I rarely mention book covers but the one for Dragon Redeemer is a near perfect representation of the story and of Nell. Nell is a warrior first. She keeps her weapons near and dresses in clothes she can move in easily. She is always ready for a fight. Her aggressive stance, her eyes staring directly out of the page whisper, “I see you…” It must have been horrible the first time the Voice took over her body. To lose control and become so vulnerable and unable to defend herself.

I have yet to read Fairy Keeper. It is waiting patiently on my bookshelf (books are very patient). The second book in The World of Aluvia, Mer-Charmer, barely has Nell in it at all. The little bit I saw of her left me thinking she was a benign peace-keeper; someone who kept Sierra in line.

From the very beginning of Dragon Redeemer, Amy Bearce ensures that we know Nell loves to fight. Nell loves to win and she rarely loses. Despite being the one the Voice has chosen to speak through, Nell hasn’t let go of her warrior heart and she doesn’t want to. She still practices her skills alone in the woods and gets to use them a little whenever Jasper and other members of his crew come to hassle her. Before she was just a body for the Voice to use. Now the Voice has begun to speak directly to her, in her head. How will her friends react when she tells them she hears Voice?

Aluvia is healing. Magic has returned to the land and the sea. Peace is spreading. Then a new threat comes to claim Aluvia for himself. The Dragon has found a way to control not just dragons but all the magical creatures of the Ice-Locked Lands. With their magic his to command, The Dragon plans to take over the whole of Aluvia within a matter or days or weeks. Thankfully, the Voice can tell Nell and her friends how to stop him IF Nell can keep her head and heart under control. A hard job when she’s been poisoned with The Dragon’s magic-stealing, soul-destroying potion.

I love that Nell is the warrior and chosen leader of Aluvia while Corbin, her beloved, is the one who dreams about the figurative little house and white picket fence. He wants Nell to become a healer and settle into his home community in peace. It is the biggest barrier to their future because Nell wonders if Corbin really knows her in those moments. She is a warrior and a good one but he worries every time she pulls out her sword. Once the Voice begins to speak to her privately, Nell begins to wonder if she even has a choice about her future. The Voice has a plan for her and she might have to give in to it… or lose her heart to The Dragon’s poison.

A copy of this book was provided by Curiosity Quills and Netgalley for an honest review.