Book Reviews and More: I, Brax: 1 A Battle Divine

Friday, 13 September 2024

I, Brax: 1 A Battle Divine - Arthur Slade

I, Brax 1: A Battle Divine
Arthur Slade

Shadowpaw Press

ISBN 9781998273263

ASIN B0D15G3LMK

I, Brax: 1 A Battle Divine - Arthur Slade

When I finished this and started my review I found it hard to believe that I had not read a volume by Slade in almost 2 years. I had not realized how long it had been since he released a new title. I have read books by Slade a total of 62 times going back to 2002. I have yet to be disappointed and am often surprised, and now my son is working his way through Slade’s canon, though we are both hoping for a continuation of Death by Airship and Mr. Universe. But back to this volume.

We were informed about this volume that:

“It’s a new book in the Dragon Assassin universe. It takes place after the first five books (but you don’t need to read them to read this one). This book is from Brax the dragon’s point of view so it is deliciously snarky. And features a goddess who is attempting to take over the world.”

This book is a beginning to what should be a great new series. The original Dragon Assassin books told from the view of Carmen have a very different feel this tins book. In this volume we not only experience Brax’s snarkiness, wit, wisdom and occasionally folly from the outside but we get a whole lot of his internal dialogue and through processes. The original Dragon Assassin books released as shorter more frequent works and were compiled.

This story is just as fun and as intense as the original series. But with a lot more Brax. This story is written in a very different way that the other series et in the Dragon Assassin World. This story has a lot of action, some great battles, and even surprising allies. You do not need the other series to read this volume. You could start your journey here. But there are a lot of inside jokes and references you would not get. But that will not diminish form the tale. This is an excellent story about friendship, allies, and a Goddess trying to get into this world to consume it all. And once again it falls on Brax and Carmen to save the world. They will require assistance from surprising allies, and they will travel through the realms to find a hidden name. For only in finding the name can they battle the nameless Goddess.

There is so much fun in this book, even with the big battles, fires, destruction and evil creatures being unleashed throughout the story. With wit, witticism, luck and a reliance on being well read and trusting readers Carmen and Brax and once more back into the breach.

The description of this volume states:

“Brax, hero of several Dragon Assassin tales, finally gets to tell his own story . . .

On a diplomatic mission, Brax and his rider, Carmen, encounter a ghostly vision of The Nameless Goddess. She's a part leopard, part crocodile deity, who warns them she is coming to conquer their world. Brax, in his usual snarky way, makes fun of her hairy legs and, after she vanishes, dismisses this threat.

But things soon get a lot worse . . .

When the duo arrives at the capital of the Akkad empire, they discover the emperor has been horrifically murdered by what looks to be an astral servant of that goddess, and his young nephew ascends to the throne. Both Brax and Carmen swear to protect the wetling from the Nameless Goddess. But power-hungry enemies circle the throne. Those dangers, along with the creatures sent from the netherworlds, makes protecting the emperor almost impossible.

Their only choice it to battle this goddess face to face . . .

Once they discover the true name of The Nameless Goddess, the hunt is on. Will they be able to destroy her before she rises to take over their world?”

This is the beginning of a new saga, but it continues the story of Carmen and Brax an unusual team, A Red Assassin and dragon prince. Both A little odd in their native settings but together they seem to be able to tackle anything. At the end of my last Dragon Assassin review I stated: “This story is the last planned in the Dragon Assassin Series, but Slade has indicated he has ideas for others stories set in the same universe. I cannot but hope we find out more about the bats of great power, the newfound cooperation on Ellos. And that we again see Dragons, Mages, and Giants working together.” We did not get all of those elements this time but we did get some of them and to find out which you will need to read this excellent story. It is a great story from the masterful and ever entertaining pen of Arthur Slade. A great read in the Dragon Assassin universe!