Title: Ascendant
Series: Book 1 of Songs of Chaos
Author: Michael R. Miller
A dragon rider story about a cook’s apprentice and his blind dragon
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy prose | The Order sucks |
| Dragons! | On the larger end than I prefer (500+ pages) |
| Wraps up nicely, while still leaving room for new stories | I can’t think of anything else |
The Story:
Holt Cook, a young cook’s apprentice, is enamored with dragons and dragon riders until he finds out the weaker ones are destroyed as eggs. He’s ordered to destroy a defective egg, but can’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he steals the egg and hides it away until it hatches into Ash—a blind dragon. Holt and Ash form a bond and overcome obstacles others think impossible for them.
“If you love with your eyes, death is forever. If you love with your heart, there is no such thing as parting.”
—Ascendant, Chapter 13
The Review:
Before I read Ascendant, I reread Eragon. There are many similarities between the two books, even though Ascendant is a more recent telling of the dragon rider story. Ascendant hits all the necessary beats of a dragon rider story, from the young dragon rider obtaining his dragon to the rider and dragon defeating an evil foe.
I fell in love with the characters from the start. For a young man—barely sixteen—Holt isn’t whiny, angry, or emotional like I’ve come to expect of characters of his age. He’s kind, if impulsive, and loves his dragon unconditionally. Holt continues being Holt over the course of the story, but he does learn some lessons along the way that make him a better person.
The story kept me wanting more as I turned every page. I’d often find myself reading way into the night, wanting just one more chapter before I went to bed. The ending was satisfying—though I won’t be spoiling it here. It wrapped up the story while leaving plenty open for the following books to cover.
The prose is contemporary and modern without any flowery words. I don’t honestly have a preference for either side, but I loved the way this book was written simply and easy to read while still conveying the story well.
I felt ready for an adventure at the end of the book. I want more, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Rating: ★★★★★
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes dragon rider stories, or needs more of a dragon fix in their life. It’s a great follow-up to books like Eragon and The Relic Bond.