Flame (Dark Kings #17)
by Donna Grant
Blurb:
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.
*eARC provided by author for the
purpose of an honest and unbiased review.
No compensation was provided.
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