Title: Savage
Author: Nicole Conway
Genres: YA fantasy, high fantasy
Year of Publication: 2017
Pages: ~296
Series: Dragonrider Legacy
Summary
Savage follows Reigh, a human that was raised by a grey elf in the Jungles of Lutharda. He understands that Kiran is not his real father and feels out of place in his world. To make things harder, Reigh struggles to control a mysterious, dark companion he calls Noh. As Reigh gets older, Noh becomes even harder to control, which could expose Reigh. Now that the Tibran empire has attacked the human kingdom of Maldobar, Reigh may have an opportunity to find his parents and his place in the world.
Review
Savage is the first book I’ve read as a part of Wyrd and Wonder and is the first book on my TBR for the celebration. I’m excited to say it’s a great start! Conway’s Savage is a fast-paced adventure full of dragons and mystery. Right from the start, I could easily imagine myself climbing the tall trees of Lutharda with Reigh and Enyo. Reigh’s narration was easy to follow and full of humor that kept me interested.
The narration actually reminded me a bit of Percy Jackson, except in an entirely different world with new and interesting characters. I loved how Conway blended her story of young characters with the history of their world. Older characters like Kiran, Queen Araxie, and King Jace are all given unique backstories that have shaped who they are in the story.
Although I did like the characters, I thought the plot moved along a bit too quickly for me to really connect with them. I loved Reigh, but he was present throughout the book. Other characters came and went so I didn’t connect with them as much as I wanted to. This was especially true for Reigh’s relationship with Kiran. I thought their dynamic was interesting and wished it had been developed more. This might not bother someone else, but for me getting to know characters is essential.
I rate this book a 3 out of 5. The action and world history were intriguing, but I like to see more character development in stories. I have no doubt that now that the introduction is over the story will only get better. I can’t wait to see what Reigh uncovers about the past in the second book, Harbinger. Overall, I am super happy to have started a month of fantasy with Savage. I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted a new adventure in a magical world.
Isabel
Peyton