“Balanced on the Blade’s Edge” by Lindsay Buroker

This is the first book of “The Dragon Blood Collection” by Lindsay Buroker.  I found this series on Amazon, and thought it looked interesting.  It did not have many reviews, but they were all positive, and it is a fantasy book written by a woman.  Something of a rarity. I am always on the lookout for strong female leads, and this book did not disappoint.  The two POV characters are Sardelle Tarushan, a 34 year old sorceress who has been trapped in stasis for 300 years, and Colonel Ridge Zirkander, a ‘fly by the seat of his pants’ fighter pilot. Romance obviously ensues.  But there is more to the story than that.

Sardell’s main objective in the book is to rescue her sword, a soulblade that she was bonded to since becoming a full-fledged soceress.  Her soulblade, named Jaxi, contains the spirit of a teenage girl, is trapped deep within a mountain.  A mountain being mined for valuable ores and under tight watch by an enemy military.  Ridge is the new commander of the whole operation, and comes from a culture that kills anyone with a hint of magical ability.  It is a very Romeo and Juliet romance.

This book is written extremely well.  There is a great balance between the hero’s journey and the hero’s romance.  And it’s nice to read a romance that is based on more than just looks.  I mean, both Sardelle and Ridge are attractive based on their descriptions.  But there is also a mutual respect and rapport that develops between the two, before and canoodling ever happens.

“Blood Charged” by Lindsay Buroker

This is the third book in the “Dragon Blood” series, and we are back with Sardelle and Zirkander.  They are on a mission with Ahn and Tolomek, and a few others, but we only get those two POV’s.  Which is so disappointing.  I find their thoughts boring in comparison.  There is some tension, as Sardelle is hiding her magical identity from everyone (except Zirkander, Ahn, and Tolomek), but that issue is resolved easily.  It soon becomes apparent that Zirkander’s team needs Sardelle and Jaxi’s abilities to survive.  And how can you NOT trust something and somebody who is keeping you alive?  Certainly not Apex or Duck, the other two uninformed members of the team.

Their mission is to infiltrate a secret Cofah military research facility and determine if there is any legitimacy to the rumor that the enemy has access to live pure dragon blood.  This is important for a few reasons. Firstly, dragons have been thought to be extinct for centuries before even Jaxi’s time. Secondly, dragon blood is the source of magical powers.  Apparently, dragons were able to shapeshift, and way back when, they mated with humans to create the first sorcerers. The magic of each generation dwindled, so people born today have less ability than those born in previous generations. Thirdly, the Cofah are using the dragon blood to power weapons that have a sophisticated AI component.

Tolomek and Sardelle are along for the mission because they plan to slip away and rescue his sister from an insane asylum. Tolomek’s sister,Tylie, has magical powers, and Sardelle is hoping to recruit her as an apprentice.  She is lonely for her own kind.  Surprise twist: Tylie is gone, taken just two days prior to her would-be escape, but she left a message to Tolomek, showing him where she will be.  It seems she is mixed up with this source of the dragon blood.

It was a cool story, but I would rather have read it through Tolomek and Ahn’s POV. It seems I may get my wish, the fourth installment picks right up where this left off, and uses their perspectives.  I’ll move on from Dragon’s Blood after this, I promise. I just want to see how it ends.