Ruby Salazaar was raised by her uncle Moncrief, when her parents died. Moncrief filled Ruby’s world with tales of dragons, magic and other creatures known as the Hidden. When Ruby receives an urgent call from Moncrief, she rushes to his side only to find him killed by some type of odd glowing orb. His last breath is a name – a name that Ruby knows from her uncle. Now she is off to find and kill the man who killed her beloved uncle.Cyntag Valeron is beyond surprised with Ruby shows up at his gym and then threatens him with a gun. Even more surprising is learning why, that Moncrief is dead and how it happened. As an over 200 year old dragon, Cyntag knows many things about Ruby that she doesn’t and now it appears it’s all on his shoulders to teach Ruby the truth about her heritage and to help her find out who killed her uncle and why.Ruby can’t believe what Cyntag is telling her – that is until she releases her inner dragon and powers. Ruby is a child in learning her dragon’s powers and strengths and unfortunately she really doesn’t have the time to learn them along the way. Cyntag and Ruby split their time between training Ruby and hunting down the answers to just what happened to her uncle. As the clues come together, it appears that the reason why goes back to when her parents died – now she knows that they were killed. Along the way, Cyntag and Ruby also discover a passionate love that isn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. All the answers are coming together and the danger is ramping up when Cyntag and Ruby finally know who was behind the glowing orbs, the death of her parents and uncle and the reason really behind it all. The final battle is going to be a winner take all – the only question is will the team of Cyntag and Ruby have what it takes to win the day and put the magic world back on it’s correct path.Take two feisty dragon shifters and toss in danger, suspense and a deep passion filled with love and you have just the beginning of Cyntag and Ruby’s story in Dragon Awakened. I was amazed at how much Cyntag tried to control his need of Ruby while trying to show her just what her true being really was and trying to help her solve the mysterious deaths of her parents and uncle. I really loved how Ruby continued to roll with the punches as each hit came – some worse than others. When Cyntag and Ruby finally overcame the worse hurtle that should have torn them apart, I knew that nothing would be able to drive them apart except death. Cyntag and Ruby’s journey to right the wrongs that were done by a totally unexpected source and to fulfill the love that blossomed between them is a fantastic start to a new and exciting series. I really can’t wait to open up the second book in Ms. Rush’s engaging world. Dragon Awakened is a rough and tumble story filled with passion, humor, and suspense that makes it a page-turner from start to finish. I have a feeling that this is going to be a keeper series for sure.This book was reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed (JR), and was provided by the publisher/author at no cost to JR for the purpose of being reviewed. Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Ruby is a normal woman until something happens that changes her life forever. Now, she’s in a world surrounded by dragons, demons, angels, and mages. One man is willing to show her the ropes, but can she trust him?Opening Sentence: Cyntag’s phone rang.The Review:I was very curious what the first full book of The Hidden series would be like after reading the two prequel novellas, both of which I enjoyed, but I felt they were too short to really garner an opinion of the series. While I had some issues with this first book, I feel it holds great promise and could end up being a really good series.Fifteen years ago, Ruby’s life fell apart when her parents died. Since then, she’s been raised by her uncle Moncrief. One seemingly normal day, she receives a call from Moncrief, telling her to come to his house as quickly as she can. When she arrives, she finds Moncrief dying, a victim of what appears to Ruby to be a lightning strike, as she finds him with an electric bolt through his chest. She then finds herself chased through the house by an orb of some sort. She has no idea what’s going on, but in searching the house, she finds information on one Cyntag Valeron, the man she believes is responsible for her uncle’s death. Determined to find out what’s going on, Ruby sets out to find Cyntag.Fifteen years ago, Cyn was an assassin. He received an assignment to kill everyone on board a yacht. After killing the man and woman on board, he comes across a sleeping nine-year-old girl. Although he had long thought of himself as emotionless, Cyn finds he cannot kill an innocent child and sees to it that she finds her uncle. Now, the child is all grown up and completely ignorant of the world she belongs to, one filled with dragons, Deuces (mages), and the offspring of angels. Cyn feels it’s his responsibility to Awaken Ruby’s dragon and serve as her protector until they can find the people responsible for her uncle’s death. How will Ruby react when she finds out the man she’s falling in love with is also the man who killed her parents?I really liked Ruby. She’s strong, not wanting to rely on a man to protect her, but at the same time, she’s willing to admit she’s not quite ready to take on demons, dragons, and Deuces all on her own. Her reaction to this new world comes off as very realistic. Cyn, I found a little harder to like, mainly because his character felt a little less developed than Ruby’s. It feels like we spend more time in Ruby’s head than Cyn’s, which could have a lot to do with why it was harder for me to connect to Cyn. When it comes to Cyn and Ruby as a couple, the chemistry leaps off the pages. There is a palpable connection there, and I found myself waiting with bated breath for the time when they would finally admit their feelings for each other.Another issue I had was it felt like the story resolved itself too quickly. I was completely enjoying where the story was going and liked the conflicts that were going on between Cyn and Ruby, and then it seemed like all was well far too soon. I was still enjoying the story, but I was left feeling disappointed.That being said, I feel this is a world rife with possibilities. There is a lot Jaime Rush can do here, and I for one am excited to see what ideas she comes up with. Fans of paranormal romance should definitely give this series a shot!Notable Scene:“I can deal with dangerous. What we don’t know is whether you’re a target because you were a witness to Moncrief’s death or if there’s another reason.” He saw the fear on her face. Good. She needed to be afraid. But she also needed to be strong and ready to fight. He changed tack. “I can stash you away in a safe house and find out who’s behind this.”He saw his words prickle at her. The little girl vanished, and the woman who’d held a gun to his chest stepped into her place. Perfect.“I’m not hiding. I want to find out who killed my uncle.” She curled her hand into a fist. “I want them to die.”He tried to stifle his smile and the pride it would reveal. “Then you’ll need to be Awakened.”“Into a Dragon.” Her bravado wilted. “I’ll become what you did at the library?”“Yes. The next time you face a demon, you’ll be prepared. You’ll at least know what you’re dealing with.”“And see it. The only thing scarier than seeing you as a Dragon was not seeing that thing.”She was getting it. “But know that Awakening will be intense and painful. Training will be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.” Before he thought better of it, he reached out and brushed his finger against her cheek. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”She stiffened at his touch. “Why does that not comfort me?”He pulled back, irritated that he’d let himself go soft. “Then here’s something else for you to focus on: when we Catalyze to Dragon…we do it naked.”FTC Advisory: Forever/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of Dragon Awakened. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
What do You think about Dragon Awakened (2013)?
I read book 2 first and enjoyed it more. I still like the series and would/will continue reading
—meenaxi
The story seemed forced and rushed. The concept was awesome, but it needs to be polished more.
—Sugnomal
a great read with lots of twists and action. full review to come soon
—tink
This was so bad that it couldn't be any worse.
—satish
