"A fantasy of superior quality which bridges the gap between the romance and SF&F genres"
DRAGONBORN opens with Kiril, Dag Racho's newly appointed
governor and dragon-hunter, stalking his latest victim.
Dragon's were evil. Kiril had known this since he was a boy.
His cousin Jaseen had been chosen to incubate a dragon's egg
and had become a dragonborn. It had changed the gentle young
man into a monster. Clearly the dragon had taken control of
his will. He had hoped to save the boy Huet, but it was too
late. The demon spawn had already hatched. The boy was Dag
Huet now, a dragonborn, his mind irrevocably bonded with the
newly
hatched beast. His chance to retain his humanity was lost.
Dag Huet and his dragon were no match for Kiril's legendary
sword skills. One down and one more dragonborn child left to
murder. Then it would be done. Kiril now searches for Natiya Draeva, orphaned daughter of
Dragon Scholars, hoping that she can lead him to the
Clutching Caves where he would find and destroy the egg
which held the unborn dragon Queen. Little does he know that
Nitiya herself is incubating the egg disguised as a belly
jewel in her navel, waiting for the day that she, along with
her Golden Queen, could avenge her parents' deaths by
killing the Emperor, Dag Racho, and his Copper dragon.
Already the egg communes with her. It is insatiable in its
curiosity. Seeking knowledge and experiences it questions
her endlessly and magnifies her every emotion. A new Governor must introduce himself to the population that
he will govern, and what better place to show oneself than
in the local tavern. There, quite by accident, he finds
Natiya. Natiya is a dockside dancer, the best in Dabu'ut
arguably the best in the entire realm. She is not at all
what he had presumed. Expecting a lewd display, Kiril is
blindsided by her skill and by the lust he feels for her as
he watches her dance. Although Natiya resented being forced
to dance for him, her heart beats faster at the very sight
of the new Governor. Against her will she throws herself
into the dance, performing like she's never done before. But
her only priority must be to protect the egg until the
hatching. He is sworn to kill them both. Neither of them had
counted on falling in love. DRAGONBORN is a fantasy of superior quality which bridges
the gap between the romance and SF&F genres, expertly
blending a star-crossed relationship, superb world building,
and riveting suspense. Dag Racho, the antagonist, like Kiril
and Natiya. is beautifully drawn. Like the heroes he is a
complex character whom the author takes from a sickly
tormented child to a cruel and ruthless ruler and back to
the confused and lonely man that lies deep inside him. This
book is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers, the only
difficulty will be deciding where to shelf it. For an
excellent fantasy/romance/action-suspense read, I highly
recommend DRAGONBORN by Jade Lee. I feel compelled to add for the sake of
romance readers
that there is a condition to the dragonborn bond that is
revealed at the end of the story. Quite a surprise. The
dilemma being that if the condition is fulfilled a HEA would
be impossible. The pair has seen the consequences of
resistance, due to
Dag Racho's reluctance to comply. So whether or not this
story ends happily really depends on what happens next (This
is a series). But rest assured that all is well for
now.
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted January 23, 2008
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**2008 PEARL NOMINEE - BEST OVERALL PARANORMAL ROMANCE** **2008 PEARL HONORABLE MENTION - BEST SCI-FI/FANTASY** ONE PROTECTOR When dragon power flows through your veins, when dragon thoughts burn in your mind, you can accomplish anything. Natiya knows, for she carries one of the last eggs in the land disguised as a jewel in her navel. Day by day the Unhatched grows, and when at last it births they will be joined in a sacred and eternal bond. Gone will be the barmaid forced to dance for pennies; born will be Dag Natiya, revered Queen. Take her body or her soul, nothing will stop them. ONE SLAYER When dragon power flows through your veins, when dragon emotions trample your soul, you become a monster. So knows Kiril, for one destroyed his cousin. No matter how kind or joyful, all beings must succumb to the power of the wyrm. That is why Kiril vowed to destroy dragonkind--and he has almost succeeded. Only one egg remains. But there is an obstacle he did not foresee: love.
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