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Heart of the Dragon (Atlantis #1)

by Gena Showalter (Goodreads Author)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 6,843 ratings · 344 reviews

Enter a world of dragons, demons and nymphs...enter a world of dark seduction and powerful magic...enter Atlantis...Searching for her missing brother, Grace Carlyle never dreamed she would discover a secret world populated by mythological monsters - or find herself facing a sword-wielding being whose looks put mortal men to shame. But there he was, Darius en Kragin, one of...more

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Published (first published September 1st 2005)

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Dec 06, 2010 Lady Valee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr-romance

5 STARS !!

I just LOVED this book. It was ~~so good, just the best thing I have read in such a long time, marvelous~~ , PERFECT!

If I had had a clue this series was this good I have read it much sooner. As the AVG rating of this book was 3.88 I just thought I would not like it at all. I just started with it because I was missing paranormal romance terribly! I was pretty sure I had read all the ones worth reading so you can all imagine this was a huge surprise for me! I wasn't aware of how much I was...more 5 STARS !!

I just LOVED this book. It was ~~so good, just the best thing I have read in such a long time, marvelous~~ , PERFECT!

If I had had a clue this series was this good I have read it much sooner. As the AVG rating of this book was 3.88 I just thought I would not like it at all. I just started with it because I was missing paranormal romance terribly! I was pretty sure I had read all the ones worth reading so you can all imagine this was a huge surprise for me! I wasn't aware of how much I was missing this genre till now that I got another taste of it. When paranormal romance is well written it just drives you insanely addicted and wont let you stop reading it until you've read all the books in the series. I just know this series will be a new obsession of mine, I mean I was already hooked by the first 2 chapters,LOL. Moreover, I was told the next books are even better, how will I be able to stop now until I read them all?

In this installment we get to see an introduction to this new Atlantis world. One of the things I love the most about this genre is this, when an author creates a whole new world from nowhere and makes you feel like it's the best thing ever. I just wanted to belong to it, and when I feel that way I know I have found a read that will keep me captivated forever. In this world we get to read about a land sunk down into the see with many different creatures who are not worth to live with the humans. We have Vampires, Dragons, and so many more species, but not the ones you are used to read about, but new species. That's what I loved the most, to get to know more supernatural beings I was not related to. I just hope we get more of them in the future. The Dragon warriors were definitely the best addition to this series. I don't know how I can find sexy as hell hot warriors changing into real dragons but I do,LOL. I loved the plot of this series.

But if that was not enough to captivate you, you get to read about an incredibly SEXY Hot as hell warrior as a hero and a strong determined hilarious woman as heroine. They were great individually, but together they were just dynamite. I adored them. I almost never, ever enjoy first books in a series because they give us too much information and little romance, but boy this book had it all! I just could not get enough. I already loved Gena Showalter because of her LOFU series, but an author able to give me more than a fav series becomes an obsession for me. Can't wait to read the next installment. (less)

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Dec 02, 2010 lin-lin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 100-percent-happy-ending, dragon, romance-novel, fantasy, adult-scene

Benernya buku ini berpotensi 5 bintang kalau saja :
- Ceritanya lebih banyak tentang mitologi atlantis dan penghuni-penghuninya. Padalah gambaran sekilas tentang atlantis di buku udah cukup keren.
- More deep characters rather than standard characters, lebih suka Darius yang dingin dan kaku yang sebelum ketemu Grace lebih keren dan coba kalau Grace digambarkan lebih galak, keras kepala dan ngga terangsang setiap kali ketemu Darius, pasti lebih keren. Tapi setelah ketemu karakternya malah pada jadi...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Merve Özcan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire, dragon, godish

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Darious ,Javar'dan sisin koruyucusu olma görevini alır.(annesi öldürülmüş babasıile birlikte kız kardeşleri tecavüze uğrayıp öldürülmüş. çünkü başka bir koruyucu görevini doğru yapmamış) Darious bu görevi isteyip istemediginden emindegildir. Ayrıca koruyucu olmak sisi gören herkesin öldürülmesi demektir ve bu onunn için zor bir karardır.Javarın ailesini hatırlatması üzerine sise hayatını ve ölümünü sunar(yemin eder) ve ilk defa kılıcını birine saplar ve bundan sonra görevinin bu olduguna karar...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Cyp rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, did-not-finish, dont-bother, 2011-reads, dragons, 1-star

This book was a pure whine-fest. The plot was horrendously predictable, and the heroine is a major whiner, and a B with an ITCH. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with her? She's like those anorexic, cheerleader whiner-babies that is totally unsatisfied with her life. And don't get me started on the male protagonist. He was an emotional wreck when he saw her, all "i should kill you but i cant cause i get all tingly with this insta-love shit that i still dont want to acknowledge is love thing". D...more This book was a pure whine-fest. The plot was horrendously predictable, and the heroine is a major whiner, and a B with an ITCH. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with her? She's like those anorexic, cheerleader whiner-babies that is totally unsatisfied with her life. And don't get me started on the male protagonist. He was an emotional wreck when he saw her, all "i should kill you but i cant cause i get all tingly with this insta-love shit that i still dont want to acknowledge is love thing". Dont get me wrong, im more than fine with insta-loves(what's not to love and all right?), but you've got to build and elaborate it, not just go straight into the face sucking. And so it was downright draggy and uneventful that i stopped reading quite soon after i picked the book up.

Here's how far i got: Darius shed any and all emotions he might have had way back ago after seeing his family get killed and having had his first kill(who was a totally innocent person who just so happen to have stumbled upon the entrance to Atlantis). Grace is a starved, lost girl in the Amazon jungle with a rifle in hand, and who has no qualms using it whatsoever(really? yeah because you go around shooting guys in their asses everyday in your very unfulfilling life like you just did earlier in the book right? totally understandable). She isnt happy with her life(have i said that already?), and is out being an adrenaline junkie when her tour guide, of sorts, bolted on her, taking with him all her supplies including food and the makeshift shelter. She stumbles upon this whole bunch of human-like apes which is a rip off of the funny baboon scene in Tarzan, and all of a sudden, this weird dragon necklace that her brother gave her started glowing and tugging her to this cave. She wandered further into the cave and got transported to Atlantis where she meets Darius at the cave entrance/exit. Both of them gets these lusty feelings INSTANTLY and omg..Yeah and so Darius managed to bring her to his private chambers in his palace(yes he is the king of the palace) and they knocked it off with lots of french kissing.

I stopped there. Cause it was filled in between with SOO much inner whining and draggy parts that i literally rolled my eyes(and i dont do that often cause i have a manly rep to protect ok..)and closed the book and was like, ah f*ck..this is a hell of a disappointment(sorry for the language. I think long term reading Hellion's reviews and the f word is flowing out of me like nobody's business). Because i had such high expections for this book which had an effing lot of plot potential. And i say effing lot cause apparently im a sucker for cool, reclusive, high-flying/status guys who fall for that one special, mortal girl with spirit. And Showalter is a rather renowned author with a hell lot of books to decorate her biography(ok awkward phrasing, but you get what i mean).

The female protagonist, Grace Carlyle, isnt endearing, at all. She's really like a crazy, wild and unappreciative brat who keeps getting into trouble and looking for hot sex(yes it was explicitly stated), and i dont get the lovey dovey chemistry that should be there(and this love or lust at first sight is hardly an acceptable excuse), like in Firelight by Sophie Jordan, that one i loved, and craved for more, but this one is just pushing it.

The male protagonist was ok...........weird, cool, but not ideal(maybe my impression was sullen-ed from all those repetitive "should i?but i shouldnt..Should i?but i shouldnt..SHOULD I?" oh god just effing make a freaking decision. My first impression of him wasnt bad tho..it just went down a steady steep decline as i progressed further into the book. but just freaking MOVE ON, dude. i should too..sigh.) There werent many side characters other than Darius' underlings. But they didnt really shine all that much..And especially with their rebellious, disrespectful attitude, it totally destroyed Darius' image as a commanding and well-respected king.

To sum it all up and tho i cant help repeating myself: Whiny. Draggy. Uneventful. Disliked female protagonist. Unendearing male protagonist(maybe just a little huh, not so unendearing). Not much plot building. Not much chemistry in the relationship. Appallingly predictable plot. Bad book. Did not even reach a quarter of the book. Painful reading process. And i repeat PAINFUL.(less)

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Mar 19, 2012 Stine rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, fantasy, adult, shifters

The only reason I read this book was because of the word "Atlantis". I've always liked the Atlantis myth and I found the concept for this book quite intriguing. Unfortunately it wasn't all that great.

Basically there's this woman who is lost in the jungle and accidentally finds her way to Atlantis. And then there's the dark and brooding man that has never felt love, guarding the entrance. It doesn't take a genius to know where this is going.

I liked the concept about Atlanis being a place for al...more

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Dec 29, 2007 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007, bc2007, romance, paranormal

After 300 years, Darius has very little humanity left. He has pushed his pain and grief over losing his family so far away that he can't feel anything. He protects the mists into Atlantis from invaders, but he finds that he can't kill Grace. She has stumbled into Atlantis while searching the Amazon jungle for her brother.
This story reminds me of the Dark series by Alexis Morgan. Men who can't feel saved by the women who love them. What can I say? I'm a sucker. :D
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journ ...more

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Dec 29, 2008 Anita rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Atlantis is the home of all the "magical" races in this story - dragons, vampires, minotaurs, etc. Everything but faries. Humans who stumble through one of the two portals to this world are immediately executed by the guardian of the mist - a dragon. Darius is one of the gardians, and a king of the dragons. He's been one of the two guardians for 300 years, since his family was slaughtered by humans who invaded Atlantis. He's hardened his heart and kills without mercy, no matter who comes through...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Kaitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Throughout this book, we learn about how Darius came to be the emotion suppressed warrior that he is, and his battles to keep his emotions that way to avoid feeling the hurt and anguish he’s held hidden for so long. By never allowing someone to get close with him, even his warriors who call him king, he has been able to survive for hundreds of years while having to fulfill his duty of protecting the mist from unwanted humans trying to enter Atlantis.

Then, to his dismay, he stumbles upon Grace –...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Jilly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I decided to read this book after a girl on a book club group mentioned that she liked it. She then proceeded to tell us a little about the series and it sounded relatively interesting.

Gena Showalter is very new to me. I've never read a thing by her but I can't say she's a bad writer. She's not my favorite but she's not bad either. She does well enough with her stories and writings to make you interested in reading more but you don't feel like you need to rush out and buy the book.

I will be fini...more I decided to read this book after a girl on a book club group mentioned that she liked it. She then proceeded to tell us a little about the series and it sounded relatively interesting.

Gena Showalter is very new to me. I've never read a thing by her but I can't say she's a bad writer. She's not my favorite but she's not bad either. She does well enough with her stories and writings to make you interested in reading more but you don't feel like you need to rush out and buy the book.

I will be finishing this series, slowly but surely. Like I said, I'm not going to rush out and buy then but as they come via PaperBackSwap I will be reading them.

Darius, our hero, is a very intriguing character. He is a were meaning he looks human but can transform into a dragon. In fact, he is king his group of Dragons. He is also the Guardian of the Mist which means he is guarding the gateway between Atlantis and our world. He isn't supposed to let anyone pass into their world. The moment a human steps through they are to be killed. Sending them back isn't an option because they could lead fortune hunters back.

In comes Grace. She's different and you can immediately tell why. Obviously, they are soul mates or some such thing (you get this idea if you've read a lot of books like this). He knows she could be a danger to his people but he can't bring himself to harm her plus she had a medallion only another Dragon should have. He needs answers so he locks her in his room.

I like Grace because she's not a suffering bimbo. She seems more normal though she is fully capable of taking care of herself. She literally climbs the walls and then manages to escape Darius and return to her world. Of course, Darius isn't far behind because he still needs answers.

Sometimes in a "romance" novel you have the problem where the characters kind of flounder for a bit in the middle of the story. A transition period if you will when it feel like the author was also at a loss. There doesn't seem to be a moment like that in this book though I have to admit their back and forth between locations grated on my nerves a little.

Overall it was an interesting story and worth at least reading. I haven't decided whether or not it is worth it to me to keep any of these books. I did like this one more than I'm liking the second but I really haven't decided.(less)

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Dec 28, 2011 Primadonna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story flows so fluidly that when I found at least two logic flaws, I was, like, whoa, really? How can it be?

OK, so the dragon-man is from another world, so he can't be expected to understand the "ways" of the world.

But from what I gather, the stewardess isn't stupid. She should know not to lay all the cards on the table. She should know that they shouldn't discuss their plans freely and most of all, who Darius really is in front of the bad guys.

So at first they threatened the man who tailed...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Ayu Wirdha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Thanks to Mba Grace, who lend me this book.

Kebetulan sekali nama tokoh utama perempuannya adalah Grace. Jadi Grace ini datang ke Brazil tepatnya ke hutan Amazon untuk mencari kakaknya yang hilang (Alex) tapi malah tidak sengaja masuk ke kerajaan Atlantis yg dihuni bermacam-macam mahluk. Jadi Atlantis ini adalah tempat mahluk2 eksperimen para Dewa sebelum akhirnya Dewa membuat manusia yg ditaro untuk hidup di atas permukaan laut.

Di Atlantis ini, Grace ketemu dengan Raja manusia Naga yaitu Darius...more Thanks to Mba Grace, who lend me this book.

Kebetulan sekali nama tokoh utama perempuannya adalah Grace. Jadi Grace ini datang ke Brazil tepatnya ke hutan Amazon untuk mencari kakaknya yang hilang (Alex) tapi malah tidak sengaja masuk ke kerajaan Atlantis yg dihuni bermacam-macam mahluk. Jadi Atlantis ini adalah tempat mahluk2 eksperimen para Dewa sebelum akhirnya Dewa membuat manusia yg ditaro untuk hidup di atas permukaan laut.

Di Atlantis ini, Grace ketemu dengan Raja manusia Naga yaitu Darius yang menjadi salah satu penjaga pintu gerbang Atlantis. Tugas Darius adalah membunuh siapapun yang sengaja/tdk sengaja masuk ke Atlantis. Pintu satu lagi dijaga oleh Javar. Istana Javar ini sedang diserang oleh manusia dan dibantu raja Vampir (salah satu mahluk di Atlantis) yang musuh bebuyutan dari Darius dan semua manusia Naga.

Darius tdk sanggup membunuh Grace dan akhirnya membantu untuk mencari kakak Grace dengan imbalan Grace membantu untuk mengusir manusia dari Atlantis. Karena mahluk naga itu ternyata bisa mati dengan peluru yang ditembakkan oleh manusia. Akhirnya Grace yang mengajarkan utk peluru tsb di ambil dan bekas luka tsb disembuhkan dgn dijilat oleh naga sendiri (kalao engga salah hehehe). Intinya Grace dan Darius mencari informasi ttg Alex ke dunia di atas permukaan dan sekaligus membeli kevlar (ropi anti peluru) untuk melindungi tubuh manusia Naga walaupun dengan resiko mereka tdk dpt mempergunakan sayapnya. Hal ini harus dilakukan cepat krn mahluk Atlantis itu bila kelamaan ada di dunia permukaan laut akan hilang nyawanya.

Singkat cerita, Darius dan pasukannya bisa mengalahkan manusia yg menjarah Atlantis (yaitu bos dr Alex). Alex diselamatkan oleh istri Javar. Grace yang ditawan oleh raja Vampir juga berhasil diselamatkan sedangkan raja Vampir bisa melarikan diri. Grace an Alex akhirnya tinggal di Atlantis.

Note : agak ngebosenin ceritanya, mungkin krn datar2 aja ya..ga ada tegang2nya. Chemistry antara Grace dan Darius biasa2 aja. Dan setting di Atlantis malah bikin gw makin ga percaya hehehehe.

(less)

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Nov 03, 2011 Patricia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, _adult, genre-paranormal-romance, paranormal_shifters, review-planned, setting-otherworld, setting-present, paranormal-dragons

There are several things to say about the book.

First: It could have been very good.
Second: It wasn't.

I know, I know. "Why?" you wonder.

Dear reader, it's not like I didn't enjoy Heart of the Dragon. On the contrary, it was very entertaining. Which is why I gave it a 2.5 rating =from 0-5 stars it's the absolute average.

I wanted to read something about Dragons, started "Dragon Actually" (by GA Aiken/Shelly Laurenston) because of that and disliked that novel. Unlike Dragon Actually, Heart of the Dr...more There are several things to say about the book.

First: It could have been very good.
Second: It wasn't.

I know, I know. "Why?" you wonder.

Dear reader, it's not like I didn't enjoy Heart of the Dragon. On the contrary, it was very entertaining. Which is why I gave it a 2.5 rating =from 0-5 stars it's the absolute average.

I wanted to read something about Dragons, started "Dragon Actually" (by GA Aiken/Shelly Laurenston) because of that and disliked that novel. Unlike Dragon Actually, Heart of the Dragon is set in the present. Grace Carlyle is a human and somehow crosses a supernatural border, ending up in Atlantis, where our hero, Darius, awaits her, ready to kill her as is his job.

But somehow he can't. She later escapes, but he follows her and for a few reasons doesn't kill her later, either. It's his job because humans aren't allowed to know about Atlantis. They'd kill the Atlanteans, steal their riches etc. Even children might one day tell adults or try to find their way back.

My first problem was that he didn't just plan to kill her, he also wanted to sleep with her. Before he killed her. I don't like that. He tried to justify his sleeping with her, telling himself that this way she'd be out of his system and he could kill her as was his job, but it's egotistical and I really, really, really disliked that part of the story. Obviously he later realized the error of his ways.

Second problem, they don't know eachother very long (one-two days, duh) but are completely in love with eachother? Um, no.

Third problem, when he later goes to war he wants her to stay at his palast. I think it's the right choice. She's a human, she's weaker than the dragons and she'd be in their way, distracting him etc. She thinks otherwise and follows them. Why? It's stupid and her explanation didn't feel right. I had expected something better from Showalter.

There are some minor things, too, but I'm a little too lazy (and tired, it's 6pm after all lol) to list all of them. Suffice is to say that I would recommend this book to LOTU fans or people looking for a little PNR distraction. It's a promising start, despite the things I've mentioned above, too.

I only wish Gena'd have changed certain things, maybe not the three points I've mentioned above, because they sort of.. are the story, but smaller things like Grace's brother falling for the other captive.(less)

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Mar 02, 2011 Dawn Ang rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, paranormal, mythology, fiction, ebook, contemporary-fiction

Where to begin with this one? Well, I did like this book. I thought it was an entertaining, light read. It wasn't great, though. The plot was not original--it's a tried and true fairytale (complete with dragons and damsels in distress, except in this case it was the heroine's brother who needed to be rescued).

The main love-story between Darius and Grace was plausible in the beginning but it plunges into the territory of ridiculous very quickly. And I mean QUICKLY. The characters were not rounde...more Where to begin with this one? Well, I did like this book. I thought it was an entertaining, light read. It wasn't great, though. The plot was not original--it's a tried and true fairytale (complete with dragons and damsels in distress, except in this case it was the heroine's brother who needed to be rescued).

The main love-story between Darius and Grace was plausible in the beginning but it plunges into the territory of ridiculous very quickly. And I mean QUICKLY. The characters were not rounded enough throughout the book to make any of the emotions--or anything about them, for that matter--real. The author sacrifices her character for the sake of fast paced narration. For the most part, with the slight exception of Darius, the characters were nothing more than names throughout the novel. They were very generic in a project-yourself-onto-them kind of way (especially for the main female protagonist).

Although the formation of convincing characters was overlooked in this book, I didn't feel that it suffered too much from it. Like I said, these are characters so familiar Showalter might as well have named them 'Quintessential Male Hero' and 'Slightly Flawed Yet Attractive Heroine' and the minor characters 'Atlantean Warrior #1', 'Human Thug #2', etc. The storyline was enjoyable because it is as familiar as its characters. The setting is one that isn't used often and it is a huge redeeming factor. It captures the imagination and makes the book worth reading.

If you are looking for something quick and fun, I would definitely recommend this to you. I read this during my commute on the subway and it was perfect to pass the time. I like it enough to want to read the other books in the series because I do have to do more commuting. As long as you don't take it too seriously and expect too much from it, you'll be fine.

If you're planning to pick up this book my only suggestion is to take it for what it is and enjoy it! It's like a catchy pop song. There's no deep message behind it but it's entertaining as hell. :)(less)

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Jan 11, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Grace travels to Brazil to catch up with her archeologist brother Alex, and gets lost. Her dragon necklace leads her into a cave that leads into Alantis. There, she meets Darius, a guardian dragon sworn to kill any traveler that comes into the cave. They fall in love, there is a bit of conflict with Alex, his boss, and some vampires, and that is about it. Most of this book was monologue about how much Grace wanted Darius or vice versa. There wasn't enough action to keep me from skimming through...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Photojim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads, fantasy-sci-fi, paranormal, jim-swap-shelf

Meh. An unconvincing romance in the middle of an unoriginal story. I just didn't see any reason for Grace and Darius to end up together. I never bought the love at all. I've just seen this done better.

***Edit***

I read a review of a different book by KimKirt today that mentioned how there's something that rubs you the wrong way about a book that just bugs you and keeps you from fully enjoying the book. Unfortunately there were several with this. But one that I feel I should mention concerns a cou...more

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Apr 29, 2010 Jas rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-your-name-challenge

I am a huge fan of Gena Showalter, I love her Lords of the Underworld series, her Alien-Huntress series, and even a couple of her stand alone books. So while I think that Heart of the Dragon was good, in comparison to her other work this book was booooring. What I admire about GS is that she makes you fall in love with her characters and with the world she creates. There is always someone or something to connect to in her stories and she usually has a fast pace that makes the book flow. All of t...more

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Feb 08, 2010 Jasmyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, romance, harlequin, series, fantasy, atlantis

Atlantis exists! It is guarded by a race of shapeshifting dragon of unbeilevable fighting skill and hunkiness (even if they do sprout scales when provoked). Darius is the head man...er dragon, and is entrusted with guarding the portal that separates our world from his. His duty is to slay everyone that comes from our side and he takes his duty seriously, never letting any pass. Then one day Grace stumbles through and something changes. He breaks his sacred vow for the first time, intrigued by th...more Atlantis exists! It is guarded by a race of shapeshifting dragon of unbeilevable fighting skill and hunkiness (even if they do sprout scales when provoked). Darius is the head man...er dragon, and is entrusted with guarding the portal that separates our world from his. His duty is to slay everyone that comes from our side and he takes his duty seriously, never letting any pass. Then one day Grace stumbles through and something changes. He breaks his sacred vow for the first time, intrigued by the fiery red head that dares to defy him.

But this isn't the only change heading towards Darius. As he runs around after Grace, trying to keep her from getting killed by the other dragonmen, he discovers that she isn't the only human in Atlantis after all. There is a second portal, guarded by his mentor and father-figure that becomes strangely silent, and suddenly Grace finds herself caught in the middle of a battle to save a world that most still think is mere myth and legend.

As Grace and Darius rush to save not only Atlantis, but all the people they hold dear, they find themselves plunged into a very heated romance. And wow...do I mean heated. This is not a book for any who blush easily. While the romance plays second fiddle to the fight for Atlantis, it is definately there and wants you to know it!

Grace is a fantastic female character. Not only is she not stick thin and model georgous, she actually has a head on her shoulders and isn't afraid to fight to get what she wants and protect those she cares about. It isn't suprising that Darius struggled to resist her.

Darius is a lean mean fightig machine...with the additional abitilities you would commonly associate with dragons as well. While his character is hard and ferocious, we occasssionally are allowed glimpses into the inner-Darius and can easily see why Grace would fall head over heals for him.

This is the first book in the Atlantis series by Gena Showalter and I have the next two sitting in my filing cabinet drawer (I ran out of room on the TBR shelf) and I can harldy wait til their turn comes up to read more about this fascinating new world, Atlantis.

4/5 (would have been more, a bit too steamy in places for me)(less)

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Sep 14, 2009 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Grace Carlyle, frustrated by her boring, predictable job and lack of romance in her life sets out on a potentially dangerous mission to find her brother who disappeared into the Amazon Jungle on a research trip many weeks ago. After her guide steals from her and retreats into the Jungle Grace finds herself wandering, looking for the way out. Instead of getting out of the jungle however, she unknowingly heads deeper in, finally coming across a strange portal...the entrance to the Mythical world o...more Grace Carlyle, frustrated by her boring, predictable job and lack of romance in her life sets out on a potentially dangerous mission to find her brother who disappeared into the Amazon Jungle on a research trip many weeks ago. After her guide steals from her and retreats into the Jungle Grace finds herself wandering, looking for the way out. Instead of getting out of the jungle however, she unknowingly heads deeper in, finally coming across a strange portal...the entrance to the Mythical world of Atlantis.

Darius en Karigan Dragon Warlord of Atlantis feels Grace enter his world and runs to strike her down before she can bring peril to his homeland. Strangely drawn to her however, he finds he cannot bring himself to kill her like he has killed all the others who dared to venture into his homeland. After learning more about her Darius realizes that the city of Atlantis is in danger. Alex had not just gone missing, he is the subject of a conspiracy, a conspiracy to strip Atlantis of all its riches and murder its mythical inhabitants. Together, Darius and Grace must solve the mystery and save Atlantis from greed and deception.

In the words of my fiancé: "This book is horrible!" Personally, I find that to be a little harsh. I knew going in that "Heart of the Dragon" was a romantic fantasy, a genre that Showalter is famous for. That being said, I wasn't expecting much and ended up pleasantly surprised. The reading is quick and easy so it makes a good plane/beach read.

"Heart of the Dragon" got better the more I read. If you aren't familiar with Showalter's style the first part of the book might make you want to roll your eyes a tad with the obvious clichés and overly fantastic style that many romance novelists have adopted in order to "engage" the reader from the first page. This is probably what made my fiancé laugh and make fun of me when I accidentally left my book in the bathroom after a bubble bath. In any case, this is a definite "chick book" and should have it written on the cover in large, bold letters.

Keeping all of that in mind, I honestly liked "Heat of the Dragon." It was pointedly less serious than the book I'd just finished, had lots of fun, mystery, romance, and just a sprinkling of danger which will undoubtedly lure me back to more works by Showalter. If you're skeptical of romance novels stay away, but if you need something fun, short, and slightly mindless, this is a good choice. "Heart of the Dragon" held my interest, and even though I had to wade through a river of melted cheese to get to the heart (no pun intended) of the story I sincerely enjoyed it and continue to be a Gena Showalter fan. (less)

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Jun 09, 2013 Brenda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, read-2013, fantasy, vampire-wolf-faery-ghost-etc, hot-guys-are-here

3 stars

I was expecting so much from this book, because I saw a lot of good review about HOTD. To be honest I'm not really "into the book", I don't know how to description it but HOTD just like a "good book" that I enjoy one day and then I'll forget the next day.

Okey cukup ngomong bahasa inggrisnya haha. Emang sengaja beli ini karna liat review yang sangat tinggi dari HOTD (to be honest gue adalah orang yang baru mau beli buku kalo banyak orang yang mengakui kalo buku itu bener" bagus buat dibaca...more 3 stars

I was expecting so much from this book, because I saw a lot of good review about HOTD. To be honest I'm not really "into the book", I don't know how to description it but HOTD just like a "good book" that I enjoy one day and then I'll forget the next day.

Okey cukup ngomong bahasa inggrisnya haha. Emang sengaja beli ini karna liat review yang sangat tinggi dari HOTD (to be honest gue adalah orang yang baru mau beli buku kalo banyak orang yang mengakui kalo buku itu bener" bagus buat dibaca)So gue beli lah online.

Baca.. baca.. prolognya cukup interesting menurut gue ada Javar semacam "guru" bagi Darius En Kragin seorang manusia naga, yang akan dijadikan seorang penjaga kabut/ penjaga gerbang jalan menuru Atlantis. Ya! Atlantis yang itu! yang kita sering dengar dari tempat" bersejarah di dunia. yang katanya tenggelam dalam dasar laut. Jujur gue gatau apapun tentang Atlantis kecuali kalo Atlantis itu kota yang tenggelem. -_- (I know I need to learn more history)

Setelah baca HOTD gue lebih banyak tau tentang Atlantis even tante GS bikin buku ini berdasarkan fiction .-. ada manusia naga, vampir, manusia bertanduk dll. Wow banyak banget yaah, yang gue liat dominan a.k.a diceritain paling banyak di HOTD adalah kaum manusia naga and vampir and manusia.

Grace Carlyle hanya datang ke Brazil untuk mencari kakaknya Alex yang hilang, ngak nyangka dia bakal menemukan kabut dan pintu gerbang untuk masuk ke Atlantis. Well gak cuma pintu masuk nya aja Grace juga ketemu dengan mahluk maha ganteng bernama Darius En Kragin *hikhik* di bukunya di tulis kegantengan Darius bikin manusia manapun malu -_- (kurang lebih seperti itu)

Si Darius yang emang ditugasin buat bunuh setiap "pengelana" yang mau masuk ke Atlantis mengalami dilema yang sangat sangat terhadap Grace. Gimana enggak, Darius langsung terpesona liat rambut merah nya Grace, mata hijaunya yang memukau etc etc..

Well petualangan mereka dilanjutkan dengan Darius menjadikan Grace sebagai tawanannya, cuma Grace berhasil lari ke dunia permukaan dan ketemu sama orang" jahat yang boongin dia tentang keberadaan kakaknya.

Darius janji dia akan menangkap Grace kembali, and guess what? He's definitely completed his promise! haha

Lanjutannya baca sendiri ya :D pokoknya seru deh dan gak nyesel belinya ><(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Anastasia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steamy

I give this book 5 stars!

Why?Because it was fantastic!
From where to begin?The storyline,the characters,
the steamy scenes,the action scenes,the dialogs...
Everything where well developed and well placed
making this book exciting and very easy to read.
First of all I was very intrigued by the fact
that the plot revolves around Atlantis.I am a
fun of greek mythology and especially of the myth
of Atlantis,an incredibly wealthy and beautiful
ancient city that disappeared underwater thousands
of years ago.
...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

i randomly picked this series out of the hundreds sitting on my nook because i was in the mood for paranormal. normally vamps are my thing but i dig dragons apparently. i liked the main female character she was an adrenaline junkie like me always searching for that next thrill the perfect one but never quite finding it until she discovers sex...with a dragon lol. i think the plot line was done pretty well very action packed and fast paced. my twp main complaints are that some people have a point...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-immortals-reading-challenge, 2013-mount-tbr-reading-challenge, 2013-sexy-showalter-reading-challen, pnr-uf

I love the idea of taking the premise that Atlantis is real and still here though hidden so I was very eager to read this series. This first book also hit one of my other favorites- dragons!!!

Darius is a stone cold dragon warrior king and guardian of the portal to the human world. He is sworn to kill any who stray through the mist into Atlantis. After three hundred years, a lone woman becomes the exception when he is attracted to her and cannot find it in himself to kill her right away. He must...more I love the idea of taking the premise that Atlantis is real and still here though hidden so I was very eager to read this series. This first book also hit one of my other favorites- dragons!!!

Darius is a stone cold dragon warrior king and guardian of the portal to the human world. He is sworn to kill any who stray through the mist into Atlantis. After three hundred years, a lone woman becomes the exception when he is attracted to her and cannot find it in himself to kill her right away. He must find out why she possesses a dragon pendant that she should not have.

Grace Carlysle has come to the Amazon jungle to find the whereabouts of her brother. He sent her his diary and a pendant just before he disappeared searching for the famed lost city of Atlantis. Grace loves adventure, but now that she is lost and without a guide she just wants to find Alex and go home. But adventure is not through with Grace because she accidentally stumbles through the mist into the cave of a dragon warrior. The warrior, Darius questions her about the pendant and her purpose for being there and doesn't like 'I don't know' for an answer. Grace finds herself in awe of the fact that she is in a dragon's castle in Atlantis, but it is the feelings that Darius brings to the surface in her that she finds overwhelming. It is not enough to keep her because she needs to find Alex whom she suspects is still in danger.

While Grace searches for her brother and Darius tries to figure out what is going on as well as agonizing over the decision that he must fulfill his guardian vow and kill Grace while they both struggle with their attraction, other forces are at work plotting the downfall of Atlantis and make themselves rich. It will take Grace's knowledge and Darius' strength working together to save the day.

I really enjoyed the world building in this one and hope for more stories involving the other races of Atlantis. The plot was exciting much of the time though it switched over for the character development and for the romance. This one was a good story, but its pacing wasn't as smooth. It wasn't bad or boring, but just noticeable like when Darius is dealing with the other warrior's ennui issues or the gaps in Alex's story regarding his escape attempts and such.

The characters were very likeable. I think writing good characters whether hero, villain or sidekicks is a trait of Gena Showalter's. I loved Grace's feistiness that is just right. She is vulnerable particularly when it comes to her appearance, but she doesn't let this feeling keep her from trying for something with Darius. She may not be a paranormal, but she is tenacious. It is telling how she desires to help Darius and does, but accepts her own limitations reasonably when its time to let him use his gifts.
As to Darius, he cracked me up in certain ways. He is the epitome of arrogant warrior male in certain respects. Through much of the book, he has an untenable problem. He loves Grace and knows that it is Grace that gives him reason for living- her very presence assails his senses, but his vow requires that as a guardian that he must kill her because no outsider may enter Atlantis and live. Darius is tender, loving and protective of Grace while at the same time he is guilt-ridden, distant and even grumpy. Darius sees Grace as the most beautiful and a sweet woman deserving of happiness and she is his to love and protect though he is not too arrogant that he won't accept her help where he can.

So it was a good start to a series and I look forward to seeing whose story is next.

Paranormal fans will enjoy this book.(less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Niina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Darius en Kragin has been schooled from the tender age of 8 to become a Guardian of the Mist, a dragon that stands between people who enter Atlantis through the portal and his own people. No one can enter, everyone has to be slain for the safety of Atlantis, no exceptions.

Grace Carlyle is lost in the jungle after her guide deserts her in her search for her brother who seems to have disappeared after mailing her a necklace, an old dragon necklace. As she now tumbles through the jungle, thirsty, h...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*****MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS!*****

I absolutely loved this book. Darius is such an amazing character. Sexy and dangerous! He has taken a vow to protect the mist (A portal into Atlantis) after his family is murdered as a child. As a Dragon warrior & protecter of the mist he must be ruthless and fierce to kill anything be it man, woman or child that comes through the portal. That is until Grace mistakenly slips through after seeking shelter while lost in the Amazon looking for her brother and aban...more

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May 21, 2011 Astri Nasthasia Videlia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 14, 2011 Tara-Jayne (♥ I Read, I Love ♥) Bell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, kindle-read

This book gave me a surprise , seen as i am only 16 and well, there is scenes which contains sex. (not my cup of tea).

I'm just going to forget about the sex moments for now, and focus on the storyline.

Grace Carlyle is just a normal woman who never thought she would end up nearly killed by a man which can take a form of a dragon and then held captive. She always wanted an adventure but she never thought she would get one like this.

Her brother loves to find certain stuff and recently discovered a...more

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Dec 27, 2010 Lynsey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tone-steamy, romance-fantasy

This was my first Gena Showalter and I really loved it. Atlantis is subject that I haven't really read much about before and I found it facinating. The book is very well written and I was just carried along, captivated by the story and rich characters.

Darius is king of the Dragons. He is a guardian responsible for the protection of Atlantis and as such he must kill any who enter their world through one of the two portals. His family were brutally murdered when he was a boy and to cope with the f...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Sheri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hot-hot-hot

Cool concept, memorable characters, lovely romance.
If you are a fan of Showalter, you will enjoy this one too.
I felt the LOU similarities more than once, but not quite as strong.

Darius is a dragon shape-shifter, King of his race. He is guardian of the mist, the entrance to Atlantis. Cool concept, aye?

Grace is an adventure junkie, danger-seeking chick searching for her missing brother in the Amazon. She is stubborn, brave and tender at the same time. She accidently stumbles into Darius's world an...more

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Dec 19, 2010 Leanne Bell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adults, blue-green-grey, dragons, fantasy-sci-fi-paranormal, kindle-read, paranormal-romance-book, hot-romance, prettiful-covers, read-2010, troubled-lead-guys-girls, vampires

Having read many of Gena Showalter's books I keep thinking that one day i will come across a book that won't press my buttons, but once again, I've been proven wrong because this book was another amazing edition to the paranormal romance genre.
I don't have any words to describe how refreshingly different i find Gena's books, because they don't just have different story lines, they also have the most amazingly different characters. This is definitely something to note with her books because they...more Having read many of Gena Showalter's books I keep thinking that one day i will come across a book that won't press my buttons, but once again, I've been proven wrong because this book was another amazing edition to the paranormal romance genre.
I don't have any words to describe how refreshingly different i find Gena's books, because they don't just have different story lines, they also have the most amazingly different characters. This is definitely something to note with her books because they are very character orientated which i think is extremely important if you want to connect to the characters.

Heart Of The Dragon is about Darius and Grace, two very different people from two very different places. Darius lives in Atlantis (yes, the mythical underwater City) and is a Dragon who, after witnessing the brutal murder of his family becomes the guardian of the gateway to Atlantis, slaying anyone who crosses, and cutting off all emotions in himself.
Grace is a young woman looking for something more in life, and when she goes searching for her missing brother in the Amazon and accidentally trespasses into Atlantis, she finds a lot more excitement than she bargained for.
Instead of Darius killing her as he is supposed to, he stays his hand, and what begins is an adventure and romance that's more powerful and romantic than any I've read before.

The plot itself has a lot of depth and there is a lot more to it than just the romance. There is a clear mystery/adventure going on throughout and it blends well with the romance plot instead of feeling added on. The fight scenes in it weren't to graphic either, but i dare say if this were put into movie format it would be quite gory (as well as sexually explicit!)
On the romance side, there is only one word i can use to describe the love scenes...HOT! Seriously, this book is not for kids but will definitely fire the imaginations of the adults out there. Absolutely amazing providing you like that sort of thing, which obviously i do ;-)
If you prefer the more innocent/clean romances then you won't find it here, the description throughout will have you imagining all-sorts.

Moving on to the characters i have a few things to mention, the first of which is Gena's choice of heroine as
one of the things that often strike me about the women in Gena's books are the fact that the women are usually older Virgins. This makes a huge change for me as I was sick of reading novels in which the main characters were 18 year old and sleep with the first guy they fall in love with. Grace is twenty-four in this novel and a virgin, and although this is probably not a big deal, it does send out the message that there is no rush to have sex for having sex sake. Especially after you read the explosive encounter between them later in the novel and you realise that for her it was well worth the wait!
So i have to say, thumbs up to Gena for daring to follow a different character and romance path :-)

As for Darius, i have to admit i was conflicted with him, i hated his macho act in some instances and it got me all annoyed when he referred to Grace as 'his woman' and other things like that, but i warmed to him over the course of the book and i really felt for his past, as no one should have to suffer as he did. I was glad when he softened a bit and finally started using his heart rather than his head, and i loved how he came to regard Grace and how he admired her every aspect and part of her body.

There are some truly sad parts in this novel and i couldn't help but feel a bit sad at Darius's recollection of his past, it was truly emotional. But to balance out the sad, there were also some amazingly funny parts as well. The banter and arguments between Grace and Darius in the first part of the book are hilarious and i couldn't help but laugh at them. For me, their ability to laugh at each other, annoy each other, love each other and comfort one another, makes them an amazing and beautiful couple and i loved reading about them and their story.

In short, another stunning novel from Gena Showalter, may she continue to write amazing Paranormal Romance for years to come!(less)

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Oct 25, 2010 Jenny Delandro rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragon-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Gena Showalter Fans: Heart of the Dragon (Atlantis #1)	1	11	Jul 23, 2012 01:25pm
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About Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been transl...more

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Books by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, #2)

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, #3)

The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld, #4)

The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld, #5)

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Quotes from Heart of the Dragon

“Not fat, just not anorexic. She's soft in all the right places.” — 88 people liked it

“To you I belong.My heart beats only for you.No other will tempt me,from this day and beyond.To you I belong.” — 24 people liked it

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Heart of the Dragon (Atlantis #1)

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