This book picks up the story where the previous one left it. There is a prologue with a brief account of the events in the first book, something I appreciated, as my memory is terrible and I listen to many audiobooks, so I often have problems remembering previous books in series.
Charlie has arrived at a new world where he will be serving along with his friend Tuktuk. He is still a slave, but his new life seems to be much more promising than the pirate life he had in book one. He will see, nevertheless, that things are never what they seem.
I was looking forward to this sequel. I think the concept is very original and interesting. I like Charlie as a character, and I think he has noble intentions. I felt for him, even though sometimes he seemed a bit too naive. This is a small issue I had with this book. The story is about a grown man, but the writing style and the general feeling is like a children’s book. Everything is explained several times, and the dialogs feel forced. The dragons are amazing, though, and it makes it all worth it.
I think I would have enjoyed a lighter pace, as the story felt a bit slow and long-winded. Somehow the writing style failed to grip my attention.
Gary Bennet has a very pleasant voice, and the audio production was spotless, but I would have appreciated a more lively narration style. It is true that the narration matched the writing style, but I would have liked a bit more expressiveness, especially when interpreting the characters.
All in all, I enjoyed this audiobook, even though I found it a bit difficult to connect emotionally with a character that was a grown-up but whose story was told as a children’s book.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.