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Dragon Souls #2
Burn
Something deadly lurks beneath the surface of Marina's skin, a wildness, a magickal creature born from fire and ice. After crossing dimensions to the fiery land of dragons, where not only is she a princess, but descendant from one of the most powerful dragons in existence, Marina has chosen to enter the tournamnet Aver to win the Frost Wreath. She must face four deadly quests to be crowned queen of the Ice Realm, and to win the right to hunt Koen Raad, her dragon mate. Between assassination attempts, the growing darkness in her adopted son, and the deadly quests of Aver itself, Marina's chances of survival grow dimmer by the day.
401 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2012
31 people are currently reading
902 people want to read
About the author
Penelope Fletcher
27 books1,350 followersPenelope Jade Fletcher is a British author of genre romance. She has a number of international digital bestsellers, reaching the Amazon Kindle UK Top 100 chart in early 2011 with her third book, and the Barnes & Noble Nook Top 100 chart later the same year with her fifth.
Debuting at twenty two years old in 2010 with young adult fantasy Glamour, Penelope predominantly writes romance novels with supernatural elements, but recently penned a historical western, and has a regency romance in the works.
Penelope has independently sold over 100,000 eBooks. She loves nothing more than reading. Writing comes a close second.
Debuting at twenty two years old in 2010 with young adult fantasy Glamour, Penelope predominantly writes romance novels with supernatural elements, but recently penned a historical western, and has a regency romance in the works.
Penelope has independently sold over 100,000 eBooks. She loves nothing more than reading. Writing comes a close second.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 3, 2014
First of all, I think it is definitely about time Penelope got herself an editor or at the very least proof read her shit. This book was much better than the others I have read by her in the respect to horrible typo's and grammar, but it was still horrible.
It took me a bit to get back into the story since Fletcher spent no time recapping the first book. The pacing was all over the place so the book did not flow.
Bringing Cat over really held no purpose other than to show you what a horrible friend Marina kept. Marina had every right to be upset with Cat for her actions. Furthermore, Cat was extremely callous about everything she said to her. To tell her it was a good thing her mother was dead was really low. I was surprised that Marina just took it. I was surprised by Mikhail's lack of response also. Cat was left to run her mouth off without consequence.
Marina held Mikhail to human standards but she didn't hold the same standards for Cat--who was human.
Having a dominate male being dominated by a female was a fun angle--but part of the book was watered down. The Hunt was a much anticipated part of the book. So I don't know why Fletcher decided to forgo it altogether. Every battle scene left me unsatisfied.
I didn't really care for how Marina decided she was going to change everything about this new realm. I agreed with her thoughts on the matter, but again she was expecting the Dragons to behave like humans. More than that, this book spent a lot of time talking about all of the things she wanted to do but when it came down to it, once she became empress, there was no mention of the changes she made. It jumped to seven years later without anything to show for it.
I don't know that I could read another book by Fletcher. She is aware that her books are riddled with flaws but she does nothing to try to prevent them in her new books. That's lazy and disrespectful in a way to her readers. It says to me that she doesn't care to make her books coherent. She knows she has good ideas--which she does--but she does not execute them well. An author should feel pride in their work but they should also want to present their book in the best condition they possibly can muster. Fletcher does not even attempt to do this. There were sentences that made absolutely no sense. So many missing words. So many wrong words. It's just not worth my time quite frankly.
It took me a bit to get back into the story since Fletcher spent no time recapping the first book. The pacing was all over the place so the book did not flow.
Bringing Cat over really held no purpose other than to show you what a horrible friend Marina kept. Marina had every right to be upset with Cat for her actions. Furthermore, Cat was extremely callous about everything she said to her. To tell her it was a good thing her mother was dead was really low. I was surprised that Marina just took it. I was surprised by Mikhail's lack of response also. Cat was left to run her mouth off without consequence.
Marina held Mikhail to human standards but she didn't hold the same standards for Cat--who was human.
Having a dominate male being dominated by a female was a fun angle--but part of the book was watered down. The Hunt was a much anticipated part of the book. So I don't know why Fletcher decided to forgo it altogether. Every battle scene left me unsatisfied.
I didn't really care for how Marina decided she was going to change everything about this new realm. I agreed with her thoughts on the matter, but again she was expecting the Dragons to behave like humans. More than that, this book spent a lot of time talking about all of the things she wanted to do but when it came down to it, once she became empress, there was no mention of the changes she made. It jumped to seven years later without anything to show for it.
I don't know that I could read another book by Fletcher. She is aware that her books are riddled with flaws but she does nothing to try to prevent them in her new books. That's lazy and disrespectful in a way to her readers. It says to me that she doesn't care to make her books coherent. She knows she has good ideas--which she does--but she does not execute them well. An author should feel pride in their work but they should also want to present their book in the best condition they possibly can muster. Fletcher does not even attempt to do this. There were sentences that made absolutely no sense. So many missing words. So many wrong words. It's just not worth my time quite frankly.
February 23, 2014
3.5
There were parts of this installment that I really liked and there were parts of this that were just ok. I love the world, and how Marina stands up for what she believes in. I don't love how selfish she is and how she admits to being wrong but then holds grudges based on pride. The challenges and political intrigue were really exciting. And the parts between Marina and Kaol were mostly good, they have a more developed relationship, plenty of sexy times, and an understanding. However, I hattteeddddd the ending!!!! First off, it felt totally rushed!
And also there are A LOT of typos. Not even grammatical erros (which I think there are a lot) but just tons of errors. It was a bit distracting. Anyway, Looking forward to the last one whenever it comes about. I won't hold my breath this time since this series is totally unscheduled.
There were parts of this installment that I really liked and there were parts of this that were just ok. I love the world, and how Marina stands up for what she believes in. I don't love how selfish she is and how she admits to being wrong but then holds grudges based on pride. The challenges and political intrigue were really exciting. And the parts between Marina and Kaol were mostly good, they have a more developed relationship, plenty of sexy times, and an understanding. However, I hattteeddddd the ending!!!! First off, it felt totally rushed!
And also there are A LOT of typos. Not even grammatical erros (which I think there are a lot) but just tons of errors. It was a bit distracting. Anyway, Looking forward to the last one whenever it comes about. I won't hold my breath this time since this series is totally unscheduled.
Want to read
August 5, 2013UPDATE 8/4/13
is this book ever going to come out? the publication date says Dec of 2012 on goodreads and the the author's website!! GGGGGRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGGGGLLLLLLLLLLBBBBBLAHHHH!!!!!!! O.o
is this book ever going to come out? the publication date says Dec of 2012 on goodreads and the the author's website!! GGGGGRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGGGGLLLLLLLLLLBBBBBLAHHHH!!!!!!! O.o
February 19, 2016
Okay, so...
Squeeeeee!!!!!
Often, people talk of the 'second book syndrome' (the first book was such a hit, the second one sucked in a major way)... My tired and bleary eyes can totally attest to the fact that it is totally not the case in this book... When I started this book at about midnight yesterday, I totally did not expect not to be able to tear my eyes off the pages long enough to catch some winks.
So, there was me, late into the night/morning laughing out loud and at times feeling my heart try to run out of my chest. This book threw me into an emotional roller coaster.
So, it started off exactly where the first one left. Marina was out to face the first of the quests, without body armor... We could totally feel Koen ready to explode at that one.
And when she did that thing with the fire!
Marina, so strong, so fierce, so courageous and kind! *sigh*
I simply adored the relationship between Koen and Marina, they are so well fitted together! Everyone needs their own dragon, I swear, life would be so much better!
“Understand I love her and stand by her in all things. She is mine. I will not give her up. Crown, Wreath or peasant non la, I will marry her.”
And Boy, God Boy. Marina's relationship with her son is simply touching. It made warmth glow in my belly every time she and he interacted, at the same time my heart squeezed because of all the secrets and dare I say lack of trust - though I totally understand after all he went through! I was so scared and angry and pained when Marina woke up after her big reveal! I thought I'd get in and help her squeeze some necks!
He wished he could feel her soft, protective touch upon his brow, her lips upon his brow, pressing against his cheek as she sought to soothe him. Her love had been a solid, all encompassing thing he'd been both drawn to and terrified of.
As for the story, I gotta say, I knew what transformation was going through Marina, the hints were too big for anyone to miss, but hot damn in no way did I think any of it would happen quite like it did! Miss Fletcher, you impress me with your unpredictability!
The first quest was scary, the second I thought she'd I dunno, not not get out of but get out really bruised but man she was AWESOME! The third, well, the third was what it was and good Goddess did I love and hate that one!
Throughout the book, the characters all kept me enthralled! My opinion of nearly all of them changed so drastically as the book wove on! It was crazy! Gentle and caring Daniil , crazy bitch Anastasia , quiet Galina , fierce Mikhail , funny Cathryn and flirty man-whorishly-cute Nikolai .
I looooooved the new characters, they were so awesome! Viktor, Jakob, Sevastyan, Vadik...
Ahhhhhh...
Truly, this story was totally worth waiting for. Miss Fletcher you surpassed yourself. The only thing I do have something against is the ending!
*wails* Why did you give us another cliff-ish ending!
God, I hated Koen there for a while and nearly all of their family too. It was so awful ! However I got over my snit, about him, but the others not really. But...
Man, oh, man! Now I have to wait some more to get more of Marina and Koen and Boy!
Honestly, I cannot wait! Please do not leave us hanging. These books are wayyyy too good! Gonna go check if I can find any info on it - did not until now - was still too good from my high to check - but, I need to know!
*fingers crossed*
Squeeeeee!!!!!
Often, people talk of the 'second book syndrome' (the first book was such a hit, the second one sucked in a major way)... My tired and bleary eyes can totally attest to the fact that it is totally not the case in this book... When I started this book at about midnight yesterday, I totally did not expect not to be able to tear my eyes off the pages long enough to catch some winks.
So, there was me, late into the night/morning laughing out loud and at times feeling my heart try to run out of my chest. This book threw me into an emotional roller coaster.
So, it started off exactly where the first one left. Marina was out to face the first of the quests, without body armor... We could totally feel Koen ready to explode at that one.
And when she did that thing with the fire!
Marina, so strong, so fierce, so courageous and kind! *sigh*
I simply adored the relationship between Koen and Marina, they are so well fitted together! Everyone needs their own dragon, I swear, life would be so much better!
“Understand I love her and stand by her in all things. She is mine. I will not give her up. Crown, Wreath or peasant non la, I will marry her.”
And Boy, God Boy. Marina's relationship with her son is simply touching. It made warmth glow in my belly every time she and he interacted, at the same time my heart squeezed because of all the secrets and dare I say lack of trust - though I totally understand after all he went through! I was so scared and angry and pained when Marina woke up after her big reveal! I thought I'd get in and help her squeeze some necks!
He wished he could feel her soft, protective touch upon his brow, her lips upon his brow, pressing against his cheek as she sought to soothe him. Her love had been a solid, all encompassing thing he'd been both drawn to and terrified of.
As for the story, I gotta say, I knew what transformation was going through Marina, the hints were too big for anyone to miss, but hot damn in no way did I think any of it would happen quite like it did! Miss Fletcher, you impress me with your unpredictability!
The first quest was scary, the second I thought she'd I dunno, not not get out of but get out really bruised but man she was AWESOME! The third, well, the third was what it was and good Goddess did I love and hate that one!
Throughout the book, the characters all kept me enthralled! My opinion of nearly all of them changed so drastically as the book wove on! It was crazy! Gentle and caring Daniil , crazy bitch Anastasia , quiet Galina , fierce Mikhail , funny Cathryn and flirty man-whorishly-cute Nikolai .
I looooooved the new characters, they were so awesome! Viktor, Jakob, Sevastyan, Vadik...
Ahhhhhh...
Truly, this story was totally worth waiting for. Miss Fletcher you surpassed yourself. The only thing I do have something against is the ending!
*wails* Why did you give us another cliff-ish ending!
God, I hated Koen there for a while and nearly all of their family too. It was so awful ! However I got over my snit, about him, but the others not really. But...
Man, oh, man! Now I have to wait some more to get more of Marina and Koen and Boy!
Honestly, I cannot wait! Please do not leave us hanging. These books are wayyyy too good! Gonna go check if I can find any info on it - did not until now - was still too good from my high to check - but, I need to know!
*fingers crossed*
March 5, 2014
Seeing some of these reviews makes me wonder if anyone actually read either Burn or Smolder...
Besides the glaring editing/grammatical issues, or the plot continuation mistakes that were made between the happenings in Smolder to Burn... did no one notice the characters having personality implants? I mean Marina,
It sounds harsh, but I struggle to see any evidence that PF showed even the slightest respect for this book or series.
Extremely disappointing.
Besides the glaring editing/grammatical issues, or the plot continuation mistakes that were made between the happenings in Smolder to Burn... did no one notice the characters having personality implants? I mean Marina,
It sounds harsh, but I struggle to see any evidence that PF showed even the slightest respect for this book or series.
Extremely disappointing.
August 6, 2016
It is FINALLY available! (after almost two years)
The cliffhanger at the end of this one isn't so bad as the first book, but I can't wait for the next.
This dragon world is AMAZING! The book is packed with tons of action and heartbreak. I am not usually a fan of a series of books following the same couple from book to book, but I hope the next one is still focused on Marina and Koen.
Spoiler about Boy:
I can't wait to get to re-read the first two books when the third comes out!
On a side note: The editing on this book needs a bit of work, but I don't discount for that in my reviews (and it was good enough to keep me enthralled that I didn't really care too much).
The cliffhanger at the end of this one isn't so bad as the first book, but I can't wait for the next.
This dragon world is AMAZING! The book is packed with tons of action and heartbreak. I am not usually a fan of a series of books following the same couple from book to book, but I hope the next one is still focused on Marina and Koen.
Spoiler about Boy:
I can't wait to get to re-read the first two books when the third comes out!
On a side note: The editing on this book needs a bit of work, but I don't discount for that in my reviews (and it was good enough to keep me enthralled that I didn't really care too much).
February 25, 2014
finally came out. pretty good book not real problems with it it was worth the time to read.
June 8, 2015
Plot holes! So many plot holes....I am sad to say I am very displease with this book....
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
March 1, 2015
This isn't really a review. More of a rant.
Seriously?!!
I really liked this book up until the end.
I just can't believe her character would just forgive the guy and basically ignore the missing child for seven years. I know she says they've been looking for him for all that time but that's bullshit!! Going off on the decisions she's made this seems completely unrealistic and idiotic.
He's her son for fucks sake. She shouldn't have forgiven Koen. But most importantly, she shouldn't have basically sat back and let her son be on his own for seven years.
I really liked her character up until this point.
As for Koen, I understand he wanted to avoid a war and was under a whole lot of pressure but I am certain that would it have been one of his blood children he wouldn't have given them up. He would have argued that they were innocent and would have fought for them regardless of the devastation or wars it could have caused. I liked him before, not so much now.
I need the next book to come out already and make everything alright.
Regardless, her character has been ruined for me because of her decisions in the end.
Seriously?!!
I really liked this book up until the end.
I just can't believe her character would just forgive the guy and basically ignore the missing child for seven years. I know she says they've been looking for him for all that time but that's bullshit!! Going off on the decisions she's made this seems completely unrealistic and idiotic.
He's her son for fucks sake. She shouldn't have forgiven Koen. But most importantly, she shouldn't have basically sat back and let her son be on his own for seven years.
I really liked her character up until this point.
As for Koen, I understand he wanted to avoid a war and was under a whole lot of pressure but I am certain that would it have been one of his blood children he wouldn't have given them up. He would have argued that they were innocent and would have fought for them regardless of the devastation or wars it could have caused. I liked him before, not so much now.
I need the next book to come out already and make everything alright.
Regardless, her character has been ruined for me because of her decisions in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2015
~sigh~ as expected this book ended in the middle of a major climax. I dislike books like this because they make me feel as though I am forced to read the next in the series. Because of this I will donate these 2 books to the local library and forget about any upcoming books. I love reading series and the continuation of a story.. however I hate feeling as though the author ended them this way to force you into buying the next. While I find this book to have excellent world building and a terrific story I just cant get past how she finishes a book. This is my own personal opinion and while I highly recommend this book to people less bothered by extreme cliffhangers, I simply refuse to continue this series. (though less relevant here I have the same problem with authors that kill off all their characters. A bad ending can turn a 5 star book into a 1 star book for me)
February 3, 2014
Visit www.vigilantmind.com for the whole review and other book reviews.
The book was good and I definitely recommend. For those who are thinking about reading the first book (Smoulder) and are in two minds because they’ve heard bad things about the spellings – do it, it’s worth putting up with the spelling mistakes. This book is a huge improvement from the first book, and I loved it.
Although the Aver contest is concluded in this book, there is more of Marina and Koen to come I think. The epilogue does jump ahead a good few years but it also sets up the story for the next book. I look forward to it. One negative point: it felt rushed from mid-book to the end.
The book was good and I definitely recommend. For those who are thinking about reading the first book (Smoulder) and are in two minds because they’ve heard bad things about the spellings – do it, it’s worth putting up with the spelling mistakes. This book is a huge improvement from the first book, and I loved it.
Although the Aver contest is concluded in this book, there is more of Marina and Koen to come I think. The epilogue does jump ahead a good few years but it also sets up the story for the next book. I look forward to it. One negative point: it felt rushed from mid-book to the end.
July 15, 2015
I loved the book until the last few chapters. I enjoyed the trials and Marina's training but then everything went to h*ll. She became such a pushover. The last five chapters made me hate almost all the characters in the book.
February 15, 2014
Great book
Great book
The story is original and well written. Ms Fletcher has a good grasp on her characters and isn't afraid to take risks necessary to keep them true to the people she has created. I hope there is more coming. There are still copywriting errors, spelling
in particular.
Great book
The story is original and well written. Ms Fletcher has a good grasp on her characters and isn't afraid to take risks necessary to keep them true to the people she has created. I hope there is more coming. There are still copywriting errors, spelling
in particular.
August 13, 2015
Too lengthy description. Main characters of The book behave so stupidly I felt like slapping then around. Why is Marina up set at her friend because she is Having an affair with her fat her? So damn selfish. So damn spoiled brat. It is difficult to like her Even if she is brave . Will not read The next one.
July 13, 2018
Warning,spoilers.
Shallow,self-righteous, uneducated, unpleasant, narrow minded,judgmental, intolerant, overreacting, aggressive, hysterical, self-centered, shallow,extremely rude,egoistic ,vulgar,hypocritical with a strong tyrant tendencies.If that is a description of a lead female character you are fond off-congratulations,this is a book for you.
There are plenty of chapters showing Marinas true character.No matter how many times author makes other characters to refer to her as fair,smart and compassionate, the whole book is filled with Marinas actions that are proving she is not even close to that.Some scenes though are more ridiculous that others.
So.Lets start with the first that made me see white.Marina enters her friends room without knocking and see said friend having sex with Marinas father.Lets note that Michael looks young and hot and Marina have been nothing but cruel to him so far,refusing outright to form any kind of bond with him,except for ensuring her rich lifestyle and gaining favours from council.I have no idea what author hoped to achieve with the scene that follows.Our "nice" heroine not only screams bloody murder for the whole confrontation,she deeply disrespect,humiliates both her father and her best friend,treat them as property,slaves that have misbehaved,as a property(that is especially lovely since Marina supposedly is so aghast that slavery exists and supposedly strongly opposes it).She does proceed to punish both adults for this crime,even entertains the idea of letting Koen kill them both for offending her. From witch finger did Marina sucked out that she had any rights to even dislike it,I have no idea.We have been showed in previous book and in this one how parasitic her relationship with Catherine is:Cat being the responsible donor all along and Marina not caring even one bit about her.Great best friends,indeed. Lovely manipulation for Michael cheating on her dead mother.Who left him while being pregnant.And keeping his child from him.And he had been celibate for 30 000 years after she left.Yes, that is not a typo,I really meant 30 000.Oh,did I mention her mother had several relationship in the 20 years after she left?And Marina was aware and supporting of it?So Marina is outraged and rightfully hurt on her mother's behalf.I guess this conflict was created to set a predicament for Marinas moving out and introducing her relatives on mothers side.
Then it is a continuous rumble of events.Aver gets nearly dismissed as important,unless it it to highlight how wonderful and brave our heroine is.There is no focuses on anything anymore.Few mentions of competition,few of Boy.... Oh,Boy.A teenage assassin Marina adopted and presumably immideatly loved as her own child.Yeah,totally felt it.In those two sentences he and his growing problems were mentioned and Marina had a fleeting thoughts about him.And then comes the huge climax of Marina dieing,Koen selling said child, Marina not dieing and realising his betrayal.Now,here I had a hope.Her reaction started out as something any mother could relate to.Of course if we overlook that after receiving the crushing news,Marina decides to defeat the Koen to ensure she gets the crown.Oh,well,girl power?I guess.Very appropriate moment.Then came hope when our girl decided she feels betrayed and wants nothing to do with him.I had hopes,really I did.Especially after her death decree of involved parties if they enter her realm.Can you guess what it took for Koen to win her back?You may think some grovelling,long suffering,explaining,right?Nope,he just had to come through window and proceed to fuck her.Then is the lovely moment of her being pregnant(I have no idea when she got pregnant though unless it happened when they first met).Koen promises to be the best father and never betray his kids and Marina is happy.Why not,he have proved already how mutch he values children.They are a handy coin you can sell,gift or use as payment.I was so proud of them both at that moment,I even felt bile rising and nearly vomited from happiness for them both.So....Marina proceeds to sigh sadly after her sold child for seven years while happily fucking Emperor.Yup.Happily ever after.
This book is a pile of shit,to be honest.It reads really hard,everything is unconnected mess,characters are disgusting at best and only my honour, of finishing book I have started before I write review,made me to actually read till end.I suffered.So,please,read it as well,I don't want to be the only fool to have wasted part of my life on this rubbish.
P.P.S. Dear Penelope Fletcher, invest in autocorrect as you obviously can't write without huge spelling mistakes. Or read what you wrote before publishing. The amount of missing words,spelling mistakes and typos is ridiculous.Respect your readers if you don't respect your language.
Shallow,self-righteous, uneducated, unpleasant, narrow minded,judgmental, intolerant, overreacting, aggressive, hysterical, self-centered, shallow,extremely rude,egoistic ,vulgar,hypocritical with a strong tyrant tendencies.If that is a description of a lead female character you are fond off-congratulations,this is a book for you.
There are plenty of chapters showing Marinas true character.No matter how many times author makes other characters to refer to her as fair,smart and compassionate, the whole book is filled with Marinas actions that are proving she is not even close to that.Some scenes though are more ridiculous that others.
So.Lets start with the first that made me see white.Marina enters her friends room without knocking and see said friend having sex with Marinas father.Lets note that Michael looks young and hot and Marina have been nothing but cruel to him so far,refusing outright to form any kind of bond with him,except for ensuring her rich lifestyle and gaining favours from council.I have no idea what author hoped to achieve with the scene that follows.Our "nice" heroine not only screams bloody murder for the whole confrontation,she deeply disrespect,humiliates both her father and her best friend,treat them as property,slaves that have misbehaved,as a property(that is especially lovely since Marina supposedly is so aghast that slavery exists and supposedly strongly opposes it).She does proceed to punish both adults for this crime,even entertains the idea of letting Koen kill them both for offending her. From witch finger did Marina sucked out that she had any rights to even dislike it,I have no idea.We have been showed in previous book and in this one how parasitic her relationship with Catherine is:Cat being the responsible donor all along and Marina not caring even one bit about her.Great best friends,indeed. Lovely manipulation for Michael cheating on her dead mother.Who left him while being pregnant.And keeping his child from him.And he had been celibate for 30 000 years after she left.Yes, that is not a typo,I really meant 30 000.Oh,did I mention her mother had several relationship in the 20 years after she left?And Marina was aware and supporting of it?So Marina is outraged and rightfully hurt on her mother's behalf.I guess this conflict was created to set a predicament for Marinas moving out and introducing her relatives on mothers side.
Then it is a continuous rumble of events.Aver gets nearly dismissed as important,unless it it to highlight how wonderful and brave our heroine is.There is no focuses on anything anymore.Few mentions of competition,few of Boy.... Oh,Boy.A teenage assassin Marina adopted and presumably immideatly loved as her own child.Yeah,totally felt it.In those two sentences he and his growing problems were mentioned and Marina had a fleeting thoughts about him.And then comes the huge climax of Marina dieing,Koen selling said child, Marina not dieing and realising his betrayal.Now,here I had a hope.Her reaction started out as something any mother could relate to.Of course if we overlook that after receiving the crushing news,Marina decides to defeat the Koen to ensure she gets the crown.Oh,well,girl power?I guess.Very appropriate moment.Then came hope when our girl decided she feels betrayed and wants nothing to do with him.I had hopes,really I did.Especially after her death decree of involved parties if they enter her realm.Can you guess what it took for Koen to win her back?You may think some grovelling,long suffering,explaining,right?Nope,he just had to come through window and proceed to fuck her.Then is the lovely moment of her being pregnant(I have no idea when she got pregnant though unless it happened when they first met).Koen promises to be the best father and never betray his kids and Marina is happy.Why not,he have proved already how mutch he values children.They are a handy coin you can sell,gift or use as payment.I was so proud of them both at that moment,I even felt bile rising and nearly vomited from happiness for them both.So....Marina proceeds to sigh sadly after her sold child for seven years while happily fucking Emperor.Yup.Happily ever after.
This book is a pile of shit,to be honest.It reads really hard,everything is unconnected mess,characters are disgusting at best and only my honour, of finishing book I have started before I write review,made me to actually read till end.I suffered.So,please,read it as well,I don't want to be the only fool to have wasted part of my life on this rubbish.
P.P.S. Dear Penelope Fletcher, invest in autocorrect as you obviously can't write without huge spelling mistakes. Or read what you wrote before publishing. The amount of missing words,spelling mistakes and typos is ridiculous.Respect your readers if you don't respect your language.
December 29, 2018
Most Imaginative
I prefer to review books at their conclusion. The first book of this series reeled me in with an imaginative story that straddles time and space and created well defined characters that were delightful in a dramatic way. The editing was pretty good. Book two becomes much more serious. As it gets to the third quarter the pace becomes quite frantic and loses its deliberateness . It's sense of reality weakens. It also becomes an editorial pain. It became necessary to try and figure out what the author meant. I really dislike that kind of time waster. It ruined what could have been a good read. I can still recommend the series with this caviote.
I prefer to review books at their conclusion. The first book of this series reeled me in with an imaginative story that straddles time and space and created well defined characters that were delightful in a dramatic way. The editing was pretty good. Book two becomes much more serious. As it gets to the third quarter the pace becomes quite frantic and loses its deliberateness . It's sense of reality weakens. It also becomes an editorial pain. It became necessary to try and figure out what the author meant. I really dislike that kind of time waster. It ruined what could have been a good read. I can still recommend the series with this caviote.
December 21, 2023
Warning: Unfinished
I’ve recently re-read this series and although I absolutely adore these works, I had forgotten that these are unfinished.
Read originally in 2016, an announcement for the 3rd installment of this series : “Ash” had been long awaited by other Fletcher fans. I suppose I figured by the time I end up coming back to this series, it would have been released. ….7 years later and a couple runs through the first 2 books, I can still find info on the 3rd installment but no book to be found or purchased anywhere :(
I think it’s time to retire these from my library at this point as I’m always pulled back into her writing but never remember this doesn’t end.
I’ve recently re-read this series and although I absolutely adore these works, I had forgotten that these are unfinished.
Read originally in 2016, an announcement for the 3rd installment of this series : “Ash” had been long awaited by other Fletcher fans. I suppose I figured by the time I end up coming back to this series, it would have been released. ….7 years later and a couple runs through the first 2 books, I can still find info on the 3rd installment but no book to be found or purchased anywhere :(
I think it’s time to retire these from my library at this point as I’m always pulled back into her writing but never remember this doesn’t end.
November 4, 2018
Review and rating for the series. Wow, can't believe I stumbled on this great series read. Reading book 1, I was happy enough to move onto book 2. Which was an enthralling read. Hard to say what I enjoyed most, but I think it comes down to the h. She was such a solid character - her emotions, her actions, her beliefs. Worth continuing with the series is book 1 doesn't grab you. World building, plot and characters well designed and detailed, leaving fond rememberences long after the series was finished.
March 25, 2019
I was intrigued enough with the first story to get the second book. It was an even bigger disappointment than the first. In the first book Danni adored Marina, like they were best friends, but in this one he acted like she was almost a stranger that he was cordial with. I understand character development, but it was just like a switch was flipped for him.
September 21, 2020
One, I do not think Marina overreacted about Cathryn and her father. At all. That is just weird and gross.
Two, Marina definitely neglected Boy and I wish she had spent more time with him.
Three, I hate that there is such a large gap between the second book and the third. Like, she waited seven years to go find her son? WTF?
Two, Marina definitely neglected Boy and I wish she had spent more time with him.
Three, I hate that there is such a large gap between the second book and the third. Like, she waited seven years to go find her son? WTF?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2025
Soo Angry!
I absolutely hate cliffhangers, I would have given is book 5 plus stars, but it just leaves you hanging. They are at the brink of war or rescue, but there is no next book in the series. Was an amazing series until now.
I absolutely hate cliffhangers, I would have given is book 5 plus stars, but it just leaves you hanging. They are at the brink of war or rescue, but there is no next book in the series. Was an amazing series until now.
July 15, 2018
Two part story
Really enjoyed the second part of the trials. Lot more story packed into this book. Good holiday reading material. Recommended.
Really enjoyed the second part of the trials. Lot more story packed into this book. Good holiday reading material. Recommended.
October 11, 2018
A good continuation of the first book. I hope it continues because you're left with quite a cliffhanger.
February 18, 2020
Excellent story but...
The book ends in a cliffhanger and they did not publish the continuation of the series. This book was published in 2014, so...
The book ends in a cliffhanger and they did not publish the continuation of the series. This book was published in 2014, so...
March 23, 2015
I don’t mind reading indie novels. I know some people don’t read them just on principle. If you’re like me and can for the most part pass over spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and missing words, you can give this one a try.
As soon as I read the word dragons, I had to read it. I love me some dragons. This was a high fantasy romance with dragons and a competition for the right to mate him. I read the first two of the series Smolder being the first and Burn the second. The third will be releasing later this year, there is no date as of yet.
I ended up reading both books in a day, don’t judge me, and absolutely loved the series. It’s about a young woman, Marina, who had just lost her mother and was trying to get her feet under her again. Marina had suffered from panic attacks since she was young and after the car crash that took her mother and injured her, Marina was once again controlled by her fear of another attack. Taking her friend Cathyrn and Cathryn’s boyfriend, they go to a cottage for some R&R. On a hike she ends up seeing a wounded dragon and ends up trying to help. She finds out the dragon can shift and that he was from another dimension. There’s a connection with him that was undeniable and she ends up following him to his world; a world where the only way to be his mate was to fight in a brutal tournament to win him. That was basically the premise of the first book and the second one starts where Smolder left off.
I adored this book. I loved the storyline because it honestly is one of my favourite types to read. As this was a high fantasy series, there was a lot of world building that some might find dull, but it’s necessary. I think the Penelope Fletcher’s “voice” or writing was spectacular. I originally read another book called Venomous and then moved onto this one because I liked the writing style and the detail she brings to the universe. She was a way with words, which allow you to easily picture it.
The cast was varied and they had more than one dimension, thankfully, to them. They were interesting, had flaws and strengths, which made them all the more real. I had moments with Marina where I was completely irritated with her temper and naivety. She had a saviour complex, she wasn’t cunning enough for the position she was fighting for, but you still can’t help but rout for her. She was unrefined, impolite and had a lot of pride. I liked her character a lot in the beginning but as she got more entangled with the dragon and the political side of things, her impulsive actions were trying.
The dragon shifter, Koen, was very arrogant, self-assured and had a hard time showing his softer side. His character was nothing special especially in the paranormal romance genre; he was a generic hero. The banter between the two was very amusing. Koen expected Marina to act a certain way and it always surprised him when she didn’t. There were explicit scenes in this book, but it wasn’t overwhelming. The romance was the main focus with some adventure on the side. This had instant love, which I’m not a huge fan of, just because it makes no sense. At first they were at each other’s throats and bickering, and then somehow, I must have blinked because they were making out soon after. It just never seems realistic. Even though there was no build-up of romance, I still liked their interaction.
With that said; if you have a pet peeve with editing: missing commas and quotations, misspelled words, or even a missing word, this series will irritate you like no other. I actually didn’t notice it until pointed out, thank goodness; I was trying to read it as fast as I could because I wanted to know what happened next. Once again the characters weren’t the strongest, but the other cast members make up for it.
As soon as I read the word dragons, I had to read it. I love me some dragons. This was a high fantasy romance with dragons and a competition for the right to mate him. I read the first two of the series Smolder being the first and Burn the second. The third will be releasing later this year, there is no date as of yet.
I ended up reading both books in a day, don’t judge me, and absolutely loved the series. It’s about a young woman, Marina, who had just lost her mother and was trying to get her feet under her again. Marina had suffered from panic attacks since she was young and after the car crash that took her mother and injured her, Marina was once again controlled by her fear of another attack. Taking her friend Cathyrn and Cathryn’s boyfriend, they go to a cottage for some R&R. On a hike she ends up seeing a wounded dragon and ends up trying to help. She finds out the dragon can shift and that he was from another dimension. There’s a connection with him that was undeniable and she ends up following him to his world; a world where the only way to be his mate was to fight in a brutal tournament to win him. That was basically the premise of the first book and the second one starts where Smolder left off.
I adored this book. I loved the storyline because it honestly is one of my favourite types to read. As this was a high fantasy series, there was a lot of world building that some might find dull, but it’s necessary. I think the Penelope Fletcher’s “voice” or writing was spectacular. I originally read another book called Venomous and then moved onto this one because I liked the writing style and the detail she brings to the universe. She was a way with words, which allow you to easily picture it.
The cast was varied and they had more than one dimension, thankfully, to them. They were interesting, had flaws and strengths, which made them all the more real. I had moments with Marina where I was completely irritated with her temper and naivety. She had a saviour complex, she wasn’t cunning enough for the position she was fighting for, but you still can’t help but rout for her. She was unrefined, impolite and had a lot of pride. I liked her character a lot in the beginning but as she got more entangled with the dragon and the political side of things, her impulsive actions were trying.
The dragon shifter, Koen, was very arrogant, self-assured and had a hard time showing his softer side. His character was nothing special especially in the paranormal romance genre; he was a generic hero. The banter between the two was very amusing. Koen expected Marina to act a certain way and it always surprised him when she didn’t. There were explicit scenes in this book, but it wasn’t overwhelming. The romance was the main focus with some adventure on the side. This had instant love, which I’m not a huge fan of, just because it makes no sense. At first they were at each other’s throats and bickering, and then somehow, I must have blinked because they were making out soon after. It just never seems realistic. Even though there was no build-up of romance, I still liked their interaction.
With that said; if you have a pet peeve with editing: missing commas and quotations, misspelled words, or even a missing word, this series will irritate you like no other. I actually didn’t notice it until pointed out, thank goodness; I was trying to read it as fast as I could because I wanted to know what happened next. Once again the characters weren’t the strongest, but the other cast members make up for it.
March 28, 2014
**UPDATED REVIEW**
Now this book continues from the end of Smolder where there is an epilogue of when she is starting out Aver, the quest to win the chance to become Empress and rule the Dragon land. So anyway blah blah blah, yada yada yada, stuff happens, and i know if i go into too much detail i will give stuff away and ruin the book for everybody i think.
So let me begin with the reason why i did not give Burn a full 5 stars. Hmmmm, i am not sure actually because this book seemed to go on forever!, it was not the same as the first book where the chemistry and story line was jampacked and amazing, but whereas with this one the story seemed to lack a little bit pieces of the book were filled with irrelevant information in my opinion that must confused me and the issues seemed to waver back and forth. Never the less the book was still good and it had an epic ending full of suspense which i loved, because as soon as i finished reading it i immediately started looking for the third book. Sadly it comes out whenever and by the time it does come out, i would have probably forgotten what happened in the first two books and would have to read the whole series again just to refresh my memory. *sigh* long, I know.
I felt that with this book it seemed to be mostly about Boy - Marina's adopted son- when he was barely in the book at all, like he proably said about 15 lines in total but he always seemed to be the main focus which i just found confusing.If Marina wasn't talking about him, she was thinking about him, an if she wasn't thinking about him, she was looking for him. My heart did break for Marina at the end though where there were complications between Boy and the Dragon Lords which meant that they had to let him go which i felt was really heartbreaking.
Also, the other main focus in Burn was obviously Aver (dun dun dunnn)and about the 4 quests that had to be completed in order to win the chance to marry the sexy Koen Reed. I found it so hilarious when the pair where trying so hard to keep their attraction a secret from everyone to avoid speculation in the first book, but now they going all out and not giving a fuck about who sees them kissing passionately.
Now the ending confused me a little bit, i did not understand what was going on between Daniil and Marina because either i skipped some pages or it did not even explain why they are not mysteriously friends now. And the part here her friend from the human world, Cathryn came in kind of annoyed me because it was so pointless and not even needed because it did not add to the story at all
Other than that the book was amazing and is awarded a humble 4.5 stars from me.
Now this book continues from the end of Smolder where there is an epilogue of when she is starting out Aver, the quest to win the chance to become Empress and rule the Dragon land. So anyway blah blah blah, yada yada yada, stuff happens, and i know if i go into too much detail i will give stuff away and ruin the book for everybody i think.
So let me begin with the reason why i did not give Burn a full 5 stars. Hmmmm, i am not sure actually because this book seemed to go on forever!, it was not the same as the first book where the chemistry and story line was jampacked and amazing, but whereas with this one the story seemed to lack a little bit pieces of the book were filled with irrelevant information in my opinion that must confused me and the issues seemed to waver back and forth. Never the less the book was still good and it had an epic ending full of suspense which i loved, because as soon as i finished reading it i immediately started looking for the third book. Sadly it comes out whenever and by the time it does come out, i would have probably forgotten what happened in the first two books and would have to read the whole series again just to refresh my memory. *sigh* long, I know.
I felt that with this book it seemed to be mostly about Boy - Marina's adopted son- when he was barely in the book at all, like he proably said about 15 lines in total but he always seemed to be the main focus which i just found confusing.If Marina wasn't talking about him, she was thinking about him, an if she wasn't thinking about him, she was looking for him. My heart did break for Marina at the end though where there were complications between Boy and the Dragon Lords which meant that they had to let him go which i felt was really heartbreaking.
Also, the other main focus in Burn was obviously Aver (dun dun dunnn)and about the 4 quests that had to be completed in order to win the chance to marry the sexy Koen Reed. I found it so hilarious when the pair where trying so hard to keep their attraction a secret from everyone to avoid speculation in the first book, but now they going all out and not giving a fuck about who sees them kissing passionately.
I LOVED IT. This book actually made me laugh so much and made me swoon in every kind of way because there was such a dominant powerful love going on between the two.
Now the ending confused me a little bit, i did not understand what was going on between Daniil and Marina because either i skipped some pages or it did not even explain why they are not mysteriously friends now. And the part here her friend from the human world, Cathryn came in kind of annoyed me because it was so pointless and not even needed because it did not add to the story at all
Other than that the book was amazing and is awarded a humble 4.5 stars from me.
February 25, 2017
Disjointed & Hard to Slog through
Throughout the book I found myself continually thrown of track by inconsistencies and illogical sentences. With some revision and editing this book could and should be salvaged as the plot overall is good.
Throughout the book I found myself continually thrown of track by inconsistencies and illogical sentences. With some revision and editing this book could and should be salvaged as the plot overall is good.
May 8, 2015
This book was pretty awesome.
Starting out with the quest was a step up improvement compared to the first book. I look at the first book in this series and notice that plans are being set, plots are thickening, blades sharpening, questions are being asked and the cookies are...you get what I mean.
This first quest was... interesting. Marina, the main character chick shows she has some kick-ass moves and that she isn't as weak as what the other royals believe she is. Later on in the book, she deals with the other two quests. The second involves maneuvering, avoidance tactics and some stealth while the final was endurance of a sort. (BTW, loving Anastasia.) All of these were set to prove who had the lady balls to be a queen, and there are only two spots available with three competing.
Marina shows that she can be a pretty awesome queen (if she wins) but she can also take care of herself. She shows that she really cares about the King of Dragons and her new family and friends. Her love for her adopted son is so sweet, but it tore my heart a little to think that she felt so guilty for not giving him the love he needed. (Especially, with that ending.) ;) With some surprising character entrances and assassination attempts, the book was wonderful. There was some predictable "surprises" but to be honest, the way in which they were presented surprised me more. I also understand why everyone fears Koen Raad a little bit better now. Speak of the winged devil, he acted like a total jerk and should have had better concern for those around him....though I shouldn't have been surprised.
The story was steady, interesting and very hard to put down once started. The ending blew me away and I actually started to tear up. I am anticipating the next book with barely contained excitement. :)
Starting out with the quest was a step up improvement compared to the first book. I look at the first book in this series and notice that plans are being set, plots are thickening, blades sharpening, questions are being asked and the cookies are...you get what I mean.
This first quest was... interesting. Marina, the main character chick shows she has some kick-ass moves and that she isn't as weak as what the other royals believe she is. Later on in the book, she deals with the other two quests. The second involves maneuvering, avoidance tactics and some stealth while the final was endurance of a sort. (BTW, loving Anastasia.) All of these were set to prove who had the lady balls to be a queen, and there are only two spots available with three competing.
Marina shows that she can be a pretty awesome queen (if she wins) but she can also take care of herself. She shows that she really cares about the King of Dragons and her new family and friends. Her love for her adopted son is so sweet, but it tore my heart a little to think that she felt so guilty for not giving him the love he needed. (Especially, with that ending.) ;) With some surprising character entrances and assassination attempts, the book was wonderful. There was some predictable "surprises" but to be honest, the way in which they were presented surprised me more. I also understand why everyone fears Koen Raad a little bit better now. Speak of the winged devil, he acted like a total jerk and should have had better concern for those around him....though I shouldn't have been surprised.
The story was steady, interesting and very hard to put down once started. The ending blew me away and I actually started to tear up. I am anticipating the next book with barely contained excitement. :)
March 10, 2014
Another 5* from me. Loved this book as I really felt the emotions Marina did and after thinking the trials of Aver would be spread out it was all wrapped up in this.
After she and Daniil both realised their relationship was going beyond the boundries of friends she enlists her own team of people rather than relying on others to help her through the trials of Aver and Tzion itself. She and Kion can finally become closer as everyone is realising their rules wont keep them apart anyway.
*Spoilers*
When Marina discovers her bff Cat has been sleeping with her father Mikhail she is completely incenced which I completely agree with. I felt murderous just reading it and I couldn't believe those filthy betrayers would do that to her let alone her best friend! I wanted her to kick her ass and send her home (she still didn't apologise for what she did at the end). It still pisses me off thinking about it even now. It doesn't matter if she didn't grow up with him he was still her father and that bitch should have known better. It also seems like they were getting it on again when he flew her to the palace at the end.
Can you tell I got engrosed? :-)
It was obvious she would become a female dragon when the myth about them was revealed in Smolder but it was still a very good twist.
I was let down when I read the epilogue and saw that Boy and Viktor had been away for seven years and no one had done anything. For a mother who loves him she really dropped the ball on that one.
Can't wait to read the sequel and see how everyone has changed after several years have passed.
After she and Daniil both realised their relationship was going beyond the boundries of friends she enlists her own team of people rather than relying on others to help her through the trials of Aver and Tzion itself. She and Kion can finally become closer as everyone is realising their rules wont keep them apart anyway.
*Spoilers*
When Marina discovers her bff Cat has been sleeping with her father Mikhail she is completely incenced which I completely agree with. I felt murderous just reading it and I couldn't believe those filthy betrayers would do that to her let alone her best friend! I wanted her to kick her ass and send her home (she still didn't apologise for what she did at the end). It still pisses me off thinking about it even now. It doesn't matter if she didn't grow up with him he was still her father and that bitch should have known better. It also seems like they were getting it on again when he flew her to the palace at the end.
Can you tell I got engrosed? :-)
It was obvious she would become a female dragon when the myth about them was revealed in Smolder but it was still a very good twist.
I was let down when I read the epilogue and saw that Boy and Viktor had been away for seven years and no one had done anything. For a mother who loves him she really dropped the ball on that one.
Can't wait to read the sequel and see how everyone has changed after several years have passed.
March 24, 2014
The heroine of this series is fantastic. She is kind, brave, patient, plucky and funny. She is willing to die for those she loves and wants to become queen and empress to improve lives.
The hero appears in the first book to be irresponsible, thoughtless and lacking in honor. He refuses to take up his duties as king or emperor unless he can have a mate he loves by his side. Not very impressive but he is good looking and a dragon so we overlook his faults. Besides the heroine loves him and she is worth putting up with him.
But in the second book he shows himself to be not merely irresponsible but completely without honor or conscience. This is the last man who should be king as he cares about no one but himself. When he thinks his mate has been killed he goes on a murderous rampage to kill every man woman and child related to the 4 people who plotted her death. When he is told there are riots in the city and that "Females are being ravaged in the gutters, younglings beaten within an inch of their lives, and innocent males strung up from the battlements." He doesn't even care.
As stated by others he gives his love's adopted son away because he doesn't desereve happiness with her gone. When she is found to be alive he still sends the child away to almost certain death. I guess it is only important that he himself be happy.
This is the "hero" the author tries to palm off on us. I hope she realizes that it takes more than good looks and power to be a hero but from this series it appears not.
The hero appears in the first book to be irresponsible, thoughtless and lacking in honor. He refuses to take up his duties as king or emperor unless he can have a mate he loves by his side. Not very impressive but he is good looking and a dragon so we overlook his faults. Besides the heroine loves him and she is worth putting up with him.
But in the second book he shows himself to be not merely irresponsible but completely without honor or conscience. This is the last man who should be king as he cares about no one but himself. When he thinks his mate has been killed he goes on a murderous rampage to kill every man woman and child related to the 4 people who plotted her death. When he is told there are riots in the city and that "Females are being ravaged in the gutters, younglings beaten within an inch of their lives, and innocent males strung up from the battlements." He doesn't even care.
As stated by others he gives his love's adopted son away because he doesn't desereve happiness with her gone. When she is found to be alive he still sends the child away to almost certain death. I guess it is only important that he himself be happy.
This is the "hero" the author tries to palm off on us. I hope she realizes that it takes more than good looks and power to be a hero but from this series it appears not.
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