Doppelgangers and Dragon Riders

Rescuing the Prince

Author: Meghann McVey
Published: 2017 (kindle) by Meghann McVey

Goodreads Summary: During the afternoon fantasy parade, a dragon swooped down and carried off my boyfriend. I am not making this up. 

So begins Leah’s adventures that lead her to another world. At home in California, Leah’s boyfriend Gerry is her rock and motivation. Now, trapped in another world without him, she must find her own courage. During her quest, Leah impersonates a missing princess, learns magic, and meets new friends and allies, including the shy, handsome Tolliver. But in the end, does she have what it takes to defeat Gerry’s fearsome captor, the Dragon Rider?

My thoughts:

This story was riveting. I found myself staying up late into the night to finish it. The main character - Leah, was real. She wasn't some warrior-ess just waiting to save the day. She frequently did things wrong, and was timid and full of anxiety, yet tough. Most of the characters in the story were well rounded and carefully crafted. I especially enjoyed the characters at Valeriya the school of magic, and the two guards - Tolliver and Faxon were well written too.

However, this story didn't seem very linear, it actually felt like multiple stories in one book. First, Leah is set on rescuing her boyfriend who was carried away by a dragon, but then she is caught up in the search for a missing princess and used as a fake, in order to keep the kingdom stable. After showing signs of magic, she's sent to a school where she can learn more about her new powers. Then, a civil war breaks out and she is rushed back to the first kingdom she entered. While there she finally decides to do something about her boyfriend and goes on a hunt (with a gypsy) to rescue him from the Dragon Rider. 

In total about 2 years pass between the beginning of the book and the end. The main plot of the book which seems to be rescuing Ger (the boyfriend) gets lost among the more exciting things that Leah experiences during her adventure. She not only learns how to be a princess, and how to weld elements, but also falls in love with a great guy. That's a lot to cover. The plot was good, but towards the end of the book things became very confusing and events didn't seem to connect. Were we supposed to believe that Leah was fine with her boyfriend being kidnapped and probably tortured for two years? It just seemed a little improbable. 

At the end Leah finally faces the Dragon Rider and learns that it is not who she thought! It is Lady Ariana the kind woman who dwells in the village, but no! Wait! It's actually Mersania last of the first people. Immortal and alone, she used to be lovers with Ger, who is actually also from this world, and also immortal. She kidnapped him as revenge. What???? If you're confused by that, so was I. Especially because during the book, Mersania's story is told multiple times, each time she is illustrated as a sad lonely child wandering the world. In one version of the story she lives with the gypsies for a time before continuing her life. At no time during any of the recitations of her tale did I feel like she was malevolent, and yet she had captured a man and held him captive for two years - yes, he was her ex-lover, but still. It seemed out of character. 

At the end of the book everything wraps up, the civil war ends, the missing princess turns up (she was actually in disguise as a dude the whole time), and Leah ends up with Tolliver. 

But wait! It's not over! Suddenly Leah and Tolliver are transported back to modern day California right into the amusement park (think Disneyland) where Leah used to work. Now it's over.

This book left me with more questions than answers. I'm still very confused over a few key points. 

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