Whispers of the Dragon

by Sarah Brianne

There's only one dragon born every generation to protect their people. In reward for their protection, they are given a fated mate. But she must be found and mated before the last cherry blossom falls, or Ryu may just be the last of his kind.

Genres: Dragons, Fantasy, Romantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2025

About the author

Hey! My name is Sarah Brianne and after living for twenty-two years the characters in my head told me enough was enough and I have finally put pen to paper (or is it finger to keyboard?) to tell their stories. Since I was a little girl I have watched every chick flick I could get my hands on, then when I became older I discovered a whole new world of romance novels. To me there is nothing better then a tale of true love and those are the stories that have inspired me to write. Like everything else in my life I have put my own spin on two lovers destined to be together.

XOXO,
Sarah Brianne

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AuthorSarahBrianne@gmail.com

Reviews

[Paige Wuerdemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Sarah Brianne and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for the ARC of Whispers of the Dragon.

Sarah Brianne is an automatic buy author for me. I always love her books and was super excited when she teased about this in Lucca 2 and finally announced that she was writing this book. I love the fact that she has dove into the fantasy world with this!

I originally read this on Vella and loved the book. I was hooked on Eira and Ryu's story from the first page.

Ryu a dragon who is searching for his fated mate and is just about ready to give up as he's spent years looking without success. He then talks to Itako who is basically their seer to gain insight as to where his fated mate might be.

Eira has been through a lot in her life and carries that trauma with her. When a stranger (Ryu) approaches her she is hesitant to interact with him. Of course Ryu slowly breaks down those walls. Eira is plagued by what she thinks are nightmares but are found to be glimpses into their past lives together.

It's not long after Eira finds out that Ryu is a dragon, he brings her back to his island. She's nervous and for the right reasons- drama ensues where Ryu has to save Eria before they can have their HEA.

I cannot wait to see what Sarah writes next because I'm hooked on her books!

[TheBookPlatypus · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You'll need to find your fated mate before the last cherry blossom falls. If not"—he gave his own dry throat a swallow
—"then you'll be the last of us to exist."

Ryu must find his fated mate to carry on his dragon shifter lineage. The cherry blossom tree has only a few petals left and it’s determined to find her before the last petal drops.

Eira is traumatized from a brutal attack as a teen and doesn’t like to be touched, not interested in men, tormented by nightmares, and lives with her grandparents in solitude. She yearns for more but just doesn’t know what it is. Overlooking an island from a cliff, it’s there she meets Ryu. And he’s determined to bring her home before the last petal falls.

This is a fade to black romance.
With a little bit of Japanese culture.
Very YA.
A very easy read and fast pace romance. I read it in about three hours.
Low political romantasy
3.5⭐️

[Shell_Belles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book, and these are my full opinions on it.

Starting off, I give this a VERY strong 3.5 ⭐️s. I think the author has a great story here and I loved aspects of it like the cherry blossom tree lore, and the bits of dragon and mate lore that you read through the story. I love the fated mates trope, and I think how it was done here was really interesting.

My one issue, which for me personally is what took me out of the story, is that I wanted this to be longer and more detailed. This was originally published chapter by chapter, and I think that kind of shows with how quickly the story jumps. Like I said above I love the overall story, I just wanted another 100-150 pages to really show the beauty of the world and characters that were created.

Overall I think this is a great read if your wanting something fun in between books, or if your a mood reader and just wanting some cute fated mates and a hot guy who's also a dragon.

[the_bibliophagist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story/plot of this book. It was interesting how the dragon's life was represented in the physical world. The thing that bothered me was the writing. It was too fast-paced and I think not descriptive enough. For example, I am assuming the characters are Japanese by the cover of the book and the tree but I don't know because the author never tells us. I know the MMC is huge and FMC has scares but still beautiful. This book has great potential.

[Nikki Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new to me fantasy author and I'm hooked. A brilliant blend of the paranormal with a smidge of Japanese mythology/traditions/culture to hook you in to the story.

Eira and Ryu may be fated mates but fate is not making it easy on them. They have a ticking clock to cement their relationship. The seer Rya speaks to isn't exactly clear about the path he has to take.

Eira is tougher than she thinks and i thought she was a great partner for Ryu. She has walls a mile high around her heart but somehow Ryu manages to get under her skin. The revelation of the catalyst of Eira's nightmares was fantastically well told.

The romance is passionate but fade to back and slow burn. Ryu gives off those "touch her and die" vibes so well! Great read and I'd happily read more from this author in this world. My only gripe is that I'd like to have more Japanese Mythology within the story.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riu is a dragon searching for his soulmate. The future of his dynasty and his village depends on his success.

Eira is stuck in her trauma and she lives her life a nightmare after the other. The only light in her world are her grandparents.

Will Riu find his mate in time? Is finding her really enough to save his people?

***

Let me tell you right away that Chloe and Lucca are my favorite couple written by Sarah Brianne so I was extremely curious about this novel and its connection with those characters.

Firstly, I like the general plot and the idea behind the connection with Chloe and Lucca. Even though the story might not be overly original it is certainly different from all the author’s other books and it is well-written.

Secondly, I think the most grabbing characters are Eira’s grandparents and Itako. They’re really funny and beautifully written. On the other hand, the leading characters are okay but I feel like they’re missing that special something that made me love Chloe and Lucca. They’re like a fantastical but bland version of them.

Overall, I devoured the book in two days and even though it isn’t perfect I highly recommend it!

🌸 fantasy (magic and dragons)
🌺 slow burn
🌸 soulmates
🌺 scarred heroine
🌸 protective hero

*** ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to Sarah Brianne and Wildfire Marketing Solutions! ***

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come

[Majka · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5*

[Mafalda Vieira Nunes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe if I still believed in love and was 14 years old this would have hit different.

[Vanessa Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ Review✨
***
Whispers of the Dragon was good. This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed the story. Ryu was great. He was sweet and caring. The writing was good and the storyline was interesting. I loved all the magic and the dragon. The storyline could have been a bit more developed as well as the world building but overall, the story was good.
***
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Romance: 🩷🩷
Spice: 🔥

[Bianca Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Ryu had to find his soul- mate to keep his village alive. I hope Sarah
turns this into a series. I'd love to read more about Ryu and Eria! ❤️

[mybookishtravels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I begin? At the beginning...and by that I mean, you should read Lucca and Chloe's story in the Made Men Series first but in all honesty, you could also say this is a beginning too and start right here at Whispers of the Dragon.

This story, the characters, and the experiences unfolding right before your eyes., fully captivated me. I have to say that my absolute favorite characters are the Grandmother and Grandfather, I never expected them to be more loved than the main characters but here I am loving them all the same. Throughout the story (writing) it had me making so many noises and had me feeling all the emotions. I enjoyed getting to see a different side to our main characters and to see Sarah branch out in a fantasy genre and blow it out of the water was amazing! I loved this story so much, and I didn't think these characters would create the emotional attachment I had to them but that always seems to happen when I read Sarah's characters.

As great as this was and how well it worked as a standalone book, I know this is one that I will definitely return to time and again to read. This is one author that knows how to weave a story, and done in such a way that you don't spot all the things until reading it again and again. There is always interweaving points that you don't always catch the first time.

Thank you Sarah and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for the ARC of Whispers of the Dragon and letting me read this story and share my thoughts with others. All thoughts, opinions, and ratings are wholly my own.

[Julia's Book Haven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up expecting a fantasy book but instead I got a very vague storyline about a dragon. This book has an extreme lack of details on everything, it’s very odd. No details about where it takes place, no descriptions of how the characters look expect for the h having red hair and pale skin. No indication of what time this takes place in expect that it’s after Lucca and Chloe’s life has played out but that didn’t really make sense either cause I went into this thinking it was their past lives but that’s not the case. There is also vague references to Asian culture, just enough I assume that’s where it’s suppose to be set but that is never actually confirmed. The dragon part is also never really flushed out, why is he a dragon, why does he have to stay on the island, what is his purpose, why aren’t there more dragons? Over all it was just a very unfinished book imo, and I’m only giving it 2 stars because, one I finished it and two I liked the grandparents, they were funny.

[Angels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryu & Eira

This story was cute the characters were engaging and likable. Ryu is destined to find his mate and there is a time limit before all is lost for himself and his people. The mate he seeks is broken and damaged. We enjoyed this story it had a bit of suspense & mystery to it along with those paranormal vibes.

We loved how Ryu was with Eira patient and kind and sometimes firm but in a positive way. Eira for the first time has felt safe in the presence of another man other than her grandfather. We wished there was a bit more to their story before chaos ensued but, regardless of that it was still a light fun read and had a twist to the Ryu's family history as a dragon that was different than anything we had seen before which turned into a bit of a surprise not expected. We loved seeing Eira blossom throughout the story she is smarter than people give her credit.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! I have read other novels by this author and enjoyed them. This novel did not disappoint. I love a great paranormal novel and this novel just checked so many of my boxes. Loved it! I was excited to jump into this novel. From the first chapter this novel pulled me in and held on tight the entire novel. I loved Eira and Ryu's story. I loved this novel. I loved the chemistry between the characters was so good! Both had been thru so much. I loved watching them both lower their defenses and walls and fall in love. Once I started reading I didn't want to put this novel down. So good! I can hardly wait to see what this author has coming next.

[Shannon G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a breakaway from the author's normal genre, I do think she was trying to feed her normal readers with the tidbits linking these characters to ones we already know. The Made Med series is for sure for early adult 18+, Please do not buy this book expecting that, while I didn't get into this book, the storytelling was really good, and I can see a YA path for a dragon series here. This book didn't have a certain time period or location, which leaves it open for building and expanding. A nice place to start. age 15+ Romantasy.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Whispers of the Dragon’ was the first book I’ve read from Author Sarah Brianne. It was also something different as I don’t often read paranormal or fantasy romance.

This book had a good storyline and there was also chemistry between the main characters. The secondary characters were also engaging.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly Original Tale

Loved this truly original tale. Ryu and Eira are exactly what the other needed but even as soul mates they still had their journey to make in this enchanting tale.

[Sassy Southern Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is my first time reading this author but she did it justice. So let me say Dragons who doesn't love them. I am obsessed and this book had me falling even more in love. I love Rita and Ryu's story, the chemistry was off the charts!!- Tasha

[Myue · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most badly written books I’ve ever read in my life. What a waste of reading time!!!

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable

This book was enjoyable. The story flowed really well but nothing really happened. My first Sarah Brianne book, I wouldn’t go back to this story if sequels came out.

[Mrs K Bartholomew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable story. I wonder if there will be more like this from Sarah.

[booknotez · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve read Sarah’s Made Men series then reader will know that this is Chloe & Lucca in a different universe and that’s a fantasy universe of dragons.

This book keeps the reader engaged and has some wonderful characters especially the grandma. A cute story of soul mates, finding one another and some revenge with a bit of action.

[Lena Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Either the translation or the writing is just bad. 1.5 ⭐️