Title: Elegy For a Lost Star
Author: Elizabeth Haydon
Series: Symphony of Ages
Sexual Content: Minimal
Objectional Content: Violence
Synopsis (From Goodreads🙂 Elegy for a Lost Star sets the stage for a major turning point in the Symphony of Ages series. The dragon Anwyn–who has lain for three years in deathlike sleep in a grave of rock and black coal is freed by the cataclysm that concluded Requiem for the Sun . Disoriented and confused, she remembers only the person who trapped her in dragon form and locked her in a rocky grave–Rhapsody; and an all-encompassing desire to wreak vengeance. Meanwhile, Achmed, the Firbolg king, resumes rebuilding his shattered home, while a guild of merciless assassins set about taking revenge on him for the killing of their leader. A horribly deformed but magical being finds its way through a carnival of freaks to the palace of an evil despot, who sees in it the potential to be the instrument by which his plans of conquest and brutal domination of a continent will be realized. With the rise of new leaders, good and evil, the long-awaited birth of the Child of Time, the dark plans of assassins and rulers, a confrontation that shakes the relationship of the Three, and a battle to the death between two dragons of unimaginable elemental power, the seeds of chaos are planted for a war that will, by its end, consume half of the world.
My Review
Picking up shortly after Requiem for a Dream ended, Elegy for a Star begins with Gwydion Navarne being invested as Duke. With the impending birth of their baby, Rhapsody and Ashe plan to move to their own keep. After the explosion that nearly destroyed the Firbolg kingdom, the dragon Anwyn, believed to be dead, has been awoken. Though her memories are fragmented, the one thing she does remember is her hatred for Rhapsody and begins to hunt her down.
Faron, the child of the F’Dor host Michael, is now adrift in this world. Found by a pair of fishermen, it is sold to a passing carnival as a “freak.” When the carnival makes it’s way to Sorbold, Faron comes under the notice of the emperor to be. Unfortunately, the would be emperor notices the scales Faron tries to hide and immediately buys it from the carnival for his own twisted purposes.
Unaware that Anwyn is alive and hunting her, Rhapsody goes to the dragon Elysynos during her pregnancy. As no one really knows what to expect with such a child, the dragon’s lair seems the safest place.
Elegy for a Lost Star very much feels like a “staging novel.” By this I mean that it’s setting up a great deal to be resolved in the next book. Other than Anwyn, there isn’t really a central antagonist to be fought against. Everything is ramping up for the next book.
The focus in this book has somewhat shifted away from the Three, following other characters to show what is happening in other parts of the continent. This is fine of course, not everything has to focus on Rhapsody, Achmed and Grunthor. Although, Achmed is getting more focus as of late.
This book is enjoyable and a must read if you read Requiem for the Sun. My rating for Elegy for a Lost Star is 4 out of 5 stars and I look forward to the next book in the series.