QUICK LINKS: The Ballad of Falling Dragons Recap by Chapter P–12 | 13–30 | 31–47 | 48–62 | 63–78 | 97–E // Moonfall Book 1 Summary
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapters 79–96 Summary
This chapter-by-chapter summary of The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker contains spoilers.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 79
After fighting in the pits, Raeve returns to her cell and demands the bloodstone she earned from Arkyn. He refuses and walks away. Raeve then learns that Fallon died while she was gone.
Raeve wakes from a nightmare about Fallon’s death, her ankle shackled to the floor. She steadies herself with the truth that Fallon died in a snow hut, held close and not alone.
That’s when Raeve realizes the person she’s been holding is Kyzari, the Shade’s Princess and Kaan’s niece, who lies unconscious. Veya is locked in the next cell, hollow-eyed and broken. She tells Raeve that Arkyn beat Kyzari, but guards flood the corridor before Veya can say more.
Raeve slips Kaan’s málmr around Kyzari’s neck and moves to the front of the cell to shield the princess. The guards pin Raeve down with fire magic and lock shackles on her wrists and ankles. When the spell breaks, she fights back and takes down several of them, but a blow to the head knocks her out.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 80
Raeve wakes in chains in Arkyn’s feasting cavern. Across the table sits Kaan, bound and gagged. Arkyn shocks them both by claiming to be Kaan’s brother. A parchment lark also confirms he’s the Elding. The Flourish, the place Raeve believed was a safe refuge, is revealed as his base of operations.
Arkyn burns Raeve’s severed uhloo and tells her she belongs to him. He reveals that Ahvi is being forced to place magical runes in the fighting pits. Raeve learns that her past work in The Fade helped Arkyn build an army he plans to use to take Kaan’s throne. Arkyn then tells Kaan that he intends to keep Raeve and have children with her.
When Raeve refuses to eat, Arkyn forces her. Afterward, he produces a diary that belonged to Elluin, and the sight of it shakes both Raeve and Kaan.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 81
Arkyn reads from Elluin Neván’s diary while Kaan sits bound in heavy chains. The entries reveal that Elluin loved Kaan and was carrying his child, but Kaan’s father pressured her into a lie. She led Tyroth to believe he was the baby’s father. Before leaving for Arithia, Elluin wrote Kaan a note claiming Tyroth was a better match for her.
From there, Arkyn reveals that Raeve and Kaan’s daughter is locked in a cell and may be close to death from injuries he inflicted on her. As he lashes out at Kaan with fire, Raeve steps in and offers to compete in the fighting arena again if he spares Kaan. Arkyn agrees and burns her arm to mark her for the upcoming combat.
Through the pain, Raeve finally faces the memory of Fallon, accepts that she died alone in a cell, and stops running from that grief. That acceptance allows her to tap into a power she had long suppressed, and she sets her mind on one goal: free Kaan and their daughter.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 82
Arkyn returns to find Sereme waiting in his suite uninvited. She tries to make herself comfortable, but he shuts her down immediately.
When the conversation turns to Raeve, Sereme makes excuses for nearly letting her be executed and urges Arkyn to finish her off in the fighting pits. She also makes a play for her position as his future queen, insisting the throne isn’t big enough for three people. Arkyn agrees there’s only room for two, though it’s clear he has a different pair in mind.
Arkyn leads Sereme through a back tunnel and out into the snow. He tells her she’s no longer useful to him. Just then, Cliár erupts from the mountain and dives straight toward them. Arkyn warns Sereme that she should start running.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 83
Pyrok wakes to find Essi gone. A note explains she went out alone to find food for Gruffin. Through the window, Pyrok spots her struggling across the open landscape with two crowls trailing behind. Knowing these creatures target solitary travelers, he grabs her weapons and goes after her.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 84
Pyrok reaches Essi just as she collapses. He kills the crowls closing in, but the pack grows too large to fight with a blade alone. Calling on Ignos, Pyrok raises a wall of flames that wipes out most of the predators. In the chaos, a Moltenmaw dives through the smoke and snatches one of the burning beasts. When Pyrok turns to grab Essi, she has already stepped into the fire and vanished.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 85
A Moltenmaw attacks before Pyrok can reach Essi. His dragon Maell moves to defend him, but the Moltenmaw strikes Pyrok with a poisonous tail spike. The bond with Maell falls silent, and Pyrok drops to the ground, too weak to move as the venom spreads.
An Elding Bird briefly appears from the flames before vanishing into the smoke. Suddenly, Essi rushes over, though Pyrok is convinced she’s only a hallucination. She bites her own wrist and lets her blood drip into his mouth. It burns like liquid fire. Pyrok loses consciousness.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 86
Kaan is chained in a cell beside the fighting pit when Arkyn arrives to taunt him. The gate grinds open, and Raeve steps into the arena in silver armor, her eyes completely black. The crowd erupts in a chant of “Fire Lark.”
Arkyn tells Kaan that Raeve will kill him, then drives a knife between Kaan’s ribs and punctures his lung. Guards wrap his wounds and strap armor onto him. Arkyn lays out his terms. Kaan must fight well enough to entertain the crowd, and Raeve will deliver the final blow only when Arkyn gives the signal. If Kaan complies, Kyzari and Veya will remain safe. Kaan gives his word.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 87
Veya stays by Kyzari’s side as the girl’s health declines. A parchment lark from Kaan flies into the cell with a note asking for Kyzari’s forgiveness. Veya places it in Kyzari’s hand and holds her close.
The guard suddenly collapses and dies. A small creature named Uno appears and unlocks the doors but refuses to remove the iron cuff on Kyzari’s leg. Uno warns that a moonfall event is coming and the metal is needed for survival. Veya lifts Kyzari and follows Uno into the dark hallways.
A Fate Herder catches up from behind. The massive beast is gentle at first, brushing its tongue against Kyzari’s face, but its mood shifts quickly. It growls and snaps to drive them down the right tunnel.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 88
Kaan and Raeve fight off the dozen separately until the arena is clear, and then they’re forced to face each other. Arkyn signals from his balcony for Raeve to execute Kaan. The Other known as Slátra presses two swords to Kaan’s throat, but she hands control back to Raeve just before the strike. Raeve drops her weapons, kisses Kaan, tells him she loves him, and waves away his apologies.
The mountain suddenly trembles as if a moon has just fallen. Kaan feels a surge of heat and realizes the tonic suppressing his magic is wearing off. Raeve tells him to hold on to her and calls out to Ignos. Every spark and stone in the arena bursts into flames.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 89
Raeve calls on both Ignos and Bulder. She tears the arena floor open and commands the magma to rise, smashing Arkyn’s balcony into rubble.
Rygun appears and forces his way through a hole in the ceiling to reach Kaan, but the storm has left him freezing. Raeve coats Rygun in magma to keep him warm. Consumed by rage, she pushes her power harder while Rygun attacks the remaining crowd. Raeve doesn’t stop until nothing is left of the arena.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 90
Veya carries Kyzari through a freezing snowstorm until Uno leads them to a rocky overhang. With no medicine left, Veya stays with her. Uno removes the iron cuff from her ankle. Kyzari opens her eyes, chants in a strange language, and claws at the crown on her head. A shockwave explodes from her body and throws Veya across the plateau.
Silver light leaks from the stone around Kyzari’s neck and takes the shape of the God of Aether. He pulls her into an embrace and heals her wounds. Kyzari stands on her own as the first moon falls from the sky and hits the plains below.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 91
Kaan grabs Raeve to stop her from attacking further. In that moment, they both realize Arkyn is still alive. Arkyn escapes the pit on an Elding Bird and heads north. Kaan tells Raeve she has a choice. She can pursue Arkyn for revenge or find Kyzari. Raeve chooses her daughter and runs to find her. Despite his injuries, Kaan climbs onto Rygun and tells the dragon to follow Arkyn into the sun.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 92
Raeve runs through the shaking dungeon past screaming prisoners. She kills two guards, takes their keys, and throws one set to a prisoner so the others can be freed. Someone asks what’s happening outside. Raeve tells them the moons are crashing down and keeps moving.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 93
Kaan tries to command Rygun to hold position, but the dragon ignores him and flies south toward Netheryn, following the Elding Bird’s heat trail. Kaan stops resisting. Rygun wants revenge for their family, and Kaan lets the dragon hunt.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 94
Raeve reaches the dungeon, but both Kyzari’s and Veya’s cells are empty. A dead guard and an open door suggest they’ve escaped. That hope turns to grief when Raeve finds Nee ripped in two. She realizes the lark was meant for her all along, and she missed a desperate message from her daughter.
The tunnel collapses behind Raeve and blocks her path. Clode appears and begs her to follow. Raeve says her only goal is Kyzari. When Clode confirms that Kyzari needs her, Raeve runs.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 95
Rygun chases the Elding Bird, but the cold stops him from breathing fire. The bird tears open Rygun’s stomach before diving into the fog with Arkyn. Rygun follows.
Blinded by the clouds, Rygun and Kaan don’t see the Elding Bird drop from above and strike Rygun in the eye. Kaan climbs up the dragon’s neck and drives his sword into the bird’s back to seize Arkyn.
Rygun shakes on command and throws the Elding Bird off. During the struggle, Arkyn stabs Kaan in the abdomen. Rygun slams into the bird and clamps his jaws around it as they all plummet. Through their bond, the dragon tells Kaan to jump, but Kaan refuses. Rygun shakes them both loose and crashes into the ground first.
Kaan lands on Arkyn and pins him to the snow. He strikes Arkyn repeatedly and lists every terrible thing Arkyn did to their family. Kaan kills him and takes his head. When it’s over, the brutality of what Kaan had to do makes him sick.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons Chapter 96
Raeve emerges from the tunnels to see moons crashing across the plains. Líri catches her mid-air and carries her to the summit. There, Raeve sees Kyzari standing with a winged being named Caelis. The power flowing between them shakes the moons loose from the sky.
Raeve fights through heavy waves of energy on her way up the peak. She catches Veya before the girl slides off the cliff, leaves her in a safe spot, and continues toward her daughter alone.
Caelis looks into Raeve’s soul and lets her pass. Kyzari stops singing when Raeve reaches her. Caelis disappears into the diadem, and the air falls still. Raeve and Kyzari hold each other as Raeve apologizes for not coming sooner. Kyzari faints, and Raeve catches her.