Dragon Guardian: Fire (Volume 1)

By: Aida Jacobs
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: January 2014
ISBN: 9781493557189
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: April 2015

In a kingdom called Primordya peace between elves, dwarves, and man reigned for many years as they allied themselves together against a brutal common enemy, the dark elves that dwelled underground and thrived in the shadows of the underworld. However, this peace was shattered when under the rule of their absolutely ruthless Queen Nahga, this dark army wiped through the land enslaving the dwarves and breaking ties between the elves and humans. All hope seems to be lost when the family of the Ever King is believed to be murdered as they were the sole heirs to this throne. They were also the only ones who could have possibly defeated Nahga.

Fortunately, one daughter named Marin did escape the clutches of Nahga because her family insisted that she needed to be the one to survive while they selflessly sacrificed themselves to ensure that. With no idea where to go or who to trust, Marin runs further and further into the forest as she is pursued by a group of dark elves. Just as she thinks that her legs can carry her no further she plunges into a river to hopefully lose her pursuers but the next thing she remembers is waking up in a house belonging to a mage named Nicodemus. As she takes in her surroundings she is embraced by the Ever King, Alfrede Evenwood, who tells Marin he is in fact her grandfather, which makes her the next heir to the throne of Primordya.

Suddenly, it becomes clear why Marin and her family had been living in hiding all those years and why Nahga is now pursuing her so maliciously. Not only was she a future Queen but Marin also bears the mark of a Dragon Guardian so if she is able to prove herself to the Elemental Dragons she will be given access to their power. This power will be needed in order to defeat Nagha and her army. Even though all of this information takes Marin a while to process, the thought of her departed family fuels her need for justice and she decides then and there that she will do whatever it takes to defeat Nagha, avenge her family, and bring the kingdom back together.

It did not take me long at all to become hooked on this book as I am always in the mood for an adventure story filled with danger, magic, and fantasy and this novel definitely fit the bill. One of the best things Aida Jacobs did in my mind was establish a quest right from the beginning as she wasted no time in establishing the mission that Marin was about to embark on and that set the stage wonderfully for the remainder of this exciting story. In addition, the evil villain portrayed in the book is vicious to the core and I always applaud authors who can bring to life both a hero and villain as a story needs both elements to be great and Jacobs did that.

Quill says: A thrilling adventure that had me intrigued with every chapter.