Axinstone by J.F.R. Coates
- shilohskyewriter
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
You might like this book if you enjoy:
-Fantasy
-Dragons
-Non-human main characters
-Multiple viewpoints
-The ability to see the future but with all the reliability of a broken slot machine
Axinstone is the first book in the Destiny of Dragons series by J.F.R. Coates. Coates has written books in several genres for several age ranges (I’m dying to get around to reading Reborn), and I find this book to be geared more toward young adults. Fans of other dragon-focused books, like Wings of Fire, will find a lot to like here, as Axinstone is full of fun draconic characters and curious worldbuilding.
Axinstone primarily follows Anzig, the heir to leadership of his dragon clan who volunteers to lead a mission to retrieve the titular Axinstone—a stolen magical artifact that may doom the dragons if it remains in the hands of their human enemies. Forming a team, Anzig sets out on a seemingly suicidal mission, only assured of their success by a seer who has seen the future. But the seer’s visions are not absolute, and there are sinister forces at work against them that threaten not only their mission, but the entirety of dragonkind.
One of my favorite parts of this book is how it treats the very nature of humans and dragons as a sort of indirect, slow-burn mystery. For me, it’s what distinguishes the book most from similar dragon stories. The exposition here is almost entirely shown rather than told, meaning that the reader learns even the simple facts about the two species and the world only when they become relevant. I can’t give examples for fear of spoilers, but I can say that it amazed me how simple reveals of seemingly mundane details entirely recontextualize the story halfway through, or even late in the game. It certainly kept me on my toes.
I also listened to Axinstone on audiobook, and I think Nico Janssen is the ideal narrator for this story, bringing a lighthearted sense of adventure with his voice. It’s a bit difficult to follow which characters are speaking at any given time, as he doesn’t use different voices, but he still brings fantastic energy to them all. For instance, Azlac is the seer who has prophesized that Anzig’s party is the only one which can succeed at retrieving the Axinstone, but more importantly he’s a big scaley ball of anxiety and insecurity. Janssen’s voice brings out an endearing jumpiness to the character that really helped him stand out.
In fact, much of what I like about this story revolves around Azlac. I like how his visions of the future come randomly, almost like a sneeze. Half the time when the narration switches to describing one of his visions for a few paragraphs, he moves on without even acknowledging it happened, because he’s just so used to suddenly having visions of the future. Imagine that. Seeing the literal future and shrugging it off like seasonal allergies. He’s a standout character, and because of that his chapters are some of the best parts of the book.
As a guy in my 30s who doesn’t read many books geared toward young adults, I do find myself a bit underwhelmed by the story. However, if I strain to think back about 15-20 years (ow, my head), I think I would have enjoyed this book immensely as a 10-15 year old, so I definitely recommend it to younger readers. It’s also nice to have a book in my own arsenal of recommendations that’s suitable for those wishing to avoid sexual content or intense violence.
So, while I’m not the intended demographic for Axinstone, I enjoyed it and can see why fans of the series love it. The slow reveal of exposition kept me guessing, and a few standout characters made the book memorable. I haven’t read the sequels yet, but I can imagine the story will get a whole lot more interesting as it expands from here.
Print: https://www.tfpublishing.com.au/store/axinstone-paperback
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