The Awakening (Dragon Heart Legacy Series #1)
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- Create Date：2020-11-25 04:10:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Nora Roberts
- ISBN：9781250272614
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Summary
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts begins a new trilogy of adventure， romance， and magick in The Awakening。
In the realm of Talamh， a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a swordrepresenting both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey。 In another realm known as Philadelphia， a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…
When Breen Kelly was a girl， her father would tell her stories of magical places。 Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates。 But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name。 It has been funded by her long-lost fatherand it’s worth nearly four million dollars。
This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone。 But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland， it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined。 Here， she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired， elusive man， why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home， Breen Siobhan。 It’s time you came home。 Why she dreamed of dragons。 And where her true destiny liesthrough a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids， to a man named Keegan， and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful， dangerous destiny…
In the realm of Talamh， a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a swordrepresenting both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey。 In another realm known as Philadelphia， a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…
When Breen Kelly was a girl， her father would tell her stories of magical places。 Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates。 But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name。 It has been funded by her long-lost fatherand it’s worth nearly four million dollars。
This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone。 But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland， it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined。 Here， she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired， elusive man， why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home， Breen Siobhan。 It’s time you came home。 Why she dreamed of dragons。 And where her true destiny liesthrough a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids， to a man named Keegan， and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful， dangerous destiny…
Editor Reviews
09/07/2020
Bestseller Roberts （Shadows in Death） launches a fantasy trilogy with this heartwarming story of a woman finding her true self across parallel worlds。 Philadelphia teacher Breen Kelly， 26， has lived under her mother’s thumb ever since her father disappeared more than 15 years ago。 So when Breen unexpectedly comes into money， she quits her much-resented job and escapes her mother’s reach by traveling to Ireland。 There she stumbles through a portal into a fantasy world， Talamh， where she discovers she is not the disappointing mouse she’s always believed herself to be， and that she may be the key to winning a forthcoming war between the faerie people of Talamh and an evil god。 After learning the secret history of her family， including the truth of what happened to her father， Breen must decide whether to return to her world or stay in Talamh to fulfill her destiny。 While Breen is well-shaded and empathetic， the characters around her are thinly sketched。 The narrative feels lopsided as Roberts spends more time on Breen’s mundane achievements in Philadelphia and Ireland than her adventures in Talamh， leaving the political plot underdeveloped， and the cliffhanger ending will leave readers equal parts frustrated and eager for more。 This enjoyable installment has its flaws， but it also promises good things to come。 （Nov。）
About the Author
NORA ROBERTS is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels， including The Rise of Magicks， Hideaway， Year One， Of Blood and Bone， Under Currents， and many more。 She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J。D。 Robb。 There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print。
Reviews
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“If you rock no boat， you never end up in the water to see where the waves might take you。” I love so many of the quotes from this book， but this one really speaks to me and feels like it summarizes the story line for Breen， the main character， very well。 Breen is from two worlds， but was only aware of her home in Philadelphia， until a trip to Ireland became more than she could ever have thought would be part of her reality。 The Awakening is the first book in The Dragon Heart Trilogy by Nora Roberts。 If you have ever read a book by Nora Roberts， you know you’re going to get characters that will work their way into your heart and a world that you daydream about visiting。 In this first book in the series， we are drawn into a magickal world of Faeries， Trolls， Mer people， dragons， Elves， the Wise （witches）， Sidhe， and a few humans， as we visit Talamh。 I love Breen’s character。 We get to watch her grow as we learn about who and what she really is as she goes to Ireland in search of her father。 We meet her as a young woman， living with her best friend and roommate， Marco， who is always trying to help her come out of her shell。 She was always trying to live an “unseen” life。 I loved watching her find the strength and courage to reach beyond her limited sight to become independent and adventurous， embracing her true self。 This story will pull you in and hold you until the very end， leaving you wanting more。 The writing is as magical as the story; the characters， relationships， and world create the perfect blend of story， heart， and magical adventure。 It’s the kind of story you think about when you’re not reading。 You’ll cheer for Breen and soar along with her on her wins。 The Awakening is a story about waking up and allowing yourself to be who you really are， despite the odds。 I recommend this book to everyone who has read anything by Nora Roberts， for lovers of fantasy with a sprinkling of romance， and to those looking for a story that will weave its way into your thoughts with relatable characters， and a world you’ll dream of visiting。 This is one of my top reads for 2020 and I want to thank St。 Martin’s Press for sending me a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest review。
Cyndi
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OMG！ OMG！ OMG！ First of all， huge thank you to #stmartinspress for the amazing gift of this book！ As you all probably know， I'm a huge fan of the Great Nora。 She never fails to entertain。 So， of course I adored this book and gave it lots and lots of hugs even before opening it。 Then。。。wow！ It was hard to put down！ You know how some books follow you around when you are forced to walk away？ It's like part of your mind is continuously occupied with the characters while you go over what has already OMG！ OMG！ OMG！ First of all， huge thank you to #stmartinspress for the amazing gift of this book！ As you all probably know， I'm a huge fan of the Great Nora。 She never fails to entertain。 So， of course I adored this book and gave it lots and lots of hugs even before opening it。 Then。。。wow！ It was hard to put down！ You know how some books follow you around when you are forced to walk away？ It's like part of your mind is continuously occupied with the characters while you go over what has already happened and anticipate what will happen next。 This is one of those books。 So dragons accompanied me to work and magic surrounded me while making dinner。 Our story starts out with our heroine living a square and colorless life orchestrated by her mother。 This helicopter mom landed and took over completely。 Then one day something happens to round the edges of her world and bring color back。 The Great Nora doesn't make the changes jarring。 The colors seep in slowly and the edges round out and begin to expand in monumental ways。 Magic comes in to our heroine's life like all good magic does。。。sneaky。 Don't miss this book！ Especially if you like fantasy （as I do）。 It's GLORIOUS！ 。。。more
Rose
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I love Nora Roberts writing very much。 Her J。D。 Robb's In Death series is my favorite series of all time and an annual re-read。 This book is a great addition to all her wonderful writing that I've enjoyed so far。 This book begins with a teenage boy Keegan emerging as the leader of the Talamh realm， the world of the fey and other supernatural beings。 Then we are taken into another realm that is Philadelphia， which to us is the modern world where lives Breen Kelly， the protagonist of this story。 W I love Nora Roberts writing very much。 Her J。D。 Robb's In Death series is my favorite series of all time and an annual re-read。 This book is a great addition to all her wonderful writing that I've enjoyed so far。 This book begins with a teenage boy Keegan emerging as the leader of the Talamh realm， the world of the fey and other supernatural beings。 Then we are taken into another realm that is Philadelphia， which to us is the modern world where lives Breen Kelly， the protagonist of this story。 We are introduced to her as a woman with low self-esteem， cultivated by her mother to feel less of herself， working unhappily as a teacher and pinching pennies to pay rent and student loans， and longing for her estranged Irish father。 Then as fate would have it， she stumbles on a truth that irrevocably changes her life。 Nora Roberts skillfully spins an intriguing tale of Breen's exciting， terrifying， exhilarating journey of Change， Discovery， and Choice。 I cheered for Breen all the way， crying with her in her grief， enjoying her warm moments with loved ones， and wincing for her when she had to take some hard knocks both literally and figuratively on her way to becoming a strong woman embracing her destiny。 I loved how her journey from low self-esteem to courage and strength was a gradual one。 I loved how she stood up to her mother。 I enjoyed the warm and lasting relationships she had in Philadelphia and later in Talamh。 I loved Breen's innate goodness and hope to see her grow much more in the next book。 Loved the characters in both realms and would love to see them more involved in the next book。 I hadn't expected the cliffhanger and it left me wanting for more right now。 But alas。。。 Now what I didn't like about this book was the romance。 There is one。 But it is not strong enough to convince me。 And there is one of my biggest pet peeves; a sex scene between the hero and OW。 In my opinion， if the story has to have the hero be intimate with OW even after meeting the heroine， then at least it should be off-page。 Because when the hero and heroine were together， all I could see was how he was more romantic with the OW than when he was with the heroine。 Also， the intimacy was abrupt。 Until then we don't see any spark between them。 I know the author is experienced and she has a good reason for writing that way， but I was not convinced of the relationship between the main characters。 I know there is more to come and it's just the beginning we see in this book。 But considering she is already in love with him， I would have liked to see something more from the guy。 I didn't need the image of him having sex with the OW while Breen is alone on a cliff coming to terms with her reality though！ This made my stomach drop in distress and that's why I gave only 4 stars for this book。 Although to be fair he only just started seeing Breen as a beautiful woman and had no deep feelings for her at the time he slept with OW。 Still， I hate it when the hero sleeps with OW after meeting the heroine。 The sex scene with OW was unnecessary。 But this is just me and others may not find this disturbing as I do。 This is not a safe book for this reason。 Although I'd like to add that this book is a great beginning to a brand new series。 。。。more
Dana
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So， I’m all for the start of a new series。。。 but， my personal taste is that each book of the series can stand on its own。 This one very much felt like an appetizer。 Granted， it was an appetizer that got me excited for a meal really like to eat。。。 but it was still just an appetizer。 The book is cut into thirds and I really feel like the first third could have been spared。 It says you up to know Breen: her hum drum life， her struggles for fulfillment， her stifling relationship with her mother and So， I’m all for the start of a new series。。。 but， my personal taste is that each book of the series can stand on its own。 This one very much felt like an appetizer。 Granted， it was an appetizer that got me excited for a meal really like to eat。。。 but it was still just an appetizer。 The book is cut into thirds and I really feel like the first third could have been spared。 It says you up to know Breen: her hum drum life， her struggles for fulfillment， her stifling relationship with her mother and her fiercely loyal and fabulous friends。 There， I just saved you more than 100 pages。 The second two parts of the book were fabulous。 Set in both Ireland and a magical realm we get gorgeous settings， complex characters， magic， sword fighting and dragons。 Well， not as many dragons as I would have liked， but expectations are high for book two。 Breen is still annoying and stifled early in these sections but over time she really becomes a character you can understand and root for。The big baddie sounds like an interesting big baddie but I’m looking forward to seeing much more of him in book two。 I’m giving this 4 stars， rounding up for series potential on its own I’d say this was only a 3。5。Thanks to St Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Nicole R
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3。5 （round up to 4）I am here for Nora's new trilogy！While there are things that I am going to ping this book on （see lower in the review）， none of those things overshadow the pure compulsive readability of this book。 I read the whole thing in only 3 or 4 sittings， and， each time， I would become completely immersed only to look up hours later with no concept of how much time had passed。 We start this journey in the fantasy world of Talamh。 The leader of the realm has died defending it and a new l 3。5 （round up to 4）I am here for Nora's new trilogy！While there are things that I am going to ping this book on （see lower in the review）， none of those things overshadow the pure compulsive readability of this book。 I read the whole thing in only 3 or 4 sittings， and， each time， I would become completely immersed only to look up hours later with no concept of how much time had passed。 We start this journey in the fantasy world of Talamh。 The leader of the realm has died defending it and a new leader must be chosen。 In King Arthur fashion， Keegan， just a teenager， dives into the sacred lake and pulls out the leader's sword。We then leave Talamh for modern day Philadelphia where we meet our hero， Breen。 Honestly， Breen is kind of pathetic。 She is plain and lacks confidence and works as a teacher， which she hates。 Her mom is horrible and her father left them over a decade ago。 The bright spot in her life is her best friend and roommate Marco and their friends-who-are-family at a drag bar。 But then Breen's life changes and she heads to Ireland with Marco to find her father。 And herself。 And stumbles upon the magical realm of Talamh where she realizes she has long lost friends and family。 And a duty to uphold。I absolutely loved the blending of modern day Ireland with the fantasy realm of Talamh！ It was slightly more than magical realism， but not full on fantasy。 It made for interesting internal struggles and allowed Breen to have twice the number of amazing friends！ I also was so relieved to find that the writing in this one was smoother than Nora's last trilogy， Chronicles of the One， which I thought was too chopped and staccato。 But， in full honesty， there were things I didn't like either。 The main thing is that I kept waiting for the friendships to develop more。 Morena and Aisling were waiting in the wings， just screaming for a good girl's night seen。 I wanted there to be more of Breen fitting in with Morena and Harken， Aisling and Mahon， and Keegan。 I missed those relationship building scenes。 I craved them。 Because Nora does them so very very well。I also thought the book was too long。 It needed a good edit！ It felt rambly in the middle and like little progress was being made and then the end felt。。。unfinished。 It ended on a really anticlimactic note。 The ending felt like there should have been more。 Like those wasted pages in the middle could have been repurposed at the end。Even with some shortcomings， a few days reading a Nora Roberts book felt wonderful。 She is my go-to author and she can get me through any reading slump or brighten any winter COVID day。 Now， to wait a year for the next installment！Thanks to St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Talie
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Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy of this book。 The Awakening by Nora Roberts is exactly what I expect from a Nora Robert Irish mystical fantasy/paranormal book。 The book combines interesting characters， alternate worlds， and all kinds of mythical creatures that are sure to satisfy Nora Roberts fans。 For those new to Nora Roberts she excels at stories centered around Irish magick that always contain an element of romance。In the case of this book our heroine， Breen， lea Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy of this book。 The Awakening by Nora Roberts is exactly what I expect from a Nora Robert Irish mystical fantasy/paranormal book。 The book combines interesting characters， alternate worlds， and all kinds of mythical creatures that are sure to satisfy Nora Roberts fans。 For those new to Nora Roberts she excels at stories centered around Irish magick that always contain an element of romance。In the case of this book our heroine， Breen， learns of a secret inheritance which she uses to travel to Ireland in search of her father who disappeared years ago。 When she reaches Ireland she discovers a portal to a new world and discovers powers and an ancestry she never knew she had。I really enjoyed the story。 I'm torn between whether this is fantasy or paranormal。 What I can tell you is that with the back and forth between the two worlds most of world building centers around people and creatures vs。 actually places。 Also this book doesn't feel quite as edgy as say a Sarah J Maas or Armentrout novel。 Personally I really liked it but if you like your books with a darker edge， this first book is more centered around the discovery of a new world and preparation for ongoing battle。And as a warning this book serves as an intro with a very open ending that， while not a true cliff hanger， has you begging for what happens next。NARRATION: I listened to the audiobook on this one and thought the narrator， Barrie Kreinik， did an excellent job。 She effectively brought the characters to life and my decidedly American ear loved her accent for the Irish characters。 This book releases Nov。 24， 2020。 。。。more
Lou
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The Awakening is the first instalment in The Dragon Heart Legacy trilogy， where parallel worlds clash over the struggle between good and evil。 Breen Kelly， a high school English teacher from Philadelphia， has been studying hard for a title and a career she's not even sure she wanted。 She never made a choice herself for many things in her life; they were the wish of her cold and dominant mother， who seemingly wanted to live vicariously through her。 The warmest childhood memories are of her Irish The Awakening is the first instalment in The Dragon Heart Legacy trilogy， where parallel worlds clash over the struggle between good and evil。 Breen Kelly， a high school English teacher from Philadelphia， has been studying hard for a title and a career she's not even sure she wanted。 She never made a choice herself for many things in her life; they were the wish of her cold and dominant mother， who seemingly wanted to live vicariously through her。 The warmest childhood memories are of her Irish father， even though he left them a long time ago never to be heard from again。 Breen is lucky to have Marco in her life， her best friend since kindergarten and a constant source of love and support。 But even Marco can't make Breen make the change in her life that she so desperately longs for。 One day Breen is alone in her mother's house when a sudden gust of wind blows apart the papers on her mother's desk。 As Breen picks them up， she discovers that all the documents are about her - they are bank statements showing that her father has sent her money over the years。 Now she knows for sure: her father never really left her。 She and Marco take the first plane to Ireland to find her family and origins。 Here a secret awaits Breen she could never have dreamed。。。This is an enchanting， emotive and richly-imagined fantasy epic and a story I got lost in from the very beginning。 It's refreshingly original and moving with a liberal dose of the wonderful tenderness and humanity Roberts's characters overflow with; Breen is a superb protagonist who is relatable and flawed and all too human because of it。 She's been through a lot in life and Roberts captures both her gentle and anxious sides perfectly in this captivating character-driven coming of age tale。 Her awakening was as stirring and profound as I could've wished as she ventures on a journey of self-discovery taking her across continents after some surprising revelations。 The mix of both the real-world setting and that of fantasy blended much better than I'd imagined making for a story that has a whole lot of heart， soul and powerful omens alongside the authors rich and intricate building of both worlds。 The characterisation is so exceptional that the characters come alive on the page and jump out of the book and into your heart with ease; Breen's friendship with Marco was so touching and even accompanies her on her adventure to Ireland。 This is a story of identity， of belonging and of never settling or accepting you're simply not good enough， and I think that's a strong and courageous message we could all learn to live by。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Monica
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Breen Kelly has been told her whole life that she's just average。 She studied and took a job as a teacher， even though she hates it， because her mother told her it was the only job she could ever have。 She dies her brilliant red hair a mousy brown so she doesn't stand out and wears ill-fitting clothing。 Then one day she discovers her mother has been hiding secrets from her。 Secrets about her father。 Secrets about her childhood。 Secrets about who she really is。 For Breen is not just average， Bree Breen Kelly has been told her whole life that she's just average。 She studied and took a job as a teacher， even though she hates it， because her mother told her it was the only job she could ever have。 She dies her brilliant red hair a mousy brown so she doesn't stand out and wears ill-fitting clothing。 Then one day she discovers her mother has been hiding secrets from her。 Secrets about her father。 Secrets about her childhood。 Secrets about who she really is。 For Breen is not just average， Breen is special。 Breen is one of a kind and might just be the only one who can save the world。 Ours and hers。 This book was so good。 Set in two worlds， a multiverse， if you will， it tells the story of Breen and the story of Talamh。 A much more peaceful world where magick still exists and so many other fantasy creatures。 A place where Breen is special and loved by a grandmother and so many people she doesn't remember。 My favorite part was the end - I knew it！ I knew he just had to go too！ （I won't spoil it for you。） 。。。more
Jen Lucier
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Nora Robert does it again。 Her world building is amazing。 She creates believable characters even if those characters are fantastical。 You buy so quickly into them that it’s like discovering lost friends every time you open one of her books。 I won an ARC of this book and immediately began reading it， now I’m sad that I have even that much longer to wait for the second installment。
Permanently_Booked
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I started reading the physical arc and reached about 75% when Macmillan Audio provided an advance listener copy。 I adored both versions （physical and audio） though audio really brought the accents and language to life more so than my brain was able to while reading。 For me this was a novel that set the scene for the rest of the books in the series。 I built a strong connection with Breen as this new world is brought into her life and I fell in love with the wonders of Talamh。 The beginning was sl I started reading the physical arc and reached about 75% when Macmillan Audio provided an advance listener copy。 I adored both versions （physical and audio） though audio really brought the accents and language to life more so than my brain was able to while reading。 For me this was a novel that set the scene for the rest of the books in the series。 I built a strong connection with Breen as this new world is brought into her life and I fell in love with the wonders of Talamh。 The beginning was slow building for me because I instantly wanted the gratification of action and fantasy intermingling on the pages。 I almost forgot what it was like to read a book that builds a good foundation and sets the reader up for connectivity before leaving you on the cliffhanger grasping for more。 Roberts did just that。As the final sentence plays across the page or in your ears and the credits roll you're left checking the internet for the release date of book two and marking your calendar。 My only qualm was the relationship aspect。 I would've liked to have more of a buildup with the chemistry among the characters。 It seemed to just appear for me and even though I expected it， I was still left feeling like their connection was abrupt。 Still， this was an excellent read and audiobook for me。 I was more so engrossed in the audio and found myself not wanting to turn it off。 The narrator just added so much more life and feeling to everything occurring。 Bollocks is probably my favorite book pet at the moment too。 This is exquisitely written Irish fantasy with a well laid plot， dedication to fleshed out characters and vivid world building。 My true rating is 4。5/5， rounded for Goodreads。 Special thank you to St。 Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted advanced copies in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 I cannot wait to jump back into The Dragon Heart Legacy！ 。。。more
Barb Lie
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The Awakening by Nora Roberts is the 1st book in her new Dragon Heart Legacy trilogy。 I am a huge fan of Nora Roberts books， especially her fabulous trilogies; I absolutely love each and everyone of them。 I was thrilled to find out about the first book in this new trilogy and am happy to say I loved it…another winner for Nora Roberts。Breen Kelly， our heroine， is 26 years old and lives in Philadelphia; she hates her job， and is deep in debt。 Breen has strange dreams that keep her up many nights， The Awakening by Nora Roberts is the 1st book in her new Dragon Heart Legacy trilogy。 I am a huge fan of Nora Roberts books， especially her fabulous trilogies; I absolutely love each and everyone of them。 I was thrilled to find out about the first book in this new trilogy and am happy to say I loved it…another winner for Nora Roberts。Breen Kelly， our heroine， is 26 years old and lives in Philadelphia; she hates her job， and is deep in debt。 Breen has strange dreams that keep her up many nights， with one message “Come Home， Breen Siobhan”。 With her mother away， she is cleaning up and discovers some papers that has an account with her name and a balance of close to 4 million dollars。 Breen decides she wants to learn more about her father， and travels to Ireland with her friend Marco。 For two weeks they travel and enjoy Ireland， and when Marco goes home， Breen is determined to stay for a few months。 She comes across a cute puppy （Bollocks）， who leads her through a portal where she meets her grandmother， and learns her father is dead。Breen will learn everything about the realm of Talamh， filled with magic， fairies， witches， dragons， elves， weres， falcons， as well as the beautiful incredible land and family/friends she knew when she was a young child， only to be taken away by her mother。 Roberts not only created a wonderful heroine， but I loved those family and friends in Talameh; Keegan （the young leader and love interest）， Marg， Morena， Aisling， Mahon， Harken， Sedric， and her friend Marco， etc。 In the midst of all these wonderful people， there is of course an evil villain， Odran， her grandfather， who is determined to kidnap her and take away her powers， which needs to be awakened。 I do not want to give spoilers， as you need to read this from start to finish。 What follows is a wonderful story that kept my attention throughout， unable to put the book down。 I loved watching Breen learn how to use her powers from her grandmother， as well as Keegan training her on how to fight with a sword or her own abilities such as fire。 I also loved how Breen wrote a children’s book about her puppy， and also starts to write a novel。 The slow build romance between Breen and Keegan was nicely done， as they belong together， which I expect to see more in the next book。 I loved loved Bollocks， who was such an adorable puppy。 Breen needs to make a choice; does she go back home， or does she stay and help Talameh fight the oncoming evil。 What will Breen do？ I loved everything about this book， as I devoured it from start to finish， and look forward to the next book。BarbThe Reading Cafe 。。。more
Branddy
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This is the best Nora in years！ I loved The One series， but THIS is brilliant。 When Nora brings in fantasy， dragons， and a dark god， there is nothing she can’t do。 She brought me back to Ireland， which is my favorite place she goes， and it was wonderful。 Finding yourself， finding your purpose， is never easy。 It’s filled with guilt， obligation， trepidation， and sometimes really hard decisions。 But you’ll want to see how Breen finds herself in the first part of this legacy。 I promise。
Penny
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I’ve been a fan of this author， both under this name and her pseudonym， for a lot of years。 I like it when she delves into the paranormal as that’s my favorite genre。 I was excited to pick up this latest， and I dived right in。 I am going to say upfront that it took waaaaaay too long to get to the actual meat of the story。 I think about half of the first part could have been pared down to make a tighter first part。 It wasn’t boring by any stretch of the imagination， but I knew as a reader that th I’ve been a fan of this author， both under this name and her pseudonym， for a lot of years。 I like it when she delves into the paranormal as that’s my favorite genre。 I was excited to pick up this latest， and I dived right in。 I am going to say upfront that it took waaaaaay too long to get to the actual meat of the story。 I think about half of the first part could have been pared down to make a tighter first part。 It wasn’t boring by any stretch of the imagination， but I knew as a reader that this was just a set-up part of the story。 Once we actually got to the heart of the story， it just flew by really quickly， and at the end even though I gasped， I actually cheered about what happened。 Just stick with the first part of the story; it’s worth it in the end。 Recommend。 I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed。 。。。more
Catherine
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I （my mother） was given an arc of this book by the publisher， St。 Martin's Press to read early in exchange for an honest review。 I absolutely love Nora Roberts so I （my mother） was so honored to receive this book （I stole it from her）。 I can't thank St。 Martin's enough for putting their trust in me （my mother got this book in the mail。 I stole it from my elderly mother）。 That said， on to the review！Of course， this had all of the magic that Nora has conditioned us to expect in her novel-- and in I （my mother） was given an arc of this book by the publisher， St。 Martin's Press to read early in exchange for an honest review。 I absolutely love Nora Roberts so I （my mother） was so honored to receive this book （I stole it from her）。 I can't thank St。 Martin's enough for putting their trust in me （my mother got this book in the mail。 I stole it from my elderly mother）。 That said， on to the review！Of course， this had all of the magic that Nora has conditioned us to expect in her novel-- and in this case， the "magic" is literal。 Strong characters， VERY strong world building。 I appreciated the main character， Breen although I can't say she was my fav of all time or anything。 Personally， I really loved Marco， her best friend。 I thought he added just the right touch of heart to the book and I'm happy to see a gay character in a Nora novel， since I think that's kind of a newer thing for her。 This book made me want to visit Ireland， she makes the countryside there seem so beautiful。 I gotta admit， I'm not usually much of one for fantasy novels， elves and fairies and stuff doesn't really do it for me， but the world of Talamh was well done and came alive on the page for me。 I mean， of course， it's Nora。 There were a few small things I didn't love or might have done differently myself but none that I felt were wrong， if that makes sense。 Because this is the first in a trilogy， a lot of world building and relationship-building had to be set up and， of course， the main conflict of the story couldn't be solved right away。 I think if you go into it knowing that， you won't be disappointed。 All in all， I'm giving this 5 stars and I am desperate to read the next one in the series！！ 。。。more
Cozy Cat Reviews
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This is the debut of a new fantasy series by Nora Roberts and what a fascinating read it is ！ I loved the atmospheric setting of Ireland， the strong charcters and the "other" world descriptions by the author。 Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity。 My review opinion is my own for early ARC。 Rights away I liked the protagnist who is smart ， strong and likable。 Breen Kelly is living a very unhappy life， working at a job she doesn’t like and worrying about her student loan This is the debut of a new fantasy series by Nora Roberts and what a fascinating read it is ！ I loved the atmospheric setting of Ireland， the strong charcters and the "other" world descriptions by the author。 Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity。 My review opinion is my own for early ARC。 Rights away I liked the protagnist who is smart ， strong and likable。 Breen Kelly is living a very unhappy life， working at a job she doesn’t like and worrying about her student loans 。 She is shopping in thrift stores （good for her！ Note to author most of us do ） and struggling day to day to keep her life afloat。 Her life is not what she imagined when she was in college and she fears it will never get better。 She is speechless when she finds out she has a account that has millions from her estranged Father。 She promptly pays off her debts， grabs her best friend and takes off on a trip to Ireland to inquire about her estranged father who left her the money。 While she is visiting Ireland she finds a secret portal that takes her to Talamh， the place of her birth and a magical land of fairies and all things magical。 She finds out she has a reason for arriving in Talamh and is the one they are depending on to be strong enough to take up battle against a terrible being who wants to take over Talamh。 The being just happens to be her Grandfather。 The challenge she faces is deciding to return to her real life or stay and fight for those in the magical land 。 This is the perfect escape reading。 it has magic， a strong protagnist and great setting of Ireland。 This is everything we readers need in escapism reading。 。。。more
lauras。always。reading
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Nora Roberts has written a modern fairytale。 It is glorious。 And The Awakening is only the beginning。 Breen comes to find out that her estranged father has secretly been sending her money every month for years that has been deposited into an account and amassed into millions。 She decides to quit her job and spend the summer in her father's home country of Ireland to learn more about where her family comes from。 She brings her best friend， Marco， with her for the initial few weeks。 Once Marco ret Nora Roberts has written a modern fairytale。 It is glorious。 And The Awakening is only the beginning。 Breen comes to find out that her estranged father has secretly been sending her money every month for years that has been deposited into an account and amassed into millions。 She decides to quit her job and spend the summer in her father's home country of Ireland to learn more about where her family comes from。 She brings her best friend， Marco， with her for the initial few weeks。 Once Marco returns home to Philadelphia， Breen is on her own for the first time in her life and ends up discovering， quite literally， a whole new part of her that she never knew existed as she finds her grandmother in an all-together other world。This story is so beautifully told。 The setting of Ireland is always fantastic but in Roberts's hands becomes magical and wonderful in all new ways。 In re-discovering her past， Breen finds friendship and love and a strength in herself she didn't know she had。 There are hints of a battle to come， sword play， witches and faeries and all the magical things that let you escape to another time and place。 There is a gorgeous Irish warrior， Keegan， who is all strength and goodness and has a freaking dragon。 I'm normally not one for a cliffhanger but there isn't so much a cliffhanger as a stepping off point for a larger story to come。 I cannot wait to read more。 I found this book to be a quick， easy read and slightly less heavy than her most recent trilogy。 It has both the feel of the original Nora Roberts writing style mixed in with some of the newer elements found her more recent books and the blend is perfection。 I highly recommend！Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's for an ARC of this book。 The opinions here are my own。 。。。more
Amanda
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I loved this book so well written I was hooked from the first few words to the last o did not want it to end a good strong plot great character I recommend to you all loved it
Bec
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Breen Kelly is an average girl， working an average job， living week to week。 Her entire world changes when she accidentally stumbles across a bank account in her name with 4 million dollars in it。 Her mother lied to her for her entire life and her father did care。Breen spontaneously books a ticket to Ireland with her roommate in search of her father and her family she doesn’t know。 She had no luck tracking them down and their final stay is in a beautiful cottage and she finally feels like she is Breen Kelly is an average girl， working an average job， living week to week。 Her entire world changes when she accidentally stumbles across a bank account in her name with 4 million dollars in it。 Her mother lied to her for her entire life and her father did care。Breen spontaneously books a ticket to Ireland with her roommate in search of her father and her family she doesn’t know。 She had no luck tracking them down and their final stay is in a beautiful cottage and she finally feels like she is home。A walk in the woods leads her to portal to another realm where finds her grandmother and discovers her magic that’s been within her her whole life！I was a huge fan of Nora’s last series The Chronicles of the One and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book。 I’m already looking forward to the next instalment of this trilogy。 。。。more
Bookaholic
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Oh Wow， This book is fantastic。 I have read a couple of Nora Robert's books before （of blood and bone series） and this one was a good as that series， i could not put it down。 I cant wait for the next book in the series。 Hopefully not too long to wait
Cassie Hilton-parker
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Such a good beginning！ I can't wait for the next 2！
Luz Trevino
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The AwakeningBook 1 in "The Dragon Heart Legacy"Rating: 3 starsThank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review。 All opinions are my own。I'll be honest and say that I almost DNF this book。 I was almost at half way through with it that it finally caught my attention。 For the first part of the book it seemed that nothing much happened。 The description of the areas of where Breen goes are beautiful， but to me that was it。 Once the story took off for me I really was not that The AwakeningBook 1 in "The Dragon Heart Legacy"Rating: 3 starsThank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review。 All opinions are my own。I'll be honest and say that I almost DNF this book。 I was almost at half way through with it that it finally caught my attention。 For the first part of the book it seemed that nothing much happened。 The description of the areas of where Breen goes are beautiful， but to me that was it。 Once the story took off for me I really was not that interested to see what would happen to her。 I guess I made the mistake of going into to it thinking that it would me more of a romance fantasy。 This first book is mostly about Breen finding out about her past and learning that she is someone very special to this fantasy world。We learn with her about the lore and her key role in what will be told in the upcoming books。 。。。more
Dione
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I somehow read this WHOLE book in one day。 I could not put it down。 Roberts' ability to tell a story is without equal。 If you want to fall into a book and be transported to another world， pick up a copy of The Awakening。Once again Nora Roberts transported us to Ireland， the land of magic and enchantment。 Roberts weaves the tale of Breen and Keegan and the destiny they share。 In this first book of the newest trilogy， Breen discovers her past has been purposely hidden from her and her future is al I somehow read this WHOLE book in one day。 I could not put it down。 Roberts' ability to tell a story is without equal。 If you want to fall into a book and be transported to another world， pick up a copy of The Awakening。Once again Nora Roberts transported us to Ireland， the land of magic and enchantment。 Roberts weaves the tale of Breen and Keegan and the destiny they share。 In this first book of the newest trilogy， Breen discovers her past has been purposely hidden from her and her future is already written。 。。。more
Dawn
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"The Awakening" was a fun read for me。 Nora Roberts is the author， so you know the quality of the writing will be very good and easy to read。 The main part of the story is set in Ireland （or is it？ Read it to see what I mean！） and centres around a young woman called "Breen"。 There are some genuinely adorable characters， and one in particular that I hated right from the start。 Pure escapism。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my o "The Awakening" was a fun read for me。 Nora Roberts is the author， so you know the quality of the writing will be very good and easy to read。 The main part of the story is set in Ireland （or is it？ Read it to see what I mean！） and centres around a young woman called "Breen"。 There are some genuinely adorable characters， and one in particular that I hated right from the start。 Pure escapism。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 。。。more
Melanie
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Nora Roberts’ new book， The Awakening， weaves the beauty of Ireland and the magic of a new world into a fantastic story of self discovery。 Breen Kelly has been dealing with her mother’s demand for her to be averaging her entire life。 When she discovers that her absent father has been sending her money she takes the chance to break away from her life and sets out to find herself。 Her journey leads her to Ireland to find out more about her father， but what she discovers turns out to be even more m Nora Roberts’ new book， The Awakening， weaves the beauty of Ireland and the magic of a new world into a fantastic story of self discovery。 Breen Kelly has been dealing with her mother’s demand for her to be averaging her entire life。 When she discovers that her absent father has been sending her money she takes the chance to break away from her life and sets out to find herself。 Her journey leads her to Ireland to find out more about her father， but what she discovers turns out to be even more magical than she ever thought possible。 I absolutely adored this story and am so happy I received an ARC from St。 Martin’s Press via a Goodreads contest。 I can’t wait to read the sequel and highly recommend you make a plan to read this book when it releases on November 24th。 A 5 star read for sure and a magical start to a new series。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
☕️Kimberly
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A wonderful first start and new to me narrator。 Full RTC。
Laurie Covington
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Breen has spent most of her life under her mother’s thumb。 She got a degree and works a job that she hates。 When she discovers her mother has been lying to her she gets the courage to slip away and discovers a whole new world， literally。 ARC from NetGalley。
Sarah Davies
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Breen isn't happy with her life， she suffers with anxiety， she is brow beaten by her mother， is in a job she cannot stand and does 2 jobs to payback her debt。When Breen finds an account in her name in her mums house Breen's life changes for the better， why did her mum lie？？ Why did her mum let her struggle？？ Breen is left with many questions about her mum， her dad and also herself。 This is a story about Breen discovering herself and her family secrets （which are many） but also leads to another r Breen isn't happy with her life， she suffers with anxiety， she is brow beaten by her mother， is in a job she cannot stand and does 2 jobs to payback her debt。When Breen finds an account in her name in her mums house Breen's life changes for the better， why did her mum lie？？ Why did her mum let her struggle？？ Breen is left with many questions about her mum， her dad and also herself。 This is a story about Breen discovering herself and her family secrets （which are many） but also leads to another realm which is mystical and explains why Breen never saw her dad after he left。This is the start of a new series by Nora Roberts and I really look forward to reading the next instalment in this series。 。。。more
Julie - One Book More
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The Awakening is a wonderful introduction to Robert’s new fantasy world。 Breen Kelly lives an ordinary life， working at a job she doesn’t love， drowning in student loan debt， shopping in thrift stores， and barely making ends meet， Breen is shocked when she finds out that she has an account with almost four million dollars in it。 Breen uses the money to pay off her debt and then takes a trip with her best friend to Ireland in the hopes of learning more about her estranged father。 It is in Ireland The Awakening is a wonderful introduction to Robert’s new fantasy world。 Breen Kelly lives an ordinary life， working at a job she doesn’t love， drowning in student loan debt， shopping in thrift stores， and barely making ends meet， Breen is shocked when she finds out that she has an account with almost four million dollars in it。 Breen uses the money to pay off her debt and then takes a trip with her best friend to Ireland in the hopes of learning more about her estranged father。 It is in Ireland where she discovers a portal that takes her to Talamh， the place of her birth and a magical land of fairies， weres， dragons， and more。Breen meets a dynamic group of people， including a grandmother she doesn’t remember， and she finds out that she is the key to saving this world from an evil， power-hungry villain who also happens to be her grandfather。 She “awakens” and realizes her power。 As she learns to master her abilities and hone her craft， Breen must also decide if she wants to return to her safe and monotonous world or stay in this new world where danger lurks in every corner。Breen Kelly。 What a protagonist！ Breen spent much of her life feeling rejected by her father and less than by her mother。 Working in an unfulfilling career to pay off her student debt and barely making ends meet， she lives a mundane life。 Luckily， Breen has a strong group of friends who show her more love and support than her own mother。 I love Breen’s friends – her old friends from Philadelphia and the new friends she gains in Ireland！ Smart and kind people who encourage Breen to reach toward happiness， they are what Breen’s mother should be。Breen has a toxic relationship with her controlling and negative mother。 Though I can understand her mother’s desire to move and stay away from the supernatural world， especially after what happened to Breen when she was younger， I don’t understand why her mother is so critical。 It is almost as if she resents and fears Breen。Breen’s mom always makes her feel less than and didn’t encourage her to achieve her goals。 I think， in a weird， warped way， Breen’s mother was trying to keep her safe， but in doing so， squelched her individuality and sense of self。 This is quite different from Breen’s friends and， my favorite character in the novel， her grandmother。Marg waited over twenty years to reunite with Breen， and watching their relationship redevelop is lovely。 Kind， generous， and loving， she is the antithesis of Breen’s mother。 I love the way that Marg supports and encourages Breen。 Her love is unconditional and true。 From her advice to her gestures to her actions （or inactions）， Marg exemplifies the mother that Breen always wished she had。 She gives Breen the confidence to step out of her comfort zone and embrace her newly awakened abilities。 She also helps her acclimate to the incredible supernatural world of Talamh – the powers， supernatural beings， lore， and more。 （Oh， and did I mention the dragons？！ You know I love a story with dragons！ And Breen’s love interest on a dragon？ Sa-woon！）The name of Breen’s blog is “Finding Me，” which is fitting since she spends the majority of the story “finding” and redefining herself。 This is one of the highlights of the story as Breen goes from being a person who prefers to blend into the background to a powerful， self-assured woman。 I love her growth throughout the story。 I mean， I don’t know how I would react if I fell through a portal， reconnected with family I never knew I had， realized they are not entirely human （nor am I）， and then found out that I was the key to protecting the world （and other worlds） from the evil intentions of my villainous grandfather。 Breen has a lot of heavy decisions to make， but before she can make any decisions， she needs to find herself。I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the love story。 Breen and her love interest have an interesting dynamic。 Keegan is the sexy leader of Talamh and has sworn to protect her。 However， he refuses to let her depend on others for protection， as do the other amazing friends she makes in Talamh。 Keegan teaches her how to fight and control her power。He makes her learn to defend herself， and though his ways are often hard and punishing， his motives are clear and honorable。 He takes his role as leader and protector very seriously， and I have a feeling that， as the story evolves， so will the relationship between Breen and Keegan。 Their connection is strong， and their chemistry is palpable。The Awakening is a fantastic start to what promises to be an exciting new series from Nora Roberts。 With dynamically developed characters， both human and supernatural， skillfully woven and immersive worlds， interesting lore， a fabulous romance， and themes of friendship， family， female empowerment， and the healing power of love， The Awakening is Nora Roberts at her best。 Thanks so much to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Becca
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This was a really cute book with great characters， magical creatures and a dog called Bollocks that literally made the entire story。 Breen grew up with her mother in Philadelphia， her father leaving when she was young。 She lives an ordinary life - teaching （not very well）， wishing she could be a writer， and putting up with her mother （Jennifer） who really doesn't think much of Breen。 Jennifer is harsh， traveling for work and leaving Breen so sort her life out。 But one day when sorting her mother This was a really cute book with great characters， magical creatures and a dog called Bollocks that literally made the entire story。 Breen grew up with her mother in Philadelphia， her father leaving when she was young。 She lives an ordinary life - teaching （not very well）， wishing she could be a writer， and putting up with her mother （Jennifer） who really doesn't think much of Breen。 Jennifer is harsh， traveling for work and leaving Breen so sort her life out。 But one day when sorting her mother's papers， Breen finds out Jennifer has kept almost 4 million dollars in Breen's name for her。 It changes her life - taking off for Ireland with her best friend Marco， Breen sets out to discover her roots。 Surprise！ Breen is not entirely human。 Once Marco has returned home， Breen finds her way to an other world full of magical creatures and her long lost family。 The world building is cool， and the magic is great。 She meets Keegan， a guy who starts training her。 For me， the best thing about this book was how sweet it was。 Bollocks， the dog， is adorable。 I feel like this book was definitely only a beginning though - not tooooo much happens in terms of action but it sets up future books nicely。 。。。more
Cindy
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I can't wait to read this triology！ I love all of Nora's "magical" triology's！ Each one gets better and better！ Fantasy is my favorite genre！ And bonus， in Ireland！！！！
Vicki （MyArmchairAdventures）
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