Tempting the Dragon King is the first book in Kiersten Fay's Dragon Lords series. This first entry follows Tristan who recently lost his father in a battle and is now king, a position he wasn't ready for. His life is complicated even more when June, a human who accidentally got into an alien spaceship, starts to win his heart. But with her having to go back to Earth soon and the fact he has a much longer lifespan, can they even have a relationship?
One of the things I don't like in royalty books like this is that political things are just window dressing. On one hand I understand that the draw for books like these is to get lost in a fantasy where a guy totally out of your league falls head over heals with you. But it is still something that bothers me.
At one point in the book there is a rumor that Tristan killed his own father in his lust for power. While a fight does break out, this subplot is hardly mentioned. By the end of the book it isn't a problem at all and Tristan doesn't have to do anything to appease his own subjects. It would've been interesting for his relationship with June and the rumor to collide. Thus making him have to show his people that just because he loves a human doesn't mean he would kill his own father.
There is another point where Tristan starts thinking of June in...different positions and easily gets out of a meeting. This is a meeting where the rumor he killed his own father was mentioned. So why could he get out of that meeting without backlash? Why do we never find out who started the rumor that Tristan killed his own father?
Finally on the topic of royal political intrigue: Leanora.
Leanora was supposed to be Tristan's wife and queen. She had the right blood and upbringing to make the union worthwhile. Royal marriages aren't known for involving love, but they are known for solidifying political connections. So it would have been interesting for Leanora to not like June because of the political unrest the human marrying Tristan could bring. Leanora could also be worried that June, as a human, wouldn't be able to understand the galactic political landscape she would be thrown into.
But because this book doesn't really utilize the royalty aspect, Leanora hates June because the human has Tristan's heart. An interesting political sub-plot is tossed to the side just so the other woman who wants Tristan is cruel and unlikable so the reader knows not to root for her.
If you look past those failings, the book more than succeeds in the romance department. Both June and Tristan love each other deeply. It is very fun to read their various sexual encounters as well as how their emotions for each other deepen over the course of the book.
June has a great backstory that shows just how much she is willing to do for those she loves. Plus it also shows that even when she attempts to help things can backfire to an extremely tragic degree. Her backstory doesn't exist merely to provide angst, it is also important in one of the book's sub-plots.
Tristan has a backstory but it isn't as good. It's the usual 'guy that is supposed to be king but doesn't want to be king'. But, hey, he's hot so I'll forgive the book that fault.
I am a fan of dragons and this book doesn't disappoint. There are so many ways to portray dragons. In this book's case a dragon can either appear as a dragon or a sexy human. As a dragon emotions are much more primitive. And, yeah, there is a scene where June rides Tristan in his dragon form.
I would recommend Tempting the Dragon King by Kiersten Fay to those who want a spicy dragon shifter romance.
No comments:
Post a Comment