In Alaric Pendragon’s The Last of the Dragons, John Talon is an augmented soldier who has spent twelve years preparing for humanity’s war against the Ascendancy, an alliance of alien civilizations destroying human colonies. At twenty-four, he leads DRAGON Squad, a five-member unit equipped with Sentinel armor that turns thought into movement. Their first assignment takes them aboard the HSA Harbinger of Dawn to Avalon, a military world where Marine Nathan Briggs must prepare them for combat. John is also beginning a relationship with squad sniper Paisley, whose place beside him has been shaped by the brutal program that transformed them as children. When Alliance leadership orders the Dragons to train a new generation of super soldiers, John must become the officer those recruits need while the Ascendancy moves closer to the world they call home.

Alaric Pendragon gives The Last of the Dragons a sturdy human spirit through the bonds within DRAGON Squad, with a warm sense of team loyalty. The competitive exercise against VIPER Squad feels wonderfully natural when John spots Paisley’s position through a faint shift in the grass, then directs Ben to disable her rifle through its scope. That moment reveals John’s tactical instinct while giving Paisley’s ability full credit. Pendragon brings the same sense of fellowship to Avalon’s defense, where Michael, DRAGON Squad’s close-combat specialist with technical expertise, repairs the anti-aircraft turrets as enemy bombers close in. His work gives the soldiers below their chance to hold the line. John makes a terrific lead because his leadership comes from knowing each squad member’s capabilities. The technology is imaginative and huge in scale, yet the characters make it all come together. Readers who enjoy military science fiction should put this novel high on their reading list.

The year is 2550, and humanity's worst nightmare has become an everyday reality. Aliens have made contact. They are not interested in talking. The Ascendancy, comprising four races—the Varken, Skarin, Vorn, and Khorax—has decided to wage war against humans, and although they are currently far from Earth, they will not be for much longer. Humans must take the fight to them or suffer unbearable collateral damage in the face of superior alien technology. To make this possible, the Human Systems Alliance created the DRAGON program. Dragons are biologically enhanced superhuman soldiers created through years of brutal experimentation, with Lieutenant John Talon's squad as the first successful batch. With his army of Dragons, he is expected to tip the balance of war in favor of the HSA, but the aliens are relentless. Can the Dragons save humanity? Read The Last of the Dragons by Alaric Pendragon to find out.

The Last of the Dragons is a tragic tale of war, love, and loss. Emotions run high, stakes increase, and pressure never eases in this military-themed science fiction novel. It is a futuristic narrative that stimulates the imagination with clever designs of weaponry and technological equipment. It features kilometer-long battleships and hybrid air-spacecraft with rear transport clamps that leave more space inside for troops and deploy assets on the battlefield faster. Despite being narrated in the third person, the focus characters show personality and strong emotions, especially the protagonist in the last scene. Interestingly, Alaric Pendragon kept the world-building simple, but the fight scenes included details of targets, maneuvers, strategy, and tragedies that show the harrowing cost of war. It is the first installment of a series starring a protagonist who has a point to prove. The Last of the Dragons is perfect for military and sci-fi audiences.