The Zader Review

Hey y'all! I just finished The Zader by Sara Jo Easton and I really liked it! It was a great book and when I read the description I thought it was going to be something like the dragon riders or pern or some such but Easton managed to create her own unique world!

Summary: 

For ten years, the dragon-like Onizards who dwelled in the Day Kingdom had been ruled by a tyrant who called herself the Fire Queen. Not even the Queen's son, Delbralfi, was completely safe from her scorn and wrath. For a powerless non-nature like Teltrena or a human slave like Jena, life was spent hoping for a better future while fearing for one's life.
     Then, through a series of most unlikely circumstances, Jena found her mind telepathically Bonded to an Onizard hatchling named Senraeno. The only way to survive the Fire Queen's wrath was to fake their deaths and hide in the forgotten Night Kingdom. 
      With the unexpected help of a few new friends, the Bonds are safe for a while, but their real deaths await them if the Fire Queen discovers that Jena and Senraeno are both alive and Bonded. Now, Jena must learn to fight for herself, and she must help the Onizards see that the love and courage in their hearts is more powerful than the Fire Queen's hatred.

What I thought:  
I really liked The Zarder. It was a short book and a quick read but it didn't feel like it was a short book. I mean, the characters were highly developed and the plot was tight. I liked the idea of the Onizards- they're like dragons with wings and horns and all but there are different categories of them. There are the fire Onizards that breathe fire, there are water Onizards that can breathe a yet of high-pressure water, there are earth Onizards that can heal, and wind Onizards which are the fastest ones out there. There are also the Children of the Light who are gifted with empathy and are the rightful rulers of the Onizards. This system wasn't as hard as you would think to wrap your mind around. Easton has provided us with a prologue that contains the Onizards creation story and explains all the different kinds and the Children of the LIght. I liked how the Onizards and the humans had their own parts in this book. The Onizards were intelligent beings who had their own culture and I was pulled in from the start! The book was full of action and intrigue and it has a couple really GREAT twists in it! The Fire Queen is really good at being a villain and while I would have liked to find out more about what made her the evil she is now, you do see her become the Fire Queen was a heart wrenching story itself. There are some great characters in this book that I'd love to read more about. I recommend this to everyone who likes a good fantasy read! This book would be great for readers of all ages!  I think this would be a great read for 10 year olds up! There is some romance between Onizards and some violence but none that would be off putting for anyone out there. :)  I really liked this book and look forward to more books from Easton! :) 


Get The Zader at Amazon here for just $.99!


$.99! :)