Name: The Rise of the Dawnstar
ISBN: 9781634899345

Farah Oomerbhoy

Aurora Firedrake returns in the spellbinding sequel to The Last of the Firedrakes.

The Rise of the Dawnstar

Aurora Firedrake returns in the spellbinding sequel to The Last of the Firedrakes. 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... Silver award winner in IBPA's Benjamin Franklin Awards 2018 Finalist in the 2018 EPIC eBook Awards Notable Indie in Self Unbound's 2018 Best Indie Book Silver Medal winner in the 2017 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Bronze Medal winner in the 2017 Readers' Favorite Book Award "This is fantasy at its best, riveting and utterly enjoyable. The Rise of the Dawnstar will transport readers into a land of magic where nothing is as it seems and where surprises happen at every turn of the road." - Readers' Favorite "It is often hard for sequels to surpass the first installment in a series, but The Rise of the Dawnstar did that splendidly...The Rise of the Dawnstar by Farah Oomerbhoy is now my favorite installment in the series but one that left me in desperate need to read book three. With amazing characters and excellent world-building, this exciting sequel is one not to be missed!" - Melissa Robles, @thereaderandthechef Instagram creator and YA Books Central's Instagram manager "As with the first book, Farah's exquisite detailing is a pleasure. All in all, this second installment was a satisfying read. I'm eagerly anticipating book three!" - Sarah Benson, author of Born of Shadow "Best book I have read in 10 years. And that's saying something. This, was a FANTASTIC book and not only lived up to the expectations I had from the first book The Last of the Firedrakes but it surpassed it. I have not read a book that felt like a rollercoaster in such a long time. Perfect oscillation of suspense and downtime, but always the story moving forward and not stalling." - L.M. Chilcott, author of the Eloah Series "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." - Sorcha O'Dowd, author & blogger "The Rise of the Dawnstar by Farah Oomerbhoy was fantastic! Wow, this sequel to The Last of the Firedrakes really packs a punch! Full of action, adventure, intrigue and plot twists, this story continues to pull me further into its world. Love, loss and uncovered secrets built intense relationships and kept my interest. I can't wait for the next book in The Avalonia Chronicles. 5 stars!" - LynnDell Watson, librarian at Delta High School Library

MARIYAM ASHRAF SIDDIQUI

Oh my…the part 2 really takes away with the plot twists, heart breaks and new characters in the novels. 
It is so beautifully written. Loved it ♥️

Sheila Goicea

Release date 04/24/2017! I'm posting this review a bit late, so I apologize!

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

  
    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.
  

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

This review can also be viewed on my blog: She's Going Book Crazy

Cat Imb

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Farah Oomerbhoy!

I am speechless right now. This book was so much better than the first - and I don't say that often. It was action-packed, drama-filled, and fantastically epic. Yes, I just wrote all of that in one sentence, and am not ashamed.

Although some parts of the story were predictable, there were still multiple twists and turns in the story that I had not seen coming. The reason why the predictible-ness (yes I just made up a word) at some instances did not bother me, is because the writing and the storytelling was so well executed. I was completely entranced and read the last 75% of the book with hardly any breaks. I would will the bus to go slower so that I wouldn't have to stop reading.

There were so many interesting characters introduces in this installment, and I've got to say, I'm team Tristan (you can now cyber-stone me). There were also the introduction of more creatures and legends which enriched the world. Oomerbhoy did all this in a magical way that didn't make the story over-complicated, in the sense that, the additions to the story were well paced, not overwhelming to the reader, and they all had a purpose. It wasn't like: "Hey, let me add a mermaid, because they're super cool and pretty, but will not add anything to the story". 

I may have rambled a little on this one, and for that I am sorry, but all this to say that I definitely recommend this book!

Jessica 

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As a note, a review copy of this novel was provided in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. Thank you! Also posted to BOOKEDJ. 


Wow, wow, wow! Farah Oomerbhoy's The Avalonia Chronicles continues with a new, spellbinding installment--The Rise of the Dawnstar. And I'll be honest: I was pretty skeptical of the series at first with the previous release, despite the luscious writing and world-building that Oomerbhoy portrays during every chapter. All of that skepticism was pretty much destroyed by the final pages of The Rise of the Dawnstar.



Far more expansive than its predecessor, this next chapter of Avalonia is full of so much more life and plot twists. What I loved most about this one was that it kept me on my toes a lot more than the previous had managed. I knew instantly that Oomerbhoy was an author to look out for and now, with all that descriptive writing and complexities, I can finally saw I'm captivated. When an author can combine complexities of kingdoms, the sting of betrayal and everything in between, you know you've picked up a severe talent. In The Rise of the Dawnstar, so many of my initial complaints from the first book were banished--not all of them, but most--and at the core of this story was a whole lot of magic, fun and pain.



I was so looking forward to more growth on Aurora's part. When you look back to where the series began, you can see just how much she has developed and Farah put forth a lot of time into that. It's what saved the previous book for me. Sadly, we had a few bumps (in my opinion) during this go around and most of that had to do with the romance aspects of the novel. Aurora is still very much so coming of age; trying to find her way, to train, to embrace her destiny. I felt like, while I don't hate Rafe, there was a lot to their relationship in this book that put me off a bit.



Some moments felt a bit like... Aurora had taken a step backwards. But. BUT! I still enjoyed the love stories that developed and the love triangle that takes center stage. Further, I loved the development we got to witness with other characters and new locations. Honestly, The Rise of the Dawnstar puts The Last of the Firedrakes to complete shame and I love it for that reason.



Overall, sequels can be very tricky to navigate but Farah Oomerbhoy proves she was VERY up to the task and is only getting better. Everything readers loved and hated about The Last of the Firedrakes will be blown out of the water with this sizzling second installment and--without sarcasm--I can't wait for more from Oomerbhoy and The Avalonia Chronicles in the future.

The Rise of the Dawnstar

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