I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
The Dragon Who Loved Me
by
G.A. Aiken
paranormal romance in Paperback edition that was published by Zebra on September 1, 2011 and has 383 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dragon Actually, What a Dragon Should Know, Last Dragon Standing, About a Dragon, How to Drive a Dragon Crazy, Supernatural, Light My Fire, Feel the Burn, The Blacksmith Queen, The Princess Knight
Fifth in the Dragon Kin hysterically funny paranormal romance fantasy series revolving around a family of shapeshifting dragons and their friends. The couple focus is on Vigholf, Ragnar’s brother, and Rhoan, the Sergeant of the Cadwaladrs.
My Take
I love the sarcastic comments that Aiken throws in about the Northland dragons and how it only takes five years of battling alongside the Southland female dragons for the Lightnings to learn to hold their tongues. They still can’t resist stepping in to “protect” these Cadwaladr women. These Northlanders are so confused with these particular dragonesses as they don’t behave like proper female dragons!
CAUTION: I should probably warn you that there is a lot of swearing in this. In all of the Dragon Kin books…
It’s so much fun to read the interactions between Rhona and Vigholf. He teases with having another adorable little spear made for her. This is the book you want to read when you just need a good laugh and a few chuckles.
Five years of battle and Éibhear is still fighting with Celyn about Izzy. Then there’s the horses incident…too funny! Even better when the mare pairs up with Rhona and they both laugh at the stallion and Vigholf.
Lots of adventure, action, and snarking. It doesn’t get much better than this…when you simply want to LYAO.
It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve only read five books in this series. So much has happened and I adore the characters so much, that it feels more like ten. This is definitely a buy series for me. I already want to go back and start re-reading simply for the fun of it.
The Story
It can take forever for a Northland dragon to court the dragoness he loves, so Vigholf is in no hurry to claim Rhona for his own. At least, not to her face. He’s already laid down the law to his kin.
For five years the Southland dragons and their allies have fought against the Iron dragons in the Euphrasia Valley. Five years of fighting together on the same battlefield and all those opportunities to tease Rhona about her pretty little spear, protecting her as a Cadwaladr, you know how well she accepts that!, and nicknaming her the Babysitter.
He finally gets his chance when Rhona is ordered to accompany Keita and Ren back to Garbhán Isle to protect the children. There is no way that Rhona is going without him. But when they get home, they learn that Annwyl is missing and Rhona is sent to rescue her, bring her back before her army takes fright.
But, this is Annwyl and nothing can ever be that easy.
The Characters
Rhona the Fearless, a.k.a., the Sergeant, is an incredible fighter, but really would prefer to work as a blacksmith like her dad. It’s her proven record as a fighter who does exactly what she’s told that finds her with this particular covert mission. Meanwhile, she’s picked up the slack from her mother’s inability to mother and has raised most of her siblings. Bradana the Mutilator is her mother and keeps pushing Rhona to go off to Dragonwarrior training like the rest of her children. I think it’s this disappointment that has made Rhona feel worthless. Three of her siblings, the triplets, are featured in this story: Edana, Nesta, and Breena. Delen is another sister. Sulien the Black is her father, spews lava, and is a truly talented blacksmith.
Vigholf the Abhorrent is a Northland dragon, a Lightning. And always starving. He’s also Ragnar’s brother and he has fought by Rhona’s side these past five years. He’s warned all of his kin away from her for she will be his. He is a very positive thinking dragon. I do like that he’s asking his mother, Davon, for courting advice and how very protective he is of her in any situation. Meinhard is his cousin.
Fearghus the Black, Briec the Mighty, Gwenvael the Really Pissy because he hasn’t seen his wife in years, and Éibhear the Blue are Rhona’s royal cousins. Their parents are Bercelak the Great, consort and commander of the Queen’s armies, and Queen Rhiannon. Keita the Viper is still with Ragnar, but he hasn’t dared claim her yet. Even if she is his Battle Twat, er, Slut, er, Slag, wait, no…his Battle Maid. Morfyd the White is the Eldest Daughter and Battle Mage for Queen Alwynn’s Army and mated to General Brastias, a human.
Celyn the Black is a Cadwaladr cousin and he’s been seeing Iseabail, a.k.a., Izzy, who is Briec and Talaith’s daughter. She was promoted to squire to Annwyl which terrified her mother and made Izzy ecstatically happy. Branwen the Black is Izzy’s best friend. And a Cadwaladr. Issy is also the woman Éibhear refuses to acknowledge that he loves. It’s Éibhear and Celyn’s fighting obsession that creates disaster and sends Éibhear into a tailspin. Austell the Red is their friend. Auntie Ghleanna is General of the Seventh and Ninth Legions.
Annwyl the Bloody is the queen of Garbhán Isle and married to Fearghus. They have a set of bloodthirsty twins who are now about seven years old: Talan and Talwyn. These two and Rhia demonstrate some truly awesome power. Ebba is their centaur nanny.
Talaith, a Nolwenn witch, is mated to Briec and she is Izzy and Rhia’s mother. The Kyvich are warrior witches who are pledged to protect the three children from harm; ásta is their commander. Dagmar Reinholdt, a.k.a., The Beast, is Annwyl’s Battle Lord, for she has a fearsome intellect and is an even more brilliant strategist. She’s mated to Gwenvael.
Ren of the Chosen is an ally and Keita’s best friend. He has the ability to open portals between lands.
The Irons are vicious brutes and want to conquer the world and Overlord Thracius is the ruler of the Iron dragons in the Quintilian Province, what became the Quintilian Sovereigns. Keita slew his wife and threw her body parts down in front of him, which started off this war. Well, it was coming. This just kicked it off a bit sooner. His daughter, Vateria, has some vicious, nasty hobbies. Columella is another daughter. Junius Toranius is a dragonmage who has the hots for Vateria. Laudaricus Parthenius is another of Thracius’ commanders and his human representative. Chramnesind is the blind gold worshipped by the Iron dragons. Part of the Iron dragons desire to conquer the world is to force everyone to worship only their god.
The Western Tribesmen have been bribed into attacking Garbhán Isle and kidnapping the children.
The Rebel Dragon King of the Septima Mountains is an Iron dragon, Thracius’ nephew, Gaius Lucius Domitus. Varro Marius Parthenius is Laudaricus’ son and best friends, nay, brothers with Gaius. Agrippina is Gaius’ sister who has been held hostage for his good behavior by Vateria for years.
Nannulf is a wolf-god and Eir’s companion. Usually. Eir is a mercenary and a goddess of war. She’s also the dragon god’s, Rhydderch Hael‘s, woman, although she’s definitely on the Southlanders’ side.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a bright background of turquoises and grass greens with a full moon and a tiny dragon in the upper left corner. Filling the page is the well-muscled back of Vigholf as he stretches out.
The title could go either way, but my preference is for Vigholf. He is so patient and pushy
both through his own culture’s slow custom of courtship and because Rhona just doesn’t seem interested. Yet. Of course, it could be a tongue-in-cheek, and very Aiken, for it to be interpreted as Vigholf’s optimism, just knowing that Rhona is The Dragon Who Loved Me.
