Book Reviews and More: Dragon Assassin 12 Deathwings - Arthur Slade

Friday 27 May 2022

Dragon Assassin 12 Deathwings - Arthur Slade - Dragon Assassin Book 12

Dragon Assassin 12: Deathwings
Arthur Slade
Dava Enterprises
ASIN B09L6JK3SW

This book is a great climax to this incredible series. This story and the series is great action from beginning to end. Before we get into the review proper here are some musings from a bibliophile. This is the second time this series has been expanded. Twice I thought we were at the conclusion, and now this is the first of 2 more books. It is beginning to feel like Douglas Adams trilogy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, of 6 books. Or like Piers Anthony’s Xanth which started as a trilogy and now has 45 books in print and 3 more announced. As a fan of Slade’s works and specifically of this series, I am thankful, and may this series run for many, many, many more volumes. Anthony has stated he will now write Xanth novels as long as he is alive, and may Slade write Dragon Assassin and Amber Fang novels till he departs.

In this series the first 8 books make a complete story and are excellent reads. Then the next two books make a story and go in a completely different direction. This pair of books began with a mysterious attack that nearly takes out both Carmen and Braxx. And they soon find out there have been multiple attacks, around the whole world. Half the Kings, Queen’s and rulers on Ellos are taken out before anyone really knew what is going on. A mysterious woman on a silver dragon of unknown species attack with a magical golden spear is the attacker. She has the ability to appear and disappear through red smoke. Her attacks can come from anywhere and he spear returns to her as if on command.

In this volume Brax and Carmen follow a very powerful bat and seek to recover Carmen’s brother and find a way to end the attacks. The description of the volume is:

“Deathwings is coming. The worlds will never be the same.

Carmen has sworn to hunt down Kali, the mysterious warrior who travels from world to world. But there is someone planning these attacks and she has heard that Deathwings is coming. Neither she nor Brax know what Deathwings is, but they will have to face this new enemy that staggers the imagination.”

Secrets are discovered about Kali, and who is really pulling the strings. And the master plan. In this part of the story Carmen and Brax will need to completely trust her brother.

This series continues to have a lot of action, and a fair number of twists. I thought the last volume topped them all, but Slade has delivered again with this volume. The writing is clean and crisp. The pace is unrelenting. This story is the last planned in the Dragon Assassin Series, but Slade has indicated he has ideas for others stories set in the same universe. I cannot but hope we find out more about the bats of great power, the newfound cooperation on Ellos. And that we again see Dragons, Mages, and Giants working together. It is an excellent story from the masterful and ever entertaining pen of Arthur Slade. A great read in an excellent series!