The Last Ballad of Hope

In the third chapter of Philip C. Quaintrell's A Time of Dragons series, darkness has reclaimed the realm. An ancient evil, long thought destroyed, walks the world again, and those who tried to stop its return now live with the cost of failure. The ranger Cob, marked by a curse he cannot outrun, rides out with Androma on a hunt that may be impossible. Elsewhere, Joran Pendain inches toward a destiny bound up with dragons, carrying a bond newly forged in the bleakest of places.

Steven Brand brings Quaintrell's sprawling world to life across thirty hours with a commanding presence that suits epic fantasy well. His delivery captures both the grim resolve of soldiers and the wonder of dragon lore without flattening the emotional stakes between. The long runtime rewards patient listeners, the story building steadily toward a convergence that earns the series' devoted following and its near-perfect Goodreads score.