Monday, June 29, 2020

ARC Review: Flame (Dark Kings #17)

Flame (Dark Kings #17)

by Donna Grant 

Blurb:

If she believed in destiny, she would believe they were meant for each other.

But that fire was put out long ago. . .

Living among the Dragon Kings, Cain has spent lifetimes learning to distrust both mortals and Fae. He is a warrior born—and every instinct demands that he fight to keep his own kind safe. But when a fringe member of the Dark Fae contacts the Kings with an urgent warning, Cain is torn for the first time. How can he trust this beautiful creature when resisting his primal attraction to her is battle enough?

Noreen is horrified by what her kind and the malevolent Others are planning for the Dragon Kings. Dark Fae or not, there are lines she will not cross—even if it means risking her life. But she never imagined that she would risk her heart until she meets Cain. She wants him with a soul-deep desire that frightens her…and endangers them both. Is saying goodbye to everything Noreen has ever known worth a love that will span time and realms?

Themes:  Paranormal

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 The end of the war (and sadly this series) seems to be approaching faster than a speeding train but each story gets more and more complex and wonderful. I have watched this series evolve from the very beginning of the world-building that started with the Dark Warriors over 30-some books ago now and I have loved every moment of the experience. More and more we have learned that these Dragon Kings have sacrificed so much in order to protect humanity and it is their time to find happiness and peace.  As Grant takes us to the end, secrets are coming to light and we will finally get to know the all-important truth of Rhi’s past and see Con find his HEA in the next book as well, but this story instead focuses on the story of the King of the Navies and his most unlikely of mates. There was a bit of time since the last story and I found myself having forgotten a few of the names of the more minor characters, but luckily Grant is able to recollect our memories and show us how important those seemingly unimportant characters really are to the future of the Kings.  While I am sad to see that this series is ending, I understand that this world will continue with another spin-off so I go into these last two books with a lot of excitement and anticipation. Cannot wait for the next one, but this story was worth every moment and was definitely a great read.

Noreen is trying to get away from the Others, the group that has been pulling all the strings to try to bring down the Dragon Kings, but she wants to do what she can to help the Kings on her way out the door. When her message is received by the Kings, Cain is determined to find out her story is true and if she can be trusted to give them more information about the Others. He pulls her to safety and the chemistry between them is instant, the connection between them becomes deep fast.   But quickly their new relationship is put to the test when betrayal and danger puts them on opposite sides of the war.  Noreen is determined to do what she can to make up for her part in the Others’ plans to bring down the Kings, but she knows that forgiveness from Cain and his people will probably never come.  Facing their enemy together and surviving might not be enough, but Cain is going to fight for his mate, come hell or high water, even if he is fighting her.

Cain is an interesting Dragon King, seeming to be one of the more laidback and relaxed of the Kings we’ve met, but still waters definitely run deep in him.  Seeing him interacting with Noreen, whether they were running from danger, making love, or fighting each other, showed just how much passion he had, but at times I wanted to smack him for being so stubborn.  It’s not hard to understand that he was hurt, badly, when he thought he’d been betrayed, but he never took the time to look at the other side of the situation. He is sexy and dangerous by turns, but he was amazing to watch once he accepted that people make mistakes and forgave Noreen, turning him into an even more loving and fantastic man in my eyes.  Noreen on the other hand is a woman with so many layers to her that we really don’t know the full truth of her until almost the last chapter or the story. She begins the story as a fearful woman on the run, spends time as a determined but hurt woman giving up her love to make up for a mistake and ends the story as a kick ass warrior refusing to give up her man. I was so amazed how her truth unraveled over time and with so many twists and turns that it is not hard to understand how Cain fell in love with a woman like Noreen despite everything against them.

This story is one that is a little bit hard to review, mostly because it is hard to express the true greatness of this story without spoiling the whole experience.  Grant has a way with world building that is so complex that when you get to the end of a series like this there is just so much happening in each story that there is no real downtime for characters to relax and kick back, not even the side characters that aren’t the main H/h.  Noreen and Cain are definitely the focus, but their love story and experiences truly drive the overall plot forward at light-speed and without them I can’t see where the overall arc would have been headed.  Noreen is the perfect type of heroine, one that has lived so many lies and different paths in her life, but only by finding the true love of her Dragon King was she able to find her full strength and the path she was always meant to be on.  She has a lot to atone for from her mistakes and decisions, but one thing she knows is that she won’t give up her King once she has atoned. Cain loves Noreen; even when he thinks he can’t trust a word from her mouth, he can’t stop loving her, but he knows that she is integral to the future of the Kings even if he doesn’t want her to be a part of the battle.  His own mistakes and fears lead him to treat Noreen badly here and there, but protecting her with his life and standing by her side proves that he is a great man in the end. The passion and heat between Cain and Noreen is off the charts from the very first moment their eyes connected, and once they find a way through all their obstacles, the love that has developed truly is one for the ages.  The ending is barreling toward us and we get glimpses of what is coming in the next story that let us know the conclusion will be EPIC.  Constantine, King of Dragon Kings, is slowly unraveling and without some serious intervention he won’t be with us much longer.  At the same time Rhi’s stepping up in a big way and is determined that her people no longer be stuck under the influence and drama of the evil queen that has led them down the drain for millennia; finding out the name of Rhi’s King will become more important than ever, though we get some serious inklings of the truth in this story.  I am dying to read that final story and I know that I will probably have to take off work to devour the entire story in one sitting.  Grant’s magic never ceases to amaze and awe me, and I cannot wait for the next adventure.

 p.s. for those of you that have already seen/heard the spoilers of who Rhi’s king is, I refrained from mentioning it on purpose, as I felt that a mistaken release of info shouldn’t spoil it for others that haven’t heard.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.


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