Ok, so this is Shelly Laurenston’s other nom de plume. It’s so very different from her Pride series, but it’s still really good. This definitely falls under a fantasy heading. Romantic fantasy? Is that a thing? Fantasy romance? Either way. There are knights, armor, kingdoms, and, obviously, dragons. This story starts out very slowly, but it’s worth the investment. I’ll admit it’s more than a little strange with the shifting dragons. However, I read about shifting wolves and bears. So, why not a dragon? Towards the end, you can definitely catch glimpses of Laurenston’s humor and writing style. It peeks through. Just try it. Give it a couple of books before making your decision. This isn't really one novel. The first two thirds is one story, while the last third is a novella about secondary characters introduced in the first story. Because of that I'll try and rate them separately.Dragon Actually - 3.5 starsI liked this story a lot more than I expected. The heroine is a tough, angry fighter and she holds her own. Seriously, her favorite hobby is beheading her enemies as far as I can tell, which is pretty cool. There isn't insta-love and Fearghus is pretty likeable for a reclusive dragon who'd normally rather eat humans than talk with them. And Annwyl's varying reactions to Fearghus as a man and Fearghus as a dragon is pretty fun to read about. Happily, unlike many romance-type stories I've read, Annwyl doesn't instantly become a damsel in distress as soon as she gets together with the hero (how refreshing!). Chains and Flames - 2 starsThis novella tells the history of Fearghus's parents and how Rhiannon became queen. I didn't enjoy this story as much as the first because it was definitely of the "I'll hold you prisoner until you mate with me" type of storyline. Of course, the heroine forgives this behavior because she is quickly infatuated with said hero and decides to go along with it (sigh). The best part of the story was definitely Fearghus's dad's family - they were awesome. But the romance part of it was pretty cliche and I've definitely read it before.
What do You think about Ejderin Aşkı (2004)?
Disrespectful men and lackluster vanilla sex. Yuck.
—ashley89
