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Queen of Dragons (Drakon #3)

by Shana Abe (Goodreads Author)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 1,379 ratings · 120 reviews

Hidden among the remote hills of eighteenth-century England lives a powerful clan of shape-shifters who’ve become the stuff of myths and legends. They are the drákon—supersensual creatures with the ability to Turn from human to smoke to dragon. Now a treacherous new enemy threatens to destroy their world of magic and glittering power.

For centuries, they thought themselve...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published December 26th 2007 by Random House Publishing Group

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Aug 02, 2011 Leah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-shana-abe, series-drakon, 1-star, flip-flops, love-triangles-can-kiss-my-booty, happy-slapsgiving, wheres-the-bonfire, horrible-heroine-alert, its-all-in-the-accent, half-star-ratings

1.5 stars

I was originally going to give this book just 1 star, but I decided to go with 1.5 stars. Why, you ask? Because I liked the last 25 pages or so. I'm a sucker for a good ending. And, since the ending was the only part of the book I actually enjoyed, I felt that it deserved an extra half star.

The plot in this book is weak. In fact, I can't really see that there is much of a plot. Aside for the minimal page time given the humans hunting the dragons, the book seemed to only consist of Maric...more

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Apr 17, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Good skimmers

Shelves: 2009, in-by-of-england, vamps-and-other-mythical-beasts, reviewed, hem-steppers-and-bodice-rippers, fantasy-sci-fi

My respect for writers who can create a really good caramel-covered-peatnut-popcorn-ball grows every time I read something that should have been sugary, chewy goodness and is instead a lump of dry, slightly-burnt, rip-out-your-fillings disappointment. Think Cracker Jacks knock-offs that have sat at the back of the food stall at a third-rate carnival at the end of the season.

I like:

1. Books set in England
2. Dragons
3. Strong female leads

Unfortunately, I got baby-duck imprinting by the protagonists...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 26, 2008 Lady Claire, Marchioness of Fancy Pants rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-fantasy, abandoned

This is the third book of the Drakon series, and it appears that the books decline in goodness. The first book The Smoke Thief was really good, and the next book The Dream Thief was okay.

I didn't finish Queen of Dragons. I got about half through, and I had to keep forcing myself to pick it up. It just kept going on and on, and I didn't care at all. The characters could all die, and I would have been okay with that because at least the book would have finally been over.

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 21, 2013 Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, fantasy, romance, shapeshifters, provincial-library, reviewed

This book didnt really hold the excitement the first two did. There was a story outside of the romance involving hunters, but it wasnt really much of a focus. I would say most of the story revolved around Maricara and the tension between her and the drakon of Darkfrith. Her ways are so different that it takes a long time for them to trust each other.

This was the shortest book so far and didnt have enough time to really focus on either the story or the romance. There wasnt as much of a connectio...more

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Jan 01, 2008 Beth (moonivy) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers who like a fantasy/romance mix.

Read 12/31-1/1/08.

Queen of Dragons is the latest book in the Drakon series. Set in 18th century England and Romania, the story is a romance/fantasy mixture about the Drakon - folk who tend the land, love their tribe and shape-shift into dragons. In this volume, Princess Maricara of the Romanian Drakon arrives
in the quiet English shire of Earl Kimber Langford and sparks fly. Maricara has come to England to warn these distant Drakon cousins of great danger, an
evil that hunts the Drakon, only to...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Wicked Incognito Now rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This installment of the Drakon series was not my favorite of the three I've read so far. Actually, I would give this book three stars because the plot is almost nonexistent. However, Abe's writing style enthralls me. It's dreamy and enchanting and unlike almost any other style I've encountered. So my enjoyment of the this novel was not affected by the lack of plot. Therefore, four stars.

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Aug 13, 2012 Vipula rated it 2 of 5 stars

he first thing that I realized when I was through 30-40 odd pages was that this was a romance – a mills-and-boons romance no less – and the whole fantasry world is woven around it.
There is this drop dead gorgeous , heroine, Princess Maricara and then there is this drop-dead gorgeous hero , Lord Kimber. They both bristle with beauty and arrogance and are rulers in their own world whose lives come together when they need to defend their race. The Drakons.
Drakons are creatures who can turn from hum...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, uf-pnr

I don't think I've read another series where the paranormal species it's about has PISSED ME OFF as much as these Drakons. The females are OK, I suppose…at least in the previous two books. Not so much in this one. But the guys are (and there's really only one word for it) assholes. Their domineering mentality over the female characters makes me feel violent, and I fail to see how the heroine’s could overlook that and fall in love with the so called ’heroes’ anyway.

I mean, for Christ sake, this...more

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Jan 22, 2010 Martina the Book Fairy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Just finished Queen of Dragons (The Drakon, Book 3) by Shana Abe (★★★1/2). This series takes place in 18th century Europe (this book mostly in England) and is about a race of dragon/human shapeshifters called the drakon. Queen of Dragons continues the overall story of The Drakon, but centering the story on Lord Kimber Langford (son to Rue from Book 1 & sister to Lia in book 2) and Princess Maricara of a previously unknown tribe of drakon from the Carpathian mountains.

Mari learns of a group...more

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Nov 30, 2009 Katy Rustemeyer rated it 3 of 5 stars

rincess Maricara is first introduced as the young bride of the Zaharen Prince who sucks in the book Dream Thief and that might have to be my favorite book of the Drakon series. Queen of Dragons is good in its on right, but it just didn't compete well with the other two. I was able to better picture Mari the descrpitions were better. I pictured a dark skinned spunky Princess kind of like Jasmine from Aladin. But more adult, and Mari dresses in dark reds and golds and looks out of place in fancy F...more

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Nov 23, 2009 BarkLessWagMore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance

This was my reading group choice for our February meeting but as is my usual habit I didn't start it until after the meeting.

This book is part of a series but I was told that it can easily be read as a standalone so I decided to give it a go since I had already spent the $6+ to purchase it for the group. To be completely honest I only decided to read it after reading the author blurb who talked about sharing her home with bunnies and a goofy dog and who promotes supporting your local shelter. Sh...more This was my reading group choice for our February meeting but as is my usual habit I didn't start it until after the meeting.

This book is part of a series but I was told that it can easily be read as a standalone so I decided to give it a go since I had already spent the $6+ to purchase it for the group. To be completely honest I only decided to read it after reading the author blurb who talked about sharing her home with bunnies and a goofy dog and who promotes supporting your local shelter. She seems like a nice person so I resisted the urge to trade it in unread which is a bad habit of mine recently.

I only managed to read a few pages yesterday while waiting for the kids to get out of school but I was intrigued enough to keep it in my bag. It is about a race of dragon people, the drakon, who after generations of war and destruction, have evolved to the point where they can transform back and forth from human to dragon form. Still, they are hunted and their numbers are small. When a young woman who claims to be Princess of a lost tribe of drakon makes contact with the drakon council they send one of their men on a reconnaissance mission to find this woman who may be a danger to them as she obviously knows of their existence. I'll write more as I get it read.

Feb 13, 2009 Temporarily putting aside to read a bookring book.

April 2, 2009: I read through a bit of this last week while waiting for auto service and it didn't hold my attention as it did in the beginning. The dragon princess, Mari, has come to visit the alpha dragon, Kim, the two have power struggles, mistrust each other and are painfully attracted despite it all. They spend a lot of time flying about in dragon form, looking for a missing girl, fighting their attraction and so on and so forth. A whole lot of nothing seems to have happened for 100 or so pages. I may finish as I'm so close to the end but maybe not . . .

April 9, 2009: Well, I finished but only after a whole lot of skimming. This is definitely a middle of the series book and in the end seems like just a setup for a future book. Nothing special and not a re-read for me.(less)

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Jul 14, 2009 Brownbetty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Eh.

Three books in, I am becoming unable to escape the conviction that this author thinks a man being so turned on by you he just! can't! control himself! is very dashing and romantic, and a high compliment. So far, all of her heroines have avoided rape, but the dude in this one does a lot of "We're meant to be together, you can't escape that!" and he doesn't mean that fate will bring them together; he's talking about his goons. The romantic declaration of feelings on his part is when he basical...more

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Apr 28, 2009 Maureen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The Drakon series by Shana Abe is doing a curious thing to my reading habits. I am normally a romance genre fan but I am finding that I am as interested, if not more so, in the fantasy genre story in this series as I am in the romance.

As a romance book, Queen of Dragons was not as impactful for me as The Dream Thief was. Maybe that's because that while Kimber, the hero in Queen of Dragons is very nice, he just doesn't compare to Zane from Dream Thief. (Thankfully, Zane does make a brief appearan...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, romance, shifter

If I were a Drakon Princess who was determined not to become mated to the Drakon Alpha of another Drakon tribe, the last thing I would do is travel to his home. Our Drakon Princess Maricara travels to England to Darkfrith as soon as she is of an appropriate mating age. She goes straight to Kimber Langford’s home. She pops up in his home in the middle of the night, naked to accuse him of trying to spy on her and to declare that she will not wed him. She also flees his home to hide from him. She g...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Kayla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"I went into "Queen of Dragons" fully expecting to dislike it. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Smoke Thief" and "The Dream Thief," and had read reviews from others saying how much they disliked "Queen of Dragons." But I was pleasantly surprised!

At first, Maricara is childish and arrogant. Her tendency to Turn to smoke whenever she is displeased with a situation is annoying. But she grows on you. She softens and matures throughout the course of the book.

Kimber is probably my favorite male in the Drakon...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am loving this series. I am going to quote from the book to try and explain just what the Drakon in this world are, because I think it is important that the reader of these books realizes that these are not PEOPLE/HUMANS. I am surprised that the reviews of these books are so critical of how few choices the females have and how dominant the males are. And this pertains to the main characters, not the entire world of the drakon because most of them have total choice in their romances and marriag...more I am loving this series. I am going to quote from the book to try and explain just what the Drakon in this world are, because I think it is important that the reader of these books realizes that these are not PEOPLE/HUMANS. I am surprised that the reviews of these books are so critical of how few choices the females have and how dominant the males are. And this pertains to the main characters, not the entire world of the drakon because most of them have total choice in their romances and marriages. I think those readers are missing the point that one should not impose what they think is proper or good for a human couple on these mythical creatures who are DRAGONS after all. They have learned to shift into men and women and live as humans to preserve their kind, but that does not make them human. Far from it. That said, here is a bit from the book:

"All of nature celebrates our beauty, but now we look much as you do. We speak your words and wear your clothing and drink your wine. Like you, we breathe and feel and fall in love; we wed and raise our children. We bleed. We wage war.

We will not show you our true selves unless you are so unwise as to leave us no choice. That will, of course, be your final mistake, because unlike you, we have many more Gifts at our disposal; We hear the music of metal and stones. We hunt with talons, we Turn to smoke. Some of us even have the Gift of suggestions, to push you into our will.

Although there are far fewer of us, we are faster than you, stronger, more sly. All we require is that whisper of air beneath your bedroom door - through a keyhole, down a chimney - and any haven you held against us is breached."

I feel like in this review, I am defending this series, but again I am really surprised how many are critical of this book of how the Princess Maricara is treated because it is understood that she will be the mate of Kimber, Earl of Chasen. Whether she wants it or not. Both are alpha. In this world the alpha is the absolute ruler. His word is law although there is a council that decides many things, he can over-ride it. Alpha females are rare and if one happens, she mates with/marries the alpha male. First sons of the alpha inherit the role, and these sons must be the wisest, strongest, and have the most Gifts. The very survival of the tribe depends on their ability to lead. This is so like nature and so like wolves (real ones, not werewolves). Alpha males mate with alpha females for life. The strongest pair produce the next generation of leaders who will inherit the strength, wisdom and Gifts of the parents. (not all Drakon inherit Gifts and some more than others). It may not be the human way, but it is the way of the drakon and key to their continued existence. Other than human beings, it is the way of nature and part of survival of the fittest.

This book is the story of Maricara who comes from a tribe of drakon previously unknown to the tribe in England that Kimber leads. Maricara has Gifts never seen before, but has a troubled history that is in the second book of this series. I found her a wonderful character who is brave, clever, torn between her tribe that she can not rule because she is female and her unwanted feelings for Kimber. Her distaste for his tribe and the ancient rules it follows pulls her away. Yes, he decides the minute he sees her that she is HIS. That is the way of the drakon and once again, he is alpha of a mythical race.

A word on this author's writing. I totally love the entire concept of the drakon turning into smoke and the descriptions are delicious, sensual, amazing when they slip from human form into mist and smoke and fly or float and touch objects and each other in this form. The dragons are beautifully described and the flights are great reading. Can you tell I really love these books?
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Feb 25, 2012 Solace Winter rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The third novel of the series is about the woman who seems to be the strongest of the drakon race she is a part of. Traveling to Darkfrith to meet the other drakon for herself the story is about the troubles she meets along the way.

Plot: The plot is about a group of men that are killing off the drakon, though you do not actually realize what the plot is about until halfway through. Before that it seemed to be about how Maricara could possibly be destroying cattle and churches and… well, I do not...more

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Oct 28, 2012 ஐ Canan ஐ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wid

ama ya Rhys'a, Zane'e en önemliside Rue ve Christopher'a ne oldu.
kitap tam olaylar gelişirken heyecan doruktayken bitti.Çiftimiz mutlu oldu ama merak hat safhada.
Sanki yazar birden kesmiş gibi geldi bana..yada ben bir solukta okuyunca öyle geldi..
Mira Karpatya Dağlarındaki krallığında sorun yaşıyor ve bazı durumlar sebebiyle orayı terk-i diyar edip
Kimberciğezimizinde yaşadığı İngiltere'ye gelir..Zira onu uyarması lazım."Diğeréleri çok yakında...

Derken ingilteredeki drakon ırkının gizlilik politi...more

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Feb 11, 2009 Janet rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, fantasy

This was an entertaining romance, with likeable leads and an intriguing society of dragons who masquerade as humans. While it was clear there have been previous books in the series -- and more saga yet to come -- the relationship between Kimber and Maricara stands nicely on its own. I enjoyed the details of the dragons' existence and especially delighted in her portrayal of the heroine *as* a dragon.

The book would have earned more stars from me had the plot been more complex and/or there had be...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Jeanine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Queen of Dragons is the third book in the Drakon series. This is the story of Kimber (Rue and Kit's eldest son) and Princess Maricana of the Zaharen. Again, Shana Abe tells a beautiful story. She implements a new group of people, hunters who are dead set on killing the Drakon. I gave Queen of Dragons four stars because it took a while for things to pick up. In her previous books of the Drakon, I was pulled in from start to finish and so sad once the book ended.

Although, I am not sure if it fair...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, paranormal, romance, shapeshifters

Princess Maricara arrives from Romania bearing the news that a new serial killer is stalking the drakon. Kimber Langford, acting as earl in his father's absence, immediately knows that Maricara is his, but it will be a battle to claim her.

Finally, a female character who can completely outwit and escape the hero! Maricara was so perfect and skilled, especially as she kept thwarting Kimber, who was annoyingly arrogant. I almost didn't want her to give in to him, but I suppose that's what must happ...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Jaya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Could have been great, BUT....
A glorious invention, turned to blah!

Mills and Boon style basic writing
Some obscure historical details accurate, combined with BIG obvious mistakes.
The language was totally wrong for the era, but I had the feeling that the simple erotica was more the focus. And I do mean simple.
The three books in this series were given to me, or I'd not have read them through.

It's a big shame, because this story could have been spectacular in the right hands. It feels like it was wr...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Melinda Belle Harrison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-i-love-and-reread

My favorite of the series. Really good.

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Jan 13, 2012 Meredith rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance

I liked the first novel in this series and hated the second. This is book three, and I picked it up at the library on a whim. It was definitely an improvement on book two, but very similar to book one--in a bad way. You could take the hero and heroine and switch them out with the hero and heroine in the first book and I dont think anything would really have changed. I'm just not all that interested in where this series is going. If you liked the first one, I'd recommend this, but don't expect it...more

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Jul 17, 2012 HÜLYA YILMAZ rated it 3 of 5 stars

İnsan,Ejderha,Duman formuna giren muhteşem varlıkların kitabı bitti..18.YY.İngillteresinde geçen bu seriyi çok seviyorum..Ejderha Kraliçesi serinin 3.kitabı idi..Goodreads Puanı 5/3,65

Seri beş kitaptan oluşuyor devamı gelecek mi bilmiyorum..Serinin diğer kitaplarına göre biraz daha vasattı sanki..Son okuduğum Rüya Avcısı bana göre daha güzeldi...Bu serinin bir talihsizliği de farklı yayın evinden çıkmaları..İlk kitap Duman Hırsızı Erko Yayın'dan çıkmış..Seri bir bütün bence olaylar birbirini tak...more İnsan,Ejderha,Duman formuna giren muhteşem varlıkların kitabı bitti..18.YY.İngillteresinde geçen bu seriyi çok seviyorum..Ejderha Kraliçesi serinin 3.kitabı idi..Goodreads Puanı 5/3,65

Seri beş kitaptan oluşuyor devamı gelecek mi bilmiyorum..Serinin diğer kitaplarına göre biraz daha vasattı sanki..Son okuduğum Rüya Avcısı bana göre daha güzeldi...Bu serinin bir talihsizliği de farklı yayın evinden çıkmaları..İlk kitap Duman Hırsızı Erko Yayın'dan çıkmış..Seri bir bütün bence olaylar birbirini takip ediyor..Kolleksiyon Yayın evi serinin ilk kitabı Duman Hırsızını yayınlayabilseydi çok iyi olurdu..Çünkü serinin asıl kahramanları Christophe ve Rue'!yu okumak bambaşka bir keyifdi...
Ejderha Kraliçesi'nde kitabın sonlarına doğru büyük sürprizlerde var...Ama yazar bağlamamış diğer maceralara bırakmış ki diğer kitapların daha da heyecanlı olacağını tahmin ediyorum...
Romantik,Fantastşik kitap seviyorsanız bu seri tan size göre,,Hem historical hem fantastik...Tavsiye ederim...
Kitabın konusundan biraz bahsetmek istiyorum:

Burada güçlü bir kadın karakteri görüyoruz..Kırılganlığının altında oldukça güçlü bir karakter Maricane..Hikaye 1782 yılından itibaren başlıyor.BU maceradaki Karpatlar'dan gelen prensesi daha önceki hikaye Rüya Hırsızı'ndan anımsıyoruz.Lİa ve Zane'in şatosuna konuk olduğu Drakon Prensi Alfa İmre'nin çocuk-gelin karısı idi Maricane.Kocasının ölümünden sonra kadınların yönetimde olmasını pek hoş karşılamayan halkı yüzünden yönetimi kardeşine bırakmıştır.Aslında orada yapacak da pek bir şeyi kalmamıştır..Lİa'nın kayıp klan olduğuna inandığı klandır bu Mari'nin klanı.
Fakat son zamanlarda türeyen katiller kendi klanlarından olmayan Drakonları öldürerek kalplerini sökmektedir..Bu öldürlen Drakonlar İngiltere'deki klanın darkonları'dır..Mari uyarıp güçbirliği yapmak için İngiltere'ye gidip uyarmaya karar verir bu klanı..
bu klanın başında Rue ve Christopher Longford'un büyük oğulları liderlik yapmaktadır..
Rue ve Cghristopher ise klanı bilinmeyen bir sebeple terk etmiş bir nevi ortadan kaybolurlar..
Küçk kızları Amelia Kongford hırsız Zane ile evlenmiş anne ve babasına evliliğni haber verirken bu kayıp klandan da bahsetmiştir..Ama Lia evliliğ yüzünden klanını Konsülü yüzünden henüz affedilmemiş ve evliliği kabul görmemiştir.Bu konsül ve Klana liderlik yapan Alfa Marki Kimber Longford ve Zaharen Prensesi Maricane'in ilk karşılaşmları bu şartlarda olur..Bu güçlü Kraliçe kadın drakon Maricane ne muhafızlar ne başka Drakon tarafından keşfedilemeden Kimber'in oturma odasında birden belirir..Bu sahne çok güzeldi..Kimber ilk görüşte Mari'den çok etkilenir aynı etkileşim Mari içinde söz konusudur..Ama ilk evliliğinde umduğunu bulamamış olan Mari'nin yazgılarında olmasına rağmen Kimber ile evlenmeye niyeti yoktur..
Ama olayların gelişme biçimi,aralarındaki çekim gün geçtikçe onları birbirlerine yaklaştırır.Birbirlerini tanıdıkça birbirleri için yaratıldıklarını anlarlar..Ne olursa olsun türlerinin katillerini bulmak için güç birliği yapmak zorundadırlar..

Historical,Fantastik türünü okumak isterseiz romantik hikayelerden hoşlanıyorsanız bu hikaye tam size göre...

Drakon Serisi:

1. The Smoke Thief (2005) Duman Hırsızı
2. The Dream Thief (2006) Rüya Hırsızı
3. Queen of Dragons (2007) Ejderha kraliçesi
4. The Treasure Keeper (2009)
5. The Time Weaver (2010)
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May 02, 2011 Karyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fantasy

This is my third Shana Abé book and I'm still in love with all things Drakon.
The previous book The Dream Thiefhad my favourite character Zane, and Amalia - the daughter of Kristoff and Rue from Book 1, The Smoke Thief. This one is the story of the Transylvanian Drakon Queen Maricara and Lia's elder brother, the Darkfrith Alpha Kimber.

Mari has come to Darkfrith with news of an Old enemy of the Drakon who are trying to wipe them out. But the arrival of a unknown Drakon into a Darkfrith that's been...more This is my third Shana Abé book and I'm still in love with all things Drakon.
The previous book The Dream Thiefhad my favourite character Zane, and Amalia - the daughter of Kristoff and Rue from Book 1, The Smoke Thief. This one is the story of the Transylvanian Drakon Queen Maricara and Lia's elder brother, the Darkfrith Alpha Kimber.

Mari has come to Darkfrith with news of an Old enemy of the Drakon who are trying to wipe them out. But the arrival of a unknown Drakon into a Darkfrith that's been discussing her and her Transylvanian home for years - one who is beautiful, a alpha and who can Turn causes chaos in Darkfrith, with the council, the other men and Kimber all with ideas of their own.
Good thing Mari is headstrong to handle them all.

This book for me was mostly the story of a courtship among enemies, doubt, mistrust, and longing. Almost all of it from Kim's side. I found Mari to be a well drawn character who knew what needed to be done and was very much like Rue and Amalia in her strength and stubbornness. Kim was a bit more confusing for me - an alpha thrust into the position with lil or no experience at handling everything thrown his way and a man who knew what he wanted but bumbled about while he got to it. I'd have hit him over the head and found someone else in some instances if I was Mari. Other times he was a gem. The Alpha part seemed like second skin to Kristoff, and I guess I missed that in Kim. (btw, I always thought Kimber was a girls name?)

The enemies were pretty much confusing and a lot of the story that involved them, especially the ending, left me with a huh?

Which brings me to the ending. After all that build up, anti-climax is a mild word for it. I found it too abrupt, and what really upset me was the cliff-hangers. What happened to Rhys, the other brother? Kit, Rue, Lia, Zane ..so many people I want to know about. . It wasn't really a cliff-ending as such, but it left a lot of things up in the air. Now I HAVE to read the next book. I would have anyway, but being forced to due to abrupt endings is not a happy feeling.

I love that way Abé writes - poetry and prose all together. Each new book has new characters that have their own abilities and only add to the Drakon world. While not the best book from the 3 I've read so far, this is still a good book that'll keep you turning the pages till 3 in the morning. Do read in order of series to appreciate them though.(less)

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Mar 05, 2011 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-series

I remember reading the synopsis to this book and expecting a great dragon book. The book flap describes a race of Drakon who are being tormented by an unknown killer with a vendetta for their kind.

What I was treated to was a romance set in England. While the romance aspect felt almost spontaneous, I also found it strangely entertaining.

Shana Abe has a very unique way of word building. She can create fantastic scenes involving her race of drakon people. (These drakon people are dragons who can b...more

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Aug 11, 2010 Fani rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-pnr, romance-historical, 2010-purchase, georgian, paperbacks-read

I generally don't like the 'fated-to-be-mated' theme because I consider it a gamble that few authors manage to actually win. The reason is that it can easily turn into an unavoidable union between two people who are happy to find some attraction between them to ease their way, rather than a passionate, emotional love story. This book only served to reinforce this opinion of mine.

Kimber is the alpha of the English Drakon now that his parents have gone missing while Maricara is the alpha of the C...more

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Nov 14, 2009 Kaleigha rated it 4 of 5 stars

I started this one fully intending to not like it. At all. I really liked the first in the series, but the second one was just bland. And reviews for this one were less than stellar for the most part. I had put off reading it for months, but finally made myself just get it over with. Actually the plan was to start to read, get a few pages in, then just decide to skim through to the end. Of course, annoyed review would follow. Imagine my surprise when I like Queen of Dragons.

Kimber is the oldest...more I started this one fully intending to not like it. At all. I really liked the first in the series, but the second one was just bland. And reviews for this one were less than stellar for the most part. I had put off reading it for months, but finally made myself just get it over with. Actually the plan was to start to read, get a few pages in, then just decide to skim through to the end. Of course, annoyed review would follow. Imagine my surprise when I like Queen of Dragons.

Kimber is the oldest child of Kit and Rue, the Alpha couple of the Drakon. When they disappear to search for their missing youngest daughter, Kimber is left to lead not only his fractured family, but his whole tribe. While it is what he has been raised to do, times are changing at Darkfrith. Hunters threaten to destroy their people, and the discovery of another tribe of Drakon makes things even more dangerous. Their only protection has been the secrecy of their existence...but now even that is threatened. Things get even more complicated for Kimber with the arrival of Princess Maricara, the leader of the Zaharen Drakon...and his bride to be.

Because of the strength of her gifts, Maricara was wed before her tenth birthday to the King of her tribe. After his death, she is left to rule a people who fear her power, and question her abilities. When she decides to travel to her English brethren to warn them of impending danger, the last thing she expects to find is a man like Kimber. While she feels an attraction to him she has never felt before, she has no intention of forming any sort of attachment to him. The pain felt during her marriage was enough to last her a lifetime, and now she longs only to be free. The news that she is expected to wed again, to Kimber, to protect their people is not welcome in the least.

Maricara is instinct and freedom to Kimbers intellect and duty, but somehow they work as a couple. They are equally matched in terms of both strength of personality and power of their gifts, and as they battle the obstacles in their way they grow ever closer. They intrigue each other, challenge each other, and learn to both respect and trust the other. But no matter how close they grow, Maricara does not want to marry again. Kimber, however, has other ideas.

It is very difficult to describe this one without giving too much away. I very much enjoyed Kimber as both a man and as Alpha, while Maricara was a bit harder to get a read on. She had suffered as a child bride (as seen in book two of the series), and deserved her freedom. But at the same time, freedom at what cost. There really seemed to be no place that she fit...not with her own people, not with Kimber's. There is a bit of a twist with the bad guys at the end that I really did not see coming, but quite enjoyed. I would have to say that the ending did feel a bit rushed, but I did overall enjoy it. This one also set up the next book in the series, and that does look like an interesting one, too. So, I went from not wanting to read this to anxiously awaiting the next in the series. Who knew?(less)

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Jun 25, 2010 Eastofoz rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dràkon fans & dragon lovers

Shelves: historical-regency, paranormal, 2010

Shana Abé doesn’t know the word “nice” nor does she know words like “good” or “bad”. You know those words that you see all the time to describe some regular thing or other making you wonder why the author can’t be a tad more creative in their writing style. Well with Abé you’ll never have that problem. She can make the most mundane, humdrum and inconsequential thing explode into a freakin’ firecracker of colour. The woman could convince you that ironing and sweeping are an intricate ballet of sw...more Shana Abé doesn’t know the word “nice” nor does she know words like “good” or “bad”. You know those words that you see all the time to describe some regular thing or other making you wonder why the author can’t be a tad more creative in their writing style. Well with Abé you’ll never have that problem. She can make the most mundane, humdrum and inconsequential thing explode into a freakin’ firecracker of colour. The woman could convince you that ironing and sweeping are an intricate ballet of swooping arms and twirling legs I tell ya ;) I’ve never come across anyone who can put words on paper as well as she can and still make the story enjoyable without needing it to be explained to be “appreciated”. It’s such a pleasure to read her stories. You can feel things, see things and be so immersed in her vibrant world that you need a breather before starting your next read otherwise you’ll find fault with just about everything on the page.

The Dràkon series is one that you’d really have to start from book 1, The Smoke Thief, in order to understand what’s happening in the following books otherwise you may be left scratching your head and you won’t get those very big, OMG, bug-eyed surprises like someone who’s read them from the beginning. Still written as a paranormal regency historical, book 3 continues on with the story of Princess Maricara from the unknown Zaharan Yce tribe of dragons that Zane and Lia encountered in book 2. She ends up travelling to Darkfrith to see about the Dràkon tribe there as they’ve been corresponding. She meets Kimber, the guy in charge while his dad is away, and they fall in love but the love story is in no way at the forefront of this tale and feels almost like an afterthought sometimes. I normally hate “romances” like that but Abé kept me reading with the various twists and turns in the story as the h/h try to find out who is trying to kill them off.

The author does a phenomenal job of ending a chapter. They’re creepy or leave you hanging with just enough to make you itch to read the next one. You can really feel the magic of the dragon world here but you don’t really feel the spark of the romance like you did in the first two books. The steam scenes are very few and very quick. There’s some sporadic tension building but you can see that that wasn’t the author’s focus. The heroine is another strong character like Rue but the hero is sometimes neither here nor there. He didn’t really have that pow! that Kit and Zane had. There are also some holes in the story that I hope will be resolved in the next book but had it been written any other way (style wise) I’d have said it was shoddy writing. What happened to Rhys the brother who lusts after Maricara? His story started to be told and then nothing. Where are Kit and Rue? Why aren’t they at least sending more messages as to where they are and what they’re doing? What exactly is Maricara’s gift? Why haven’t Lia and Zane returned to the tribe? I’m assuming because she sees something so doesn’t come back but it’s sort of annoying not to have these stories told. One particular thing also that didn’t make sense was if Maricara could Turn even with a blindfold on why couldn’t she do it with a hood? Like I said, holes aplenty here. The Dràkon narrator is also very eerie and just sent shivers up my spine with a “we’re coming to get you” kind of vibe.

The book will at times lull you into a languid sleep and then suddenly give you a case of the heebeegeebees all the while relinquishing a chilling morsel of the dragons' story that you’re dying to find out. So yeah, it’s not really a romance, but it’s almost one, so for all you PNR romance readers who need good writing this is still well worth the read :)
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About Shana Abe

Shana Abé was born in Texas. She spent much of her childhood living in Colorado, with a brief stint in Mexico as a foreign exchange student, and, at age seventeen, lived in Japan as a model. Throughout her childhood, Abé wrote, completing what she calls "The Silliest Romance Novel Ever" during her free time during modeling shoots. Her writing focused on romance, as those were the types of books th...more

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Quotes from Queen of Dragons

“I didn’t want to be in love with you. I didn’t want to believe in love at all. It’s never happened to me before. And to be perfectly frank, I’m still not entirely happy about the whole thing. I think—it’s going to be exhausting. You’re domineering and devious and I’ve noticed that whenever we’re not kissing, I wish we were.” Her voice had grown nearly plaintive; she stopped and cleared her throat. “It’s a damnable situation. I don’t know what to do about it.”
He eyed her from the chair. “I’m pigheaded, too. Pray don’t forget that.”
“Certainly not. It was the next thing I was going to mention.”
“My sweet, your notion of love is unique, to say the least. I wonder that you haven’t written me sonnets already. Something like ‘Ode to the Blackguard.” — 20 people liked it

“He’d never liked tea. It seemed somewhat ridiculous to him, to interrupt his day with miniature cakes and dry, crustless sandwiches, and fragile china that always seemed about to snap in half between his fingers. Tea, Kimber reasoned, was a feminine invention, ruled by females of a certain type: ruffled, beribboned, and iron-willed.” — 3 people liked it

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Queen of Dragons (Drakon #3)

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