What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dragon Thief #1
Path of the Flame
It will take a thief to stop a thief.
Zarinth is a dangerous city at the edge of the kingdom, illuminated by the constant fire of the nearby volcano Ishantil. For thief Ty, it’s more than a city filled with valuable ancient dragon relics. It’s the home he could never leave.
When Ishantil threatens to erupt, and the city descends into chaos, Ty wants one last score before finally leaving the city—and his past behind. All while the notorious Dragon Thief chases the same prize.
The Dragon Thief has a reputation for a reason, but Ty begins to think there’s more to the job than he ever expected.
Success means more than freedom. It means he can buy the answers he really wants. And it just might save the city from destruction.
Zarinth is a dangerous city at the edge of the kingdom, illuminated by the constant fire of the nearby volcano Ishantil. For thief Ty, it’s more than a city filled with valuable ancient dragon relics. It’s the home he could never leave.
When Ishantil threatens to erupt, and the city descends into chaos, Ty wants one last score before finally leaving the city—and his past behind. All while the notorious Dragon Thief chases the same prize.
The Dragon Thief has a reputation for a reason, but Ty begins to think there’s more to the job than he ever expected.
Success means more than freedom. It means he can buy the answers he really wants. And it just might save the city from destruction.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2021
449 people are currently reading
463 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 19, 2021
A brand new series to entertain and keep you wanting more. Many interesting characters that had you feeling involved in what happens next.
July 18, 2021
A new series in the epic adventure genre set in the same world as the series The Dragon Walker but with completely new characters and set in the city of Zarinth which lies at the edge of the Kingdom of the Ghost King. A king who is obsessed with acquiring relics and artefacts connected to the dragons from ages past. He used these to empower his dragon touched and he was in competition with the priests of the flame who also sought out these relics but for different reasons. Zarinth lay in the shadow of a volcano called Ishantil with its lava lake, whilst also having on its border a jungle which harboured the velum, wild creatures who attacked anyone who ventured into the jungle. Ty, is a young man who works for Bingham, collecting relics for him to re-sell and who continuously searches for clues to find his missing parents. However when Ishantil started making tremors many people started evacuating the city and fleeing for fear it was soon erupting however Ty, Olivia and Eastley were given a last task by Bingham to acquire enough money to all depart safely. They were to get into the King's palace and steal what they could lay their hands on from his vault. No mean feat this, and though they did not find the gold and jewels they wanted they found themselves in quite a pickle, with Eastley's life on the line. Olivia would have left him in prison but Ty would never abandon anyone, let alone a colleague as he knew what abandonment meant. In trying to meet the deal he had made, he uncovers more than he ever bargained for as he came up against the priests of the flame, amongst whom was his brother Albion, a dragon touched and a tecal who were all looking for the dragon thief. I love the fact that the clock was ticking, with the tremors from the volcano making this even more heart stopping, as well as the perseverance of Ty which is admirable. The book leaves us with many a question mark so I look forward to book 2.
July 28, 2021
In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest and open review of the book. I intend to purchase this book when it is available in print, having thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is the first book in a new series from the D.K. Holmberg. The book focuses on the character Tydornen, or Ty for short. Ty resides on the edge of his kingdom, in the city of Zarinth, near the volcano Ishantil, which is preparing to erupt over the course of the book. The book covers events largely within approximately a week's span. Ty is portrayed as an aspiring thief, who took up the trade in the absence of his parents, who disappeared years ago. Ty was left alone by his brother, Albion, who took up religious orders for the Path of the Flame. Ty aspires to be like the legendary thief, the Dragon Thief, in order to accumulate wealth to help him find his parents. Throughout the book, Ty's quest evolves, as he enjoys the support of his friends.
Holmberg's story has a number of interesting twists, with well paced action. It kept my interest throughout, with well defined, distinctive characters and an intriguing plot, with a number of twists. I'm not thrilled with the stopping point of the book, because it feels like more is left unresolved than at the beginning of the book, but it is noted up front to be a series. Unlike his Executioner series, it seems like this series is going to leave more unresolved at the end of each book than some of his other series. The book ends with a clear link to a book (or series) to follow, as the story plot is unresolved. I'm not going into detail about this issue, due to spoilers, but I am left anxiously awaiting the next book in the series to see how the story continues.
This book benefits from great character development, an intriguing story, and lots of action. I don't recall any sexual content, strong language, or gratuitous violence. The book promoted positive social values like the importance of family, the importance of friendship, and perseverance. This is a great Fantasy/Young Adult read, which I highly recommend.
This is the first book in a new series from the D.K. Holmberg. The book focuses on the character Tydornen, or Ty for short. Ty resides on the edge of his kingdom, in the city of Zarinth, near the volcano Ishantil, which is preparing to erupt over the course of the book. The book covers events largely within approximately a week's span. Ty is portrayed as an aspiring thief, who took up the trade in the absence of his parents, who disappeared years ago. Ty was left alone by his brother, Albion, who took up religious orders for the Path of the Flame. Ty aspires to be like the legendary thief, the Dragon Thief, in order to accumulate wealth to help him find his parents. Throughout the book, Ty's quest evolves, as he enjoys the support of his friends.
Holmberg's story has a number of interesting twists, with well paced action. It kept my interest throughout, with well defined, distinctive characters and an intriguing plot, with a number of twists. I'm not thrilled with the stopping point of the book, because it feels like more is left unresolved than at the beginning of the book, but it is noted up front to be a series. Unlike his Executioner series, it seems like this series is going to leave more unresolved at the end of each book than some of his other series. The book ends with a clear link to a book (or series) to follow, as the story plot is unresolved. I'm not going into detail about this issue, due to spoilers, but I am left anxiously awaiting the next book in the series to see how the story continues.
This book benefits from great character development, an intriguing story, and lots of action. I don't recall any sexual content, strong language, or gratuitous violence. The book promoted positive social values like the importance of family, the importance of friendship, and perseverance. This is a great Fantasy/Young Adult read, which I highly recommend.
July 20, 2021
This story is full of tension and expectation as Ty is trying to steal dragon remnants and bones while the volcano, Ishantil, is threatening to erupt any day. Ty, Olivia, and Easterly are thieves trying to steal dragon relics to sell to Bingham. Ty's brother, Albion, is a priest, and emotionally distant to Ty. Ty's parents disappeared many years ago so he is stealing for money to use to find them, or find out what happened to them. Now, one day before the eruption, he finally knows the location of a dragon egg but doesn't know whom to trust with the information: Rosen, a cruel Dragon Touched working for the king, or Gayal, a Tecal, one of the king's secret spies. Ty has continual self-doubt and distrust of everyone, though he does care about his brother and colleagues-in-theft even if he doesn't trust them. He struggles with religious belief in the Flame and his own doubts so there is a lot of dithering as he can't decide on a course of action. The ending has supernatural and religious overtones but is not a cliffhanger. It does point towards the next book in the series for the resolution of some of the mysteries.
July 14, 2021
D K Holmberg always delivers! It's about a thief, dragon relics, a volatile volcano, a Priesthood and a dragon egg. I love how the author build the pace, step by step, more and more intricately, drawing one into the story..The plot keeps evolving, keeping one guessing right to the end. Ty is left to fend for himself when his parents mysteriously disappear. He becomes a thief in the hopes of amassing funds to help locate them. But the imminent eruption has him questioning whether to leave or stay, on the off chance his parents return. Fate takes a turn and he is forced to find an illusive dragon egg to barter for the release of his friend. Ty is not the only one looking for it, the infamous Dragon Thief seems to always be one step ahead of him, as Ty tries to find the egg and expose the Dragon Thief. But his quest leads Ty to unexpected events as he discovers the truth behind the Dragon Thief and his purpose. A wonderfully elegant story, lots of twists and unexpected moments, which make this a great start to a series!
January 16, 2022
not the strongest book from D.K. Holmberg
The story is fun and well-paced; it is entirely different from the classic fantasy series where the main guy is an underdog that suddenly becomes overpowered but needs to control the power to save XYZ.
But the story is very repetitive; the author keeps pushing the same elements every few paragraphs to the point that overshadows the plot. You can confidently skip entire paragraphs and miss nothing.
Also, the main character's only purpose is to push forward the other characters' stories.
And you can guess the end at three-quarters of the book.
The story is fun and well-paced; it is entirely different from the classic fantasy series where the main guy is an underdog that suddenly becomes overpowered but needs to control the power to save XYZ.
But the story is very repetitive; the author keeps pushing the same elements every few paragraphs to the point that overshadows the plot. You can confidently skip entire paragraphs and miss nothing.
Also, the main character's only purpose is to push forward the other characters' stories.
And you can guess the end at three-quarters of the book.
July 14, 2021
The author is back to a thief as the primary character. He combines that with a priest as the brother - only far more than just a priest. Dragons are here, but not a primary character - almost an historical beast, although there is a stunted one on display. Our thief has ulterior motives to try and find his family. He also wants to keep the city alive and his associates healthy. The author weaves a tale which combines all these elements, leaving the reader wondering which direction the action will next go.
Definitely a good read.
Definitely a good read.
April 18, 2022
Not your typical dragon story
I thought this story would follow the normal dragon story lines of boy finds dragon egg; dragon egg hatches and they bond. But it didn’t. It was a completely refreshing take on a dragon story. It’s more about the volcano than a dragon. The path of the flame refers to a trail on the mountain and a religion centered around the volcano. I liked the contrast of the two brothers in this story, one devout and one skeptical. How ultimately the skeptical one helped the devout one in the end.
I thought this story would follow the normal dragon story lines of boy finds dragon egg; dragon egg hatches and they bond. But it didn’t. It was a completely refreshing take on a dragon story. It’s more about the volcano than a dragon. The path of the flame refers to a trail on the mountain and a religion centered around the volcano. I liked the contrast of the two brothers in this story, one devout and one skeptical. How ultimately the skeptical one helped the devout one in the end.
July 22, 2021
It's definitely a good start. I feel like there was something missing. Mainly the lack of the supporting characters development. That's not a big deal because this author has a tendency to do that more through the series. There was a lot of repetition but than again that gave the story a sense of urgency. I enjoyed it and I'll definitely be reading the next one.
I received an ARC and I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review
I received an ARC and I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review
July 23, 2021
I'm a big fan of D.K. Holmberg's writing and was interested to see this new series with it's dragony story.
I really enjoyed how there is a couple of magic systems introduced in this as well as the interesting seeming creatures that I look forward to hearing more about.
The main character is your typical young guy that needs to grow into himself and it certainly does start to happen in this book.
A great story, bring on the next one!
I really enjoyed how there is a couple of magic systems introduced in this as well as the interesting seeming creatures that I look forward to hearing more about.
The main character is your typical young guy that needs to grow into himself and it certainly does start to happen in this book.
A great story, bring on the next one!
July 25, 2021
Looking forward to the next in this series
Granted it took me a little while to get into this only because I just finished another series by the same author That I thoroughly enjoyed. Ty, I believe, is the main character And I'm looking forward to seeing What happens next. Unfortunately I will have to wait till August although August is only 2 weeks away .....
Granted it took me a little while to get into this only because I just finished another series by the same author That I thoroughly enjoyed. Ty, I believe, is the main character And I'm looking forward to seeing What happens next. Unfortunately I will have to wait till August although August is only 2 weeks away .....
August 1, 2021
I liked the book. It took a bit to get into it which is why I gave it 4 stars. The story wraps up the main problems but leaves the reader wondering how Ty will resolve his issues with his parents and the dragon relics. It is an interesting world and hints at more secrets of dragons and magic to come. I look forward to the next book.
August 9, 2021
Good beginning
Ty is a thief trying to find his parents who had disappeared when he was a young boy. He has a gift that enables him to find dragon relics. With those items he raises money that will enable him to continue the search for his mother. What happens to him in this first book makes you want to know more.
Ty is a thief trying to find his parents who had disappeared when he was a young boy. He has a gift that enables him to find dragon relics. With those items he raises money that will enable him to continue the search for his mother. What happens to him in this first book makes you want to know more.
August 11, 2021
Terrific start to a new series. Full of twists and turns Ty is a thief who goes after dragon relic's to raise money. So he can pay for information about his missing parents. The city he lives in is at the bottom of an active volcano which just might erupt in the near future. Plenty of adventure and revelations leading to a stunning finale. Definitely recommend this book
August 25, 2021
7Yhos book took me a while to get into. The characters are good, but the author didn't give enough background info on the world or the magic of the flame. We are told the dragon touched have powers but we don't ever learn what it is until near the end of the book. The story is worth reading but it wasn't one of my favorites.
March 15, 2024
disappointing - not up to Holmberg's usual standard
Avery frustrating story, particularly relationships with "friends" and family, and all those retrospectives, soliloquies and the rambling dialogue.
Really thought twice about continuing at many points.
Although there are promising hints at a plot.
Avery frustrating story, particularly relationships with "friends" and family, and all those retrospectives, soliloquies and the rambling dialogue.
Really thought twice about continuing at many points.
Although there are promising hints at a plot.
August 5, 2021
This was my first book of this author. I enjoyed it very much, tne main charcter, Ty, has such a good character! only 4 stars because in my opinion the story could have been more condensed. I will definetely read the next books of this series!
August 29, 2021
Good start
This story proves to be a good adventure, magic, dragons (well sort of) and a young man on a quest. This was like the opening salvo, twist at the end that leads you to the next book.
This story proves to be a good adventure, magic, dragons (well sort of) and a young man on a quest. This was like the opening salvo, twist at the end that leads you to the next book.
December 6, 2021
A journey
Interesting book with really one major character. All the other characters & all the action, what little there’s was surrounded or supported him. For what I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA. although Holmberg is a great author I found this book wanting for a quicker pace, more action & more development of the story. Not sure I will read the next book. We shall see
Interesting book with really one major character. All the other characters & all the action, what little there’s was surrounded or supported him. For what I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA. although Holmberg is a great author I found this book wanting for a quicker pace, more action & more development of the story. Not sure I will read the next book. We shall see
February 9, 2022
I always love the books from D.K. H. Great writer very entertaining great world building just yes you must read all his series are amazing 🤩 I haven’t read all of them but the ones I did I love them all🥰
April 4, 2022
Nice feel good book
Spoiler alert. It was so nice to read a book where there’s no murdering, horrific fighting or constant swearing - just an enjoyable book with a very likable main character. I’ve already gotten the next book.
Spoiler alert. It was so nice to read a book where there’s no murdering, horrific fighting or constant swearing - just an enjoyable book with a very likable main character. I’ve already gotten the next book.
August 2, 2022
Dragon remnants, a thief, and a mystery.
Dragon remnants, a thief, and a mystery. Who is the dragon thief and why is he stealing artifacts? Ty is willing to try and find out when his friend is captured
Dragon remnants, a thief, and a mystery. Who is the dragon thief and why is he stealing artifacts? Ty is willing to try and find out when his friend is captured
September 5, 2021
I like this story !!
It sneaks up on you,
grabs your attention
and won't let go.
Enjoy !!
Phyllis S.
It sneaks up on you,
grabs your attention
and won't let go.
Enjoy !!
Phyllis S.
April 19, 2022
This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!
April 29, 2022
The start of a new series
June 8, 2022
Not what I was hoping for
No action. Slow moving. Repetitive. Single story line. Never moves beyond the same location. I have read 100s in this genre. I expected more...
No action. Slow moving. Repetitive. Single story line. Never moves beyond the same location. I have read 100s in this genre. I expected more...
July 10, 2022
BRUH....
October 23, 2022
sci-fi
Interesting story lots of intrigue, secrets , betrayals that may not be betrayals to be continued in the next book
Interesting story lots of intrigue, secrets , betrayals that may not be betrayals to be continued in the next book
October 29, 2022
Could not hold my interest, too densely worded
December 8, 2022
Very enjoyable book. I enjoy reading books by this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews