Dragon Blood - Omnibus: Dragon Blood, Books 1-3

BOOK 1 - BALANCING on the BLADE'S EDGE (3.5 stars)I haven't read a book in ages, so wanted t get back into the habit of reading. Got this as a free ebook in the Kindle store, as part of the Dragon Book collection 1-3. Just finished reading the first book, Balanced on the Blade’s Edge, and surprisingly enjoyed it. I believe the book is targeted for anyone who is over the age of 14+ and enjoys an easy read about a fantasy world (like wizards, magic, etc) mixed in with mills & blooms type romance.I like the main characters Sardelle and Ridge. However, I wish there was more dept in the writing process, for example a clearer deeper description about both their worlds, how life was in the past to how life is now ... outside the prison world in general. The scene is mostly set around one specific place - the prison. I would still definitely recommend this book, especially to one who would like to get back to reading.Book 2 - DEATHMAKER (4.5 stars)Last night I finished the Deathmaker, book 2 of the Dragon Blood Collection, and will admit I enjoyed better than the first book. It was far more interesting reading about the main characters, Lt. Ahn and The Deathmaker, but I especially enjoyed how the plot wasn't based in just one scene, that the places where they encountered their adventures kept changing.I also loved how book 2 could be read on its own, independent of book 1, yet if you had read book 1 (which I have) then how it brings it both book 1 & 2 together. By the time I got to Chapter 15, the ending battle had me on tenterhooks and just could not put the book down.Definitely would recommend it to my friends.Book 3 - BLOOD CHARGED (5 stars)Just finished Blood Charged, book 3 of the Dragon Blood Collection and on a high when I finally put it down. It was a hard book to put down every night after reading for an hour just before bedtime, especially when it came to the last five chapters.It was an absolute pleasure reading Blood charged, I was completely immersed in the adventurous drama that was taking place, and hope it turns into a movie one day.I enjoyed how the writer, Lindsay Buroker, brought all the main characters from book 1 & 2 together so seamlessly, while adding a couple more new and interesting characters to the plot.Unlike book 2 of the series, I don't think book 3 can stand on its own. I'm sure people would enjoy reading book 3 without having read the first two books. However, in my opinion, you really get invested into a character from book 1 & 2, especially when you understand the character's past, how they've come to be who they are in.High would recommend it to my friends.

I thought the three books were a very enjoyable read. With a mix of magic and military and the humour between all the characters and the sword the story flowed well.

Excellent reading full of humour and adventure. Really enjoyable. I recommend it to anyone. I have even enjoyed reading it twice.

Great books

A great read, full of action and twists. The characters totally believable. Could've been written from history rather than the mind

Lindsay Buroker is a prolific and really good author. Once I started reading her, it was difficult to put down the books/kindle. Much to my sorrow I have now read the entire Dragon and Fallen Empires series. I am not entirely a fan though, which is why its 4 stars and not 5 stars. There is something about her that still tries to reach out to "Young Adults"/College kids. It ends up as sexual innuendos, or smart mouth comments, which is just fine, but within limits. But hey, I am old so who cares.What she has in large amounts, is great plotting, characters,dialogue, ideas, and good humour .Keep writing, and I'll keep reading - well, its an addiction to joyful books and a great author.

This book has its good points and its bad points.Among the good points: I found it an enjoyable read, light hearted, with fast paced story telling that keeps the plot moving and holds your interest. It rarely gets too long or detailed. It has strong female characters. Romance does take place, but does not define the stories or the characters (which is refreshing when so many stories out there treat women poorly.)The stories create an interesting world where modern technology exists alongside magic. However, magic is distrusted. Sardelle, a sorceress who has been "asleep" for many years, wakes up to find herself in a world quite different from the one she left, and must hide her magic in order to protect herself. The hurdles she has to overcome make for an entertaining plot. It's gripping, but not taxing. It's the sort of light-going, relaxing book I would read after finishing something heavy.Among the bad points: the stories position white people as good, and nasty brown people as villains. I don't think the author intended to be racist, but there is a definite racist theme. The one prominent non-white character is a war criminal (whether he deserves to be called such, remains unclear - other characters definitely have a good reason to hate him!) and the brown-skinned people in general seem to be nasty oppressors with few redeeming qualities.It seems the author also threw in the subject of sexual assault, to make the character Zirkander seem like A Nice Guy. The army punishes Zirkander for starting a fight; actually he just wanted to prevent a sexual assault, so he had just cause. Seemed a bit blasé, like a magic way to punish him whilst at the same time absolving him of guilt and making a martyr of him. Sexual assault is also used to make a criminal seem more nasty. I felt like the author used it as a device, which some might find tasteless or uncomfortable.All characters are heterosexual and heteronormative, and despite having strong female characters, gender norms are upheld. Nothing exists outside of the world of heteronormativity. That's nothing new, but it is something to bear in mind if that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, or if you're looking for something more modern.There's also a heterosexual sex scene, which you may or may not like. (It's graphic enough to make this an adult book, but it's pretty tasteful.)The last story puts all four characters together but only tells from the POV of Sardelle and Zirkander, so if you liked Cas and Tolmenek more, you might find that disappointing.All in all: it's a decent read, worth the low price. I wouldn't list it as one of my favourite books, but if you're looking for a fun, light read to get into, this could do the trick... provided the above points don't bother you too much and you can ignore the racist aspect.