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Monday, June 22, 2015

Book Review: Waking the Dragon (Vale of Stars, book 1) by Juliette Cross

Waking the Dragon (Vale of Stars, book 1)
By: Juliette Cross
Pages: 288
Paranormal Romance
When the bodies of three human women are discovered in Morgon territory—with the DNA of several Morgon men on the victims—it’s just a matter of time before civil unrest hits the Province. But for ambitious reporter Moira Cade, it’s more than just a story, and it may mean risking her own life.

Descending into the dark underworld of Morgon society, Moira is paired with Kol Moonring, Captain of the Morgon Guard, for her protection. Fiercely independent, Moira bristles at his dominance, and defies his will at every turn. Yet resistance proves futile when passion flares between them, awakening powerful emotions within both, body and soul. But as the killings continue, can their fiery newfound bond survive an even greater evil—one that threatens all of humanity, Morgonkind, and Moira’s very soul?...

Waking the Dragon says it's book on in this new series, however it reads like there may have been past stories. Come to find out after the fact, there are in fact two novellas. That may have been helpful, but the authors does a pretty decent job of getting the reader caught up with the world of dragons and humans.

The first couple characters of this story were really hard for me to get in to. I was really having a hard time connecting with the characters, the world itself and why everyone seems to have really annoying names. Like our main guys last name is "Moonring", seemed odd. That's not the only odd name you will encounter, so you kind of have to get over it. Or you'll get stuck on those small things, like I did.

Crazy names aside, after chapter five this whole book clicked into place for me. It became captivating and exciting. I'm not sure why the front half drags along, but once you get going a bit the story starts to take off. Kol is flipping sexy off the charts amazing. He's just about everything I would want in my leading man. He's off the charts alpha and makes no apologizes about it. He's a protector without being controlling and he gives off some crazy sexy steam. The dragon is all kinds of orgasmic fire!

Teaming up with Kol is Moira, while her 20 year old age was a tad too young for my tastes, I did like how her character was built. The construction of her overall facets was complex without being over the top. She gets into some scary ass situations and her reactions and behaviors in those moments was pretty darn realistic.

Overall, this is a an interesting new world of lore and dragons. Man-kind and dragon-kind are under attack from a crazy enemy and it all boils into an intense plot-line. I liked it and certainly look forward to growth and progression of this world!


Getting 4 Sheep



KD

About the Author:
Juliette calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance–brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review. I keep seeing this book around. I did add Soulfire to my TBR pile the other day without realizing it was the same author.

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Christina. I happened to see your note and wanted to mention that SOULFIRE is free right now. Didn't want you to miss it while it was free. :)

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  2. Thank you for the review! Much appreciated. :)

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