Tag: dragons

Review:  Bring the Heat (Dragon Kin Book 9) by G.A. Aiken

Rating: 4⭐️

Bring the Heat is the finale of the series, bringing most but not all of the major plot lines to a conclusion. 

And the issue is that there’s far too much drama and too many elements to pull off for one book for that to feel completely satisfying. 

I absolutely love books 7 and 8, which featured the sisters of the Riders of the Steppe, Elina Shestakova and Kachka Shestakova. Each have their own unique story and voice that still resonates with me. I mean I woke up at night giggling madly thinking about them. Still do.

Then comes this book which tries to capture the relationship development between Aiden and Brannie but that’s overshadowed by a multitude of plots that Aiken is trying to create and then resolve by the end. 

Think of a juggler with a number of different balls in the air, each vying for the attention of the audience. Each is important for the act’s success but you can’t concentrate on each individual piece too long because the next is taking its place.

That’s what happens here. 

The reader can’t concentrate or connect with any scene or character because just as we get started, Aiken switches to another location, characters and drama. Something totally different is going on, removed from what we were just reading about.

The final battles to win against the Eyeless God and his priests has started. But this book is all over the place. An enormous cast of characters, on all sides and we get their POV’s, so multiple perspectives. 

Changes in realms, locations, new kingdoms. 

Keita the Viper is off on a covert rescue/assassination mission with Brannie and Aiden and a few of the Mi-runach who are sort of goofy, Queen Annwyl is missing ( huge section here in a new different location), then we’re back with scary Dagmar and her weird family, then the Abomination trio making plans for battle with the Dragon Queen, then Katcha and her crew. And the one-eyed King Gaius, and more. So many more. 

I will admit to flipping through a couple of pages because I couldn’t figure out who some of these people were. 

The final battle was predictable enough but still satisfying. And there was, as I said, still lots of loose ends about the children, that should the author ever want to revisit this universe she could easily pick up their stories. 

My favorite books might just be those about the Riders of the Steppe. A fierce matriarchal sisterhood. Maybe that’s a series we should have. Amazing characters and stories. 

And for now, it’s at an end. What a wild fabulous ride!

Highly recommended the series which should be read in the order it is written. 

Dragon Kin – 9 books complete series :

Dragon Actually #1

About A Dragon #2

What a Dragon Should Know #3

Last Dragon Standing #4

The Dragon Who Loved Me #5

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy #6

Light My Fire #7

Feel The Burn #8

Bring The Heat #9

Buy link

        Bring the Heat (Dragon Kin Book 9)

    

Blurb 

HE SAYS . . .

I, Aidan the Divine, am, well divine. My name was given to me by the Dragon Queen herself! I’m a delight! Cheerful. Charming. And a mighty warrior who is extremely handsome with a very large and well-hidden hoard of gold. I am also royal born, despite the fact that most in my family are horrendous beings that don’t deserve to live. And yet, Branwen the Awful—a low-born, no less—either tells me to shut up or, worse, ignores me completely.

SHE SAYS . . .

I’ll admit, I ignore Aidan the Divine because it annoys him. A lot. But, we have so much to do right now, I can’t worry about why he keeps looking at me like he’s thinking about kissing me. We have our nations to save and no time for such bloody foolishness . . . no matter how good Aidan looks or how long his spiked tail is. Because before this war destroys everything we love, we’ll have to face our enemies together. But if we make it out alive, who knows what the future will hold . . .

Zebra Books

Publication date

August 29, 2017

Language

‎English

Print length

414 pages

Book 9 of 9

Dragon Kin

Review:  How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin series Book 6) by G.A. Aiken

Rating:  4.75⭐️

Readers of this series have been waiting on Izzy’s story and finally we get it in How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin series Book 6) by G.A. Aiken.

Issabail aka Izzy, adopted daughter of Breic the Mighty and true daughter to his mate Talaith, former assassin, powerful Nolwenn witch, has had a long, dark journey with her mother to get to her current life.  The reader has been able to see her mother and Izzy through much of their later dark years until they came back together under Queen Annwyn.

And we watched the drama happen between friends Izzy, dragon cousins Calyn, and Éibhear become something that ends up tearing apart the friendship and bond between all of them fracturing.

Now 10 years later, Izzy is the terrifying General of the Eighth, Fourteenth, and Twenty-sixth Legions of Annwyl the Bloody’s army. Shes often accompanied by her best friend, Brannie, a Cadwaladr warrior dragon. And Éibhear the Blue? He’s become Éibhear the Contemptible, a ruthless vicious fighter,  part of the feared Mi-runach, a death squad made up of warriors who were problematic elsewhere. 

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy brings Izzy and Éibhear together again for a mission that dives deep into both Izzy and her mother’s past in the Desert Kingdom as well as returning characters, Gaius Lucius Domitus, who is ruling the Quintillian Provinces along with his sister,Lady Agrippina.

The real threat and overall series storyline starts to emerge as new religious zealotry appears. Terrific elements that become even more powerful and threatening as the story continues.

But it’s old relationships to be renewed and damage repaired so that as the adults they are now can have a better chance of surviving and being happy. 

It’s hilarious, action packed, and as Aiken is so fantastic at, believably layering emotional depths that swings from poignancy to anger to fear and finally to authentic uncertainty. Moments so real that it brings the readers so intimately into these characters journey that we feel everything along with them. 

With each story, I always say, this is my favorite, while knowing I’ll feel this way about the next. But I love Izzy. Always have. Branny too. 

And seeing her find her own roots. So amazing. Even if the series doesn’t return there, except to smack down Haldane again, this was truly wonderful. 

Highly recommended as is the series which should be read in the order it is written. 

Dragon Kin – 9 books complete series :

Dragon Actually #1

About A Dragon #2

What a Dragon Should Know #3

Last Dragon Standing #4

The Dragon Who Loved Me #5

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy #6

Light My Fire #7

Feel The Burn #8

Bring The Heat #9

Buy link

        How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin series Book 6)

    

Blurb 

Sanity is overrated in this “captivating, funny, exciting” fantasy adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of the Scarred Earth Saga (Smexy Books).

Some things never go away, like vile enemies, bad ale, and annoying kin. But I thought I was finished with the one dragon I’d have done anything for: Éibhear the Blue, a big, gorgeous, blue-haired beast who thinks the world belongs to him. The world and, apparently, me. 

So if Éibhear wants to play the caring hero and travel into the most forsaken of Gods forsaken lands to protect the one woman who doesn’t need it—namely me—I’ll let him. Because while I’m trying to fulfill a ridiculous 

Review: A Dragon Inside: Morntag Dragons & Kingdoms Book 1 by Anabelle Raven 

Rating: 3⭐️

This book was a recommendation so I picked it up to see what I would find. A Dragon Inside is a sweet, unsurprising fantasy novel that includes dragons, dragon riders, princesses and kingdoms in peril. But adds little to the already overwhelming world of books written about this genre. 

It’s the first book in a series but wrapped up the first storyline and romance pretty well by the end of the novel. King realizes he has traitor close to him, his sister, the princess helps save the day,  by rescuing the dragonrider.  Who ends up with the princess. 

King also looks to have a HEA too. 

There’s a weird magic aspect that unexpectedly occurs towards the end that doesn’t make sense and has no foundation whatsoever laid out for it. 

Perhaps it’s coming in the future books. 

Some readers might excuse this by saying that the story is meant for YA but all writing, no matter what age the author is aiming for, should have depth in the characters, layers to the world building and intricacies of plot. None of which happens here. 

The characters should be entirely believable or engaging enough for the reader to invest their time and emotions. 

For me, I thought this was just a simple, sweet, and uncomplicated plot that didn’t ask much of the reader. 

If that’s something that you’re looking for, here’s a book and series for you. 

This author imo does not compare with KM Shea who was mentioned in the description. Not even close. 

Cover art is by Turtle Trails Publishing. Interior art (part two) is by Legowo P. Interior art (after Chapter 31) is by Sidney Brady. 

Morntag Dragons & Kingdoms:

A Dragon Inside #1

A Dragon Outside #2 – Sept 30, 2025

Buy link

        A Dragon Inside: Morntag Dragons & Kingdoms Book 1

    

Blurb 

She is a princess. He is chained in the dungeon. They don’t trust each other, but they are Solvar’s only hope for escaping war.

Ellie

When I discovered that my brother imprisoned a dragon rider, I plunged head-first into a whirlwind of political drama, mysterious history, magic, and an alluring prisoner.

Now the secrets I uncovered keep growing deeper. I wanted to save my people from war, but that was only the beginning. My brother and our inheritance complicated everything, and I must find new ways to deal with rebellions, assassinations, and an attraction to an impossible prisoner.

Deryk

I expected to die, but everything changed when the fearless princess swept into my prison cell. Now I must choose between loyalty to my family and dragon or a dangerous trust to an unnerving princess.

  • Publisher: Turtle Trails Publishing LLC
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: July 2, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 440 pages
  • Book 1 of 2: Morntag Dragons & Kingdoms

Review:  Bramble Burn (The Convergence Book 1) by Autumn Dawn

Rating: 3✨

Autumn Dawn and her series, The Convergence, starting with Bramble Burn, was a top recommendation on a fantasy list so I picked it up based on similar themes and recommendations. 

What I found both delighted and disappointed me in terms of character development and plot design. 

Let’s start with the positive aspects of this story. Which are primarily related to the design and detail of Bramble Burn Park itself. 

The premise is that at some point in time our world and that of the Fae Underhill world merged, violently. From the geological landscape to actual buildings, there was an explosion of activity as physical changes, actual melding or melting of structures, happened, leaving our world forever changed. 

One mage leaves her family and farm to go buy a cheap abandoned city park from the mayor and officials, the Bramble Burn Park. A park so dangerous, so overrun, and inhabited by unknown creatures that evolved from the merge that no one enters in. One she intends to remake and make her own. 

That gorgeous, mystical cover is the tree home that tree mage, Juniper, first makes in the forest. And mysterious, eerie, Bramble Burn, with all its distinctive features, wilding areas, and imaginative creatures, is a highlight of the story. 

Too bad the author leaves it behind and tosses it away for another storyline altogether. Anyway, the park and Juniper’s resolve to make it her own, is the best part of the story. 

This includes her magic and the obstacles that come as she slowly builds up the frame around the park. And her living structures made from trees. 

The author really does an excellent job in making this park as intriguing, horrifying, and beautifully alive right from the beginning. And Juniper as well. From her perspective, she’s revealed to be increasingly powerful, someone who chooses to be alone in her woods, territorial and masterful in her pursuit of her goals. 

That’s where the author had me. Until she didn’t. 

The not so great aspects of the story. 

The romantic aspects of the book and the relationships. 

Bring on the dragons and werewolves. 

Spoilers ahead.

The plot turns from Juniper needing to make Bramble Burn hers within a time frame to dragon father, dragon sister, bratty brother who might be dangerous, and a human, enabling suffocating mother full of flags. 

It gets so much worse. 

Author Autumn Dawn reveals that Juniper is a “fertile female “ half dragon, therefore she is a catch or highly regarded female for both werewolves and dragons for her abilities to breed. 

Her werewolf, blink and he’s in love with her and asserting his mate bond over her, to a newly arrived dragon, both thrilled with Juniper’s fertility.

At this point I’m wondering what happened to the character I was reading at the beginning of the story. That strong woman is reduced to a breeder, complaining about a brother who is attacking her ( mom is excusing him) and complies with accepting the werewolf because he’s nice. 

There’s a strange new plot that introduces a bunch of characters that has nothing to do with the original story. Takes them away from the park. The author decides to immediately wrap up what was originally a complex issue, leaving huge threads unexplained or just left out. 

Juniper, the powerful tree mage who wanted to just work with her Forrest now ends up mated, marriages, with twins. 

What? 

So once again, I’m floored that an author went totally south with her character, world and plot development.  

It was if she decided halfway to change everything but without any notice, explanation , or foundation. 

So I’m not proceeding with either author or the series. 

Cool cover though. 

COVER DESIGN: Autumn Dawn 

The Convergence:

Bramble Burn #1

And a bunch more books each with a different character apparently. 

Buy link

 Book 1 of 7: Convergence 

Blurb 

It’s been thirty years since the Convergence, when the dimensions aligned and combined Earth and the world of Gwyllon, known in human mythology as “Underhill”. Elven castles and ancient ruins sprouted on vacant lots and merged with existing buildings, twisting into new structures. Roads and rail systems reformed, and after the rioting, starvation and death, agriculture sorted itself and food began to flow. A new government formed of elves and men arose, a society of human tech and elven magic. Cell phones and frost giants, race cars and elven steeds, dungeons and dragons…

And everywhere, monsters.

Tree mage Juniper was twenty-three, a child of the new generation. When she found a source of magic buried in an abandoned park, she made a deal with the city. If she can stabilize the park’s wild magic, she’ll own it…if she can survive. Now she has to clear out magic spawned monsters, deal with a werewolf suitor and survive her bloodthirsty dragon uncle. She’s going to have to dig deep to subdue Bramble Burn Park.

Hot but sweet romance. Does not contain explicit sex scenes.

[Amazon notes it’s similar to the Kate Daniels series. No. Absolutely not. Amazon needs to stop making comparisons. ]

  • Publication date: April 30, 2015
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 299 pages
  • Book 1 of 7: Convergence

Review:  Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin, #1) by G. A. Aiken 

Rating: 4⭐️

Written by Dragon Actually contains two complete stories. Dragon Actually and then one that’s a bit of a prequel, Chains & Flames. But the order here is actually better imo. 

The first story is the violent journey of Annwyl the Bloody to remove her heinous brother from the throne and save her people. During a heated battle, Fearghus the Destroyer, a dragon of immense power and fearsome legend, comes into her path in an unexpected twist. 

Annwyl is battle hardened , often violent, and physically powerful. Shes also with rage and prone to battle madness. We get little of her background except that it was extremely abusive,  physically damaging. Her father, the dead King being even worse than the brother who succeeded him, the brother being an obsessive horror. 

The dragons, yes, a huge group of excessive personalities, a ruling family of them, are well defined. Each with a specific character and definitely non-human traits. Hair color as an element of dragon color, while not new, is nicely done here and matches a type of personality as well it seems. 

There’s some hilarious scenes as Annwyl and Fearghus get acquainted with each other. Arrogance and rage are well matched within their relationship dynamics. 

Fearghus’ sister is another favorite character along with Annwyl’s general.  I could wish that her brother and that history was better explored here. We don’t get a full picture of him, his upbringing, or what drives him here. Nor those around him. So the battle is one-sided. And that leaves the narrative a bit unbalanced.

The relationships between dragons, dragon and human are all very different. So you don’t really feel like the dragons are “human coded” which is great.  

The dragon queen and consort are intriguing. Which makes it great that the second story included here is their origin romance and the Queen’s journey into her role.  It’s appropriately titled Chains & Flames. 

Both are very sexual creatures, kinky, and the story is full of their sexual encounters as she fights her mother for the Crown and control over her life. Think collars and chains and Claiming. 

Which brings me to the covers.

Oh that cover. It does read total dragon fantasy but for what age group? Both  are very spicy, kinky violent stories. Heads rolls, lots of sex scenes, some with chains and collars but in a different definitely non-villainous aspect.  Does that cover read that? Hmm don’t think so. It’s so cute. 

The author, G. A. Aiken , turns out to be a pen name for author Shelly Laurenston, an author I recently discovered (and love) and am now working on her backlog of books. So is that two writers in one? Looks like! 

Anyway, here’s another older series about dragons, dragon shifters, women warriors, and roads to romance. I enjoyed it! A lot. But if you want a sweet fantasy novel, this isn’t it. Bloody swords, battles, and raging women? Yes. Read this. 

Dragon Kin:

Dragon Actually #1

About A Dragon #2

What a Dragon Should Know #3

Last Dragon Standing #4

The Dragon Who Loved Me #5

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy #6

Light My Fire #7

Feel The Burn #8

Bring The Heat #9

Buy link

        Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin Book 1)

    

Blurb 

It’s not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear—a lot—or else salute. It’s true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother’s soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.

Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe—a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn’t get any stranger.

She’s wrong . . . 

And just wait until you meet the rest of the family . . . 

  • Publisher: Zebra Books
  • Publication date: August 26, 2008
  • Edition: Reprint
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 353 pages
  • Book 1 of 9: Dragon Kin

Review:  Green Gryphon (Mackenzie Green, #1) by J.S. Kennedy 

Rating:  4.5⭐️

Kennedy is another new to me author on my search for new writers of strong female characters and great stories.  

Green Gryphon is the first book in Kennedy’s Mackenzie Green series, a novel set 50 years after magic drastically reappeared in the world, resulting in the death of billions, loss of the then governments of countries and chaos. Cities crumbled, anything created of plastic or non natural materials dissolved, leaving destruction and disaster behind. And magical beings that formed from some of those who were left.

Several aspects of this book surprised me. Not the foundation whereby a reappearance of magic destroys the world’s technology as well as its current countries structures, that’s a well established concept. 

What caught me was the main character of MacKenzie Green and her small family. In a world of fantasy characters, dragons, gryphons, vampires, werewolves, and other mythical beings that this magical shift created, the book adds another element with her. 

This is actually a darker story than I expected. Far from the sort of light tone that we get from the book’s blurb.

It’s far better than that. 

It’s got a tinge of horror, that riding the edge of terrifying science fiction mixed with a fantasy vibe that makes this a fascinating and exciting story.

Plus dragon shifters and found family. 

However, I’m thinking this novel should have trigger warnings as there’s plenty of bodies, bloodshed, and in the future stories, torture. 

Mackenzie is a plant mage who’s hiding plenty of secrets. Those are slowly revealed towards the end of this book. 

The world building is slowly coming together, as the author gives us the new structure as it pertains to this city and how humans and the otherworldly beings are governed. And the newly formed purity rights group that has formed within certain communities. 

It’s highly suspenseful, action packed, and full of character driven storytelling.

I’m so invested in this character and series. Also thrilled it’s a complete one so I can binge through.

Another winner and recommendation. 

Cover art by : Original Book Cover Design

Mackenzie Green Series: complete 

Catch and Release – A prequel novella 

Green Gryphon #1

Green Mage #2

Green Shadow #3

Green Vampire #4

Green Dragon #5

Buy link

        Green Gryphon: Mackenzie Green Book 1 (Mackenzie Green Series)

    

Blurb 

The Dragon Protector asking Mackenzie for a favor—Maybe the sky truly has fallen…

Mackenzie works for Catch and Release, a bounty-hunting guild, and she loves her job.

She goes after the usual suspects: Rogue vampires, feral shifters, and crazed mages. Nightmare stuff.

The last thing she ever imagined was Lucan, an infuriating and high-ranking dragon shifter, hiring her to find a child kidnapped from his Tribe.

Even though her magical talents lean more towards bodyguarding and hunting dangerous beings, condemning a kid to death isn’t who she is.

But as Mackenzie gets deeper into her hunt, she uncovers deadly secrets surrounding the child, the kidnapper, and Lucan himself…

One thing’s for sure; when the going gets tough, Mackenzie gets dangerous!

  • Publication date: June 16, 2021
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 309 pages
  • Book 1 of 5: Mackenzie Green Series

Review:  On Wings of Blood: A Dark Academia Fantasy Romance with Dragons & Vampires (Bloodwing Academy Book 1) by Briar Boleyn

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Anything that brings dragons into the story has me hooked. Especially a dark fantasy series written by a new author I’ve not read before. I knew exactly what to expect from the description that Boleyn was incorporating certain popular elements into her series.  

There’s the academy aspect where the main character is forced to attend a school where they are surrounded by enemies. The character is an automatic isolated entity, by their nature and background. And forced into a dangerous situation by their status and often gender and/or species. 

Boleyn does several interesting things here by specifically not delving into the world building of this universe or of  the world that the main character of Medra Pendragon, a person dropped accidentally into a world of vampires. Even by the end of the book, we’ve learned little about how she’s actually arrived or even what the world she’s living on is actually like.

Instead, the author winnows down the narrative focus to the dramatic plot lines and relationships between Medra, vampire Blake Drakharrow  and the members of his family, the formidable and sinister Drakharrow clan. The forced consort relationship between Blake and Medra, and the hidden secrets of Blake’s uncle are well written and emotionally charged storylines that keep the reader’s attention and absolutely invested in their relationship.

The author gives us a wonderful secondary cast of humans and creatures, each interesting and in one case, very fluffy. 

The ending scenes are fantastic! Exciting and shocking. They set the stage for a new scary unpredictable second novel. 

The author has given her readers a trigger /warning  list at the beginning of the book, which I appreciate. Check it out. 

Highly recommended and I’m onto the next in the series. 

Cover Design by Ank Book Designs Interior Illustrations & Map by New Ink Book Services”

Bloodwing Academy:

On Wings of Blood #1

The Bond That Burns #2

The Wings That Bind #3 – June 14,2025

Buy link

        On Wings of Blood: A Dark Academia Fantasy Romance (Bloodwing Academy Book 1)

    

Blurb 

The Booktok, Amazon, & International Bestseller…

#1 in Vampire Romances
#1 in Paranormal Vampire Romance
#1 Arthurian Fantasy
#1 Classic Fantasy
#1 Dragons & Mythical Creatures

★★★★★ “You liked Fourth Wing? Then there’s a good chance you’ll LOVE this story (it’s definitely on my top 5 this year!!). I absolutely couldn’t put this book down.” -A Cup of Tea and a Book Please




What do you get if you mix Harry Potter with Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, a dash of Arthurian legend, and lots and lots of vampires? Bloodwing Academy.

I didn’t sign up for this.

A half-fae in a school of highblood vampires? That’s a recipe for torment.

I’m Medra Pendragon—last of the dragon riders, or so they tell me. Funny thing is, there are no dragons left. Not a single one. But somehow, that hasn’t stopped the vampires from deciding I’m worth capturing. Now I’m stuck at Bloodwing Academy, where the highbloods run everything and blightborn like me? We’re just blood in their veins, pawns in their games.

But that’s not even the worst part. 

Enter Blake Drakharrow. Cold, arrogant, and way too gorgeous for his own good. He’s been tormenting me since the moment we met, and now, thanks to some ancient ritual, we’re betrothed. He acts like he owns me, but I’m not going down without a fight.

Bloodwing isn’t just a school—it’s a battlefield. Highbloods fight for power, and if you’re weak? You’re dead.

Between deadly competitions, lies that could get me executed, and a dragon-shaped secret looming over my head, all I have to do is survive. Easy, right? Except I’m starting to think the real danger isn’t the academy—it’s what I’m becoming in this twisted game of power.

And Blake? He might just be the one who pushes me over the edge.

They think they can control me. They think they can use me.

But they have no idea what they’ve awakened.

Bestselling epic fantasy author Briar Boleyn returns with a new series perfect for fans of hate to love romance, heart-pounding action, and dark magic.

On Wings of Blood is a dark academia fantasy romance featuring a bully villain with Draco Malfoy energy who (eventually) gets the girl, all the tension and banter, and a tantalizingly dangerous blend of court and school intrigue all set in an intricately crafted world with unique vampire and dragon lore. Bloodwing Academy may have crossover characters from the world of Blood of a Fae, but can be read completely independently. If you’re a fan of original mythology, unique world-building, and character-driven romantasy books such as Crowns of Nyaxia, From Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, you won’t want to miss out on this riveting new saga.

  • Publisher: Starwater Press (Indie) (October 25, 2024)
  • Publication date: October 25, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 523 pages

Review: Reckless (Luckless Book 3) by Cari Z

Rating: 4.75🌈

“Evan Luck was a dragon rider with no dragon. Now he’s got Lee, a rare and powerful dragon who can take the shape of a man or a dragon with equal ease. However, the fight to keep Lee’s son Jason safe, as well as the city of Forge protected from the monsters that roam the Front Range, will test Evan and Lee’s bond to the utmost, and send them on a quest that they might not come back from.”

Reckless is the finale story for Cari Z’s tremendous urban fantasy series, Luckless. And it’s been so great and so well written, that it’s short length and imaginative elements that have been left unexplored just make me more than a little frustrated with the author. 

I want this to double in length or at the very least offer additional stories in the series.

This novel picks up from the surprising events of Dauntless, where Jason’s crisis came to a dramatic resolution with new characters arriving from the city of Chicago with devastating news. 

Chicago has been spoken of as a veritable fortress city of multiple dragon pairs and a successful defense against the monsters. But the news brings a different reality.

It’s one that necessitates Evan and Lee leaving Forge and their son in search of answers about the increasingly complex and deadly monsters their city is facing and what happened in Chicago.

For a short story, this packs a shocking emotional punch. It’s got unexpected elements and a very powerful plot twist that, of course, is so great that this book could be twice it’s length and still not dive into this plot line’s full potential. It’s that intriguing.

Which brings me to the conclusion. It’s satisfying in a way yet not. With all the traumatic events that’s happened, it’s felt simplistic. Lovely, HFN, and heartfelt but missing something. 

I truly wish Cari Z would revisit this series and universe and give it and us an update. So tremendous a world that this series and the characters deserve it. 

Highly recommended! 

Cover Art by Vivid Covers

Luckless series:

Luckless #1

Dauntless #2

Reckless #3

Buy link

        Reckless: Book Three in the Luckless Series

    

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.

  • Publication date: April 26, 2022
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 124 pages

Review: Luckless (Luckless Book One) by Cari Z

Rating: 4.5🌈

Luckless, a fantastic fantasy short story from Cari Z, reads like a much longer novel.  It’s got a depth of characters, and its world building surpasses its length in exploration and dimension. 

A absolute fan of anything dragon or dragon rider related, the tale of Evan Luck, now called Luckless because he survived the unimaginable. The loss of his dragon and their bond. 

The author brings Evan grief and shattered memories vividly, painfully to life, including the hate and fear that comes from the people around him.

It’s a dystopian Earth fighting for survival against monsters and humanity’s only major hope is the dragons who came and fought with them. 

Told completely from Evan’s perspective, we see the remnants of the city, the creatures they are fighting, the dragon and rider pairs, and Lee Caldwell, a new important arrival.

Lee and his young son are both great characters. They balance out Evan in multiple ways, and while it’s easy for a reader to understand or guess about Lee’s role, nothing takes away from the story and the journey that these characters have to go through. 

While, the end is a bit abrupt, it helps to know that there’s 2 more books ready to read in this series.  

I highly recommend this excellent book, with its fantastic characters and terrific story. 

Great cover too. 

Luckless series:

Luckless #1

Dauntless #2

Reckless #3

Buy link 

        Luckless (The Luckless Series Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Evan Luck is a dragon rider with no dragon. Five years ago, his dragon gave her life defending the monster-ridden remnants of Marble, and ever since, his ability to connect empathically to another dragon had been as broken as his heart. Now he spends his days dodging his disappointed mayor, crafting arrows, fighting off the not-as-legendary-as-they-should-be beasts that’ve overrun America, and just trying to get by in the city of Forge.

But when he meets newcomer Lee Caldwell, Evan thinks his lonely luck might be changing. Lee is the only person in the city who doesn’t blame Evan for his dragon’s death, and he welcomes Evan into his own little family. There’s more to Lee than meets the eye, though, and between his refusal to talk about himself, pressure from the mayor to split them up, and a monster attacking the city’s foundations, Evan isn’t sure he’ll live long enough to learn the truth. But not learning the truth will almost certainly be fatal, both to Evan and Lee’s budding relationship, and to the entire city.

  • Publisher: Cari Z. (June 1, 2020)
  • Publication date: June 1, 2020
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 80 pages

Review: Dragon’s Folly (Wings Over Albion Book 3) by Joy Lynn Fielding 

Rating: 4.5🌈

Dragons, mysteries, romance and multiple ongoing storylines. Yes please. I’m just loving this series by Joy Lynn Fielding.  Her Wings Over Albion just got more intriguing while expanding the series foundation knowledge and known dragon families previously laid out. 

Now , as the book begins ,the fearsome, totally powerful head of dragons, Abimelech Mortimer, has call a moot, a gathering of the heads of the dragon families in a neutral location, for a major announcement. As well as other purposes on his agenda. 

As the dragons rarely leave their own territories, this is an exceptional event, fraught with challenges and potential undertones.  A fabulous way to introduce the characters and the stakes involved with the players and challenges faced. 

We see briefly, some of the characters of the other novels. But our immediate attention will fall on the newest characters and dragons. As it should because they are remarkable. 

Especially Ollie Shaw. Ollie is that character who shows astonishing growth from the awkward, somewhat disrespected lesser member of his family to dragon who lives and loves largely. His journey, which encompasses that of Archer Talbot, and his siblings Tim and Mia, is revelatory.  We rejoice with him and Archer, along with Mia and Tim, as they shift in their thinking, struggling with their own personal pasts, and restructure into a believable, magnificent warm-hearted family. One we dearly want more of in the end. 

Fielding adds to the dragon mythology and knowledge she’s building as well as bringing more dragons of color into the series.  Everything is weaving together into a fabulous series tapestry that melds King Arthur, mystery, dragon politics, and love.  I can’t help to see what happens next.

This is beautifully written, fantastic characters and gorgeous plots.  Highly recommended!

Cover art

Wings Over Albion:

  • The Red Dragon of Oxford #1
  • In the Dragon’s Lair #2
  • Dragon’s Folly #3

Buy link

        Dragon’s Folly: MM paranormal romance, Wings over Albion, Book 3

    

Blurb

Falling for him would be pure folly. I know that. Now all I have to do is convince my heart…

Allowing a strange dragon into my home was not my idea.

The Assembly assured me it was necessary, though. And that’s how I ended up with him.

Ollie Shaw is clumsy. Unfairly hot. He stumbles through my life leaving a trail of chaos and sunny charm in his wake.

And I hoard every moment with him like he’s my greatest treasure.

But with an entire dragon territory to rule, bills to pay, and treachery brewing in my family, I can’t afford to be distracted by Ollie’s copper-gilded beauty and boundless enthusiasm.

I especially can’t give in to my dragon’s primal urge to claim him.

Because loving him could cost me everything I’ve fought so hard to protect. And that would eventually come back to bite us both—with dragon’s teeth…

Dragon’s Folly, Book 3 in the Wings over Albion series, is a sweet and spicy, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity paranormal m/m romance.

  • Publisher: Independently published (October 9, 2024)
  • Publication date: October 9, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 287 pages