Flame: Dark Kings Book 17, Donna Grant

When I say wow I truly mean that in all the big, positive and negative, stunned wow you could possibly mean.  The sheer number of secrets and surprises was staggering.  The changes in Rhi were also astounding, though those weren't quite surprising since we've had book after book detailing her struggles.  But when everything is combined, bombs are dropped, betrayal rocks the boat, and a confrontation with a monologuing villain, all the changes could mean something bad or something great is on the horizon and I'm not exactly sure how everything will play out in the last book.

Getting the Dragon King's history in the way Noreen got it was utterly unique and the perspective both in the telling and in the knowledge gained was incredible and far more potent than any other retelling thus far.  There were emotions felt, passed on, and experienced in a way that was unattainable before now because of the gift only Noreen possessed.  So when Moreanne's plan through Noreen was revealed it meant an incredible amount of pain and a betrayal we all saw coming yet hoped wouldn't actually happen.  Thank goodness for friends and allies they could count on to help them sort through that mess.  There was a question of what was added to Moreanne's spell that was unanswered and hopefully that will get resolved when Inferno comes out.

I will say that the monologuing villain was a bit too much, a bit too heavy-handed.  While it did answer some questions as well as bring up even more, it was a slightly predictable scene that could have been finessed into something a bit less cliche.  The one unpredictable bit was who showed up to perform the rescue.  That was something I didn't see coming.

There are so many times that the "cliffhanger" bits at the end of each story hint at more trouble or the next step, but the lead-in to Inferno was incredibly painful and huge.  We've known from the first who would be the pair and I have both doubts and hopes for how their story will play out.  For now though, one tumultuous relationship is enough and I'm glad for a tiny breather until we get the big battle, the redemption, the healing, the groveling, the passion, and the conclusion we've all been waiting for.

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If she believed in destiny, she would believe they were meant for each other.
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?

Ignite: Dark Kings Book 15, Donna Grant

Many times it was said throughout Ignite in various ways that they were feeling "the calm before the storm" and that was the prevailing feeling of the book too.  For all the explosiveness in V from Dragonfire, the lusty loner of previous books, the V here was subdued, isolating himself, and a very different V from any version of him previously encountered.  Claire was at turns melancholy then bright, though not nearly as effervescent as I'd thought her in Smoldering Hunger.  Both had a journey that could only be completed in finding one another.  So rather than the crazy ramping up in this story, and despite the implications of the title, this was a calmer story with maybe one "dramatic" moment and quite a few surprises.

Some of those surprises were just nuggets of information that were merely surprising because they weren't expecting it.  One surprise reveal was a bit lackluster and anticlimactic.  Another, however, had incredible, both positive and negative, implications that were a long time coming, but absolutely unpredictable.  For that bit alone I'm diving head first into the next story to see how it develops.

The quiet yet full and deep feelings during V's confessions were truly touching.  Claire's vacillation from love to uncertainty was less than what I hoped for, but their connection and honesty together was full of forthright feeling and so direct that it made up for it.  There was one part that was only touched on regarding the sword's connection and choice that was astonishing and I truly hope to see more on that and how it plays out.  I knew when we first met Claire that her role wasn't over and even though she's a vital part of Ignite, it's the role she'll play from here on out that I'm excited for.

Okay, so I'll admit that sometimes it feels like we're getting further away from the end than closer to it and a few things are being thrown in that seem to be just to lengthen the series rather than bring answers.  And I'm sure most people who've been with the series since the beginning are just wanting to get to Usaeil's downfall, the threads to be tied off, the dragons to be either brought back or checked in on, and the epic romantic details for Con and for Rhi...but with a handful of stories between now and then, some are pretty much over the whole thing at this point.  I'm not one of them.

For me it's about each and every dragon king we've learned about or is new to us and how they get their mates, each and every detail that deepens the story and betrayal and healing for Rhi, each and every character that crosses over and enlarges the world connecting it all...I'm in it for everything.  But yeah, I'm super anxious to get to the end too.  I'm a sucker for this series and there's almost nothing that could happen that would keep me from coming back for more.

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Every inch of him was molded as if from granite…and her blood ran like fire...

For centuries, V has waited to awaken from his doomed sleep and reclaim his destiny. But this Dragon King—one among a legion of legendary warriors sworn to protect the human race from darkness—must first find a way to win back his sword. Wield its power. And try not to fall prey to his own illicit desires.

Claire may possess the beauty and soul of a goddess but V knows better than to mess with a mere mortal. Still, he instinctively knows that Claire is The One who can help him regain the use of his sword and restore his place at Dreagan. But if she learns the truth about who—and what—he really is, her memories of him would be erased forever. How can V love Claire truly, madly, deeply…and protect her from the forces of fire and darkness that could destroy them both?