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Spark
Nancy Lee Badger brings you another story filled with Scottish dragons and shape-shifters. She again fills her paranormal fantasy with romance and danger, and with characters you will remember. Some will tug at your heart. Others will make you wish for their demise. Spark is the first book in a brand new series, Clan of Dragons. What can a young dragon do to prove to his older brothers that he is their clan’s best chance to save their species? In the Black Cuillin Hills, on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, Evan heads to the village of Morhban to find a way to interact with humans. To learn their language and customs, and to get close enough to a red-haired beauty to mate with her, the brown-winged purple dragon shifts into a copper-colored horse. When his new hooves protect her from Lord Toal MacMorgan’s inappropriate demands with a well-placed kick, she thanks Evan by brushing his silky coat. Things are looking up. When an unfamiliar horse kicks Toal into the creek, releasing Vika from his roaming hands, her appreciation turns to horror. A sputtering Toal demands that the animal die. Anger makes Vika agree to a wager. A three day hunt will determine the fate of the horse she names Spark. Failure will mean his death, and the loss of her freedom. Pirates, wolves, a wild boar, and a handsome stranger lead her on a wild ride. She discovers her heart is in as much danger as her life. The story continues in Smoke, Book #2.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 4, 2016
1 person is currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Lee Badger
47 books207 followersNancy Lee Badger grew up in Huntington, New York and has fond memories of growing up on Long Island. After meeting her husband while attending college in New Hampshire, and raising two handsome sons, Nancy moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time.
Nancy is also an artist, but writing is her life. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Triangle Association of Freelancers.
Nancy is also an artist, but writing is her life. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Triangle Association of Freelancers.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 4, 2016
Evans dragon clan is dying out. With no more female dragons in the vacinity there is no way to repopulate. But when Evan makes a plan to mate with humans to produce Bairn (babies) his brothers are a little skeptical but the test is put into motion.
Vika has enough problems in her life. With a troublesome lord who keeps pushing himself on her, a harsh winter coming, and trying to protect her brother she didn't need the added complication of a new horse. But when the horse, Spark, helps to protect her she is willing to do anything in order to help Spark survive.
Will Evan/Spark be able to get Vika to mate with him and accept himself as man/horse/ dragon. Or will she freak out and leave Evan with no offspring and his clan with no chance of surviving in the coming years.
This was a great paranormal historical romance that although took a bit of time to get into is definitely worth the read. With a hellion for a heroine, and a dragon with only one hope this book had it all. Suspence, romance, action, witchery, and a HEA.
I definitely recommend this book to paranormal historical lovers.
~A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection.
Vika has enough problems in her life. With a troublesome lord who keeps pushing himself on her, a harsh winter coming, and trying to protect her brother she didn't need the added complication of a new horse. But when the horse, Spark, helps to protect her she is willing to do anything in order to help Spark survive.
Will Evan/Spark be able to get Vika to mate with him and accept himself as man/horse/ dragon. Or will she freak out and leave Evan with no offspring and his clan with no chance of surviving in the coming years.
This was a great paranormal historical romance that although took a bit of time to get into is definitely worth the read. With a hellion for a heroine, and a dragon with only one hope this book had it all. Suspence, romance, action, witchery, and a HEA.
I definitely recommend this book to paranormal historical lovers.
~A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection.
August 3, 2016
When a dragon clan sees their extinction at hand, they are willing to try anything to continue their species. Evan, the younger of the brothers, decides to seek out a female from another species, and through careful planning he just may be able to bed her. He would have to use his special power of shifting to get close enough to a human female. A red-haired beauty from the village catches his attention. The people on the Isle of Skye do not believe in the existence of dragons. They are but myth, stories told to their children for amusement.
Going into the village in dragon form wasn’t possible, but Evan thought to become a horse. He would work his way into the heart of this village maiden by becoming indispensable and quite the hero, in fact. Vika loves animals and since Evan, aka now known as Spark, was a gentle and intelligent steed, she intended to keep him for her own.
Evan quickly adjusted to his new body and in his mind has already claimed Vika. He must protect her. He loved the way Vika would scratch behind his ears and talk with him, sliding her hands down his body. Vika, in turn, loved to pull her hands through his silky mane.
Excerpt:
“Aye, Spark suits you.” Vika MacKinnon stroked the strange horse’s coppery coat. It reminded her of copper trinkets she’d see at a festival, years ago. She could never afford such items, yet here stood a fine-looking beast with the same shimmering color. Running her fingers through his dark brown mane, she relished the feel as the strands ran through her fingers like silk. “Aye, very handsome, indeed.”
His ears stood straight up, as if listening to her speak.
Such a silly thought.
“He be a beast, not a handsome man.” When his head bounced up and down, as if nodding, she laughed. She kissed the velvety soft tip of his nose, then ran her hands over his side. Running down his belly, she leaned over to gauge the animal’s sex.
“Well, lookit here. You be quite impressive between your legs, as well.”
The stallion’s throat rumbled, and she turned her head to make sure he wasn’t planning to nip her backside. Surprisingly, his head lolled as if her touch and her words had pushed him into a pleasure-filled stupor. She smiled and returned to her ministrations. His fail was a brown as his mane, and nearly as long as his muscular legs.
********
This humorous read, does have an antagonist, a very persistent man who wants to force himself on Vika. Evan, now knows as Spark, luckily, is there to protect her. But Vika needs to know him as a man for Evan's plan to bear fruit. Once a man, he still has to be a horse, because Vika loves her horse. I was much amused throughout the read as Spark/Evan kept on shifting to keep his secret hidden. Much like one actor playing two parts on stage.
So how does Evan explain he isn’t a man (when he moves to the next step), but he’s really a horse who isn’t actually a horse, but a dragon? Would you think this problematic when Vika has already slept with the man/dragon? Yikes! Yes, Evan has gotten himself into hot water! Will his heroic actions be enough to win over this damsel?
The author’s distinct storyline, engaging cast of dragons and humans, will certainly entertain a reader who likes fantasy, paranormal, humor and romance in her read. You are in for a treat. Frankly, I loved the whole thing. And I think I have fallen in love with a clan of dragons, too!
Going into the village in dragon form wasn’t possible, but Evan thought to become a horse. He would work his way into the heart of this village maiden by becoming indispensable and quite the hero, in fact. Vika loves animals and since Evan, aka now known as Spark, was a gentle and intelligent steed, she intended to keep him for her own.
Evan quickly adjusted to his new body and in his mind has already claimed Vika. He must protect her. He loved the way Vika would scratch behind his ears and talk with him, sliding her hands down his body. Vika, in turn, loved to pull her hands through his silky mane.
Excerpt:
“Aye, Spark suits you.” Vika MacKinnon stroked the strange horse’s coppery coat. It reminded her of copper trinkets she’d see at a festival, years ago. She could never afford such items, yet here stood a fine-looking beast with the same shimmering color. Running her fingers through his dark brown mane, she relished the feel as the strands ran through her fingers like silk. “Aye, very handsome, indeed.”
His ears stood straight up, as if listening to her speak.
Such a silly thought.
“He be a beast, not a handsome man.” When his head bounced up and down, as if nodding, she laughed. She kissed the velvety soft tip of his nose, then ran her hands over his side. Running down his belly, she leaned over to gauge the animal’s sex.
“Well, lookit here. You be quite impressive between your legs, as well.”
The stallion’s throat rumbled, and she turned her head to make sure he wasn’t planning to nip her backside. Surprisingly, his head lolled as if her touch and her words had pushed him into a pleasure-filled stupor. She smiled and returned to her ministrations. His fail was a brown as his mane, and nearly as long as his muscular legs.
********
This humorous read, does have an antagonist, a very persistent man who wants to force himself on Vika. Evan, now knows as Spark, luckily, is there to protect her. But Vika needs to know him as a man for Evan's plan to bear fruit. Once a man, he still has to be a horse, because Vika loves her horse. I was much amused throughout the read as Spark/Evan kept on shifting to keep his secret hidden. Much like one actor playing two parts on stage.
So how does Evan explain he isn’t a man (when he moves to the next step), but he’s really a horse who isn’t actually a horse, but a dragon? Would you think this problematic when Vika has already slept with the man/dragon? Yikes! Yes, Evan has gotten himself into hot water! Will his heroic actions be enough to win over this damsel?
The author’s distinct storyline, engaging cast of dragons and humans, will certainly entertain a reader who likes fantasy, paranormal, humor and romance in her read. You are in for a treat. Frankly, I loved the whole thing. And I think I have fallen in love with a clan of dragons, too!
October 23, 2016
I had a number of problems with this story.
Perhaps it's just me but even in a fantasy novel it's not possible to throw out all sense of reality. This is even more so when set in a recognisable place and even time. Badger has a love of the Scottish Highlands and bases this story on the Isle of Skye, but that doesn't come over in her story. Apart from a number of references to mountain ranges on the island there's no feeling of place. That's a shame as Skye – not least because of its weather – is a place ripe for the exploitation of the environment and using it as a real character in any story based there.
Shape shifting novels are all the rage now and although not really my favourite genre I can suspend my disbelief – but not if the ability to change is unlimited. Human to animal/fantastical beast (and vis versa) transformations I can take but if there's an intermediate stage that pushes my disbelief a bit too far.
I also had a problem with the dialogue. Using the infinitive in place of conjugating the verb 'to be' reminded me of the west country of the England rather than the Scots dialects of the Highlands just broke my concentration each time it was used – and all the characters speak in this way. I can understand that this device is used to show a different time but in all my trips to Scotland I've never come across such a use of the English language.
There was also an issue with the social structure of the society presented here. Vika is presented as a poor farmer but she has substantial land and when she takes on a wager is an incredibly successful and competent hunter so why she was poor in such an abundant landscape was beyond me. And the opportunity for anyone (apart from the privileged) to hunt goes against virtually any time in Scotland's past. On top of this if a hunter was able to bag such an amount of dead meat so easily then it wouldn't be long before the island would be devoid of any living mammal.
As Badger has written a number a number of novels based in Scotland I don't know why she hasn't honed her research to reflect the countryside and its realities even though the genre of her story is a shape shifting fantasy.
Perhaps it's just me but even in a fantasy novel it's not possible to throw out all sense of reality. This is even more so when set in a recognisable place and even time. Badger has a love of the Scottish Highlands and bases this story on the Isle of Skye, but that doesn't come over in her story. Apart from a number of references to mountain ranges on the island there's no feeling of place. That's a shame as Skye – not least because of its weather – is a place ripe for the exploitation of the environment and using it as a real character in any story based there.
Shape shifting novels are all the rage now and although not really my favourite genre I can suspend my disbelief – but not if the ability to change is unlimited. Human to animal/fantastical beast (and vis versa) transformations I can take but if there's an intermediate stage that pushes my disbelief a bit too far.
I also had a problem with the dialogue. Using the infinitive in place of conjugating the verb 'to be' reminded me of the west country of the England rather than the Scots dialects of the Highlands just broke my concentration each time it was used – and all the characters speak in this way. I can understand that this device is used to show a different time but in all my trips to Scotland I've never come across such a use of the English language.
There was also an issue with the social structure of the society presented here. Vika is presented as a poor farmer but she has substantial land and when she takes on a wager is an incredibly successful and competent hunter so why she was poor in such an abundant landscape was beyond me. And the opportunity for anyone (apart from the privileged) to hunt goes against virtually any time in Scotland's past. On top of this if a hunter was able to bag such an amount of dead meat so easily then it wouldn't be long before the island would be devoid of any living mammal.
As Badger has written a number a number of novels based in Scotland I don't know why she hasn't honed her research to reflect the countryside and its realities even though the genre of her story is a shape shifting fantasy.
August 11, 2016
Their kind is dwindling. Evan and his brothers are the last dragons in the area and morning the loss of a mate and the bairn. Humans have hunted them and no females are known. Evan is willing to try and mate with a human female and hopefully get her with child. Little did he know, he would end up doing so much more for her than mating.
Spark was a fun read. I enjoyed reading how Evan would change from one of three shapes for a woman he's trying to woo. I liked how the author kept the storyline rather light and a good pace. Vikas attitude had me laughing out loud at times and he quick come backs were entertaining. Hoping there's another book on the horizon for the others who yet are still inmates. I would give this book four stars!
Reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock
Spark was a fun read. I enjoyed reading how Evan would change from one of three shapes for a woman he's trying to woo. I liked how the author kept the storyline rather light and a good pace. Vikas attitude had me laughing out loud at times and he quick come backs were entertaining. Hoping there's another book on the horizon for the others who yet are still inmates. I would give this book four stars!
Reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock
October 23, 2016
Another fun loving read by Nancy. A dragon clan on the cusp of extinction , the youngest dragon Evan has a brilliant idea to get close to a human woman and to bed her with the purpose of getting her with child,well now Evan shifts into a horse and finds a female by the name of Vika , she loves horses and gives him the name of Spark , Vika becomes very attached to Spark and places a wager with an evil man on intent to rape her and kill spark ,until Vika makes a wager with Laird Toal MaMorgan to save Sparks life ,lots of laughter and tears and scary moments , can't wait for the next book, thank you Nancy , enjoyed it so much.
August 24, 2016
Ms. Badger has started a new series – dragon shifters and I'm loving it. The three brothers, the last dragon shifters, are searching for mates knowing that their species is doomed if they can't find someone.
Evan, the youngest brother, decides to take on the task since his oldest brother is too busy mourning his lost mate. What he knows about humans is nil but if he can get close enough to learn about them without being discovered salvation might be at hand.
When Vika is rescued from the evil Toal by a strange horse, life will never be the same.
Evan, the youngest brother, decides to take on the task since his oldest brother is too busy mourning his lost mate. What he knows about humans is nil but if he can get close enough to learn about them without being discovered salvation might be at hand.
When Vika is rescued from the evil Toal by a strange horse, life will never be the same.
August 22, 2016
To find a man who can be horse and dragon, really had this reader wonder this better be a good book. Well I really enjoy this hero Evan who would do anything for the heroine, who loves horses. This is a great paranormal historical romance with wonderful humor. Readers will find themselves laughing out loud especially with all the come back the hero makes. If that not enough to pick up the book the tale has sorcery, suspense, and action. Enjoy the fantasy of Spark.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews