Dragon Lover (Dragon Kings #5)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

Can she learn to love the man—as well as the dragon within?

Sensual. Clever. Daring. There’s only one thing Kendrick yearns for—peace that has eluded the Dragon Kings. Zora may have been made in the image of Earth, but it’s a far cry from home. For too long the Kings have been on the defensive, betrayed time and again. When Kendrick has an opportunity to stop a foe, he takes it. Except he isn’t the only one tracking it. Soon, he finds himself face-to-face with an exquisite swordswoman who holds him enthralled...and sparks passion within his cold heart.

As an Asavori Ranger, Esha has dedicated her life to protecting her people. She trains relentlessly to become one of their best warriors, forsaking everything else. When a treacherous new enemy invades their lands, she vows to destroy it. Esha’s rash decision has her crossing paths with that of a mysterious, handsome outsider. He’s trouble the Rangers don’t need, but she can’t walk away. He awakens desires long buried and dreams neglected. The temptation of their forbidden union is more than she can resist. She’s soon walking a treacherous path—one that could be the downfall for them both.

Themes: Dragon shifter, Paranormal, Alternate Worlds

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

The drama on Zora continues as more Dragon Kings continue to battle against and unknown and unseen enemy for the fate to the new home of their dragons. Donna Grant continues to take her Dark King series into new and amazing directions and the more we learn about the amazing alternate world of Zora and the fascinating creatures that populate it, the more questions we have. For those of us that are long time readers, we enjoy meeting new Kings and watching them fall in love with amazing females of all kinds and for new readers each story is a new adventure that allows for a look into the imagination and skill of one of my favorite authors. Kendrick is getting restless, patrolling the edges of the dragon territory and not seeing any of the action is fellows are seeing as they are attacked by the unseen enemy in their midst, but that all changes in an instant. When he finds himself in a battle that is suddenly more complicated than he anticipated he is forced to cross the border and shift to his human form barely surviving the attack. But a group of deadly warriors arrives just in time to distract his enemy and Kendrick is instantly drawn to their leader. Esha is an Asavori Ranger, a warrior female that had devoted her life to protecting her people and this new enemy has evaded them for far too long so when Kendrick offers to hunt with them she knows she can’t turn down his help. But the tension between her people and the dragons escalates quickly and their budding relationship, despite the speed with which their bonds are developing, might not be enough to keep a war from breaking out. I truly loved this story, though it was different than a lot of the others in the series, with the ending truly leaving me in suspense until the last moment. Kendrick was a bit of a hothead, though he was a great guy, and when he set his mind to something his determination was unbeatable. I enjoyed watching him come to terms with his feeling for Esha, even though he knew that he might end up heartbroken in the end. He truly offered her his whole heart and soul, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to return it and in the end it paid off in spades. Esha was a bit of an enigma for me, obviously a woman that had worked hard for her place in the word, but she has also never come to understand that sometimes giving you heart and soul to someone can lead to an even bigger and more important life mission. She is a strong and steadfast fighter for her people, but she is not made for the intrigues she finds herself wrapped up in for sure. The love between these two truly crosses all borders and brings people together, offering a bridge and preventing a war, but the passion they share is palpable from the first moment they clap eyes on one another and the sizzle is almost unbearable. I loved some of the side characters in this book as well and would love to see more of them in the future as this story arc unfolds and Donna gets closer to unveiling the big bad so that the Kings can finally kick some serious ass. Dragon Lover truly is a magical ride through two cultures, crossing borders, and brining worlds together as love blossoms between two former enemies as they come together to defeat the ultimate threat to their world.