A BJ Review: Burn the Sky by Jaye McKenna

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Twenty year-old Prince Garrick is eldest son and heir presumptive of the Kingdom of Altan, but he can’t be crowned until his latent Wytch power awakens. Pressure comes to bear on his father, the Wytch King, when the much younger Prince Jaire’s Wytch power awakens instead. But Jaire, a bookish dreamer, is completely unsuited for the role of king. With his father becoming impatient, Garrick agrees to allow his Wytch power to be forced awake by the Wytch Master Tevari in order to protect Jaire. But secrets have been kept about the history and powers that lurk within the family line. When the power of the dragon within Garrick is forced awake, he’s painfully torn apart and unable to control his rage and urge to burn the sky.

Wytch Master Ilya is a century old dragon shifter and the only one with the power to try and help Garrick learn to control his own dragon. And if Ilya cannot teach Garrick to harness the beast within him before it destroys the whole kingdom, it will fall upon his shoulders him to destroy him instead. But when the two men meet, the sparks begin to fly in more ways than one.   Prince Garrick grew so much during this story from the rebellious youth goofing off from his studies & getting off in the corridors with his friend to a strong leader fighting to control his dragon power and take on the mantle of responsibility for an entire Kingdom. Excellent characterizations throughout. Kian was sweet, down-to-earth, and witty almost despite himself. Poor young Jaire, frail and not suited to rule, disliked by his father for reasons outside his control, yet he shows both courage and strength.

But beautiful Ilya with his tragic past and wounded heart steals the spotlight for me, since I’m a huge sucker for wounded men.  Intricate and quite nuanced world-building. Interesting power struggle between the Wytch Council and Wytch King, because even though the Wytch Kings governed their kingdoms, the Wytch Council seemed to hold power over who was allowed to take the throne. Individual intrigue also comes into play in this fast-paced story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It had wit, heat, angst, intrigue, and lots of long-haired men! And I love the contrast between Ilya’s ice dragon and Garrick’s more traditional fire-breathing dragon. I’d easily recommend this well-written fantasy! It’s my new favorite dragon shifter story.

Cover Artist: Chinchbug created a stunning depiction of dragons in flight that grabbed my attention with color contrast and captured motion.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

195 pages, eBook
Published January 12, 2015

Mythe Weaver Press

By Scattered Thoughts

At over 50, I am ruled by my terriers, my gardens, and my projects. A knack for grubbing about in the woods, making mud pies, and tending to the injured worms, bugs, and occasional bird and turtle growing up eventually led me to working for the Parks. I was a park Naturalist for over 20 years, and observing Nature and her cycles still occupy my hours. From the arrival of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the Spring to the first call of the Snow Geese heading south in the Fall, I am entranced by the seasons. For more about me see my bio on my blog.

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