Audiobook Review: No Good Dragon Goes Unpunished by Rachel Aaron
NOTE: This series has been on my TBR for a while, at the recommendation of Linda and Melanie. This past year, I listened to the five-book series as a buddy read with Anne. The reviews were written at the time the book was read.
No Good Dragon Goes Unpunished is the third story following nice dragon Julian and his best friend mage Marcy. The story takes place immediately following the surprising conclusion of the previous book with the Heartstriker clan in disarray after Julian bested his mother, Bethesda. With few supporters and the odds stacked against him, Julian must to pull together a ruling council. Meanwhile, some very powerful people become interested in Marcy and Ghost.
Overall, No Good Dragon Goes Unpunished is another exciting story in the Heartstriker series. Although it starts very slow — I really didn’t like all of the politics, the story gains momentum. There is clearly a BIG PICTURE, with a lot of story left. It’s interesting, but I hate not knowing where the story is going. I also don’t care for Bob, and want him to get his due.
I love the mythology and world, along with the continued explanations of how magic works and what spirits are. I adore Marcy and Julian as a team. I love that they are learning to express feelings and hope for so much more. I absolutely love that Marcy and Julius continue to remain themselves through it all, and that Ghost seems to genuinely want to help Marcy and the dead. I also am extremely interested in Chelsea’s story, which remains wide open and has the potential for huge impacts to the clan.
Narration: The story is shared via shifting third-person POVs, with the primary POV being Julius. Vikas Adam uses a neutral male voice while narrating all POVs, altering dialogue based on gender, age, and species for each character, except Julius, who shares the same voice as the narrator. I can hear the subtle differences in all characters. I love some of the voices. Some of the females are still a bit silly sounding to me, but they are more feminine than the male characters. Adam’s performance is very exaggerated when the character is emotional, which can create a cartoonish vibe. I absolutely loved his accent for Gregory, which sounded like an entirely different narrator.
The ending of this one leaves more questions than answers, and I was a bit empty and sad. I hope the next book answers some of these questions quickly!
My Ratings
Story: B
Narration: B
Jen
About the Book:
When Julius overthrew his mother and took control of his clan, he thought he was doing right by everyone. But sharing power isn’t part of any proper dragon’s vocabulary, and with one seat still open on the new ruling Council, all of Heartstriker is ready to do whatever it takes to get their claws on it, including killing the Nice Dragon who got them into this mess in the first place.
To keep his clan together and his skin intact, Julius is going to have to find a way to make his bloodthirsty siblings play fair. But there’s more going on in Heartstriker Mountain than politics. Every family has its secrets, but the skeletons in Bethesda’s closet are dragon sized, and with Algonquin’s war looming over them all, breaking his clan wide open might just be the only hope Julius has of saving it.
Author: Rachel Aaron
Narrator: Vikas Adam
Series: Heartstrikers #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Audiobook Release Date: September 13, 2016
Publisher: Audible Studios
Length: 18 hrs and 51 mins
Source: Purchased
Audio Speed: 1.5x
Purchase info:
Audible/Amazon (affilate link)
Reviews in the Series:
Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron (Heartstriker #1) – Audiobook Review
One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron (Heartstriker #2) – Audiobook Review