The Last of the Firedrakes

Written by Farah Oomerbhoy

Narrated by Fiona Hardingham

She never felt like she belonged…until magic pulled her into a world beyond her wildest imagination. Perfect for fans of the Throne of Glass series and the Grisha Trilogy.

Sixteen-year-old Aurora wishes she were anyone else. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she believes things can’t get any worse. But when she’s kidnapped and dragged through an ancient tapestry into the magical world of Avalonia, she soon discovers that some dreams can easily turn into nightmares.

Hunted by the evil tyrant Queen Morgana, who will stop at nothing to get rid of the last surviving heir to the powerful Firedrake dynasty, Aurora struggles to fit into her new life as a mage at the prestigious Academy of Evolon. Threatened by treachery at every turn and desperate to prove herself worthy, she uncovers a dark, complicated web of political intrigue that threatens the very existence of the seven kingdoms of Avalonia.

Aided by the powerful Duke of Silverthorne, a fae friend, and a handsome but mysterious outlaw called the Black Wolf, Aurora struggles to master her magic and get her rare powers under control before it’s too late.

If she fails, her new home and her family will be enslaved forever...

The Last of the Firedrakes is the first novel in The Avalonia Chronicles series of enchanting YA fantasies. If you like resilient heroines, plentiful magic, immortal fae warriors, and sizzling romance you’ll love Farah Oomerbhoy’s enthralling story.

Buy The Last of the Firedrakes and enter the world of Avalonia today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
• Release date: Sep 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781634892797

Reviews for The Last of the Firedrakes

[Kelly Collins-Cunningham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome fantasy adventure for YA with hints of Narnia, Harry Potter, LOTR, and mythology.

[wholeplate2012 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An Enchanting and fast-paced magical story... that is hard to put down.

This is the story of a feisty teenager named Aurora, who was pulled through a tapestry into a different world. A magical world with 7 kingdoms full of mystery and adventure. The fast paced story, the world and the characters had me hooked right away. And with many twists and turns I found it very hard to put down. It is my favorite book of the year.

First off, the world-building is wonderfully vivid. I enjoyed hearing about all of it: Avondale’s history, ancient magic, the fae, mages, royalty, politics, magical creatures (including a very special Pegasus) to the descriptions of meals and even some whimsical strawberries. Just be careful to grow them properly, otherwise beware of what gnomes might do.

“I walked through the rows of plants, looking at the labels that were written next to them. There were strawberry plants in a small tray, growing wonderful, juicy strawberries, each one of which had a...” The rest of the sentence is surprise.

There are all types of characters in this book. My favorite is the Black Wolf. He’s a handsome and mysterious guy who could be described as a different kind of Robin Hood. And because he is mysterious that’s all I will say....

“A shadow moved through the trees - the Black Wolf. With his dark, tousled hair, shining gray eyes, and ebony cloak rippling about him as he walked carefully and purposefully toward the guards, he looked like a sleek black panther ready to pounce on its prey.”

“He was dressed formally in a midnight-blue doublet and hose with silver embroidery on the cuffs and collar. His boots were high and polished to perfection. And as usual, he looked devastatingly handsome.”

I really enjoyed Aurora. She has a mind of her own and will fight for her cause and what is right. She is also like a fairy tale princess and a regular teenager in many ways. She is very trusting and she makes a few mistakes. And like most YA heroines, she takes too many risks. Thankfully, she has new friends to help her maneuver through her new world.

Many YA authors write fictional heroines to be a better version of ourselves. They are good at everything. I prefer a more realistic character like Aurora. She was the star of her story, but she was not perfect. The fantastic supporting characters did just that...they supported her and each other.

“How will you ever know the magnitude of your courage if you have never through experienced the hopelessness of fear?”

“I sighed deeply. He was right, I was being foolish. How could I ever have thought that I would do all these things? I would have liked to think that I could, but the road ahead sounded impossible.”

I highly recommend the audiobook of this novel. I believe the narrator (Fiona Hardingham) makes the story even more enjoyable. I love her accents. This is the second time I have listened to this book this year. I loved it just as much the second time. I originally listened to the series on Scribd and plan to purchase all 3 books in August.

This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary unbiased review. Thank you Farah Oomerbhoy! I hope you will be publishing another series soon.

[lawonder10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Aurora thought her life was difficult as a twice orphan and as a teenager.. That is until she went o a sudden vacation with her guardians to a beautiful manor and was dragged through a portal by a very scary stranger!Aurora arrived in a fantastical land where it seems nothing is impossible. Why are so many trying to kill her? Will her new friends be able to save her? Is she capable of becoming great?This book has constant action! It varies between monsters, fantasy creatures and a sense of "Robin Hood". The characters become so real, it is hard to maintain it is a fantasy novel. They are very diversified and creative. You will truly love some and really despise others.The settings are descriptive and easily visualized. The Cover and Title are very well-chosen and eye-catchingThere is a bonding of friendships, deceit, betrayals, suspense, intrigue, romance and a tough of humor. There is some graphic violence but not to the extreme.. The ending is complete yet leaves the reader yearning for the next book of the series.I highly recommend this to Young Adults and Adults, alike. This will surely become a movie series.

[angelarenea-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review is posted on my blog

I received this book as an advanced reading copy through Netgally from Wise Ink Creative Publishing and before I say anything I would like to say a big thank you to them for allowing me to read this book.

The long asked question of 'what to read after Harry Potter' has been answered, as long as you don't mind a bit of déjà vu. I thoroughly enjoyed Oomerbhoy's masterpiece, from the stunning cover, to the cliff hanger at the end, and all the wonderfulness between. It took me a bit to get going, but once I did I couldn't put it down!

I was initially a little put off by the similarities in the plot to the Harry Potter series, it felt like someone chopped the books into chapter sized hunks, mixed them up and stripped away the details, then put them back together and filled in with a new story. As the book went on, however, the comparisons lessened and it grew in it's own right, blooming into a very compelling story. It still puts you in mind of Dursleys, Hogwarts, and a certain blonde would-be villain, but it has a flavor all it's own.

I was very impressed with Aurora's character. She was flawed, and young, but she was very likable. I don't always love main characters, but she felt very real to me. She was not obnoxiously over confident, but she also did not float about putting herself down so others would praise her. I liked that she has dark hair, and that she loves her dark hair. This stuck with me for some reason, and I started to picture her like princess Jasmine from Disney's Aladdin!

There was a romantic side to this book, and again, I must say it was beautifully written. I am normally left on the outside of romances looking in thinking 'good, she is happy,' or 'they want to be together' but that was not the case here. There is a point in this book, where Aurora and Rafe's inevitable romance just hits me! Not only did I want it to work out, but Oomerbhoy paints such a beautiful picture of longing that it leaks out of the page and you can feel it.

Rafe was probably my favorite, and I couldn't help but picture him as a cross between Flynn Rider, and Aladdin! He put me in mind of a Robin Hood character immediately and I loved the depth his character has! I really feel for him in his current mess he find's himself in, and I can't wait to see how he fixes it!

I think the biggest drawback to this book was that there were places that the plot similarities did become a bit overwhelming, mainly in the begining of the book, so if you are someone who is bothered by that you may not enjoy this book as much as you should. But the similarities are less as you go, so I have high hopes for the next book. No word on when the next book will be out, but I'll be here waiting when it does!

This book is set to be published on August 15, 2015 hop on over to Amazon right now and pre-order your copy!

[mariaantonysamy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Being an aggressive reader I love fairy tales that keep influencing our fate and form our character . I am fortunate enough to receive the book The last of the Firedrakes . At one go I could read the book because I was very much absorbed in the fantastic narration and the beautiful drama .The life lessons like discipline , courage and empathy which the story teaches us are very valuable and highly significant in this era of intolerance and degradation of values.The author's hard work and wisdom are displayed in this book in the form of rich vocabulary and nice portrayal of events.

The protagonist is a sixteen year old orphan Aurora who has gone to the magical world by foul play of their adopters . Initially she demands sympathy for her sufferings in the hands of her supposed to be well wishers, but later on she takes charge of several situations leading to admire her . She is very much courageous and bold enough to make risky efforts to attain her goal. Her mission is predetermined by her protectors and those who knows her well. It is a different world where magic is primary aspect and power is in very much demand. Though it is a war between the good and the evil she faces difficulties and encounters failures, but she is adventurous and always enthusiastic.

[daffimere · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How to do justice with this review of ‘The Last of the Firedrakes’. I don’t know if I have the words. I’m going to be dreaming about this world for a long time to come. Aurora grows as a character. As she learns about her world, family and of those around her. She won’t step aside if one of her friends is getting picked on.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

"The Last of the Firedrakes" is getting some wonderful reviews from other readers of GR, but I honestly don't understand why. Other than the gorgeous front cover, I found the book terrible. The writing was immature, the dialogue cliche and Aurora, the protagonist, was incredibly stupid, irresponsible and a spoilt brat. I am only giving this book two stars, mainly for the cover and world building, but I think I'm still being overly generous.

[montzaleew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Last of the Firedrakes (Avalonia Chronicles #1) by Farah Oomerbhoy is a delightful clean fantasy novel. There is lots of danger, thrills, intrigue, strange creatures, magic, curses, evil vs good, and lots of twists and surprises. It has a great plot and interesting characters that are well developed. The book doesn't end in a "finished" end but leads to the next book but finished enough to go on. I enjoyed the many characters and the magic. There was a hint of romance. The main female was strong but had her faults. Overall, a wonderful story! I received this book for a honest review and it in no way effected my review or rating.