Red Claw

By: Jaime Castle, Andy Peloquin

Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

Treachery simmers beneath the Empire’s surface.

Powerful dragonblood vials have been stolen from their murdered owners. Magisters, answering to a shadowy figure known only as Red Claw, seek to undermine the emperor.

Kullen’s work as Black Talon will only grow bloodier as his path crosses with the Crimson Fang, hopeful they might know where to find a kidnapped Prince Jaylen.

Natisse yearns for vengeance against the one who has taken so much from her. Yet, for the sake of the mission—always the mission—she must put her hate aside and attempt to trust the Crimson Fang’s greatest enemy.

With her new Ember Dragon Golgoth by her side, the playing field is even—assuming she can learn to control the fires that rage within her.

Together, assassin and rebel must delve into deep waters and high towers to discover the truth behind so many secrets—secrets that threaten to destroy the very empire itself.

Red Claw is the second installment in Dragonblood Assassin from number one Audible and Washington Post best seller Jaime Castle and epic-fantasy legend Andy Peloquin, perfect for fans of the Forgotten Realms, Joe Abercrombie, David Dalglish, and Kel Kade.

©2023 Aethon Books (P)2023 Audible, Inc.

Red Claw is even better than the first book!

Red Claw is a fantastic book. And I thought bk1 The Black Talon was great. Just wait 'til you get an eyeful of this! Red Claw starts right where book 1 ends. Remember that kinda sorta cliffhanger, well now you get the full throttle follow-up!
The Prince is MIA and Kullan can't face the King until he has the Prince in hand... and Natisse has a wounded unconscious Prince that she wants nothing to do with! A man that will be her and her cronies undoing if he regains his freedom. Right at the time she's lost her trust in Roman their leader! So of course the action-driven story causes the inevitable to happen. (Kullan and Natisse meet up.) And I couldn't be happier...
If you're an Amazon-plus customer get the ebook now and you'll find the Audible edition will be free to download... because deals don't hang around for long... and yes in this story you're gonna need to know what happens next. Because, yeah there's loads more to find out...
And OMG Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are incredible. Giving out the perfect pitch narrating this story for you!!!

Entertaining story

The story is well written and the world is well fleshed out.
I would suggest it to any fantasy fans. Especially since it’s free.
My only complaints rather suggestion is to have the two readers continue to read their main characters when they interact. I like that there are two POVa and two narrators for the different POVs. But as they spend more time, instead of one reading both dialogues it should be both narrators. That’s my only suggestions.

A Thrilling & Deeply Engaging Sequel

Four months ago, I found myself cursing Jaime Castle and Andy Peloquin after finding the horrible, cruel cliffhanger at the end of Black Talon (Dragonblood Assassin, Book 1). It’s rare that a story is good enough to have me so hooked that I’m genuinely angered and dismayed when it’s ended in such a wicked way. But the wait is over, and Red Claw is well worth it.

Red Claw, the second installment in the Dragonblood Assassin series by Jaime Castle and Andy Peloquin, is every bit riveting as its predecessor. And yes, the brilliant Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are back again to furnish life to the characters. Once more, we journey with Kullen, the emperor's assassin, and the rebel Natisse, into a web of intrigue, deceit, and imminent doom that threatens the empire itself.

The story's energy is tangible. There are tangled plotlines, unanticipated twists, and to my shame and delight, an inability to predict what comes next. The action rarely slows; you may even feel a tinge of exhaustion as you navigate through the relentless whirl of events as the point of view switches between the protagonists. Speaking of, the character development in this series is truly amazing. Both main Kullen and Natisse, along with a roster of minor characters, are incredibly well-crafted, showing great depth with their emotions, inner thoughts, and rich history.

Searching to present a balanced review, I could only find a few very minor elements that irked me. The constant action is often exhilarating, but there were instances when the action drags on to the point that it pushes the pacing off-kilter, and the story’s progression starts to drag. I felt myself waiting for them to get on with the combat so I could find out what happened next! I think the feeling is also compounded by Kullen’s ability to endure multitudes of injuries with little rest – knowing he’ll likely come out on top lessens the tension I’d otherwise feel during fights and action. And, of course, the worst insult to the reader comes at the very end. The unforgiving cliffhanger. Again. Sigh. To be clear, these are petty nuisances that are easily forgiven and forgotten in the face of everything else that is good, awesome, and amazing. Except for the cliffhanger; there’s a special, hot place of eternal torment waiting for people that do that to their fans.

In the audiobook, the narration of Michael Kramer and Kate Reading is outstanding. They are an experienced and veteran pair of narrators, and their performances consistently lend distinct voices that bring the characters to life. The Dragonblood Assassin series is already exceptional, but their narration manages to make it even better.

Special thanks to Aethon Books, who provided me with this book at my request.

Way better than I expected

While browsing free books, I noticed Kate Reading and Michael Kramer. Since I love how they read Brandon Sanderson’s books, I was curious. It took me a bit to get into the story in the first book, but after I figured out all the characters, I was hooked. I can’t believe this amazing trilogy is free!

The tale is engaging

It’s a fantasy and like so many others of this genre, it appears to go on and on so it’s true to form. I will only say that reality trumps fantasy. Ukraine/Russia, Gaza/Israel…
War. I’m a veteran of the Vietnam war and listening to this has become an unwanted distraction.
Reality requires our fullest attention. This is serious business.

entertaining book

I like the story and the male narrator. The female narrator is a bit annoying and frequently pronounces things wrong though.

Not sure the latest neg reviewers were actually listening

One negative reviewers gripe was that they are basically invincible and ‘don’t need to eat or sleep and ignore injuries’ which is patently not true - elixirs have comedowns, one MC fell asleep in a chair at his most vulnerable from exhaustion etc, in fact the limitations of their power and the loss of life around them are described in detail and form a major thread in this latest novel.

Yes the female character can get a bit whiney but she is *far* less annoying in this one as her complaints have actual power behind them (literally bowling another MC over) and are explored through a complex interplay between her previous ability to tap into a ‘icy’ state of calm and how losing this is a downside to new powers she gains.

It’s not going to be listed as a classic like LOTRings, but if you see the point of books (audio, print, digital) to escape or be entertained, in a world that doesn’t need its own thesaurus to enjoy, this is a fantastic adventure that’s so much fun to read.

Some of the negative reviews are so far off the mark, I wonder if they were only half listening in traffic or have the wrong book entirely.

Highly recommended.

Starting to hate these books left on a hanger

I stopped listening to two different series because of the annoyance. The contents and narrator are good but the ending really irked me.

Again the narrators combined with strong story line RULE

The continually interesting views into various parts of this world keep me hitched. We go interestingly deeper into each faction and I am enjoying every minute. And finally, the narration is bar- noble the best for audio books!

Even better than the first

This story is so well written and told! I’m still humming with excitement and can’t wait to read the next book!