Apprentice (which is the first of what had originally been the Dragonsfall Trilogy, the prior novels technically being prequels), did nothing to slow down my addiction. I mean c’mon, a story about a pickpocket (Eppie) turned into the last apprentice of the dying Defenders Order and then taking her new swordsman skills and setting out to save a dragon (Tiada)? How could I possibly resist? No way on this Earth. I. She’d into totally addiction and turned to book 4. That book, The Turncoat Prince (technically book 2 of the Dragonsfall Trilogy) was delicious, with Darna in the forefront of a story with twists and turns, romance and betrayals, thrills and action and of course, a dragon. It brought my addiction to a whole new level which could only be appeased by, you guessed it, turning right to the next book, Chronicles of the Last Days (Anamat, Book 5, though it’s book 3 in the Dragonsfall trilogy). Totally complex and convoluted yet somehow easy to follow (a masterful trick in itself) this book managed to tie up all the lose ends in a very satisfying conclusion. My addiction is now mostly satisfied, many many (many) hours into the biggest of binge reads, though for the record I’d be totally up for a sequel series. As for a bottom line review, that is very easy: each of these ebooks (and the entire collection) is easily rated 5 stars. They are all superbly written and loads of fun (though be warned as they’re also clearly highly addictive). Can’t to much better than that in my opinion. Great overall overarching story arc and superb individual book plots, great cast of characters and great writing. I’m glad I downloaded these books. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises – the series definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the Anamat series (including the Dragonsfall Trilogy) is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend.