The Rise of the Dawnstar
Farah Oomerbhoy
(The Avalonia Chronicles #2)
Publication date: April 24th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Aurora Firedrake returns in the spellbinding sequel to The Last of the Firedrakes.
The seven kingdoms of Avalonia are crumbling and evil is spreading across the land like a plague. Queen Morgana is close to finding a way to open The Book of Abraxas and it’s only a matter of time until she uses the power trapped inside its pages to enslave the entire world.
With Avalonia growing more dangerous by the day, Aurora must travel through war-torn lands and deep into the heart of the fae kingdom of Elfi. Her goal is to find a legendary weapon infused with the last of the realm’s ancient magic—the only weapon in the world powerful enough to stop the queen.
Aurora might have survived her first battle against Morgana, but the true fight to save her kingdom and restore her throne has only just begun…
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I received a copy of this book through Xpresso Book Tours for an honest review. Everything that follows is my opinion.
I should first begin that I didn’t read the first book. I didn’t even realize it was a second until I had the book in my inbox. Even though I should pay attention to those little details, I wasn’t in the least lost in the deluge of backstory. Nope, this book starts where the first ends (I assume) and you are pulled in.
I wasn’t confused and I wasn’t upset when I read.
That said, I found this book to be a fun Hero’s Journey fantasy. There’s plenty of action, a princess with immense power, and plenty of good looking gentlemen to keep your fancy. When I say plenty of good looking gentlemen, no worries. This wasn’t a case of every guy finds this girl attractive and wants to be with her. I didn’t feel the need to roll my eyes. These were just guys helping out a young woman on her journey to her grandmother’s kingdom.
Like I said above, there is plenty of action. I loved the action scenes that not only was Aurora stuck in, but participated in. She isn’t a powerful character who gets protected and doesn’t do anything (I’ve read too many of those heroines). Oh no, this girl is a scrapper. She fights, she talks smack, and she is fiercely devoted to people who help her.
Despite facing some prejudices in Elfi, the Fae country, Aurora is an ally to the Fae people. She sets aside their distrust and proves herself to be a person of worth. I like that in a character. She’s trusting, but fights when she needs to. It’s a refreshing read instead of a character who supposedly has power, but doesn’t do anything about it.
In the end, I’m finding myself wanting to read the first book. Not to find anything I may have lost, but just so I can say I have read what Oomerbhoy has written so far. Will I be reading the third? Absolutely.
Author Bio:
Farah Oomerbhoy is the international bestselling author of The Avalonia Chronicles. Her first book, The Last of the Firedrakes, was originally published on Wattpad where it gained nearly two million reads and a Watty Award. Since publication, her debut has gone on to win a silver medal in IBPA’s Benjamin Franklin Awards and the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, along with winning a finalist placement in the USA Best Book Awards. Farah loves the fantastical and magical and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest. With a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Mumbai, Farah spends her creative time crafting magical worlds for young adults. She lives with her family in Mumbai, India.
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Casia's Corner 
Thanks for being on the tour! This sounds like an action-packed, fun read! 🙂