Ascendant by Michael Miller: Book Review

About the book:

Title: Ascendant

Author: Michael Miller

Release Date: September 21, 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Narrator: Peter Kenny

From the author of The Dragon’s Blade Trilogy and the narrator of The Witcher series comes the start of a new dragon rider epic combining the best of Eragon and Pern with the hard magic of Brandon Sanderson and Will Wight.

Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. He has always served the Order Hall of the Crag dutifully, keeping their kitchen pots clean.

Until he discovers a dark secret: Dragons do not tolerate weakness among their kin, killing the young they deem flawed. Moved by pity, Holt defies the Order, rescues a doomed egg and vows to protect the blind dragon within.

But the Scourge is rising. Undead hordes roam the land, spreading the blight and leaving destruction in their wake. The dragon riders are being slaughtered and betrayal lurks in the shadows.

Holt has one chance to survive. He must cultivate the mysterious power of his dragon’s magical core. A unique energy which may tip the balance in the battles to come, and prove to the world that a servant is worthy after all. 

Winner of the 2021 National Indie Excellence Award for Fantasy!

Book Review:

If you’re looking for something to fill the void that Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern left behind, this series might be what you’ve been waiting for. It is nothing like McCaffrey’s stories, yet the skill and artistry of a story well told sunk me into Ascendant before the first chapter ended. It’s unique and stands apart as a new era of dragonriders. The world-building is amazing, and these characters! Holt and Ash make the story, and it isn’t the kind where the hero walks in and magically fells the foe. There are struggles and heartache, victories and crushing defeat. You’ll be transported on a journey as a single decision stemming from pity risks changing the world.
And the narrator! I don’t know how this man manages it, but he brings individuality to each character through voice and tone in such a way that I never felt like I lost track of who was part of the action. Each character had a distinct voice and the emotion came through page after page.
I never wanted the book to end, yet I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.
I was ordering the sequel before I reached the 3/4 mark of finishing Ascendant.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.