The Bastard King (The Bastard Duology #1)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

With just one fiery embrace I could destroy her…or love her until the end of time.

I am fire and death. My very presence brings terror and panic. For most, I am the last thing they will ever see. For there is only one thing I live for — freeing my kin.

Every action, every battle brings me a step closer. Nothing distracts me from my purpose.

Until she crosses my path.

Brave and fearless, she holds me utterly enthralled. I have to know her. Her past and her future. But especially the secrets she keeps closely guarded.

One taste of her lips, and I’m caught. Trapped. Seized. The more I’m with her, the harder it is to leave. But I have sworn allegiance to another who promises to free the dragons.

Her or my kin. It was once an easy choice.

Before my heart got involved.

Themes: Paranormal, Dragons

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

Trigger Warning: for those of us that HATE cliffhangers, be warned, if you’re a bit of a dummy like me and didn’t realize that when Donna said Duology she meant CLIFFHANGER… yeah well she did. Moving on….

While I didn’t really know what to expect going into this story, because we are not told in advance who the H/h will be in this one I was thrilled to meet new characters and returned to the land of Zora and learn more about the challenges and dangers that the Dragon Kings and their mates have been working to overcome. Donna Grant jumps right into the story with our heroine getting herself into trouble, but also unknowingly running into our Hero and beginning the greatest adventure of her life and kicking off the most dangerous mission either of them have ever faced. Derek is a dragon shifter, the last of his kind free from capture and is working to free his people but he is more and more questioning his allies and meeting the sexy and intriguingly secretive Kora only makes him question more. Kora is the last of her kind and she has finally accepted her responsibility to destroy the Star Person responsible for all the woes on Zora and that issued the kill orders for her family long ago. Determined to succeed in her mission to kill Villette finally, Kora will work with the very devil, but giving her trust to Derek is a whole other notion, but the more time they spend together giving into the instant attraction makes it harder to resist. Once her secret, her very identity, is revealed Kora has to trust Derek with all of her secrets, even though he continues to hide his own, but there is more going on in their world than either of them can imagine. There is another player that is out there and they both have to decide if they can trust this player, or it might just mean not only their deaths, but total destruction for two worlds and the end of the Kings.

I loved this story; despite the fact it ended in a cliffhanger that we now have to wait MONTHS to get a proper ending for—and let me tell you my biggest pet peeve in romance is cliffhangers. Derek is one of those characters that you just feel for, so dedicated to his mission that he has kept his head down and plowed through, but now he can no longer deny that things are not adding up. He wants so badly to believe that his allies aren’t evil, but the more he learns the more he comes to understand that he knows nothing of his world. I loved his passionate nature; how protective and sweet he was with Kora and the way he was willing to sacrifice for her even before he understood how much he loved her. Kora was awesome, despite her fears and hangups she is determined to help those she feels are in needs, but she really needs to learn to plan and think ahead better for sure. I loved the truth of her identity and that when she finally accepts herself she begins to find her own footing in life and battle. I hated seeing the way she was forced to deal with hit after hit as Derek’s secrets were uncovered, but her ability to love and forgive is obviously unlimited, along with her wit, and loving heart, making her the perfect match for her Dragon. Donna Grant certainly took us on an all new and different kind of adventure with this story, turning the truths we knew about the past on its ear and expanding our minds. I am dying for the conclusion to this duology to learn what happens with Kora and Derek and REALLY hope that they get their HEA, but there will have to be some serious work for all the crap that they caused to be fixed. All I can say is Dang, Donna has done is again!

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