Lady of the Skies: The Complete Bound by Dragons Series

Bound by Dragons #1-3.5

by Alisha Klapheke

Get the entire Bound by Dragons series in one book!

I was born to ride dragons and no one can steal my fate...

Tahlia is half-fae. Wrong blood. Wrong ancestors. Wrong everything.

She’ll never be allowed to become a Mist Knight—a dragon riding warrior who defends the kingdom’s wild north coast.

But when the noble female she squires for runs off with a barkeep, she decides to take the noble’s place, risk death by fire, and sneak into the tournament that will name the next Mist Knight.

Full-blooded, noble, and second in command of the Mist Knights, Marius prides himself on living a strictly disciplined life. He has a wed the commander's daughter and rise to his father-in-law's role, but only when the time is right.

Marius never saw Tahlia coming…

Tahlia is determined to burn her way into the Mist Knights' world and take that handsome Marius along for the ride.

Tropes/Elements Included in this fantasy

~grumpy sunshine romance

~spice (more as series continues)


~found family

~banter

~dragon bonding

~dragon riders

~happy ever after


~medieval setting

~high stakes but cozy/rom com vibes


~dual POV


This omnibus version 

Bound by Dragons Book One

Kingdom of Spirits Book Two

Crown and Dragon Book Three

Storm of Flames Book Four

718 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2025

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Alisha Klapheke strives to write fantasy romance inspired by history and informed by her travel worldwide.

*Get a Deluxe Collector's Edition of Dragons Rising with faux leather, sprayed edges, and gold foil today https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Reviews

[Deb Barringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound by Dragons is a short, quirky tale by Alisha Klapheke. Although it's a standalone with a great HEA, it is part of the bigger collection known as Starry Kingdoms of the Fae. Don't let the length fool you, this book packs in a full adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat! The storyline is fast-paced and very well written, filled with dragons, Fae, tournaments, danger, intrigue, subterfuge, politics and romance. The characters are well developed and engaging. Tahlia's determination to follow her dream is amazing. You can almost feel the wind whipping through your hair as the contestants battle in the skies on their dragons. Each competitor vying for that one coveted post as the next Mist Knight!

Kingdom of Spirits, book 2 in Alisha Klapheke's Bound by Dragons series, is an amazing rollercoaster ride of adventure and terror. Marius and Tahlia are driven to great depths to not only prove their love, but to save their lives and those of Fara and their dragons as well. The storyline is fast-paced and very well written, filled with adventure, curses, evil magic, a plague inducing malevolent giant, dragons, and bonding rituals. The tale is written in such a realistic manner that you feel as if you are flying alongside the Myst Knights fighting the evil giant. The characters are well developed and engaging. The plight of Marius and Tahlia becomes personal as they fight for each other and their lives searching for a cure for the curse and the evil taint threatening the lives of all the Mistgold Fae. Overall, Kingdom of Spirits is an excellent choice and a great addition to a wonderful series.

Crown and Dragon is the 3rd installment in Alisha Klapheke's Bound by Dragons collection. While it could be read as a standalone, you will get the most benefit of Marius and Tahlia's unique relationship if you read the series in order. Book 3 is amazing, it is everything I hoped for and so much more! I love how Marius and Tahlia's relationship is progressing. And there is just the right amount of spice for this point in their journey. The storyline is fast-paced and well written, filled with action, adventure, unusual magic, danger, deadly traps, labyrinths, fae, fated mated, spice, banter and excellently executed humor. The author did a fantastic job with scene description and characterization. In summary, I found this book to be vastly creative and highly entertaining. I definitely recommend both it and the entire series!

Storm of Flames is an excellent finale for Alisha Klapheke's Bound by Dragons collection! Filled to the brim with action and adventure, it will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Overall, Bound by Dragons is a wonderful experience in dragon fantasy and Storm of Flames is the perfect ending to this awesome series!

[Marie Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this whole series. The FMC and MMC were fantastic and the side characters were just as great. I loved the action, the dragons, and the romance. Such a great read.

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a reread of this series, I binge read it in a day! I loved these characters when I first encountered them but that had passed into the ADORATION category! My goodness is Thalia everything I want to be with I grow up 😁 She's dedicated, an amazing soul, kind, caring, knows what she wants and boy does she go after it! It was sheer pleasure being able to binge read this series in one nifty box set. These characters and this series confirm just HOW much I love anything Alisha! You will too once you embark on an Alisha journey.... Below are my original reviews, there was nothing I wanted to change!

BOUND BY DRAGONS
This was one of the cutest books! It's set in a world I'm very familiar with, with "cameo" appearances by two characters we got to meet and love in The Fae King's Assassin but with a different cast. This cast was such fun! The book was such fun! I was dinkum grinning through most of the book.

So here we have Thalia, who's half human half Fae, which is a teensy bit of a problem when you're living amongst full blooded Fae and you have aspirations of bettering yourself. Her character immediately drew me in. I love an underdog, they are usually the ones who evoke the strongest emotions in me and by page 2, I was already rooting for her! A chance presents itself, not a legit one but this is Thalia, impetus, gregarious, vibrant Thalia, who, as her friend Fara said, her schemes are "less joyful fun and more, we almost died". The banter between these two was a delight. She really really wants to be a dragon rider and join the Mist Knights but half breed and all, yeah, problem! So she concocts a rather dubious plan...

Marius comes across as a stickler for, well, everything! He was a contradiction a minute, his thoughts varying vastly from his actions and verbal communication. Ok, yes, I know he's a High Captain for the Mist Knights but still, a bit of external warmth wouldn't be inappropriate. I initially thought him a stick in the mud but his true persona will out, and it did, splendidly! He's got his whole life figured out, what he wants to achieve, how he wants to go about it, but we all know that carefully laid plans go belly up! Which is only highlighted when Thalia encounters Marius for the first time, I actually caught myself giggling. I loved their interaction, the way Thalia's mouth betrays her over and over again and Marius falling further and further under her spell.

Heck, they had me spelled! Alisha's books are always an immensely fun read, whether it's an assassin out to kill the King or a young girl who dreams of achieving out of her depths. This book was entertaining, it was, to me, a lighthearted uncomplicated read. It builds up fabulously and I got a true sense of each of the characters. It's one of those reads that when I got to the end of the book, I did an imaginary fist pump. Beautiful, fun, humourous and delightful!

KINGDOM OF SPIRIT
Was I EXCITED when I saw Alisha was going to write more in this fantabulous world! Was I EXCITED when I started reading this book! Was I EXCITED to see where Thalia goes next, what Thalia does next, because, let's get real, Tahlia does things TAHLIA'S way! I adore her impetus character, which, though it inevitably leads her into difficult, unthinkable situations, her plotting and planning pays off, mostly... she now is living her dream! She's made it into the academy, she's made it as a dragon rider, which was forbidden to half breeds such as she, she's even snagged the yummy High Captain, Marius. But her joy is marred by the likes of Maewenn, of Ophelia, of a few of the riders who can't and won't accept a half breed, who push her to the limits of endurance and tolerance. And then, the sudden death of the Commander sets a whole new ball rolling! A ball full of mystery, a ball only Tahlia can unravel...but even she was not prepared for what she discovered.

Free spirited Tahlia is a fun character to get to know and the more I do, the more I love her. I got shivers down my spine when she bonded with her dragon, especially when I saw the name they had chosen...a small piece of me in this fabulous tale! When the final piece of their bond clicked into place, heck, I had to shout out loud! How divine! Tahlia is the most persistent and obstinate, tenacious character! Her puzzle solving mechanism flares to life when something doesn't fit and Ophelia doesn't fit right, Gaius' death doesn't fit right, Marius withdrawing doesn't fit right, so what does our impetuous Tahlia do? She resolves, resolutely, against all protocol, to find the missing pieces. Which, of course, has her heading straight into danger! She is, without doubt, a character I'll carry with me for a long long time! But so to is Fara, eho delights me no end! She's sharp and snarky and sensible and keeps Tahlia in check, or tries to! What a truly beautiful friendship they have, supportive and loving. And not forgetting Marius....

Marius warms my heart to such a degree, I fear it might self combust! This big, strong, fierce dragon rider is stern and disciplined on the outside but is all gooey and mushy on the inside. He's so measured, every action is through through thoroughly, no impulsiveness for him! And so passionate for all he holds dear and one is definitely Tahlia! I adore the way he bumbles and fumbles with expressing himself to the very gregarious Tahlia! I'm not sure how the author manages it but every single character she brings to life, she infuses a need for me to want to be their best friends! The author also managed to stop my heart a few times, where I forgot to breathe from the intensity of her storytelling! But she's forgiven, willingly, for her ability to enthrall me every single time!

Besides an unbelievably entertaining and fun read, I love the humour artfully strewn about, very subtly yet very effectively. The mystery and the gorgeous love blossoming is to die for, intriguing, immersive and utterly fascinating, as each element of the story slots in, as each layer is peeled back, as each step in this delight to read, carries me over the threshold of the triumphs as they clear it, to rapturous applause by me for another excellent read by an excellent author who never fails to impress!

CROWN AND DRAGON
They're back! Tahlia and Marius are back! What a thrill to get back to this world of Dragons and shenanigans! Well, we can expect Tahlia to delight us with HER special brand of impetuous. Finally a unit, finally accepted as a fully fledged rider, I guess even a half-breed saving the dragons opened up the eyes of many. Now Tahlia and Marius are on an important mission to retrieve an artifact. And even the dangers can't dull Tahlia's excitement and enthusiasm.These 2 couldn't be more different, Tahlia is prone to recklessness, while Marius is outwardly very stoic. He only rarely shows his true colours and usually to her. Seeing as they DO love one another, that's a good thing but he's not really the vocal type, preferably actions over words, so when he does vocalise, it's a thing of beauty! As Tahlia said, "I love it when you use many words at once, it's as rare as unicorns".

It's impossible not to adore them both, besides the sweet and steamy they share as mates and lovers, their stances are so awesomely realistic. Tahlia's joy and zest for fun evokes a smile from me, Marius, while so proper, is undone by Tahlia and his "know all" stance is seriously put to the test with insecurity. Yes, even macho man Marius has doubts about whether he'll be enough for Tahlia, if he can give her all she wants and desires. As both venture into the human realm to stop an arrogant so and so, they had no idea they'd be stuck fighting for their lives and each other, literally! Strange labyrinths, Minotaurs, Sirens are just a few of the dangers they face. So wonderfully fast paced as clear vivid world unfolds before me. Although Tahlia's friends and dragon weren't with her on this adventure, I loved the behind the scenes aid she received! Another character I adore, Fara! Coolness personified! But geez, just as Tahlia and Marius managed to extract themselves from one danger, another sets upon them and one is the worst of all! And an absolute delight that Revna and Lys made timeous and very fortuitous appearances!

I absolutely love Alisha's writing, she is so captivating in her prose and her banter, well now HERS, but she does pen them brilliantly, so I'm giggling one minute and trying to start my heart the next, while at the same time keeping lightheartedness throughout. A talent few authors have....a wonderful read, a fun read, a read I strongly recommend!

STORM OF FLAMES
Delighted is how I was to see a new book in this series! Delighted is how I was to get more of this fabulous world! Delighted is how I was to experience more of these captivating characters! Each and every one different, uniquely crafted and blended into a magnificent series!

Tahlia's effervescence wrapped around me as soon as I started reading this. Her bubbly personality is very infectious. A broad smile took over my face as I dived and ducked in the opening pages, just like Tahlia and her dragon. She and Marius have the most gorgeous relationship. Marius has come sooooo far from his stoic, unapproachable attitude, well.... Tahlia HAS tamed him quite effectively, thank you very much! The smile did waver at times, there were some really hairy moments! But, as always, the mix that Alisha gives us is akin to a master barman, she knows which ingredients to add, she knows the exact quantity to add, to give me a perfectly smooth, well rounded and delectable...well, read...😁Alisha has always presented such likeable characters in all her books and Tahlia is right up there. You know what else Ms Klepheke's books does? She gives us fast paced, action packed, humourous pleasure reads!

The Mist Knights are on a mission, a dangerous mission with dangerous foe. Trying to get the Eelsmen, notorious pirates who are wrecking havoc on civilians, the Mist Knights close in on them but what they find is a mystery that needs to be solved. The mystery? The pirates have a new captain, a captain who shouldn't even be in this realm, a captain with peculiar dark runic magic and a captain who has set his eye on Fara. Teague is said captain but sometimes it's difficult to see everything at face value IS face value. I actually loved him, but shoot, I LOVE all Alisha's leading men, they're sexy, they're complex... heck, you'll want one, that's a promise! Ok, ok, I've collected myself... this book strongly features Fara and Teague, who dance around each other like expert ballet principles. HE is smitten, SHE, not so much. I love the banter that ensure, one of my highlights reading an Alisha Klepheke book, quick witted, humourous and the quips! Oh my word!

Alisha effectively leads us one way, only to do an about turn and ALWAYS brings it home! What skill! The visual delights this author paints are superb, a true master painter she is! Every nuance, every shape, every scene is alive with a vibrancy of colour. This read was enchantingly humourous and gloriously appealing, with all the sweet, sassy and spicy elements that fit like a snug glove. Loved it!

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is incredible and is now available to just binge read in this fantastic boxset!
Book one
This is an incredible read. Tahlia is such a great character , she’s strong, she’s brave, she has a bright spirit and is incredibly lively, and adventurous. She absolutely believes she was born to ride dragons despite not having the correct blood and she is determined that she will become a Mist knight to defend the kingdom.
Along with her sassy and snarky best friend Fara, they come up with a way to enrol Thalia our half human half fae into the tournament to try and become the next Mist Knight. This grabbed me from the get go, it’s exciting, it’s thrilling and it’s captivating from start to finish and it takes you on one hell of a ride.
Book two
OMG I loved book one but book two blew me away it was soooooooo good! There’s trouble brewing with the mist knights and Marius and Tahlia‘s adventures take off as we jump back on this rollercoaster ride of action, danger, drama, curses and so much more. It’s an exciting and gripping read full of angst and evil magic, ghosts, dragons, humour, sass and friendship as our characters face their latest challenge. The world building is incredible and so descriptive that you can easily visualise being in this world along for the ride and the author does a fantastic job drawing us back in. I am super excited for the next instalment!
Book three
Tahlia and Marius are back as we jump back in and they head to the human realm on a top secret mission. Action packed, this incredible adventure with its twists and turns, danger, drama and battles has you hooked and gripping the edge of your seat. The world building continues to enthrall, the spice has you swooning and the banter and humour has you grinning and laughing out loud on occasion. Find the invisible crown, escape the deadly labyrinth, defeat the baddies and save the day, I absolutely loved this from start to finish.
Book four
I love this series and its characters and was super excited to embark on another adventure with them. Back with Tahlia, Marius, Fara and their dragons as they fly to take on the pirates and their new unseelie captain that are terrorising the coast. It’s an exciting journey as we get to see more from Fara in this addition as she finds her loyalty tested when she finds herself attracted to the blood thirsty pirate captain. Fast paced and thrilling as we dive back into this incredible world that’s brimming with adventure, danger, drama and intrigue, it was fantastic to be back here again. Twists and turns have you hooked and on the edge of your seat and an enemy to lovers romance has you swooning, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good trilogy, not-so-great follow-up novella

Bound by Dragons
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
242 pp

Decent story, sassy AF female main character, confident - perhaps recklessly so. Caring and daring in one package. What’s not to love? Our main MMC seems to have the same opinion because he can’t keep his thoughts, or hands, off of her after meeting her four times.

I’m here for the dragon rider story, the romance and sexy times are an added angle that may prove interesting in the long run.

Kingdoms of Spirits
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
300 pp

In this instalment, our heroine does some extraordinary things, and I can’t tell you what they are because you should read it for yourself. My only problem with this book is that Tahlia is a bit of a Mary Sue. And I find that confusing. Like the story, but find the character mildly annoying at the same time as endearing.

The romance gets a whole batch of attention this book, but it’s fitted into the plot well.

Crown and Dragon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
300 pp

This was a better story than the last, involving a secret mission to the human lands to depose a would-be despot. The author explores the, err, romantic side of being true mates more often. Still the same sassy FMC; the MMC has come a long way from simply brooding to dangerous, hopelessly in love, and still brooding.

Storm of Flames
⭐️⭐️
105 pp

I’m guessing this novella was a response to fans wanting to see Tahlia’s squire, Fara, given a story of her own. It wasn’t well plotted, had huge holes in the logic: gave us a couple of torrid love-making scenes after knowing each other for less than two days; and featured some Stockholm syndrome behaviour. Fara and Tahlia are interchangeable characters once Fara comes to the forefront. In the trilogy, she had a separate voice and personality. Same goes for Teague and Marius.

It was a poor ending for a good series.

At the end of the novella, we were treated to another lovemaking scene between Tahlia and Marius. Good if that’s why you were there, but I was there for the story. I felt like I’d been Laurell K Hamilton’d.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful Alisha Klapheke has put together all four books in her Bound by Dragons into one box set. Lady of the Skies is a dragon rider high fantasy that's full of adventure and magic. Has a sweeping romance and a great representation of feminine friendships.


Marcus and Thalia are awesome. Marcus and his structured world needed a little shake-up, and Thalia was just the one to shake it. She set her dreams to become a dragon rider, and she surpassed all expectations. I loved Marcus' utter faith in Thalia. She's brave, loyal, caring, and so much more. The romance was excellent; there was no real angst to fret about. To be honest, it was the adventure that pulled me in, and Alisha has written some great ones. Bound by the Dragons was a series where I always looked forward to the next release. I'm sad that it's over, but it was quite a ride. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Or not, I highly suggest this to anyone and everyone. Just read it. It's a must.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all 4 books in this completed series and have loved and reviewed every book individually, giving a five star rating to each of the books. I did this because I love books about dragons and dragon riders especially when these are rebellious and as kick-ass as Thalia, our heroine is in this series. She was never meant to be a mist knight but she took the opportunity when this came around, and went in to be tested instead of her mistress, who had eloped with her lover. Tahlia not only gets accepted into the mist knights but also sets Marius' heart racing when he sets eyes on her. He who was always so disciplined and supposedly set to marry his superiors daughter. Tahlia sets out to make sure this never happens. These books are a must read for all the readers who love dragons and their riders and the adventures they venture on.

[The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this series and absolutely love how it's all been put together in a single omnibus because each novella included is a fun, action-packed romantasy story with dragons and fae, but I would have hated ending on each one alone. Having them all together in a single volume makes this a very satisfying and endearing read.

I love Tahlia and Marius' grumpy-sunshine routine. They were so much fun and the banter is awesome. Fara makes for a fantastic friend character and some of her lines had me laughing out so loud, especially in the first two books in this collection.

The world is also really interesting and I liked this take on what a dragon-rider's military outpost would really look like and the dynamics in such an environment. It makes me long for more and I hope that one day we'll get more with these dragon riders even if it's with other characters.

[Andra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound By Dragons complete series omnibus

A magical fire-breathing, breath-holding, tension-building fiery dragon adventure with a side of endearing friendships, unwavering loyalty, epic battles, and a blooming relationship. I loved the development of Marius's and Tahlia's journey. This action-packed omnibus is filled with humor, banter, desirable angst, wit, and some of the swooniest declarations of love. Their trust and devotion to each other is heartwarming and sometimes a bit steamy.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series. Good stories, great characters and so much fun watching it all play out. I loved watching Marcus and Thalia and everything they go through. The adventure and action was fun to watch.

[Phi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was absolutely amazing from start to finish! I really adore the characters, and as always with this author, the world and story were absolutely fantastic!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic, couldn’t ask for better. Kept me intrigued from beginning to end. Definitely well written, not to be missed.

[Carol Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed these books, although the spice was unnecessary. Check out my reviews for the individual books. I received a free copy of this book, with no obligation.