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Ascendant

A Dragon Rider Fantasy (Songs of Chaos, Book 1)

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Ascendant

Written by: Michael R. Miller
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
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From the author of The Dragon’s Blade Trilogy and the narrator of The Witcher series, comes the start of a new dragon rider epic combining the best of Eragon and Pern with the hard magic of Brandon Sanderson and Will Wight.

Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. He has always served the Order Hall of the Crag dutifully, keeping their kitchen pots clean.

Until he discovers a dark secret: dragons do not tolerate weakness among their kin, killing the young they deem flawed. Moved by pity, Holt defies the Order, rescues a doomed egg and vows to protect the blind dragon within.

But the Scourge is rising. Undead hordes roam the land, spreading the blight and leaving destruction in their wake. The dragon riders are being slaughtered and betrayal lurks in the shadows.

Holt has one chance to survive. He must cultivate the mysterious power of his dragon's magical core. A unique energy which may tip the balance in the battles to come, and prove to the world that a servant is worthy after all.

Winner of the 2021 National Indie Excellence Award for Fantasy!

Bronze Medal, 2021 YA Epic Fantasy in the Reader's Favorite Award

Finalist, 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Fantasy

Gold Medal, 2022 Science Fiction & Fantasy eLit Awards

©2020 Michael R. Miller (P)2020 Michael R. Miller Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Sword & Sorcery Dragons Mythology Magic
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About the Creator - Ken Liu

About the Creator

Ken Liu (http://kenliu.name) is an American author of speculative fiction. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards for his fiction, he has also won top genre honors abroad in Japan, Spain, and France.
Liu’s most characteristic work is the four-volume epic fantasy series, The Dandelion Dynasty, in which engineers, not wizards, are the heroes of a silkpunk world on the verge of modernity. His debut collection of short fiction, The Paper Menagerie And Other Stories, has been published in more than a dozen languages. A second collection, The Hidden Girl And Other Stories, followed. He also penned the Star Wars novel The Legends of Luke Skywalker.
He’s often involved in media adaptations of his work. Recent projects include The Message, under development by 21 Laps and Film Nation Entertainment; Good Hunting, adapted as an episode in season one of Netflix’s breakout adult animated series Love, Death + Robots, and AMC’s Pantheon, with Craig Silverstein as executive producer, adapted from an interconnected series of Liu’s short stories.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Liu worked as a software engineer, corporate lawyer, and litigation consultant. He frequently speaks at conferences and universities on a variety of topics, including futurism, machine-augmented creativity, history of technology, bookmaking, and the mathematics of origami.
Liu lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.
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Ascendant is absolutely riveting—I found myself completely hooked from the very beginning. The pacing is relentless in the best way, constantly pulling you forward with high-stakes tension, emotional depth, and vivid world-building. Every chapter feels purposeful, layering intrigue and character growth in a way that makes it nearly impossible to pause. Honestly, I can’t stop listening to it; it’s the kind of story that stays in your head long after you’ve stepped away. If you enjoy epic fantasy with heart, momentum, and immersive storytelling, this one delivers in a big way

Hooked

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How does book 1 in a series "continue to improve" ? Listen to it again and you'll understand. Moving on the my second listen of book 2 and I am as eager as I was the first time. Simply packed with great characters and foreshadowing of challenges. Among my favorite dragon series ever.

Continues to improve!

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I loved it! I can't wait to start book 2. incorporating breathing exercise into cleansing the bond between dragon and rider was ingenious well done 😁

happy reader to author

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The narrator is excellent with the distinct voices. Bravo! This story is an adventure for the main characters as well as for listeners. The story is easy to follow and realistic in its emotions. Well appreciated.

An adventure of innocence & prejudice

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We’ll written story and great time passer, was easy to follow and I enjoyed it very much

Great and easy to follow

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