• Heart of Dragons: A Sword & Sorcery Epic Fantasy

  • Chronicles of Pelenor, Book 1
  • By: Meg Cowley
  • Narrated by: Jack Voraces
  • Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (74 ratings)

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Heart of Dragons: A Sword & Sorcery Epic Fantasy  By  cover art

Heart of Dragons: A Sword & Sorcery Epic Fantasy

By: Meg Cowley
Narrated by: Jack Voraces
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Publisher's summary

A stolen magic. A rising evil. They are pawns in a game they do not understand.

USA Today best-selling author and 2018 SPFBO semifinalist Meg Cowley returns with a stunning new epic fantasy trilogy set in the same world as her acclaimed Books of Caledan series.

When orphan Harper discovers a legendary Dragonheart, her life changes forever.

Magically flung to the faraway country of Pelenor, where magic, dragons, and elves rule, Harper must find her place - and fast.

Searching for the elven King's missing Dragonheart is his ruthless Spymaster Dimitri, who has his own agenda to revolutionise Pelenor, and free it from the King's greed.

Harper is thrust into a web of intrigue beyond her knowledge, and her newfound companions - a roguish elven thief and his ragtag band of companions - might not be the trustworthy friends she thinks.

When Harper and Dimitri's paths collide, the only thing more dangerous than lies might be the truth, yet either might destroy them. Harper is forced to ally with the hated spymaster - but Dimitri is equally displeased that his fate rests in her unworthy hands.

Harper and Dimitri must work together to ensure both of them survive the King's wrath in a court where betrayal is as easy as breathing. The Dragonheart is key to both their successes - but only one can possess it, and the king will not suffer its loss.

Who will drown in deceit, and who will rise triumphant?

If you enjoy epic fantasies with vivid characters and complex plots, you'll love the Pelenor Chronicles. It's perfect for fans of SJ Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses series and Jeff Wheeler's Kingfountain series.

Listen to Heart of Dragons now.

©2019 Meg Cowley (P)2019 Meg Cowley

What listeners say about Heart of Dragons: A Sword & Sorcery Epic Fantasy

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant, all the way around!

Let me just start by saying this is my second Meg Cowley book and wow has she stepped it up! The end of this one left me gasping for more!

I loved it so much, I had to listen to it a second time before leaving my review!

Similarly, this is my second Jack Voraces audiobook and it gave me yet more evidence to why he immediately jumped into my 'top ten narrators ever' list!

He does narrate a touch faster than your average narrator, so I listen to him at a slightly lower speed than normal (my standard is x1.75-x2, while I listen to Jack at x1.5).

He has a phenomenal skill in manipulating pacing and vocal inflections to provide exactly the experience on offer and he has an impressive array of voices (especially the feminine ones, I mean, wow!) and accents.

If I had a critique, I suppose it would be that his voices don't always 100% match the way they are described in the text. In particular, over the two books there have been several voices described as deep that he actually gives quite high voices.

However, audio is an adaptation, much like having a movie made. And typically I'm much happier with the narrator's interpretation than I would have been if it had been a perfect translation of the author's intentions.

Such is the case with Jack's work.


Quite apart from her Books of Caladan series, while this story does take place in the same world, most of it happens in a land quite distant from Caladan.

Much more so than the previous trilogy, there is a lot of Christopher Paolini influence in several aspects of this story, yet most of them end up being flipped on their heads in some deliciously fun ways!

Although the book definitely maintains the general YA feel of Meg's books, this one also feels a bit more serious with more of an epic-feeling scope than at least the first Caladan book.

Not that we're looking at the next Wheel of Time, Malazan, or Song of Ice and Fire here. Nothing that grandly epic. But it doesn't need to be.

What we do have, is an introduction to some really fun characters that are mostly just trying to get their heads on straight (and largely failing to do so!).

None of these characters is what we would typically call heroic or villainous, but each falls into the crags somewhere between them.

I love the way the distrust between them was played up to feel so genuine and real, and I love the growth we get to see these characters go through, particularly in the case of Harper. She has her world views challenged over and over and is continually reevaluating her definitions of the way the world works.

I also love that in no way did this book fall into the (in my experience) all-too-common YA trap of having characters that are contradictorily both extremely self-centered and altruistically make fixing all the world's problems their personal responsibility.

There are some definite twists that, while not completely out of left field, were a bit surprising and worked to tie things together into a more cohesive whole.

I admit that maybe I just haven't seen enough of it yet, but I'm still left feeling a bit underwhelmed by the magic system. But it's entirely possible that I've just been spoiled from reading the works of Friedman, Jordan, Sanderson, and Erikson.

And that ending!
I mean, wow!

Okay, in fairness, I saw it coming very early on. One aspect of it, at least, was quite obvious to me. But the devil is in the details, as they say. And this ending, while neatly tying several threads together, has me on the edge of my seat with baited breath waiting for more!

I can't wait for the next book to come out!

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story and A Great Performance

To Start this books performance is another Great entry into the narrators growing body of work, possibly one of his best performances to date. The voices for the characters bring them to life in a spectacular way that really drives home the characteristics and world the author was trying to depict in her story. He even utilizes techniques for internal dialogue that keeps the focus om the story without making the listener lose track which is awesome! Overall an outstanding performance well worth a listen.

The story itself is enthralling, for me, it took a lit bit to take off but once the players where introduced it started to rapidly progress, the story follows a cast of characters with different goals and ideologies. Without spoiling the story this book does an amazing Job of building the world, developing the main Cast of Characters and setting up for a thrilling book #2 while being a thrilling story in its own right. Overall any fan of the fantasy Genre should be looking to pick this book up, it is well worth a listen, i look forward to listening to the second installment!

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4 people found this helpful

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Listener received this title free

Terrific Book

I received a free review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. It features lovable characters, a complex villain, and interesting plot lines. The narration was great! I look forward to seeing where the story goes in the subsequent books.

The following synopsis may contain spoilers:

A young woman is transported to a magical kingdom in her world where she meets a group of thieves. However, she feels betrayed and wants to go home. Towards that end she travels to the capital but meets an unpleasant surprise.

In the meantime, a spymaster seeks an ancient ruler with the goal of overthrowing the corrupt government. Their fates become enmeshed. Will they succeed in their goals? Listen to the audiobook to find out.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

So good!

If you're looking for a book series that has a little bit of everything stop and look no further. This book is amazing It has a unique and different approach to introducing the characters which in my opinion it makes the book better because it's not your every-day type of book, it keeps you hooked because you really don't understand what the heck is going on up to the point where you get a glimpse of what the main plot is and at that point your hook for the rest of the book its just that good.

not only did the other doing amazing job with writing this book and keeping it interesting the narrator what SEALs the deal and why you should listen to this book he is absolutely one of the greats from everything from the different character inflections between both male and female characters to the distinct voices for all the different characters absolutely phenomenal job!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great epic fantasy

I really enjoyed this epic fantasy audiobook. The characters are vivid and easily capture your attention. I loved the humour, warm heart and cockiness of Aedon, the inner strength, growth and determination of Harper and the “Robin Hoodness” of their group as a whole. None of the characters are totally good or bad, even Dimitri elicits some sympathy. He has been treated so poorly by everyone for so long that, even though he is intelligent, he seems to be blinded by his bitterness. The interweaving storylines connect well, creating intrigue, mystery and suspense. It also has hints of romance and a good dose of humour. The narrator does an excellent job, he infuses the characters with life and does a great job of all the various accents. His pace was perfect, and you could easily visualize what was happening in the story. This is an enjoyable story with twists, excitement, great characters and a world that easily draws you in and keeps you captivated.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Decent characters let down by mediocre writing

I received this book gratis.

I enjoyed the characters. They were each vividly written.

The narration was too fast; I played it at .95.

The real downfall of the book is the lackluster story and writing.

I finished the book, and it wasn't a chore to do so, but at the end I was pretty meh about the whole affair.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Simply Amazing

I got this book on a whim and a recommendation. I was floored and could not stop listening.

The narrator guides the story beautifully complete with different voices and effects. It added so much to the story that I didn't know I wanted and needed. Every character is portrayed with such a different voice and emotion added. I was very pleased and was a great addition to the story that some narrators can miss.

This is my first Meg Cowley book. I love the pace and was sad when it ended. I immediately got the sequel. Each of the characters and their backstories were woven through the story intricately and it makes it hard to choose a favorite. No one is necessarily solely the hero or solely the villain. I cannot wait to start the next book.


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    5 out of 5 stars
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GREAT START TO A NEW SERIES

Heart of Dragons: A Sword & Sorcery Epic Fantasy (Chronicles of Pelenor, Book 1), my fifth read from author Meg Cowley. From the opening pages, you could tell this was an epic in the making with the story requiring multiple volumes to tell. Wonderful characters, detailed settings. Very good read! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018). Narrator Jack Voraces continues narrating Meg Cowley’s work & his talented narration & captivating accent adds greatly to the book's enjoyment. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. Owning both the Kindle & Audible editions I was able to follow along while being read to. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

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    5 out of 5 stars
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loved

Action packed thrill ride that I couldn't put down and can't wait to see what happens next. Well worth reading you'll be hooked. To add to it the narrator was just amazing.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to!

Meg has done it again! She ups her story-telling abilities with every new book, and this is her best yet. All the characters are relatable from the ones you love to hate to the ones you hate to love, and of course, the ones you love to love. The performance is also top notch, and brings the world to life beautifully❤️

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