Book Review: Redheart

Title and Author: Redheart by Jackie Gamber
Release Date: April 6, 2011
Publisher: Seventh Star Press
Pages: 294 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Publisher

Enter the lands of Leland Province, where dragon and human societies have long dwelled side by side. Superstitions rise sharply, as a severe drought strips the land of its bounty, providing fertile ground for the darker ambitions of Fordon Blackclaw, Dragon Council Leader, who seeks to subdue humans or wipe them off the face of the land. As the shadow of danger creeps across Leland Province, a young dragon named Kallon Redheart, who has turned his back on dragons and humans alike, comes into an unexpected friendship. Riza Diantus is a young woman whose dreams can no longer be contained by the narrow confines of her village, and when she finds herself in peril, Kallon is the only one with the power to save her. Yet to do so means he must confront his past, and embrace a future he stopped believing in.

Redheart is a traditional fantasy novel where the main characters (Kallon and Blackclaw) are dragons. Kallon is a red dragon, the last of his kind and has chosen to live in isolation, away from humans and other dragons. Having witnessed his parents’ murder as a young dragon, Kallon is bitter and antisocial, refusing to take his father’s place as the ruler of the dragons. Instead, the dragons are ruled by Blackclaw, a scheming and despicable character with absolutely no redeeming qualities.

Despite Kallon’s gruffness, he is very likable. I understood him and loved the portions of the book told from his perspective. Even though I don’t think I was supposed to, I liked Jastin the dragon hunter as well. Like Kallon, he had some anger issues rooted in his past and makes some bad decisions and alliances as a result. Unfortunately, I didn’t love Riza as much as I wanted to. She is a true friend to Kallon who stands by him, brings him out of his despair and sacrifices for him, but she also needs help and saving a lot.

Along with engaging characters, Redheart is beautifully descriptive and exciting. The plot flowed quickly and I love the themes of destiny, faith, political intrigue and the magic of love. There is also an interesting plot twist at the end that I was not expecting. This was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to book two of the Leland Dragon series which will be published in the fall.

Content: References to rape and the pregnancy and birth that result from it, racism (among dragons), kissing, violence