She is rescued by an old man named Soren, who brings her to King Wryden of Alyria, who makes Erynn his letter writer. Two years pass and Erynn is firmly ensconced as the king’s letter writer, most of which are meant for Gareth, the king’s oldest son, gone four years, battling Queen Naedra’s forces.
Queen Naedra is a Daughter of Maegan, part of a bloodline that can communicate with dragons. We eventually discover that Erynn’s past, her parents and her lineage make her a danger to the queen who she sends troops to the castle to have the girl brought back to her.
Much of the second part of the book focuses on Erynn and Adena trying to escape to deliver a letter to the King’s older son without being trapped by the King’s younger one. (There is continual intrigue among the characters; tension and distrust abound.) The Order of the Cael, a group of dragons, is dedicated to protecting the bloodline of Maegan, to which Erynn belongs. A silver key to a secret tunnel allows her to escape, only to be captured.
Because “The Last Falcon” is part of a series, we don’t get to meet some of the characters who are prominently, which will be frustrating to readers looking for closure. There was also too much redundancy toward the latter part, with various characters repeating plot points and motivations to other characters.
Overall, “The Last Falcon” is a well plotted, fast moving narrative geared for the Young Adult or Middle Grade level reader. The back story is well developed, and the addition of the fantasy elements, a plucky heroine and her equally brave friend, you have an entertaining tale.
Reviewed by Joe DelPriore for IndieReader