Prasetya Nababan

The Choice: The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 3 (The Dragon Heart Legacy, 3)

Book by Nora Roberts

DETAILS

Publisher : St. Martin's Press (November 22, 2022) Language : English Hardcover : 448 pages ISBN-10 : 1250272726 ISBN-13 : 978-1250272720 Item Weight : 1.39 pounds Dimensions : 6.55 x 1.65 x 9.55 inches Best Sellers Rank: #196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #10 in Fantasy Romance (Books) #10 in Paranormal & Urban Fantasy (Books) #11 in Romantic Fantasy (Books) , The conclusion of the epic trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Awakening and The Becoming. Talamh is a land of green hills, high mountains, deep forests, and seas, where magicks thrive. But portals allow for passage in and out―and ultimately, each must choose their place, and choose between good and evil, war and peace, life and death… Breen Siobhan Kelly grew up in the world of Man and was once unaware of her true nature. Now she is in Talamh, trying to heal after a terrible battle and heartbreaking losses. Her grandfather, the dark god Odran, has been defeated in his attempt to rule over Talamh, and over Breen―for now. With the enemy cast out and the portal sealed, this is a time to rest and to prepare. Breen spreads her wings and realizes a power she’s never experienced before. It’s also a time for celebrations―of her first Christmas in both Talamh and Ireland, of solstice and weddings and births―and daring to find joy again in the wake of sorrow. She rededicates herself to writing her stories, and when his duties as taoiseach permit, she is together with Keegan, who has trained her as a warrior and whom she has grown to love. It’s Keegan who’s at her side when the enemy’s witches, traitorous and power-mad, appear to her in her sleep, practicing black magick, sacrificing the innocent, and plotting a brutal destruction for Breen. And soon, united with him and with all of Talamh, she will seek out those in desperate need of rescue, and confront the darkness with every weapon she has: her sword, her magicks―and her courage… Read more

REVIEW

After reading the first book in a just begun series and then accidentally reading two books in a different unfinished trilogy, I looked for a finished fantasy/romantasy trilogy. I've never read Nora Roberts before. I read the three in this series in about four days. I'll use a plus(+) and minus(-) system to get my feelings out and throw up a (%) for the neutral thoughts. I'm writing them as spoiler free as I can for the whole series. % First, I have to say I do not love the head-hopping omnipresent style. I actually found the audiobook much more rewarding than the reading most times, and I love to read. It simply felt like that narrator had the notes on who was actually thinking or saying where I had to guess or hope I had it far too often. Frequently, I feel, I was wrong and it ruined the tone of a conversation or character. + I read all three very quickly. I enjoyed the reading, even through the struggle. Parts were very compelling and dragged me through the rough. - A lot was introduced and revisited and then... neglected. Things that seemed central to the story, important to the characters, repeated more than once, then just kind of gently forgotten throughout. Oh, she has X skill and "distance doesn't matter" is emphasized?.... never uses it again. He can call to Y thing? Barely relevant. They call her Daughter of the Z now and she's got new jewelry? Who cares. It quickly made me want to skim the flowery parts as I had a 60/40 chance it'd never come up again. + Breen is a fine character. It's easy to fit in her head for anyone who's felt a dash of self-consciousness. Marco is also full and well developed and appropriately supportive and concerned. He's the most "real" and lovable character, if I'm being honest. % From there, character-wise, we mostly get a tortured, barely redeemable love interest and some hard to track side characters that are basically identified by a randomizer of 3 qualities. Harken looks like his brother and is a farmer.... That's it. I'd prefer fewer central characters with more meat. Harken can exist and be Morena's without shoehorning him into everything. It would have made no difference. And that's just one example. A few characters could easily have been merged into one and been more fun. Sally had more personality in the few pages of him than some who had dozens more mentions. - Breen asks to learn more and more through all her trials and they keep coming up with more and more and she never gets to be settled in the entire series. Adding one or two more chapters to finally get a woman who doesn't have to fight every damn day for the approval of her mom or the love interest would be nice. There are other conflicts in life that don't involve the people who's opinion you care for most thinking you're inadequate. Even where she ends up is this we didn't trust each other or "I didn't *really* believe in you" feeling. Give the woman peace! - It just ends. The big thing happens and then poof. End. Fin. Bye. There is something like an endearing moment and I just ended up confused and frustrated for everyone. Prior to the end, everything in the book is explained. I read pages about hearing rabbit heartbeats and deer (that were never used *well*, just for filler) but not a few pages for them to revel in the hard won peace. % I wanted the weddings promised. Some genuine cheer was needed in this. Not tinged with "will he? Won't he?" baddie energy. I wanted to see more of Sally and Derrick and Marco and Breen and to see them *where* they were promised. - There are teases throughout to a number of things and rarely are they resolved one way or the other. Usually I'd shrug and let it drop but it felt like dozens of "this feels clever" moments without pay off or that were forgotten halfway through the series. - I'm aware it's a fantasy... But some parts just were given no lead up or warning and dropped in my face. "He knows how to do this." HOW? WHY? It makes no sense for that character. You gave 400 other things they can do that they don't use but suddenly we find Chekov in the bear cave, okay. Whatever. There were so many hints to something completely different. 🤷‍♀️ I tried to love this because I wanted a completed trilogy to enjoy but... I'm simply tired after finishing it. It is a very fast and easy-ish read if you're looking for that. Two and a half stars for Marco, Sally, and Breen, I guess.

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