Ascendant by Michael R. Miller is a big, sprawling epic fantasy. It has the classic feel to it, with a more modern style and prose, so it doesn’t feel dated while still giving you the great nostalgic feeling.

While there are a good deal of typical tropes, these are tropes for a reason – they can make a story all the more engaging if done well!

A couple of unexpected twists also helped balance the story, and made this stand out despite feeling familiar.

It made me feel right at home in the story and world, while still surprising me quite a few times.

I especially loved our main duo: A blind dragon who bonds with a kitchen boy. Their tone and voice immediately had me hooked, and I devoured the whole book in just a matter of days.

While some of the side characters were a bit bland at times, these two were really well crafted and written, and felt very real to me, so more than made up for it.

Aside from the great bond between dragon and rider, there’s also friendships and new alliances building. Not just between humans, but also between the dragons, which was fascinating to explore!

But where there is war and fighting, there’s also betrayal…

I loved the banter as well as the growth everyone goes through within the story. It’s not easy to find your way when you’re torn between duty and following your heart.

The way the world and magic are intertwined is fascinating and feels way more rounded than in the author’s previous series. I was happy to explore and learn right along with the characters, and never felt like I was reading an info dump.

Cool world building, plenty of dragons, monsters, fight scenes and loyalties together with a “magic system” that almost felt a bit like a very much dialled down progression fantasy, without the pages of stats, kept me hooked all the way.

I’ll definitely want to read on!

Ascendant is available now. You can order your copy on Bookshop.org