Dragon of the Island

Dragon of the Island #1

by Mary Gillgannon

Maelgwn the Great is the Dragon of the Island, a Welsh warlord who has been rampaging through the British countryside with his invincible army.

Aurora is the princess of the Roman outpost, Viroconium, who offers herself to Maelgwn in exchange for sparing her city.

Independent, intelligent, and used to getting their own way, Aurora and Maelgwn are thrust together by circumstance—and by an attraction both physical and emotional. Beset by enemies, divided by treachery, they're epic characters in a love story that will take your breath away.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Medieval, Arthurian, Fantasy

412 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1994

About the author

I write romance novels set in the dark ages, medieval and English Regency time periods and fantasy and historical novels with Celtic influences. My books have been published in Russia, China, the Netherlands and Germany. I was raised in the Midwest but I’ve lived in Wyoming for over thirty years. I work at a public library where I have the enviable job of ordering adult fiction. I’m married and have two grown children, When not working or writing, I enjoy gardening, traveling and reading, of course!

Blog: http://marygillgannon.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mary.gillgannon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryGillgannon

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, I got sucked into another book with dragon in the title. It was pretty good for a historial romance. Perhaps a bit darker than most but still all right. Okay read, but I don't usually keep romances after I read them. This book is destined for our yearly garage sale along with 80% if everything else I read. =)

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

TO SAY THE LEAST...I GIVE THIS 2.8 STARS. THE CHARACTERS WERE ABSURD AND VEXED ME THROUGHOUT THE STORY. I AM ALL IN FOR ANGST, AS LONG AS THERE IS RETRIBUTION OR FORGIVENESS AND YES, GROVELLING BUT THIS ONE HELD NOT MUCH SATISFACTION.

OUR HERO is indecisive. That's all I got from him, as a King I found him to be wavering in his decisions and can't seem to make up who he should trust. Even if it was a realistic thought that he married a stranger, he wasn't one to have gut feelings. In fact, I was mostly vexed by his blindness to understand his wife. All he could think of was bedding her, but I thought that he never truly respected her as his wife or as a woman. He keeps complaining that she is a spoilt woman who needs to be satisfied with her new life...when the truth was he never thought to help her settle in, be the husband who eases her fears and just be there for her. He's always not around emotionally... just there to fuck and that's it. HOW DARE HE BLAMED HIS WIFE WHEN HE WAS MORE AT FAULT FOR NOT TRYING AND SAID HIS WIFE WAS THE PROBLEM? That really ticked me off.

OUR HEROINE is a poor gel. From the descendants of royalty, when the Dragon conquered her people he demanded to marry one of his enemy's daughters and chose her instead. She's beautiful, and quite loyal in her way, even naiively trusting towards her new husband. You can see that she tries to please her husband, and often times she holds back her anger and hurtful words when they fight. She's tolerant of her situation, proving to be the better champion in this marriage for I never thought her without rights to share her burden with someone, being a lonely stranger in a new home. Our hero wasn't the best of husbands, for he neglected her emotional needs and never sought to trust her.

OVERALL this story had a pathetic and sorry excuse of a hero, who hits his wife in anger, neglects her rightful fears as a woman and only sought to seek his own selfish happiness. ME, ME, ME. WHAT ABOUT ME? Was all I got from him.

[laaddis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heroine was typical of this genre, stubborn, willful, and never seemed to stop and think about what she says. Always feeling angry over her situation and blaming the hero for it.

The hero I was not so happy about. He was supposed to be this great and fearsome king but at times he seemed very indecisive and immature. He just came off weak to me.

Still it was an OK book with a happy ending and I thought I would go ahead and read her next book in the series as I find usually they get better as they go along. UNTIL.....I read the synopsis for the next book. Now I am not sure I want to read it.

The follow-on book is about the same hero and picks up several years later where you find out that the happy ever after didn't last long :(

I know these things happen....but it just seemed to diminish my enjoyment of this book.

[Marilyn Fontane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dragon of the Island by Mary Gillgannon takes place in 510 AD. The "dragon" is Maelgwn, a Welsh warlord of the Cymry. (There are no dragons and no islands in the novel, but the monk Gildas, writing in 643 called him a dragon, tyrant and miserable sinner.) He takes his army against Constantine, ruler of Viroconium, but to save his people, Constantine agrees for a truce and gives Maelgwn lots of grain and food from his rich farmlands, riches from the Cornovi, British Roman city and one of his three daughters. Maelgwn chooses Aurora, his youngest. She has trouble adjusting to the life style in Caer Eryri, and she and Maelgwn argue constantly everywhere except in bed where both are blissful. After many, many episodes of arguments (mostly involving Aurora's versus Esylt's (Maelgwn's sister) place in the castle and comminity, followed by bedroom scenes, Aurora learns her father is planning on joining with Gwyrtheyrn's army to invade her new homeland. Aurora warns her husband, who she now realizes she loves, and goes to tell her father not to fight her husband. The two armys meet and Constantine's troops help Maelgwn, rather than Gwyrtheyrn, who is killed in battle as is Constantine.
This novel is a historical ROMANCE. I was hoping for a HISTORICAL romance. In other words for my taste it is light on history and heavy on romance. On the other hand, it was, if a rather light read, a fairly fun one.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes place in Great Britain in the year 510. The Dragon is a King: Maelgwn the Great (who really existed). During his army's battles about the island, he ends up choosing the lovely Princess Aurora as his bride, as a way to create a bond between him and her father. Aurora is not thrilled with the prospect, but she is a good princess and knows her place. Unfortunately, Maelgwn does not trust Aurora and consistently is a total jerk, which causes problems, deaths, wars, etc.

This is a pretty interesting historical romance. I haven't read many books that use this historical time period, which made it even more interesting.

[pianogirl05 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story!!!!

This is my first book from this author and it won't be my last.This story seemed to have a little of everything. Both the me and female leads were strong characters. The author gave us romance, suspense, drama, passion, and while I'm not a fan, yes, she also gave us some angst. For those you who do not like heavy sex scenes, the author keeps things pretty tame. You know what is going to happen and then things start to get descriptive and then "pow" it's done and over. Things seem left more to the imagination. While I did get this book during a "free" sale, I would definitely pay to read it.

[Jana Rucká · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw the title, I expected something like fights, dragons, brave knight etc., but when I finished it, I just wanted to slap my face - this book is perfect if you are a lady in her late forties/fifties with an ugly husband! :D However, I've enjoyd some parts :D

[Susan Laine]

have

[Sonali Rakesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are no dragons in the story. Some bits were a dark, but it was okay and they were needed to give character. The book was interesting.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a great book to read

[Susanna Shipman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Wonderful tale. I couldnt put it down. The characters are believable and endearing. Cant wait for the next three books.