Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Reckless 
SERIES: Luckless
AUTHOR: Cari Z
NARRATOR: Michael Ferraiuolo
PUBLISHER: Cari Z
LENGTH: 3 hours and 31 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 12, 2022
BLURB:
Refugees have been streaming into the city of Forge from around the country. Monsters are coming down from the mountains and staking out new hunting grounds. Even as the dragons of Forge grow stronger and more numerous, the challenges they and their riders are facing are only increasing, and there’s only one place to look for answers.
Chicago is the strongest remaining city in the Midwest, home to thousands of people and protected by powerful dragons…or at least it was. By the time Evan Luck and his dragon, Ladon, arrive there, it’s clear that something’s gone terribly wrong. People are starving, dragons are dying, and nobody knows who’s behind it all.
It’s something they’ve never faced before—something they thought didn’t exist, yet that’s terrifyingly familiar. It’s up to Evan and Ladon to stop it…or lose their city, their son, and their lives.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the third story in this series and it is recommended to have read the first two books, Luckless and Dauntless for context and the beginning of Lee and Evan’s relationship.
This story begins immediately after the events of Dauntless. Lee/Ladon and Evan have left Forge bound for Chicago to try to find out what is happening there. Things have gone badly there and since Ladon and his son Jason had come from Chicago, Ladon feels a responsibility to go back and try to help. Their dragons have been killed and there is obviously something going on beyond the obvious.
Ladon and Evan are attacked on their way into the city and Evan is seriously injured. They manage to make it but Evan needs time to heal. They decide to use this injury to their advantage and not reveal their relationship while Evan tries to infiltrate the defenders and Ladon/Lee deals with his former rider’s family – including her brother Vincent who Lee does not trust.
Of course you know they can’t keep the secret forever, and when Vincent discovers who Evan really is, he’s not happy. But he puts on a good face and invites Evan to dine with him after a particularly dangerous battle at the walls again monsters who just seem to keep coming. Lee and Evan decide this might be a way for them to discover more about what has happened in Chicago. This perhaps does not turn out to be the best idea. It’s clear something else is going on here. Evan is in grave danger and he must save himself in order to save Ladon and Chicago. The stakes have never been greater.
Man oh man! Just when I thought things couldn’t get more dangerous, indeed they can! I was quite shocked by the reveals in this story. Lee/Ladon and Evan are completely intertwined and it’s clear that if they lose each other, things will go badly for everyone. I don’t want to spoil this for anyone, so I’m not going to say much more about the plot – just that it’s a real roller coaster and absolutely cements the bond between Lee and Evan and crystalizes what’s really important for them.
As usual, Michael Ferraiuolo’s performance is fantastic. I loved the music, the voices, the story, the devastating emotional arc and the ending! I’m not sure if there will be more in this world, but if there is, I’m here for it. A really terrific listen in this series. I love dragons and the voice modulation was so perfect for Ladon’s dragon voice. Absolutely a favorite in this genre. Highly recommended.
RATING: 
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