What do you think?
Rate this book
Wytch Kings #1
Burn the Sky
Prince Garrik is the Heir Presumptive of Altan, next in line to be crowned Wytch King. There’s only one problem: in order for Garrik to be crowned, he must possess Wytch power of his own, and thus far, whatever power Garrik might possess has shown no sign of awakening. As things stand, it is Garrik’s younger brother, Jaire — a dreamer completely unsuited to wear the crown — who will take the throne after their father.
Concerned about the future of his kingdom, the Wytch King demands that Garrik’s power be forcibly awakened. Hoping to protect his brother from the burden of rule, Garrik allows the attempt — with disastrous results. Now, Garrik must learn to control the fiery dragon that rages within him before he destroys everything he loves.
Wytch Master Ilya has been alone for years. Learning to control the icy beast slumbering within him has already cost him his family and his lover, and Ilya will never open himself up to that kind of pain again. Summoned to Altan to avert disaster if he can, Ilya has no intention of allowing anyone to thaw the ice in his heart. When he meets Prince Garrik, sparks fly, and Ilya finds himself fighting feelings he thought he'd buried, long ago.
Can Garrik’s fire melt Ilya’s icy heart? Or will Ilya be forced to use his ice to quench the flames that burn within Garrik once and for all?
Concerned about the future of his kingdom, the Wytch King demands that Garrik’s power be forcibly awakened. Hoping to protect his brother from the burden of rule, Garrik allows the attempt — with disastrous results. Now, Garrik must learn to control the fiery dragon that rages within him before he destroys everything he loves.
Wytch Master Ilya has been alone for years. Learning to control the icy beast slumbering within him has already cost him his family and his lover, and Ilya will never open himself up to that kind of pain again. Summoned to Altan to avert disaster if he can, Ilya has no intention of allowing anyone to thaw the ice in his heart. When he meets Prince Garrik, sparks fly, and Ilya finds himself fighting feelings he thought he'd buried, long ago.
Can Garrik’s fire melt Ilya’s icy heart? Or will Ilya be forced to use his ice to quench the flames that burn within Garrik once and for all?
ebook
First published January 11, 2015
39 people are currently reading
751 people want to read
About the author
Jaye McKenna
24 books132 followersJaye McKenna was born a Brit and was dragged, kicking and screaming, across the Pond at an age when such vehement protest was doomed to be misinterpreted as a “paddy”. She grew up near a sumac forest in Minnesota and spent most of her teen years torturing her parents with her electric guitar and her dark poetry. She was punk before it was cool and a grown-up long before she was ready. Jaye writes fantasy and science fiction stories about hot guys who have the hots for each other. She enjoys making them work darn hard for their happy endings, which might explain why she never gets invited to their parties.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
September 29, 2018
While this book was 'fine', I kept putting it down over and over and over again, so it took me a lot longer to read.
The feelings seemed to be based largely on looks, instead of long, in-depth conversations the MC's had, finding out about one another on a higher level.
Plus, so much of the story was about suppressing the raw power of the dragons, when I mainly wanted to see them burn some evil motherfuckers to a deep, crispy, golden-brown. ;- )
The fire and ice did happen a little bit, but I kinda wanted more action and gory details of getting revenge on the bad guys. Instead, it was over in the blink of an eye.
I loved Garrick's little brother, Jaire, but could've entirely done without all of the repeated "waist-length hair" talk. Sooooo not my thang.
Good, just not quite great, so 3.25 stars.
February 18, 2015
Dragonshifters... YES!
Garrick is the heir to Altan, a holding with rebellious leanings. Sovereignty is the issue; does the King rule or the Wytch Council? They both have something to say about that. The king has been waiting for Garrick's powers to present and still waiting. Meanwhile Garrick as heir apparent is sitting in on hearings and learning the mantel of responsibilities that comes with the rule of Altan. He also has his diversions, Kian.
Jaire, younger brother of Garrick goes through the trials of change as his wytch powers manifest. The change is not a simple or painless process. Master Tevari, Wytch Master for Altan, fearing the worst seeks assistance from the Council. There are powers too dangerous to wield without training. Powers that must be controlled or destroyed.
Machinations are now in play with one brother presented and the other not. Each side pulling strings and how the rules have been bent become clear. Fearing for the state, Garrick submits to a dangerous plan.
Death and destruction.
Master Ilya, Wytch Master and trainer of powerful students and dragonshifter comes to Altan to deal with the request for power assessment. And the game plays on. This was entertaining and I was pulled in for the duration. There are some parts that weren't terribly sophisticated, but the tale was solid. While my personal preference would have been for less introspection or internal dialogue and more action, it was engaging and sweet.
3.5 stars
Overall, a fast moving fantasy romance with intrigue
Favorite quote:
~~A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
~~~Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews~~~
Garrick is the heir to Altan, a holding with rebellious leanings. Sovereignty is the issue; does the King rule or the Wytch Council? They both have something to say about that. The king has been waiting for Garrick's powers to present and still waiting. Meanwhile Garrick as heir apparent is sitting in on hearings and learning the mantel of responsibilities that comes with the rule of Altan. He also has his diversions, Kian.
Jaire, younger brother of Garrick goes through the trials of change as his wytch powers manifest. The change is not a simple or painless process. Master Tevari, Wytch Master for Altan, fearing the worst seeks assistance from the Council. There are powers too dangerous to wield without training. Powers that must be controlled or destroyed.
Machinations are now in play with one brother presented and the other not. Each side pulling strings and how the rules have been bent become clear. Fearing for the state, Garrick submits to a dangerous plan.
Death and destruction.
Master Ilya, Wytch Master and trainer of powerful students and dragonshifter comes to Altan to deal with the request for power assessment. And the game plays on. This was entertaining and I was pulled in for the duration. There are some parts that weren't terribly sophisticated, but the tale was solid. While my personal preference would have been for less introspection or internal dialogue and more action, it was engaging and sweet.
3.5 stars
Overall, a fast moving fantasy romance with intrigue
Favorite quote:
“The ice covers everything, all the way to the bottom of my soul.”
~~A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
~~~Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews~~~
December 24, 2015
4.5 stars for my new favorite dragon shifter tale! I'd easily recommend this well-written fantasy!
Prince Garrick grew so much during this story from the rebellious youth goofing off from his studies & getting off in the corridors with his friend to a strong leader fighting to control his dragon power and take on the mantle of responsibility for an entire Kingdom. Excellent characterizations throughout. Kian was sweet, down-to-earth, and witty almost despite himself. Poor young Jaire, frail and not suited to rule, disliked by his father for reasons outside his control, yet he shows both courage and strength. But beautiful Ilya with his tragic past and wounded heart steals the spotlight for me, since I’m a huge sucker for wounded men.
Intricate and nuanced world-building. Interesting power struggle between the Wytch Council and Wytch King, because even though the Wytch Kings govern their kingdoms, the Wytch Council seems to hold power over who's allowed to take the throne. Individual intrigue also comes into play in this fast-paced story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It had wit, heat, angst, intrigue, and lots of long-haired men! And I love the contrast between Ilya’s ice dragon and Garrick’s more traditional fire-breathing dragon.
Prince Garrick grew so much during this story from the rebellious youth goofing off from his studies & getting off in the corridors with his friend to a strong leader fighting to control his dragon power and take on the mantle of responsibility for an entire Kingdom. Excellent characterizations throughout. Kian was sweet, down-to-earth, and witty almost despite himself. Poor young Jaire, frail and not suited to rule, disliked by his father for reasons outside his control, yet he shows both courage and strength. But beautiful Ilya with his tragic past and wounded heart steals the spotlight for me, since I’m a huge sucker for wounded men.
Intricate and nuanced world-building. Interesting power struggle between the Wytch Council and Wytch King, because even though the Wytch Kings govern their kingdoms, the Wytch Council seems to hold power over who's allowed to take the throne. Individual intrigue also comes into play in this fast-paced story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It had wit, heat, angst, intrigue, and lots of long-haired men! And I love the contrast between Ilya’s ice dragon and Garrick’s more traditional fire-breathing dragon.
October 23, 2017
A huge thank you to the author who donated this series to the M/M Romance Group's 8th Anniversary Celebration!! I was lucky to win all 3 books currently released :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ 4.5 stars ~
WOW! This was such a great book and not only because I got to read it with my awesome cyber momma Karen :)
I can't really tell you why I loved this book so much. YES, there are dragons, of course, and dragons are always amazing but it's more than that. I loved both MCs and the world Jaye McKenna created. It's like reading a fairytale with princes, dragons, kings, and castles, and of course, in the end, the good prevails over the bad and the MCs live happily ever after.
The secondary characters introduced in this book were so interesting that we planned our next BR right away and I'm pretty sure we will do so until the last book in this series is written.
For a much better and more detailed review, please have a look at my cyber momma Karen's thougts!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ 4.5 stars ~
WOW! This was such a great book and not only because I got to read it with my awesome cyber momma Karen :)
I can't really tell you why I loved this book so much. YES, there are dragons, of course, and dragons are always amazing but it's more than that. I loved both MCs and the world Jaye McKenna created. It's like reading a fairytale with princes, dragons, kings, and castles, and of course, in the end, the good prevails over the bad and the MCs live happily ever after.
The secondary characters introduced in this book were so interesting that we planned our next BR right away and I'm pretty sure we will do so until the last book in this series is written.
For a much better and more detailed review, please have a look at my cyber momma Karen's thougts!!
October 16, 2017
4.5 dragonstars rounded down to 4 because still no 1/2 stars...dragon otherwise here on GR and while I loved it this one didn't quite make it to 5 star status...so 4 stars it is.
It's story time...
Once upon a time in the kingdom of GoodReads there was a momma dragon and her cyber baby and as often is the case with mommas and their babies they loved to read and of course being dragons their favorite stories to read were about DRAGONS!!! so when the baby dragon said..."Momma, we need to read a story together" of course the momma smiled and replied "Why my darling child what a wonderful idea. Whatever shall we read?" and the baby dragon ran to the bookshelf and grabbed the book that she had been longing to read
and together they curled up in their comfy chairs and began to read...
It was a wonderful, magical story a tale of wizards and dragons, of bravery, of love and family. It was a tale that kept then reading with breath held and finally with sighs of relief as evil was conquered and the handsome prince was reunited with the love of his life and they all lived happily ever after...or at least it's looking that way but really the momma dragon and her cyber baby know that until the last page is read...or in this case the last book...anything is possible. So it was with smiles and contented sighs that momma and child agreed that they needed to continue this adventure...one story at a time until the arrive at that ending...the one that will hopefully say "And they all lived happily ever after. The end" but for now if you're interested in a review for this book that's a bit more serious and hopefully insightful...keep reading...
And this...this is how you do dragons!
Now if it's not already clear let me start by saying..."I LOVE DRAGONS!!! Unashamedly, unapologetically love them." to me they are the most fierce, majestic, powerful and yes scary because...hey, big fire breathing creatures here, in all of mythology.
I've had this series on my wishlist for ages and was fortunate enough to have been gifted with the first three books in this series as part of a gift exchange last Christmas and while it's taken me until now to find the time to start reading this series...all I can say to that is good things come to he, or she as the case may be, who waits.
Gerrick is the heir presumptive to the throne of Altan (next in line for the throne)...except there's one teensy little problem in order to become the Wytch King he needs to come into his wytch power...he's 20 it should have happened by now and Altan has never had a king who didn't possess a wytch power...ask his Uncle. He's only to happy to explain this to anyone who will listen...bitter much? Oh yeah.
For Gerrick this isn't about being king though it's about keeping a promise. A promise to protect his younger brother, Jaire from the pressures of ruling a kingdom. Something that even Jaire willing admits he has absolutely no desire or ability to do. Regardless of everything else Jaire, Gerrick and their father are all of a like mind on this issue...neither the kingdom nor Jaire would survive should he be made king as the Wytch Council would have happen.
It's in a last ditch effort to have Gerrick declared his rightful heir by the council that the king demands that Gerrick's wytch powers be forced to awaken defying the councils decree that forcing wytch powers or even attempting to do so is a punishable offense. Desperate to protect his brother Gerrick agrees to allow this.
Some wytch powers are not meant to be awakened and when Gerrick's awakened powers end in disaster. Kian, Gerrick's friend, lover and an apprentice healer flees to the Wytch's College in search of the Wytch Master Ilya in a last ditch effort to save not just Gerrick, but his brother Jaire and ultimately the kingdom of Altan.
Ilya's tasked with teaching Gerrick to control his powers but things get complicated when Ilya and Gerrick are drawn to each other and time starts to run out when the machinations of others put both the king and Jaire at risk.
'Burn the Sky' is definitely one of the most enjoyable dragon stories I've read in a very long time. I loved the characters of Gerrick and Ilya. Their relationship started out with definite touch of antagonism as both men came into the relationship with some pre-conceived ideas about the other, but with Gerrick needing Ilya's help to learn how to control his powers and Ilya determined to avoid being the one to deliver the deathblow that will be Gerrick's fate should he fail they find themselves forced to find a way to work together for their own good and the good of a kingdom.
Along with Gerrick and Ilya we are given some secondary characters who beg for their own story and fortunately the author has seen this. In 'Blackfrost' the second book in this series we are given the story of Kian and what becomes of him after he leave the college, in the third book 'Shadowspire' we find out more about Jaire, the sweet and sensitive brother of Garrick whom we met in this story and who proved that while he may not have what it takes to rule a kingdom he had the courage he needed to help save it. Dragonwatch is the fourth book currently released in this series and while we haven't met either of the MCs in it I'm so looking forward to what comes next in this series.
For me the 'Wytch King' series is everything that I want in a fantasy series...there are dragons, magic, adventure, romance, characters that are both intriguing and compelling and a story that while it feels complete leaves me both wanting and knowing that there is yet more to come.
Thank you to my cyber baby dragon Josy for sharing this awesome story time (read...buddy read here) with me. As always nothing makes a good book even better than sharing the experience with a friend. I'm so looking forward to the need part of this dragon journey with you and Friday can't come soon enough...it's Kian's story!!!!
It's story time...
Once upon a time in the kingdom of GoodReads there was a momma dragon and her cyber baby and as often is the case with mommas and their babies they loved to read and of course being dragons their favorite stories to read were about DRAGONS!!! so when the baby dragon said..."Momma, we need to read a story together" of course the momma smiled and replied "Why my darling child what a wonderful idea. Whatever shall we read?" and the baby dragon ran to the bookshelf and grabbed the book that she had been longing to read
and together they curled up in their comfy chairs and began to read... It was a wonderful, magical story a tale of wizards and dragons, of bravery, of love and family. It was a tale that kept then reading with breath held and finally with sighs of relief as evil was conquered and the handsome prince was reunited with the love of his life and they all lived happily ever after...or at least it's looking that way but really the momma dragon and her cyber baby know that until the last page is read...or in this case the last book...anything is possible. So it was with smiles and contented sighs that momma and child agreed that they needed to continue this adventure...one story at a time until the arrive at that ending...the one that will hopefully say "And they all lived happily ever after. The end" but for now if you're interested in a review for this book that's a bit more serious and hopefully insightful...keep reading...And this...this is how you do dragons!
Now if it's not already clear let me start by saying..."I LOVE DRAGONS!!! Unashamedly, unapologetically love them." to me they are the most fierce, majestic, powerful and yes scary because...hey, big fire breathing creatures here, in all of mythology.
I've had this series on my wishlist for ages and was fortunate enough to have been gifted with the first three books in this series as part of a gift exchange last Christmas and while it's taken me until now to find the time to start reading this series...all I can say to that is good things come to he, or she as the case may be, who waits.
Gerrick is the heir presumptive to the throne of Altan (next in line for the throne)...except there's one teensy little problem in order to become the Wytch King he needs to come into his wytch power...he's 20 it should have happened by now and Altan has never had a king who didn't possess a wytch power...ask his Uncle. He's only to happy to explain this to anyone who will listen...bitter much? Oh yeah.
For Gerrick this isn't about being king though it's about keeping a promise. A promise to protect his younger brother, Jaire from the pressures of ruling a kingdom. Something that even Jaire willing admits he has absolutely no desire or ability to do. Regardless of everything else Jaire, Gerrick and their father are all of a like mind on this issue...neither the kingdom nor Jaire would survive should he be made king as the Wytch Council would have happen.
It's in a last ditch effort to have Gerrick declared his rightful heir by the council that the king demands that Gerrick's wytch powers be forced to awaken defying the councils decree that forcing wytch powers or even attempting to do so is a punishable offense. Desperate to protect his brother Gerrick agrees to allow this.
Some wytch powers are not meant to be awakened and when Gerrick's awakened powers end in disaster. Kian, Gerrick's friend, lover and an apprentice healer flees to the Wytch's College in search of the Wytch Master Ilya in a last ditch effort to save not just Gerrick, but his brother Jaire and ultimately the kingdom of Altan.
Ilya's tasked with teaching Gerrick to control his powers but things get complicated when Ilya and Gerrick are drawn to each other and time starts to run out when the machinations of others put both the king and Jaire at risk.
'Burn the Sky' is definitely one of the most enjoyable dragon stories I've read in a very long time. I loved the characters of Gerrick and Ilya. Their relationship started out with definite touch of antagonism as both men came into the relationship with some pre-conceived ideas about the other, but with Gerrick needing Ilya's help to learn how to control his powers and Ilya determined to avoid being the one to deliver the deathblow that will be Gerrick's fate should he fail they find themselves forced to find a way to work together for their own good and the good of a kingdom.
Along with Gerrick and Ilya we are given some secondary characters who beg for their own story and fortunately the author has seen this. In 'Blackfrost' the second book in this series we are given the story of Kian and what becomes of him after he leave the college, in the third book 'Shadowspire' we find out more about Jaire, the sweet and sensitive brother of Garrick whom we met in this story and who proved that while he may not have what it takes to rule a kingdom he had the courage he needed to help save it. Dragonwatch is the fourth book currently released in this series and while we haven't met either of the MCs in it I'm so looking forward to what comes next in this series.
For me the 'Wytch King' series is everything that I want in a fantasy series...there are dragons, magic, adventure, romance, characters that are both intriguing and compelling and a story that while it feels complete leaves me both wanting and knowing that there is yet more to come.
Thank you to my cyber baby dragon Josy for sharing this awesome story time (read...buddy read here) with me. As always nothing makes a good book even better than sharing the experience with a friend. I'm so looking forward to the need part of this dragon journey with you and Friday can't come soon enough...it's Kian's story!!!!
June 10, 2016
In a world of inherited, but varied and fickle, Wytch powers, being heir to the throne is an uncertain thing. Garrik is his father's older son, and the one with the temperament and resilience to inherit the crown. Unfortunately, his sensitive younger brother's power is manifesting, and his own has not. Wytch kings must have power, so unless Garrik's can be awoken, the throne may pass instead to his younger brother Jaire, who desperately doesn't want it.
Garrik's father undertakes a gamble to awaken Garrik's powers, but the result is a disaster of enough magnitude that the Wytch Master Ilya has to rush there from the city to try to salvage the situation. Because one thing worse than a powerless older son, is an older son who transforms into an out-of-control, almost-mindless, fire-breathing dragon.
I enjoyed the world-building in this story. I appreciated shifters who were at the mercy of their dragon forms, forced to learn control or die, rather than immediately adept. The politics of power played a notable role. I liked the brotherly relationship between Garrik and Jaire, and the slow awakening of the warmer man under Wytch Master Ilya's cool exterior.
It took me till close to the end of the book to connect emotionally with the characters, and to feel the romance element begin to work. Ilya was my favorite character, although I still felt like there must be more to find out about a person with his age and experiences. I will pick up the next one, eager to see where these characters go from here, and to delve a little deeper into who they are.
Garrik's father undertakes a gamble to awaken Garrik's powers, but the result is a disaster of enough magnitude that the Wytch Master Ilya has to rush there from the city to try to salvage the situation. Because one thing worse than a powerless older son, is an older son who transforms into an out-of-control, almost-mindless, fire-breathing dragon.
I enjoyed the world-building in this story. I appreciated shifters who were at the mercy of their dragon forms, forced to learn control or die, rather than immediately adept. The politics of power played a notable role. I liked the brotherly relationship between Garrik and Jaire, and the slow awakening of the warmer man under Wytch Master Ilya's cool exterior.
It took me till close to the end of the book to connect emotionally with the characters, and to feel the romance element begin to work. Ilya was my favorite character, although I still felt like there must be more to find out about a person with his age and experiences. I will pick up the next one, eager to see where these characters go from here, and to delve a little deeper into who they are.
July 26, 2016
Dragons! Beautiful dragons :)
I loved the world building and the characters. The story itself was solid, if predictable, and other than the quick wrap up of an ending, the pacing worked for me. I liked the ending, just surprised at how fast it happened.
There were so many wonderful details included, creating such clear pictures, that I couldn't get enough of the characters or the world. Oh, and the sexy times were just right for the story...steamy, but tender and sweet, and not so many that they took over the story.
I hope we get more stories in this world!
I loved the world building and the characters. The story itself was solid, if predictable, and other than the quick wrap up of an ending, the pacing worked for me. I liked the ending, just surprised at how fast it happened.
There were so many wonderful details included, creating such clear pictures, that I couldn't get enough of the characters or the world. Oh, and the sexy times were just right for the story...steamy, but tender and sweet, and not so many that they took over the story.
I hope we get more stories in this world!
September 29, 2018
Thank you to the fabulously generous & sweet Suzy Snowflake for the awesome present! I can't wait to read this. Dragonshifters! :D
**Edit**
This was fabulous. Great fantasy, excellent writing, well done plot and fierce, wild and ferocious dragons!
Though there wasn’t exactly anything new in this story, the author did a great job with her take on dragons and the world building of their existence. You get the danger and the fear with which they’re regarded but you also get a pretty decent take of their human side and what they’ve suffered for their magic.
Wytch Master Ilya must try and teach the heir to the throne of Altan, Garrick, to gain control over his new found dragon talent. If Garrick can’t master his beast, for the safety of his kingdom and all those he loves, Ilya will have to kill him.
Which didn’t cause Ilya a moment’s hesitation until he got close enough for Garrick’s fire to begin to melt the ice Ilya had existed in for so many long years.
While there weren’t any real surprises as to how this plays out, the plot is exciting and fast paced, the dragons shifting was damn well done and hooked me right in. More time could have been spent on the romance but I liked both Ilya and Garrick and was happy with their ending. Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks again to the sweet, lovely Suzy Snowflake aka as Josy for the awesome gift last year. I love you lots! *I also hope I remember that you outed yourself last year, or I just killed your elf name. Ooops!*
**Edit**
This was fabulous. Great fantasy, excellent writing, well done plot and fierce, wild and ferocious dragons!
Though there wasn’t exactly anything new in this story, the author did a great job with her take on dragons and the world building of their existence. You get the danger and the fear with which they’re regarded but you also get a pretty decent take of their human side and what they’ve suffered for their magic.
Wytch Master Ilya must try and teach the heir to the throne of Altan, Garrick, to gain control over his new found dragon talent. If Garrick can’t master his beast, for the safety of his kingdom and all those he loves, Ilya will have to kill him.
Which didn’t cause Ilya a moment’s hesitation until he got close enough for Garrick’s fire to begin to melt the ice Ilya had existed in for so many long years.
While there weren’t any real surprises as to how this plays out, the plot is exciting and fast paced, the dragons shifting was damn well done and hooked me right in. More time could have been spent on the romance but I liked both Ilya and Garrick and was happy with their ending. Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks again to the sweet, lovely Suzy Snowflake aka as Josy for the awesome gift last year. I love you lots! *I also hope I remember that you outed yourself last year, or I just killed your elf name. Ooops!*
December 15, 2016
Prince Gerrik is the Heir Presumptive of Alton.
Though the highest authority, the Wytch council, will only accept him as Wytch King, if he possesses Wytch power of his own and Gerrik is already well beyond the age, in which the power normally awakes.
That's why his father, the current Wytch King, when the time seems to be running out decides to awaken the power by force. Which is not only forbidden but also very dangerous.
The result is that Gerrik must quickly learn how to control the fiery dragon that rages within him before he destroys everything that he loves.
I must admit that I never would have chosen this book if I had not needed it for the unusual shifter category of the Bingo challenge. So much the better was the surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of fantasy, intrigue and romance. The following book in the series is definitely on my wish list.
Though the highest authority, the Wytch council, will only accept him as Wytch King, if he possesses Wytch power of his own and Gerrik is already well beyond the age, in which the power normally awakes.
That's why his father, the current Wytch King, when the time seems to be running out decides to awaken the power by force. Which is not only forbidden but also very dangerous.
The result is that Gerrik must quickly learn how to control the fiery dragon that rages within him before he destroys everything that he loves.
I must admit that I never would have chosen this book if I had not needed it for the unusual shifter category of the Bingo challenge. So much the better was the surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of fantasy, intrigue and romance. The following book in the series is definitely on my wish list.
May 13, 2015
5 fantastic dragons
I love this book! Garrik rocks. I don’t know how else to describe him. He hates studying. He loves & protects his brother, so much so he willingly starts studying. Once Garrik’s power is forced to surface, Ilya has to teach Garrik how to control so much power. I really enjoyed the dragon training. Ilya and Garrik butt heads a few times, just trying to get it right. They find their balance and begin to work well together. There’s some evil throne games thrown in for drama and suspense. Finally, well, the HEA is just what I expected (which is a good thing).
The writing is beautiful; I was hooked immediately. I just had to keep reading. Every time I put down my Kindle, I would keep thinking about the story. I can recommend this for all fans of dragon shifters and fantasy.
I love this book! Garrik rocks. I don’t know how else to describe him. He hates studying. He loves & protects his brother, so much so he willingly starts studying. Once Garrik’s power is forced to surface, Ilya has to teach Garrik how to control so much power. I really enjoyed the dragon training. Ilya and Garrik butt heads a few times, just trying to get it right. They find their balance and begin to work well together. There’s some evil throne games thrown in for drama and suspense. Finally, well, the HEA is just what I expected (which is a good thing).
The writing is beautiful; I was hooked immediately. I just had to keep reading. Every time I put down my Kindle, I would keep thinking about the story. I can recommend this for all fans of dragon shifters and fantasy.
January 7, 2020
Really good writing and editing! Wonderful plot, nicely developed characters, solid world building, slow build-up of romance. And.......dragons! On to the next one, Blackfrost.
Note: I'm done with the second in the series and I like the author's writing and prose enough to go look at her backlist.
Note: I'm done with the second in the series and I like the author's writing and prose enough to go look at her backlist.
January 15, 2015
3.75 stars
Well, that was actually a pretty good read. I went in with no expectations really, as I've never read anything from this author before and picking new authors usually doesn't end too well for me without having been recommended by a friend first. The main reason I picked this one up was because I fancied some m/m fantasy and this was a brand new one out... and well, most importantly, DRAGONS!!! :D
It wasn't perfect, and I had a number of niggles, but at the same time, there was a lot to like about the story. I immediately liked the characters - before starting I wasn't sure if this was going to be YA/NA and maybe Prince Garrick would be a bit of a spoilt idiot, but this wasn't the case at all. The main characters are adults and act like it, and I really did like Garrick especially - from early on I loved how he did everything to look after his little brother Jaire.
The world and the magic were definitely interesting, although I would have liked this to be developed some more, as we never really get to understand the world or the magic-use thoroughly. Really I didn't care that much while reading, as all I wanted to know about was the dragon stuff if I'm honest! But I guess it would have been good to get a little more detail. I did find the story dragged a bit during the middle, when Ilya is trying to teach Garrick to control his dragon - that part did seem to go on quite a while without much progress, when I could see what they were doing wrong myself! So that was slightly frustrating...but it thankfully didn't last too long and then we got back to the action.
There are some decent steamy scenes between Ilya & Garrick which were well written and didn't overpower the story, although as far as the actual romance between them, I was definitely rooting for them to get their HEA, but looking back I am not sure we really ever got to know Ilya well enough for me to feel fully engaged with his character. We see from both Garrick and Ilya's POV throughout, but I felt like we knew Garrick better, so it was his character that seemed like the MC with Ilya taking a bit of a back seat maybe. That was just my impression anyway.
I read this straight through yesterday evening and apart from the blip near the middle where it slowed a little, I found the writing style etc very easy to read. The ending did feel a tad rushed and then a little too neatly wrapped up for my liking - maybe a little less time describing teaching Garrick and more time spent on the final action perhaps, that's just my take on it? - but it was still a satisfying ending with a nice HFN/implied HEA.
Well, that was actually a pretty good read. I went in with no expectations really, as I've never read anything from this author before and picking new authors usually doesn't end too well for me without having been recommended by a friend first. The main reason I picked this one up was because I fancied some m/m fantasy and this was a brand new one out... and well, most importantly, DRAGONS!!! :D
It wasn't perfect, and I had a number of niggles, but at the same time, there was a lot to like about the story. I immediately liked the characters - before starting I wasn't sure if this was going to be YA/NA and maybe Prince Garrick would be a bit of a spoilt idiot, but this wasn't the case at all. The main characters are adults and act like it, and I really did like Garrick especially - from early on I loved how he did everything to look after his little brother Jaire.
The world and the magic were definitely interesting, although I would have liked this to be developed some more, as we never really get to understand the world or the magic-use thoroughly. Really I didn't care that much while reading, as all I wanted to know about was the dragon stuff if I'm honest! But I guess it would have been good to get a little more detail. I did find the story dragged a bit during the middle, when Ilya is trying to teach Garrick to control his dragon - that part did seem to go on quite a while without much progress, when I could see what they were doing wrong myself! So that was slightly frustrating...but it thankfully didn't last too long and then we got back to the action.
There are some decent steamy scenes between Ilya & Garrick which were well written and didn't overpower the story, although as far as the actual romance between them, I was definitely rooting for them to get their HEA, but looking back I am not sure we really ever got to know Ilya well enough for me to feel fully engaged with his character. We see from both Garrick and Ilya's POV throughout, but I felt like we knew Garrick better, so it was his character that seemed like the MC with Ilya taking a bit of a back seat maybe. That was just my impression anyway.
I read this straight through yesterday evening and apart from the blip near the middle where it slowed a little, I found the writing style etc very easy to read. The ending did feel a tad rushed and then a little too neatly wrapped up for my liking - maybe a little less time describing teaching Garrick and more time spent on the final action perhaps, that's just my take on it? - but it was still a satisfying ending with a nice HFN/implied HEA.
October 19, 2020
This was a surprisingly good start to an interesting new series about dragon shifters! 😍 Great wordbuilding and writing style. The author didn’t bore the readers with pages of insignificant information — a rare thing in fantasy, where infodumping is par for the course.
The plot was nicely-paced — except for that bit of a plateau right before the big showdown that’s pretty common in most stories. The MCs could have used a bit more development, but I think that’s just me being picky, because there’s nothing I love more than a well-developed character — especially if there’s some tragic past to explore, and Ilya had that in spades. As it is, the crucial moment in his life was only briefly mentioned… Okay, he talked about it at length — once! — but it wasn’t the in-depth analysis that I hoped for, so.
As for the romance between him and Garrik, I would’ve preferred a slower burn, but I liked it anyway. They had amazing chemistry, and the sex scenes were very hot. 👍
Oh, and I loved Garrik’s little brother, Jaire! I checked ahead and he’s getting his own book later on! YES! 😍
The plot was nicely-paced — except for that bit of a plateau right before the big showdown that’s pretty common in most stories. The MCs could have used a bit more development, but I think that’s just me being picky, because there’s nothing I love more than a well-developed character — especially if there’s some tragic past to explore, and Ilya had that in spades. As it is, the crucial moment in his life was only briefly mentioned… Okay, he talked about it at length — once! — but it wasn’t the in-depth analysis that I hoped for, so.
As for the romance between him and Garrik, I would’ve preferred a slower burn, but I liked it anyway. They had amazing chemistry, and the sex scenes were very hot. 👍
Oh, and I loved Garrik’s little brother, Jaire! I checked ahead and he’s getting his own book later on! YES! 😍
January 13, 2015
Yay! Dragons! 
Prince Garrik is a pretty level-headed royal—hoping to make the best of his situation and planning to do what is best for the monarchy, even if that means stepping down. While he is a young man, I like that he made very rational, adult decisions and never resorted to the kind of arrogant, bratty behavior that sometimes seems to take over in these kinds of stories. He loves his brother, trusts his father, and cares about the future of the people who depend on them.
Now Ilya—I LOVED Ilya. Kind of dark, easily annoyed, and not at all a fan of pomp and politics. He shows up to do a job that he really has no choice but to do, and he ends up with so much more.
The book is sexy, sweet, and exciting. When I wasn’t reading it—I was thinking about reading it, and thinking about it long after I was done.
Prince Garrik is a pretty level-headed royal—hoping to make the best of his situation and planning to do what is best for the monarchy, even if that means stepping down. While he is a young man, I like that he made very rational, adult decisions and never resorted to the kind of arrogant, bratty behavior that sometimes seems to take over in these kinds of stories. He loves his brother, trusts his father, and cares about the future of the people who depend on them.
Now Ilya—I LOVED Ilya. Kind of dark, easily annoyed, and not at all a fan of pomp and politics. He shows up to do a job that he really has no choice but to do, and he ends up with so much more.
The book is sexy, sweet, and exciting. When I wasn’t reading it—I was thinking about reading it, and thinking about it long after I was done.
March 26, 2020
I really loved the beginning and the middle of the story. It looked to be a really nice slow burning romance between the prince and the Wytch Master. Loved the setting, it is truly high fantasy. The writing is pretty enjoyable too.
But I was getting increasingly bored. The ending was choppy and the big showdown I was expecting fell flat. I even skimmed the epilogue.
On the plus side I appreciated that the author took the time to set up the story and didn't jump right into the romance.
But I was getting increasingly bored. The ending was choppy and the big showdown I was expecting fell flat. I even skimmed the epilogue.
On the plus side I appreciated that the author took the time to set up the story and didn't jump right into the romance.
May 20, 2015
Lovely romance in this dragon-shifter fantasy.
I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but I think the world-building was well done. If I could change anything, it would be for the MCs to meet earlier than at 40% of the book just so we could have had more of their time together. However, this didn't take away from my enjoyment of their romance.
I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but I think the world-building was well done. If I could change anything, it would be for the MCs to meet earlier than at 40% of the book just so we could have had more of their time together. However, this didn't take away from my enjoyment of their romance.
Read
January 19, 2015Available now at All Romance, Amazon, and Smashwords.
February 5, 2016
3.75 stars.
As a fantasy story - this was quite good. Engaging, imaginative...
As to the romance - I was a bit disappointed. Ilya was such a promising character, but he didn't live up to the potential. As a result, the romance fizzled out fairly soon.
As a fantasy story - this was quite good. Engaging, imaginative...
As to the romance - I was a bit disappointed. Ilya was such a promising character, but he didn't live up to the potential. As a result, the romance fizzled out fairly soon.
April 3, 2020
The world building and storytelling with this one was outstanding. I loved everything about those things. I think the one place this story lacked was with the romance. It was very instantaneous and the MCs did not have many conversations before they were in love. However, the superb writing and plot was enough to make this one a win for me. Also DRAGONS.
June 5, 2022
Closer to 4.5 stars
Dragon shifter fantasy story of Garrick a young prince, whose magical gift has not woken and the crown looks to be passed to his younger, fragile, brother.
Really liked this story and while it reads as complete, I do hope the author revisits the kingdom she has created here
Dragon shifter fantasy story of Garrick a young prince, whose magical gift has not woken and the crown looks to be passed to his younger, fragile, brother.
Really liked this story and while it reads as complete, I do hope the author revisits the kingdom she has created here
September 24, 2018
Very interesting world building.
While I really enjoyed reading this story I’m a little confused about something. Garrick, heir-presumptive is 19 and his younger brother Jaire is 13 according to the story so why are they just now learning the history of their country and why are they learning together? It’s as if they had no tutelage before this book begins. They grew up with their father as king and Garrick even spent time in the military but they are just now attending classes?
Anyway, as it’s entirely fantasy I was able to suspend my disbelief except for that one bit above and thoroughly enjoyed the story.
While I really enjoyed reading this story I’m a little confused about something. Garrick, heir-presumptive is 19 and his younger brother Jaire is 13 according to the story so why are they just now learning the history of their country and why are they learning together? It’s as if they had no tutelage before this book begins. They grew up with their father as king and Garrick even spent time in the military but they are just now attending classes?
Anyway, as it’s entirely fantasy I was able to suspend my disbelief except for that one bit above and thoroughly enjoyed the story.
January 24, 2017
3.5
Liked the world building and could have spent some more time there. I also enjoyed the interaction but somehow the romance ... the romance was suddendly there and I didn't felt it coming.
Liked the world building and could have spent some more time there. I also enjoyed the interaction but somehow the romance ... the romance was suddendly there and I didn't felt it coming.
May 1, 2016
Wonderful love story! I love Dragon shifter books and this is one of my favorites in this genre. Very well written and I really cared about the MCs and Garrick's younger brother, Jaire.
Second reading, I still feel the same about this story.
Second reading, I still feel the same about this story.
May 18, 2022
A rather flat, if OK, story. More insta-lust than romance with no real build up to a relationship between the characters.
May 6, 2021
Dnf 54%
Clumsy and uninteresting.
Clumsy and uninteresting.
August 19, 2017
Generally solid writing. Good imagination and creative world-building. The characters were interesting enough, especially Ilya. But... everything was rather simplistic. The politics had just as much detail as was vital to the plot, the villains were obviously villainous without great motivation. The heroes were pretty purely heroic. And the relationship was just there without any real passion. I think there was more passion in the opening between Garrick and the blacksmith apprentice than between the main characters. But it was still a very fun read.
January 9, 2018
....yeah....so
I just want to say some stuff bc I've reached a point and I'm not sure if I'll read on or not
so before starting the story, I was like "oooh, okay, hell yeah" re: the blurb.
But like....
What The Actual Fuck
Honestly I was into the concept and characters and the way it was playing out - with a few minor niggles but nothing major - up until the point where
Why do all this when you're going to RUIN the very set-up you're advertising in the blurb???
What a great start to that relationship, author. Suuure, it's internal narration. But what a way to set the scene for the readers.
I mean I'm still in the middle of my initial emotional reacting to this, but lmao, Ilya deserves better than this. You've set up an interesting character and interesting way of dealing with the backstory trope in relation to the character, he's made so much of himself. Why fall back on tired old cliches, he doesn't need to be torn down to build Garrik up.
Honestly, like... I feel like at this point the author should have cut their losses, they might have started off with the concept in the blurb but the way the set-up so far makes it....a really weird relationship to try to shoehorn in, it would take so much contortion when much more natural iterations already are coming out.
I dunno, I guess this worked for other people, there's a bunch of high ratings....
I....need to give myself a bit of time to get over my initial recoiling from the entire direction the author is trying to take this from where they set it up. See what I think then. See if I can muddle my way through this. *grimaces* *deep sigh* gdi
*softly* dragons...
*sadly* and I was looking forward to this, too.....
(the one star right now is because I'm feeling So Betrayed, gdi)
February 10, 2018
(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews. Rated 4.5 out of 5.0 Love Bytes)
This was my first book by this author. I loved the characters and storyline on this one. Magic and dragons! My favorite kind of a story.
Prince Garrik is twenty years old, but his Wytch powers have never awakened. Without those powers, he will not be able to succeed his father Dane, the current Wytch King of Atlan. Even worse, if he can’t become the next Wytch King, his frail younger brother Jaire, must. Even though Garrik’s father rules his own land, the Wytch Council actually controls who is in power, and behind the scenes they’ve been carefully trying to breed out certain powers from the Wytch Kings. By ensuring the only “eligible” spouses come from families with less Wytch power, and no “unacceptable” powers, the Council maintains their power. But the Wytch Kings of Atlan have always bred true for a very unacceptable power which the Council definitely doesn’t want carried down to future generations.
King Dane has never loved, or even liked, his younger son. Garrik’s and Jaire’s mother died while giving birth to Jaire, and Dane has never made it a secret that he would rather Jaire had died at birth than his wife be taken. He believes if something happens to him, and Jaire becomes the next Wytch King that it will spell disaster for the kingdom.
King Dane comes up with a plan with Wytch Master Tevari, the Wytch Master assigned to the kingdom, who we reader’s know was Dane’s father’s lover when he was alive. Tevari will force the awakening of Garrik’s powers because of his love for Dane’s father and for Dane himself.
The awakening is disastrous when Garrik’s power turns out to be dragon shifting, that almost forgotten and forbidden power. Garrik is painfully torn apart and reforms as a huge red and gold dragon breathing fire. He is out of control, with his only thought being to “burn the sky”, he hears screams from below, but only stops when he becomes unconscious and returns to his human form. What has he done?
Only one person can help train him…or put him down if he is untrainable. Wytch Master Ilya is an ice dragon, the only one in existence. If he can’t help Garrik get his power under control, the Wytch Council has demanded he kill Garrik. The odds aren’t good…the last four members of Garrik’s family who have had dragon powers have been killed by the Council. Is there any hope for Garrik?
A gay ice dragon and gay fire dragon…can they work out their differences? Can Garrik melt Ilya’s frozen heart? Can they both survive? I loved this book.
This was my first book by this author. I loved the characters and storyline on this one. Magic and dragons! My favorite kind of a story.
Prince Garrik is twenty years old, but his Wytch powers have never awakened. Without those powers, he will not be able to succeed his father Dane, the current Wytch King of Atlan. Even worse, if he can’t become the next Wytch King, his frail younger brother Jaire, must. Even though Garrik’s father rules his own land, the Wytch Council actually controls who is in power, and behind the scenes they’ve been carefully trying to breed out certain powers from the Wytch Kings. By ensuring the only “eligible” spouses come from families with less Wytch power, and no “unacceptable” powers, the Council maintains their power. But the Wytch Kings of Atlan have always bred true for a very unacceptable power which the Council definitely doesn’t want carried down to future generations.
King Dane has never loved, or even liked, his younger son. Garrik’s and Jaire’s mother died while giving birth to Jaire, and Dane has never made it a secret that he would rather Jaire had died at birth than his wife be taken. He believes if something happens to him, and Jaire becomes the next Wytch King that it will spell disaster for the kingdom.
King Dane comes up with a plan with Wytch Master Tevari, the Wytch Master assigned to the kingdom, who we reader’s know was Dane’s father’s lover when he was alive. Tevari will force the awakening of Garrik’s powers because of his love for Dane’s father and for Dane himself.
The awakening is disastrous when Garrik’s power turns out to be dragon shifting, that almost forgotten and forbidden power. Garrik is painfully torn apart and reforms as a huge red and gold dragon breathing fire. He is out of control, with his only thought being to “burn the sky”, he hears screams from below, but only stops when he becomes unconscious and returns to his human form. What has he done?
Only one person can help train him…or put him down if he is untrainable. Wytch Master Ilya is an ice dragon, the only one in existence. If he can’t help Garrik get his power under control, the Wytch Council has demanded he kill Garrik. The odds aren’t good…the last four members of Garrik’s family who have had dragon powers have been killed by the Council. Is there any hope for Garrik?
A gay ice dragon and gay fire dragon…can they work out their differences? Can Garrik melt Ilya’s frozen heart? Can they both survive? I loved this book.
January 31, 2021
This was an easy read, and there were a lot of things I really liked about it -- dragons, the brothers' relationship, a lot of the world-building with the magic -- but there's a lack of sophistication to the story-telling and plot with the court politics and the romance that I just can't get past. Doubt I'll read anything else from this author.
September 30, 2023
Slow Burn 🔥 Dragons!
Simple but engaging fantasy novel.
The characters slowly grew on me, although they didn’t feel fleshed out until the very end.
Makes me want to pick up the next one.
Simple but engaging fantasy novel.
The characters slowly grew on me, although they didn’t feel fleshed out until the very end.
Makes me want to pick up the next one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews