Ascendant: A Dragon Rider Fantasy (Songs of Chaos, Book 1)

I LOVE this book. The Inheritance Cycle was a huge part of my teenage years, and finding solid, well written and well thought out Dragon Rider books isn't easy.Let me be clear: this book is NOT an Eragon ripoff. Ascendant stands firmly and confidently on its own as a wonderful, new, remarkable and clever Dragon Rider book (and start of a series). However, there is no denying that if you love the Inheritance Cycle that you will also love Ascendant.What is this book like? Mix the atmosphere of Alageasia, the magic system of the Forgotten Realms and the flare of Azeroth and you have a pretty damn good starting point for how this story goes.Something important for the first book of a series - and something that's tricky to do well - is to properly wrap it up, while still leaving tasty hints for the next step of the series. Ascendants ending was perfectly done and I am incredibly satisfied with this book.The magic system of the Riders and Dragons is SO COOL. I adore it. All good magic needs restraints, punishments and reward systems. Ascendants magic system is, honestly, flawless and so, so well explained (even if Holt doesn't always get it, you, the reader, absolutely will).Holt is a wonderful Hero, Ash is pure perfection (and my favorite color for dragons~) and I'm really keen to not only meet more new characters of this series, but to *hopefully* learn more about Rake. I fricken love Rake. Even the very small bits we got of him, I just know he's my type of character.If I had to pick a negative- and I mean if I'm absolutely forced to pick SOMETHING - I'd gripe that, of course the female lead is a red head. ~petty moment over~ Happy? Thats my only complaint.Tl;dr Fantastic Dragon Rider story, beautifully written and meticulously thought out, with well rounded and developed characters and a great magic system. You won't regret this one. I will now impatiently wait for the next book....

So, I went ahead and read the full series up to what it has so far, upon writing this review, there’s only three of five books out, and I will absolutely be reading the next two upon their release. I have nothing but good things to say about this series. It enraptured me and really scratched that itch to read about dragons that I had when I found this series. Even then I firmly believe that this is just a good series with very good characters and story telling. I cheered out loud with the characters and was almost brought to tears at some scenes. Of course, I speak for the series as a whole, which is why I’m leaving this review on the first book. It’s hard for me to write down how this book makes me feel without going into needlessly long tangents explaining every little thing I’ve found to adore about this series, so I shall simply end this review by saying, I throughly enjoyed the books, and I think anyone who enjoys a good series about dragon riders and their dragons, then they will certainly enjoy this series.

Holt is a boy who wishes for something different than what his society says he should be. Being young he acts before thinking, but has a good heart. Before he can grasp what he has done his world changes in the blink of an eye.There is much to like with this story. You think you are getting a typical boy and dragon story, but it quickly morphs into much more depth and nuance. There are very good twists as the story progresses. The pacing flows well overall. The author does a very good job with Holt’s development. The side characters are good foils for Holt and Talia. I look forward to reading book 2!

I loved this book so much! I couldn't put it down! The character development and progression of the story was wonderful to read and so refreshing!

Give me a coming-of-age story set in a fantasy world, and I'm instantly interested. Add a baby dragon to it, and I'm totally in! "Ascendant" was all that and more for me. It was completely un-putdownable, and I absolutely loved it."Ascendant" is set in a world where Order is revered, and Chaos is reviled. Since Chaos can only be defeated by Order, the world has a rigid and very "orderly" social structure where it's against the law for commoners to break out of their expected role. There are even limits on the types of clothes they can wear & the last names they use. They can only use last names appropriate for their profession or trade like Knight, Archer, Miller, Farmer, and Cook. Using any other name is illegal.Set in that rigid society, "Ascendant" is the coming-of-age story of Holt Cook, a pot scrubber & future cook's apprentice who dreams of becoming a dragon rider even though he's destined to become a cook like his father. Holt's father is the head cook for the Order, a group of dragon riders whose only duty is to fight the Scourge, swarms of giant insect-like creatures bent on destroying all living things. By law, only nobles are allowed to join the ranks of the Order, any commoner who attempts to join risks a death sentence or banishment.One day, Holt discovers a terrible secret: the dragon's matriarch has rejected many eggs from her latest clutch. Holt was horrified to learn that dragons don't tolerate weakness and the Order will destroy any eggs deemed unfit by the dragon matriarch. Determined to save one of the doomed eggs, Holt sneaks it out of the hatchery and hides it. When the little dragon hatches, Holt discovers that it's blind but, despite this imperfection, Holt bonds with him instantly.To join the fight against the Scourge, Holt and Ash have to learn how to use their magic and they've got to learn it fast. The war isn't going very well for the humans, and the Order will need all the help it can get, even if it comes from two Chaos-bringers like a blind dragon and the former servant who saved him. Sometimes, a little Chaos can be a good thing.I absolutely loved this book. It's got great action, great characters, and great dragons, each with a very distinct voice and personality of its own. I also love the magic system where hard work and training are needed to advance in power and skill. Holt & Ash aren't handed power on a silver platter: they had to work for it. I love that about this book.I give this book a very enthusiastic 5 stars.

I really loved this book. All characters are so well defined. The dragons are just as one would imagine,(all of them) but Ash is definitely wonderful. His whole personality is beautiful, funny, cute and sad. Holt is as I would have been in his situation. The relationships are also well defined and deep, friends or foe.This book is so well written I could see everything described.I actually was taken into this incredible world and felt everything. Joy, laughter, wonder, beauty, terror, sadness and love. I even could feel for the antagonists. I even cried, which I don't do. It's been a long time since a book has taken me so completely out of my world and away from my own struggles. MRM for a wonderful journey I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I just know I will be sad when I've read the last page

Alrhought I did not like the middle of the book. The middle-end part was outstanding. Thank you Michael for another good book.

Ascendant, book one in Michael R. Miller’s Songs of Chaos series, is a great introduction to dragons or new and veteran readers alike.Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. He has always served the Order Hall of the Crag dutifully, keeping their kitchen pots clean.Until he discovers a dark secret: dragons do not tolerate weakness among their kin, killing the young they deem flawed. Moved by pity, Holt defies the Order, rescues a doomed egg and vows to protect the blind dragon within.But the Scourge is rising. Undead hordes roam the land, spreading the blight and leaving destruction in their wake. The dragon riders are being slaughtered and betrayal lurks in the shadows.Holt has one chance to survive. He must cultivate the mysterious power of his dragon's magical core. A unique energy which may tip the balance in the battles to come, and prove to the world that a servant is worthy after all.I don’t think I’ll ever not love a dragon story and this is no exception. I’ve heard a lot about this series so when Michael asked if I would accept copies of the currently released books I jumped at the chance. This has been on my TBR for a long time and I’m glad to finally open the pages and start this incredible journey.Miller knows that this is a story filled with classic tropes but this doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of experiencing a traditionally-inspired tale and mixing it with progression fantasy. You might be able to find similarities to other stories however Ascendant was such a brilliant read that I plan to continue the rest of the series straightaway. Described as YA, the reach of Ascendant is far greater and, much like I say for Mistborn, this marks a great beginning for adults also who want to make a start on dragon fantasy. Miller’s easy prose and well-described characters, balanced with a nostalgic story, mark this as a truly fulfilling read.I particularly enjoyed how Miller wrote the relationship between Holt and Ash, and how cooking is a prevalent part in working out these dragons. Cooking can determine the abilities/roles of a dragon and it reminded me of status effects in RPG games. Currently playing through Zelda and mixing different foods to have different effects is similar to this. Miller writes a great dynamic between dragon and rider. By having Ash be blind, Miller has created a deeper way of bonding these characters and how this is shown throughout the novel is outstanding. We really see how this bond reflects on the characters and how this affects the relationship, compared to other characters who are not limited.Ascendant is an enjoyable start to this series and is an accessible entry for readers who want to have an entertaining read but also a startling journey in dragon rider fantasy.

Fantastic story with lots of magic, dragons, intrigues and likable characters, who grow a lot over the course of the story.There's twists and turns and it never gets boring...I was hooked from the first page.If you like a solid Sword & Sorcery fantasy story, this one is for you!

I enjoyed it more than my daughter, but maybe it'll grow on here