Title: Flame
Series: Dark Kings #17
Author: Donna Grant
Release Date: June 30,
2020
Published By: St.
Martin’s
Category: Fantasy –
Romance – Paranormal – Dragons – Shifters – Fae – Futuristic
Type: Digital –
Paperback
Rating:
Heat:
Blurb:
Flame is the next Dark Kings book in New
York Times bestselling author Donna Grant's series.
If she believed in
destiny, she would believe they were meant for each other.
But that fire was put out long ago. . .
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?
By reading any further, you are stating that
you are at least 18 years of age.
If you are under the age of 18,
please exit this site.
Favorite Lines:
She – a Dark Fae – was going
to get to ride atop a Dragon King. And it had nothing to do with sex. ~
Noreen
Ulrik rolled his eye. “You
do realize that I’ve watched the Italian Job, too? It means freaked out,
insecure, neurotic, and emotional.”
~ Ulrik
“I’m the sturdy kind,
lass. Cling to me all you want.” ~ Cain
Vocabulary Word:
Sublime
sub·lime | \ sə-ˈblīm \
sublimed; subliming
(Entry 1 of 2)
1: to cause to pass directly from the solid to
the vapor state and condense back to solid form
2[French sublimer, from Latin sublimare]
a(1): to elevate or exalt especially in dignity or honor
b: to convert (something inferior) into something
of higher worth
: to pass directly from the solid
to the vapor state
sub·lime | \ sə-ˈblīm \
sublimer; sublimest
(Entry 2 of
2)
b: of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or
moral worth
c: tending to inspire awe usually because of
elevated quality (as of beauty, nobility, or grandeur) or transcendent excellence
2a archaic : high in place
c capitalized : SUPREME —used in a style of address
Excerpt:
“Ryder,” Cain said. “There’s something you should read.”
Ryder kept typing as he said, “I’m sure you can handle it.”
“It’s important.”
There was a sigh before Ryder said, “Read it to me.”
Cain swiveled in his chair so he faced Ryder. Then he began to read. “To whom it may concern. I know whoever is reading this is a Dragon King. I know because I’m a Dark Fae. I took this route in contacting you because I didn’t believe you would listen to me if I showed up at Dreagan. However, what I have to say is important, so I hope you take this seriously since I’m putting my life on the line.”
By this time, Ryder had stopped typing and was staring at him, as was Kinsey.
“For most of my life, I’ve been a part of the Others,” Cain continued. “I truly believed it was better for everyone if your kind was gone. It no longer matters what justification I had for my thoughts and actions before now. No species has the right to be annihilated by another. I’ve seen the truth of what the Others truly are, and I want no part in it. It’s why I’ve come to you. I can help you take them down.
“Now, some might believe this is a trap. Honestly, I would as well, but it isn’t. This is one Fae who wants to stop the Others. I can tell you where they will be so you can attack and end all of this once and for all.”
There was a deep frown on Ryder’s face. “How was it signed?”
Cain glanced at the signature. “Just with an N.”
“We can discover who it is,” Kinsey said. “The IP address is easy enough to find.”
Cain glanced at the top of the email and shrugged before he scooted the chair away. “Have at it.”
Ryder rolled his chair to the keyboard and monitor Cain had just been using. Though Cain could’ve taken the opportunity to leave, he found that he wanted to stay and find out if this was real or not.
He watched as Ryder entered some code, though he was too fast for Cain to see exactly what it was.
“They’re hiding their location,” Ryder said. “Whoever this is wanted to stay anonymous. They’ve used Proton Mail, which makes it difficult for most people to track.”
“But not you,” Kinsey said with a grin.
Ryder looked at his mate and winked. “Damn straight, sweetheart.”
Cain grinned at the two of them. They were something together. With so many Kings finding their mates, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d get as lucky. Not that he was going to hold his breath for such a thing.
“Got it,” Ryder said and sat back with a smile. “The email originated in Scotland, about twenty-five miles from here.”
“That’s close,” Cain said.
Ryder glanced his way and nodded. “Yes, it is.”
“Give me the IP,” Kinsey urged.
Ryder did something on the keyboard, and then Kinsey was furiously pounding away at hers. A short time later, she let out a little whoop. Cain watched the two rows of monitors act as one huge screen as Kinsey hacked into the CCTV of where the email had come from.
“It’s an internet cafe,” Ryder said.
Cain’s gaze roamed around the screen to the various computers and people sitting at them. “We’ll never be able to figure out who it is.”
“Oh, ye of little faith,” Kinsey said with a smile.
Ryder chuckled, and all Cain could do was watch in awe.
“Here we go,” Kinsey announced as she hit the enter button with a flourish.
The monitors blinked, and Cain found himself staring at a woman’s face. The silver in her hair and her red eyes may be absent, but there was no doubt she was using glamour to hide herself. She kept her baseball cap pulled low, and her gaze scanned the cafe frequently as if she were worried about being followed.
“She looks scared,” Cain said.
Ryder blew out a breath and laced his hands behind his head. “If her email is legit, then she has every reason to be.”
“Or,” Kinsey said, letting the word linger for a moment, “she knew that we’d hack in and find her, so this is all a show.”
Cain shrugged. “Is it a chance we can take?”
“I doona believe it is, and I think once we tell Con, he’ll agree,” Ryder pointed out.
Kinsey’s lips twisted in a frown. “All I can think of is a trap. We’ve suffered enough.”
“But the Others need to be dealt with.”Cain got to his feet. “I’ll find Con and tell him the news.”
Ryder gave a nod. “I’m forwarding the email to his computer so he’ll be able to read it for himself.”
Cain left the computer room and made his way to Constantine’s office.
...
Cain stopped outside of Con’s office. The door was slightly ajar. He gave a quick knock.
“Enter,” Con said from inside.
Cain pushed open the door and walked into the office. Con sat behind his desk dressed in his usual dark suit and dress shirt, looking through a file that contained several papers as well as photos. He closed it and looked up at Cain with his fathomless black eyes.
“You have some jelly on the side of your mouth,” Con stated.
Cain reached up and wiped it off with the pad of his finger before sticking the digit into his mouth and savoring the last bit of sweetness.
“That tells me where you’ve been,” Con said. He sat back in his chair. “And I’m guessing the ding of my email is from Ryder?”
“There’s something you need to read,” Cain explained.
Con didn’t need to be told twice. He turned to the open laptop. It didn’t take him long to read the message in his inbox.
“Ryder and Kinsey determined that the note originated twenty-five miles away. They also pulled up the CCTV footage. The email is from a woman. She used glamour as well as a hat to help hide her face.”
Con’s gaze slid to him. He smoothed a lock of wavy blond hair from his forehead. “You doona think this is a trap?”
“I can no’ say for sure, but I think it’s something we should check out.”
“By the email, the Dark intends to tell us where the Others are meeting. Reply to her, and then go to the cafe and see if she returns.”
Cain raised a brow. “You want me to confront her?”
“She’ll tell you more one-on-one.”
“Or she’ll run.”
A quick smile pulled at Con’s lips. “She willna get far with you chasing her.”
Highlight:
Their gazes met, and in the next instant, a dragon stood where Cain had been. Noreen took an involuntary step backward at the up close and personal view she had of him. Cain was . . . gigantic.
Shiny scales in a blue so deep they looked almost black met her gaze. She knew the moment her eyes landed on them that she had never seen him before. With a color like Cain’s, she never would have forgotten him.
Her heart raced as she took a closer look at him. The deep blue lightened slightly on his underbelly. His talons were razor-sharp. His long tail had a stinger on the end of it, reminding her of a scorpion.
Cain stood as still as a statue, giving her time to take him in. She could feel his eyes on her, but she wasn’t ready to look at his face yet. Instead, she lingered on his wings tucked against him. They were the same blue as his scales but appeared leathery.
She looked at the top of his back where she would be sitting and noticed the double row of spines that trailed all the way down to the base of his tail. At least she would have something to hold onto.
Finally, she looked at his face and into the huge pale yellow eyes staring at her. His nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath. As he blew out, the force of the air lifted her hair.
Cain moved so he was lying down. She knew it was now or never. Either she grabbed hold of the adventure he offered, or she forever remained on the ground, wondering what it was like to be taken for a ride on a Dragon King.
Her life could end tomorrow. She was going to take whatever was offered to her and experience it to its fullest. She gave Cain a smile and walked to his side. She used his front leg to climb up.
It was awkward, and she nearly fell off twice, but she finally managed to get settled. It wasn’t until she looked down that she saw how far she was from the ground. And Cain hadn’t even spread his wings.
He got to his feet, and she could tell he was being cautious. She held onto the spikes before her, using the ones behind her to lean against.
Cain spread his wings, and an excited thrill went through her. He gave her no warning before he launched himself into the air. The force of it took her breath away. Her hands slipped on the spikes, but thankfully, the ones at her back held her in place. She squeezed her legs as hard as she could to help keep herself steady, but it did little good.
It wasn’t long before he leveled out, allowing her a little breathing room so she didn’t feel as if she were going to plunge to her death in the next heartbeat. The wind whipped about her, and the sound of his wings beating was a loud whoosh each time. Only then did she draw in a steadying breath and look around.
“Oh, wow,” she murmured.
The sight before her was so beautiful, she was at a loss for words. It was as if this part of the Fae Realm hadn’t been touched by war. She knew that wasn’t possible, however. Yet, there was no denying that something or someone had gone to a great deal of effort to return this section of the realm to the beauty that had once been here.
Cain remained high in the sky, but anyone who looked up would see him. Noreen felt like they had a target painted on them. Yet she couldn’t deny that their vantage point gave them a view they wouldn’t otherwise get.
The area within the shield was larger than she had thought possible. No matter how many passes they made, she didn’t see any signs of Fae or any other beings besides the animals.
She liked being on top of Cain. It was exhilarating and empowering. The idea that there might be an end to the dragons forever was like a knife to her heart. If she’d had any doubts about her decision to help the Kings before, they were well and truly gone now.
To her regret, she felt Cain begin his descent. She knew their time was up when she saw the lake coming into view. The sun was gone, and the sky was darkening, the stars becoming visible. She wanted to ask him to stay out a little longer. Instead, she held onto him and lifted her face upward to let the wind brush against her.
Before she knew it, Cain had landed. She gingerly dismounted and looked into his eyes. He remained in his true form for a heartbeat longer before he shifted.
Noreen’s stomach fluttered at the sight of him nude. Cain was utter perfection. Hard sinew covered every inch of him from his broad shoulders, to his thick arms, washboard stomach, and toned legs.
Her gaze caught on the dragon tattoo on his chest. The red and black ink formed an intricate design of him as a dragon, standing with his head turned to the side and his mouth open, his wings half-spread. The tail ended just below his navel, and she couldn’t stop her gaze as it lowered to his cock.
He was semi-hard, but the moment she looked at him, it jutted upward as if straining to get to her.
She didn’t even attempt to deny the desire that swelled within her at the sight of him. It had already been there, swirling and tightening. Now, it demanded release.
It demanded him .
She raised her gaze to his face. Their eyes clashed. Desire burned in his, leaving her no doubt that he wanted her, too. She was the first to take a tentative step toward him. Once she had, he began to walk. They met halfway, but still didn’t touch.
He was right before her, and yet she was afraid to touch him, scared that this was all a dream. But if it were, she never wanted to wake up.
Her heart skipped a beat when his gaze dropped to her mouth. She wanted his kiss, needed it. To taste him, to feel his tongue against hers. She thought about flying through the sky upon his back and knew that being in his arms, having him fill her with his gorgeous cock was going to be just as thrilling, just as breathtaking.
His hands slid to either side of her face as he searched her eyes. His thumbs moved gently across her cheeks. Then his head lowered.
Her eyes shut as his mouth drew near. She waited, her breath locked in her lungs, awaiting the feel of his lips against hers. The moment they touched, she sighed in contentment. His mouth was soft yet insistent. His lips moved over hers with practiced ease.
The instant his tongue slid into her mouth, his arms went around her, bringing her close. She melted against him, her hands lifting to hold onto him as their tongues danced, heightening the desire in her already heated body.
He deepened the kiss and moaned, making chills race over her skin. She held nothing back, giving as much as he did. One of his hands fisted a handful of her hair while the other pressed against her lower back, bringing her against his arousal. She dug her nails into his skin as she groaned in response.
Then, suddenly, he stepped back, ending the kiss. She tried to get her bearings, but the world was spinning, and the only one who could anchor her was Cain.
“You doona have to,” he said in a voice roughed by need. “This isna part of my deal to protect you."
She reached for him, blinking to focus. “Shut up and kiss me.”
He didn’t need to be told again.
Review:
Noreen has put herself in a dangerous
position. A Dark Fae – she has lived resolutely in her knowledge of what she
fights for and why she fights. Not only that, but who she fights. And the Dragon
Kings rank on the top of her list of enemies. She has personal reasons for her conviction
against them, and no one would blame her for the hatred she clings to. But
recently she has grown weary of the battle and suspicious of much surrounding
her. Acting on an impulse to warn the Kings, she suddenly finds her identity
discovered, running for her life, refusing to use her magic for fear of being
tracked, and under the protection of the most sinfully sexy man she has ever encountered.
He’s also a Dragon King. As Noreen relentlessly supplies him with all of the
information she can, knowing their time is fleeting, their passion flares. Before
she knows what hit her, she finds herself clinging to Cain rather than the
hatred that has fueled her for ages. But she is Dark and he is a King. There is
no way they could ever have any hope of a future together. The Ludacris reality
is that they complement one another, and they shouldn’t. A Dark and Dragon King
is unheard of. Besides that, there is a lot more occurring than meets the eye
and when Noreen realizes the heart-wrenching truth, everything she started to
believe in begins to crumble at her feet. But as long as she can prevent the
destruction of the Dragon Kings, she will have accomplished what she set out to
do. Her heart was never supposed to be a part of the equation anyway. Whatever
her fate might be, she will accept it with whatever dignity she can.
Cain is well and truly caught by the
silver-haired vixen almost immediately. Having discovered the email opening her
lines of communication and then tracking her down at her hideout, he
immediately sets out to determine her intentions. It could all be a trap.
Dragon Kings and Dark Fae do not co-mingle and her shocking olive branch should
be approached with caution. But Cain’s desire for Noreen runs deep and their
power to resist the temptation quickly shatters. He realizes early on what her
role will be in his future but chooses to hold onto that information for a
while. They are in a life and death situation and he does not want to add to
her worry. But neither will he abandon her; even after the truth behind her
appearance in his life comes to light. Struggling with what was real and what
was fabricated, Cain seeks aid and counsel from his fellow Kings. When a plan
is hatched to take down Moreann, placing Noreen in grave danger, Cain is torn.
He’s always known his purpose in living for and protecting his own, but suddenly
this enticing fae upends his life and sends him reeling from the impact. If he
can calm down long enough to allow the plan to proceed, it may have a chance to
work. But if he loses Noreen, he might never recover from the devastation. They
may be the most unlikely pair to have ever occurred, but their connection is as
real as his dragon scales. The truth lies on a slippery slope but despite the treachery,
together they have a chance at both saving his people and claiming a love that
will last for eternity.
As a first time reader within this
series, I struggled quite a bit. I had not realized that I was jumping into a
book that happens to land at a distant #17 from the first book in the series.
Had I paid attention, I likely would have skipped this book. It’s not that Ms.
Grant didn’t attempt to explain past events to try and bring the reader current
because she did do that. And thankfully, I was able to piece together a good
amount of information between these pages. However, at seventeenth in the series,
so fricking much has occurred, it would be impossible for Ms. Grant to be able
to fill in every single blank. There were obviously so many events and so many
people that some fell through the cracks, leaving me with a big question mark
as to what has happened and who the person was. Don’t get me wrong, I in no way
hold this against Ms. Grant. As stated, it was my overlook in missing the
numbered order this book fell in. However, the books boast stand-alone
capability. And yes, I suppose in one way this was fine as a stand-alone. But with
so much missing from the puzzle that has been weaved over the previous sixteen
books, I wouldn’t recommend it. Do yourself a favor and start at the beginning.
For those of you who have that “need to know” proclivity, save yourself the
aggravation and go in with the knowledge that it’s highly recommended to read
in order. You won’t have a cliffhanger or anything dramatic like that. There HEA is attained and an interesting set up for the next portion of the
series is included. But I can’t help but wish I had gone in with all of the
necessary information from the previous installments to enhance my reading pleasure.
Despite the glaring amount of missing
information, I found that I enjoyed this book enough to be able to complete it.
I haven’t read a paranormal romance with dragons in quite some time and I was
wanting to experience another. I think my biggest issue outside of the series
number is that everything happened so flipping fast. I mean we are talking just
a few days. From Noreen sending the email, to Cain tracking her down, to the
time in the Fae realm, to uncovering the truth of Noreen’s motivation, to
hatching and enacting on the plan ... it’s a bit rushed, even for a romance. It’s
a flaw I can overlook. I mean it’s all a fantasy world anyway, right? And in
fantasy, anything can occur. And sometimes, the more fantastical, the better. I
didn’t love that the time frame was so swift, but it also didn’t seem like it
took place that quickly. It’s only when you sit back and think about it that
you realize just how rapidly everything happened. I thoroughly enjoyed Cain’s
character. In all honesty, it was the brogue that drew me in from the get-go. I
mean what woman wouldn’t love a sexy accent? I enjoyed Cain’s conflict with
his emotional connection to Noreen and the fierce protection of his clan
warring with one another internally. One of his greatest strengths and
weaknesses is his protective nature – to the point that it causes him physical
and emotional pain. But despite his own suffering, rather than sending the world
up in a blaze of dragon fire, he remains fair and just in assessing situations
with a balanced view – seeing both sides of the war despite how much he may support
or oppose the view. Noreen, I couldn’t get a handle on. She’s basically been a
pawn all of her life. She shows great strength in warning the Dragon Kings, yet
she’s admittedly never been in an actual battle. She could have been beyond
kick-ass, yet she comes off as unsure of herself one minute, yet full of sass
and spirit the next. Her character could have been so much more. Cain sees a
lot more in her than I was able to see, so for me, her character was a bit of a
missed opportunity. If she is to have any type of role in the future – and it
seems as though she would have to given her vast knowledge of the Others and
that fact that they have yet to be dealt with – then she needs to grow to her
full potential and project confidence as the series progresses. Given that her
story has been told, I am unsure how likely this will be. But hopefully Ms.
Grant will throw her a bone somewhere later on. Together, their scenes of
passion were fairly arousing, but while somewhat descriptive, they also lacked an
element that I cannot quite put my finger on. I could visualize what was
happening, but somewhat hazily as if the scene wasn’t quite complete. Or maybe
it was all of the reflection as Cain is balls deep – who reflects that much
while in the throes of passion anyway – I’m unsure exactly, but something was
slightly off.
Besides Cain and Noreen, there were probably
no less than twenty other characters mentioned. Some were a part of this story
and some were a part of past events and never actually appeared in this book.
It was a lot to take in and complete assimilation never happened for me. Although
I think the case would have been the same for anyone reading the seventeenth book
first. While Cain was definitely my favorite character, I was equally intrigued
by both Constantine and Rhi. I am sure knowing some of their backgrounds would
have helped with the mystery surrounding them, but a lot seemed to remain
unsaid. They both look to have long journeys ahead of them. If the epilogue
indicates the next book, then Rhi is up next and will hopefully find some peace
and closure in her volatile world. Things seem to be unraveling fast for her,
but she may have found a purpose that will help to rein her in a bit. Likewise for
Constantine – with unraveling, that is – and I am unsure what can be done for his
state of mind, but something needs to be figured out quickly to avoid his …
well, possibly imminent demise, based on what was playing out. So there are
some facets to this book that drew me in and held my attention. Others that I
wasn’t overly impressed with. I can’t help but think that if I had begun at the
beginning, I would have felt a deeper connection to these characters and
likely enjoyed the book that much more. Heck, even enjoyed the characters
themselves that much more. And I am contradicting myself in saying this, but if
given the next book in the series, I think I would go ahead and proceed with
it. Since I now hold a smattering of understanding within this world, I would
like to see what comes next and if my reading pleasure increases with that bit
of awareness. But the bottom line remains. If you haven’t begun this series, I
highly recommend waiting until you are ready to read this book in the order it
was meant to be read in. It definitely holds a ton of potential, but to reach
its highest potential, the familiarity with the previous books in series is
necessary. Take it for what it’s worth as it is merely my opinion. But given
the chance to do it over again, I would have waited and started the journey at
the very beginning.
Kindle
version provided by NetGalley/St.Martin’s in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I lurve comments! Say whatever is on your mind; just keep it respectful. I am always game for a conversation. :)