A Dragon of a Different Color

A Dragon of a Different Color is the fourth in Rachel Aaron's Heartstriker series. Again the story picks up immediately were the last book left off. Which is good because that book ended on quite the bombshell. Mild spoilers for the previous book.

Just when Julius thought things couldn't get any worse. Given no time at all to grieve his losses, family mistakes from six centuries ago are coming back to haunt the Heartstrikers. Dragons live long lives and the Chinese clans have not forgotten the crimes committed by Bethesda's brood all those long years ago. The Golden Emperor himself has come to make them pay and he will accept nothing less than the full surrender of Heartstriker clan. In the meantime Algonquin has set her plans in motion show more to make it so land spirits will have ultimate supremacy as the magical force in the world. It's time for her rogue mage to make good on his promises to help out or die trying. As if that's not enough Bob has gone missing!

This is the book of big reveals and a lot of info dumping as a result. Good thing it's all fascinating! Again the story continues along the two plot threads from book 3. The chapters consistently alternate between Julius and Marcy's situations. While there are a couple of extra points of view thrown in they are mostly to bring everyone up to speed on all the information needed so our heroes can get on with saving the world. The Chinese dragons feel sufficiently different and I quite enjoyed the spin on the Emperor's mythos and magic. It's so hard not to go into spoilers. I'm also extremely happy where some of the story threads ended up, especially regarding Chelsie and F-clutch. Their stories tug on the heart strings.

I continue to admire the layered world building that Rachel Aaron has achieved. Each book brings something new that enhances what we've learned before. The information comes fast and furious, adding more urgency to a situation that's already spinning wildly out of control.

Given everything that's happened and all the set up, the final book is going to be one heck of a wild ride. I can't wait! And yet I must. The author posted on her blog that she's hoping to publish the fifth and final book early next year. Fingers crossed she's able to keep to that schedule. show less

I started can't even remember how I stumbled onto this series but I'm so glad I did. There are few books that grab my attention enough for me to read them before the series is already completed, but Heartstrikers was one of them. I'm not good about waiting to finish a story and to me (usually) a story isn't done until you've read the entire series. I'm so bad about this that I usually re-read the entire series if I re-read even one of the books in it. I say all of that simply so you understand the weight of my saying that this series is worth the wait. The characters have such strong personalities and backstories that it amazes me how smoothly Rachel weaves them together. Even some of the simple background characters get tiny stories of show more their own. The world created has incredible detail and really transports the reader as well. DDC continues to carry all of these great qualities but also is starting to get into the heart of what the series is really about. It's like the first three books have all been leading and setting up for this one and this one leaves you drooling for the conclusion. If you like books that transport you to another world, dragons, fantasy (the magical kind... don't be gross), a bit of mystery... or multiple mysteries, love, friendship, family, and a whole lot of humor all while dealing with real issues of today without making you want to bury your face in a pillow then this is your kind of book. I'm sorry, I know I'm rambling a bit but it's really hard to explain how great this story is without giving anything away..... but man are there some great twists and turns. I guess what i'm trying to say is just quit scrolling the reviews and pick it up already! :)

ps - the only reason it isn't a 5 star is bc i reserve that for insanely special books, the ones that no matter how hard I try, I couldn't put them down and/or couldn't get out of my head. I normally give 3s though and am still pretty stingy with 4s so don't let the 4 discourage you. pick it up and then come back and rate it yourself :)

pps - I was a little sad that certain characters didn't get much if any page time but i'm not sure that they could have gotten more without it conflicting with the overall story so I can be patient and hope to see them in the 5th one :) show less

The fourth Heartstrikers story sees lots of changes. With Marci dead (sort of), Julius is heartbroken but needs to put it aside when the Chinese dragons come to invade Heartstriker Mountain. The terms are too good to be true and puts Julius right in the middle of secrets Chelsie has been hiding for over 600 years.

Meanwhile, Marci is struggling to become a Merlin, fix the magic that is almost terminally broken, and find a way to get back to her human life and Julius. She is aided in her plans by Amelia who has goals of her own and Raven who also has been plotting to his own ends.

And the DFZ has become a Mortal Spirit due to Algonquin's efforts with Sir Myron as the human who is bonded to her. The two don't get along at all since Sir show more Myron has decided what has to happen to make everything come out right and can't see that a scorched Earth policy is good for anyone.

Algonquin with its ally Leviathan - a Nameless End from outside of the planes - has declared war on the DFZ and all other Mortal Spirits. The action shifts to the DFZ where dragons, spirits, and Marci are gathering to try to stop plans that will destroy the plane.

This was an engaging story with intriguing characters, lots of action, and lots of moral dilemmas. show less

It’s official: The Heartstriker series is one of my all-time favorite urban fantasy series.

If you’re unfamiliar with the series, please do yourself a favor and start with the first book, Nice Dragons Finish Last. A Dragon of a Different Color is the fourth book in the series, and you’d be pretty confused if you started here. Also since book four picks up directly where book three left off (this entire series has taken place over the span of something like a month), spoilers for prior books are inevitable! So quit reading now or forever hold your peace.

Let’s get this review rolling and start with the biggest topic of them all: last book, Marci died. Only, dying is a bit more complicated than usual when you’re bonded to the show more spirit of the Forgotten Dead. Marci’s dead, but she might not be permanently dead. To get out, she’s got to become a Merlin, and she’ll need to beat Myron to the chase. I don’t want to say too much about this whole plot line, but I love how it allows Marci to shine and how it expands the world. We actually get to see the sea of magic that’s flowing into the world and creating spirits! That’s pretty darn cool.

On the downside, Marci and Julius were apart for most of the book. And he still thinks she’s dead! But he can’t spend all his time grieving for her like he’d want; instead, he’s got serious problems trying to keep his now democratic clan afloat. For one, Amelia’s dead, Bob’s killed her, and Svena’s left after the death of her best frenemy. The clan’s unprotected, Algonquin’s on a warpath, and to cap it all up, the Chinese dragons have landed on Heartstriker’s doorstep, demanding an immediate surrender. Now would be a really good time for Julius to figure out what happened with Chelsie in China…

Speaking of, how is it that Julius is so clueless about what Chelsie’s big secret was? It’s sooo obvious! Oh, well. Everything is revealed in this volume. Well, regarding Chelsie at least. I still have plenty of questions about what Bob’s up to. He’s clearly got some grand scheme, and he doesn’t seem to care if it results in his own death? I’m starting to question how much Bob actually cares about Julius versus seeing him as a tool. Somehow, I still have faith in Bob, and I think Julius does too. Let’s just hope that that faith doesn’t get betrayed any farther in book five.

And I need book five! I’m very happy that it’s coming out this year, because I want to read it ASAP. This series has been so amazing that I can’t imagine what the final volume has in store.

Review from The Illustrated Page. show less

This is the point in the series where events fill like filler.
Unfortunately I have read the first 2 books the DFZ series, so I know where all these events are leading.
And it seems to be taking a very long and convoluted path to get there.
A several loose ends from previous books have now been tied up nicely, but for the first time in this series, the book ends in what feels like a cliffhanger (all the other books seemed to have their main quest resolved, and some loose threads that were picked up in the next books, this one feels like the reverse, it tied several loose ends, but the main quest ends in a cliffhanger or what could be interpreted as a very bad ending for the main characters).
Also lots of chapters where a character talks show more and talks and little to not action happens, followed by a different character, in a different part of the world, talking and talking in totally independent streams of events. show less

This is the fourth book in the Heartstrikers series. The fifth book, Last Dragon Standing, just released and completes the series. I absolutely loved this continuation of the Heartstriker series. So many amazing things happen in this book; it is completely unpredictable and incredibly creative.

I listened to this on audiobook and these audiobooks are incredible. Adam does an amazing job with narration and sounds exactly like I picture the characters sounding. I think part of the reason I love this series so much is because of how amazing the narration of the audiobooks is.

Julius is struggling to hold Heartstriker clan together in the face of Algonquin’s wrath. When the Golden Emperor shows up things get infinitely more complicated. show more Meanwhile Marcy has died and is stuck in her Death, but she continues to work towards becoming the first Merlin. The story jumps back and forth between Julius and Marcy.

I pretty much just adored everything about this book. I love the complex world, the engaging characters, the action, the intrigue, and the hard-to-predict plot. This series is so creative and so well done. This is definitely one of my top urban fantasy series right now.

Overall I just love this series soooo much!! I plan on reading the fifth and final book in it shortly. I would recommend this whole series to urban fantasy fans who enjoy amazing world-building, action, and a complex plot. show less

This was the best yet of the series, IMO. The world-building is terrific, and the story moves along at a really good pace. The cliffhanger at the end of this one though: ARGH! Really looking forward to the next book!