New Idea for Fridays...

So let's be honest here.  Fridays are awesome.  At least what I remember from when Friday was a distinctly different day than every other day.  When I was younger it meant no school the next day and I could hang out with my friends doing whatever we decided would be the most fun.  Later it was a reprieve from classes so I could sleep in and not run up a bajillion stairs because I was running late for my morning college classes.  After I graduated it became just another day because sometimes work doesn't care if it's the unofficial start to the weekend, you still have to work your shift.  And then I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home with my girls and every day became variations of the same things, fun things, but still the same routines that are good for kids, you know?  I can usually count of the husby's work week ending with Friday unless it's tax season, then who knows when I actually get to see him during those three-month blocks.

Anyway, the point is, Friday is an awesome day for most of the world so I thought I'd start posting about a favorite book of mine on Fridays.  I'd like to say each week I'll post a new favorite book, but if you've read my first post, I'm kind of picky with my favorites.  It takes intimacy, hot sex, feels, humor, conflict, resolution, and a certain something extra that will keep me thinking about it for pretty much ever.  I'm sure you have those books where at random times you'll start thinking of a scene or while reading another book you start comparing.

For me, every book with dragon shifters is compared with and measured against What A Dragon Should Know by G.A. Aiken.

Honestly, this is the best book of the entire series.

Attraction that’s off the scale…

Only for those I love would I traipse into the merciless Northlands to risk life, limb, and my exquisite beauty. But do they appreciate it? Do they say, “Gwenvael the Handsome, you are the best among us—the most loved of all dragons?” No! For centuries my family has refused to acknowledge my magnificence as well as my innate humility. Yet for them, and because I am so chivalrous, I will brave the worst this land has to offer.


So here I stand, waiting to broker an alliance with the one the Northlanders call The Beast. A being so fearful, the greatest warriors will only whisper its name. Yet I, Gwenvael, will courageously face down this terrifying…woman? It turns out the Beast, a.k.a. Dagmar Reinholdt, is a woman—one with steel-gray eyes and a shocking disregard for my good looks. Beneath her plain robes and prim spectacles lies a sensual creature waiting to be unleashed. Who better than a dragon to thaw out that icy demeanor?

And who better than a beast to finally tame a mighty dragon’s heart?

So because I'm doing a post on this book it's safe to say I love it.  Plus, I did say I loved it.  This book is jut about everything I could hope for.  There's hilarious banter, a strong woman who doesn't really need a man, multi-faceted characters, awesome side characters, depth of intimacy, amazing steamy scenes, well-built world, logical progression, lots of humor, dragons, shifting, magic, a whole host of strong women, emotionally moving moments, honor, fidelity, loyalty, a man who doesn't deny tender feelings.  I could keep going and going and going...but I'm sure that's not so appealing to you.

Gwenvael is handsome, seemingly narcissistic and vain, arrogant (as all dragons must be), and does most of his thinking with his other head.  But beneath that, and not all that far down, is compassion, wicked intelligence, a sincere desire to please, extreme loyalty to family, perseverance, and humility that allows him to see the truth of things.  He's incredibly manipulative...but in the very best ways.  but so is the Beast.

Dagmar is small, plain, focused, cold, calculating, and a liar.  Her motivation is gain, but not gain for only herself, but for her family.  She's fiercely loyal to reason and intelligence.  Finding her match in the ridiculous Gwenvael is both unexpected and utterly perfect.

Together they face all kinds of difficulties and are part of a much larger story involving gods, dragons, war, and religion/culture.  All of those elements are building to something very, very large and that will cross over all pantheons that exist.  The world is built incredibly well with regions, landscapes, cultures, codes, religions, species, relations between the species, governments, relationships, war practices, organization...I feel like this place is impeccably described, that it could actually exist.

Of all the books in this series, and I've read each and every one of them multiple times, these MC's are by far the best to me.  Second to them would be Vigholf the Abhorrent and Rhona the Fearless, third is Braith of the Darkness and Addolgar the Cheerful.  I've read these three books at least 5 times each.

Out of every book I've ever read I think this book is the one I've read more than any other.  It never gets old for me.  This is a solidly amazing book and would love to know if anyone feels the same way about it as I do.