Why I picked up this book:

After reading the Dragon Blood Trilogy, the three books before this one, I definitely wanted to keep going.

I picked this story up to continue the saga of Ridge, Sardelle, Cas, and Tolemek as they charge head first into the jungle in search of a dragon and Tolemek’s missing sister. This is the fourth book in the Dragon Blood series.

This review may contain spoilers.

Patterns in the Dark (Dragon Blood #4)

Everyone knows dragons have been extinct for over a thousand years. Everyone is wrong. At least one dragon remains, and military scientists from the Cofah Empire are experimenting with its blood, using the magical substance to power deadly new weapons that could be used to bring the world to its knees. That’s a concern for Zirkander, Cas, and the rest of the Iskandians, but all Tolemek wants is to find his missing sister. The last time he saw her, their father had locked her in an asylum because of a mental illness with no cure. Now the military has taken her. What use the Cofah have for her, Tolemek can only guess, but he is certain she is in danger. He must save her before it’s too late. But her fate is inexplicably tied to the dragon’s, and he must find it to find her.

  

What I loved:

Ridgewalker Zirkander is still my favorite character in the whole saga. As a reader, I would love for the other four books to follow through his eyes. Wishful thinking.

Jaxi’s dry sarcasm is always stellar and on-point.

Areas needing a touch of refinement:

It was difficult to connect with Cas or Tolemek in this book. Too much love angsting between them and both seem to have lost their edge from the second installment.

I was really disappointed that this story read more of a play-by-play scene direction than an actual story. It feels like a lot of things could have had a stronger depth, but many of the scenes told me more about who was standing where than wrapped me in the sensory of the narrative.

Overall:

Of the four I’ve read in the series so far, this one was not my favorite. A lot of this had to do with distance. As a reader, I felt more like I was being told the story instead of getting immersed in the action and emotion. The narrative focused the lens on where everyone was standing instead of a deeper connection to the main characters, so it didn’t feel as authentic. However, I do love the series (and Ridge’s character) enough to continue. Crossing fingers the next one has a deeper complexity.

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