I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
"Planet Dragos"
by
Thea Harrison
It is part of the The Elder Races #9.8 series and is a paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Teddy Harrison LLC on May 14, 2018 and has 130 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dragon Bound, Storm's Heart, Serpent's Kiss, Oracle's Moon, Lord's Fall, Rising Darkness, Kinked, Pia Saves the Day, Falling Light, Night's Honor, "Dragos Meets Stinkpot", The Unseen
The last novella, 9.8 in The Elder Races paranormal romance series, and revolving around Dragos, the Great Beast.
My Take
Harrison claims this is the last novella in The Elder Races, but I have to wonder if she’s not setting up a spin-off involving Peanut. God, I hope so!
Harrison is using a third person multiple points-of-view from Pia’s and Dragos’ perspectives. We get a bit of “perspective” from Azrael as well…poor baby, he’s so misunderstood, and another point where Harrison could have gone subtle if she’d written a longer story.
For such a short story, there is a ton of action, and in this short story, Harrison should have made it a bit longer, as there’s a disjointed feel to it. It all fits well enough and events follow well enough, but it was too abbreviated. Of course, it could be because Harrison says this is the last novella, and my fear of never reading about Dragos or Peanut again is raising its ugly little head. So, yeah, grain of salt time.
It’s a tale that begins with regrets, slides into self-reflection, and then swings into fear with that inciting incident. The action that follows had me on my toes and enjoying the laziness afterwards.
It’s the restlessness after that, the plans being made, that start to raise my own hopes.
The Story
Pregnancy hormones flaring, Pia and Dragos are battling, even as they head to Las Vegas for Rune and Carling’s wedding.
From the moment they arrive, the trip goes awry, for Death walks in Vegas, and Pia is kidnapped as an ancient enemy makes a move to destroy the Great Beast once and for all.
Dragos may be banned from gambling in Vegas, but he’ll be betting heavily on his mate.
The Characters
Dragos Cuelebre, a.k.a., the Great Beast, shapeshifts into a dragon, one of the first generation of the Elder Races when the earth was formed, a Primal Power,, and is the Wyr leader based in New York. His corporation is Cuelebre Enterprises. Pia Giovanni Cuelebre shapeshifts into a unicorn and is hugely pregnant with Stinkpot. Liam Giovanni Cuelebre, a.k.a., Peanut, is at college now (Lord’s Fall, 5). My, children grow up so fast these days, lol. Eva is Pia’s bodyguard and shifts into a canine.
His Sentinels include Aryal, the harpy investigator, and her mate, Quentin Caeravorn, a mixed-breed who is part Wyr (he shifts into a panther), part Elven, and part Dark Fae (Kinked, 6); Bayne; Alexander Elysias, a pegasus; Constantine; Grym, a gargoyle; and, Graydon (he’s the First Sentinel with Beluviel as his mate, Shadow’s End, 9).
Dr. Medina is monitoring Pia’s tricky pregnancy. Dr. Kathryn Shaw is the surgeon who specializes in Wyr sentinel injuries.
Rune (he’d been Dragos’ First Sentinel, a shapeshifting gryphon) and Vampyre Queen Carling Severan, a very powerful sorceress, (Serpent’s Kiss, 3) are getting married. Rune and Carling’s friends from Florida include Dr. Seremela Telemar, a medusa, who’s with Duncan, a Vampyre; Grace (she’s the Oracle) and Kahlil, a djinn (Oracle’s Moon, 4); and, Claudia and Luis.
Las Vegas
The Riverview is owned by Titiana, the Light Fae Queen, through her company, Northern Lights. Rael Malweth, a.k.a., Azrael or Death, performs in a magic show and appears to be Dragos’ brother from the before times.
Ferion is Beluviel’s stepson and the Elven High Lord in South Carolina.
Caerlovena is an elf from the ancient times, seeking vengeance.
The Cover and Title
The cover is bright with a gorgeous sky in a range of purples, a full moon providing the light to silhouette a flying dragon. The lower half of the background is Las Vegas at night. Dragos has his naked back to us, a light tracing of stylized dragon scales on his left shoulder, wearing jeans and a thick, black leather belt. He’s poised for action, so watch out. The series information is in the upper right corner in a bright, light blue. The title is in white across Dragos’ back while the author’s name and an info blurb are in a light lime green at the bottom.
The title is the world as it revolves around “Planet Dragos”.
