Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1) in Book Bloggers Anonymous

May 03, 2011 Jess rated it it was amazing

Shelves: for_review, favorites

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

“So, is that your long, scaly, reptilian tail, or are you just happy to see me?”

What an amazing new world Thea Harrison has created. It’s a world filled with elves, faeries, goblins, gryphons and of course our hero, a dragon. Dragos, having been alive for a long, long time, has over time, collected things. A lot of things. He’s hidden his massive collections of everything from artifacts to gold to coins, all over the world. Enter Pia, being blackmailed by Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

“So, is that your long, scaly, reptilian tail, or are you just happy to see me?”

What an amazing new world Thea Harrison has created. It’s a world filled with elves, faeries, goblins, gryphons and of course our hero, a dragon. Dragos, having been alive for a long, long time, has over time, collected things. A lot of things. He’s hidden his massive collections of everything from artifacts to gold to coins, all over the world. Enter Pia, being blackmailed by her nasty ex-boyfriend, she must steal something from one of Dragos’ hoards, for Keith to turn over to his “associates” – he’s a gambler in debt, and this will supposedly get them off his back. Pia, terrified of what Keith will reveal about her half wyr side, agrees. Using a special ability (one that would come in handy for many book heroines!) she’s able to steal a coin from Dragos’ hoard. A penny to be exact, and when Dragos finds out, he is furious and intrigued all at once. And this begins Dragos’ mission to find his thief.

The worlds Dragos and Pia live in and travel between, both human and Other, are amazing in and of themselves. We’re introduced to Dragos’ closest friends and most trusted allies and his enemies, at the top of that list the Dark Fae King, Urien Lorelle.

But the story for me is Dragos and Pia. Dragos lives a pretty boring life at this point. He collects his treasures and hasn’t been challenged or amused by much in a very long time. What initially starts as a plan to catch his thief and get vengeance turns into one of the most interesting and sweet love stories I’ve read in a long time. Seeing Dragos try to understand Pia, the things she says, her reactions, are so funny. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the whole book. To say he’s intrigued by her would be an understatement. He’s incredibly possessive, and goes from considering her his own personal possession (“I do not endanger my treasures.”) to having her come to mean so much more (“…they hurt her. They hurt her, and that hurt him inside somewhere, in a place he had never been hurt before.”)

Pia is the heroine you can’t help but love. She’s a mystery throughout most of the story, a mystery to Dragos, to us the readers and even to herself. Her mother safe guarded her ability to shift for reasons we find out towards the end of the book, and they are HUGE reasons. Even when everything in her life is heading downhill fast, she fights. That’s one of the best things you can say about a character. She doesn’t wallow, even when she has plenty of reasons to, she stands up to Dragos, which of course only amuses and pleases him even more, and she just wants to find her place, one where she has someone to love and is loved in return.

No story would be complete with my total love of the side characters and Dragon Bound has some unforgettable ones. Pia finds herself surrounded by Dragos’ inner circle, including his best friend Rune, Constantine, Graydon and Bayne. Graydon…I love you. Not only was he fun to read, but his friendship with Pia, when she most needed a friend was so sweet to see. Tricks, full name: Thistle Periwinkle, is the PR rep for Cuelebre Enterprises, a Dragos company, and big changes are in store for her. She’s our lead for book 2 and I can’t wait! And please, please let there be more of Drunk Tricks. She’s fun when she gets tipsy. Hell, she’s funny when she’s sober too:

“…I’m so sorry about what my Uncle Urien did to you guys. I hate him, he killed my family, and we’re going to cut off his head, and then I have to be Queen, but before that happens let’s do lunch, okay?”

If you love PNR – this is a MUST read. As in must read right now! I haven’t flat out enjoyed a book this much in a long time and I’m counting down impatiently to book 2. ...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2011, dragons, read-audio-books, genre-paranormal-romance, dropped-series

You know what the problem is when a book gets a lot of hype? Then it's very hard for it to live up to the larger than life expectations!

This is a good, solid paranormal romance but I'm not sure if my feelings toward this book are from the expectations or that it was just ok. Don't get me wrong, I do like the story, I like the world, and I LOVE DRAGOS .

Yeah, let's talk about Dragos. He's basically head honcho, all power, charisma, and GC sex appeal. And he's also a dragon! And what a smoking h ...more

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May 08, 2011 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2011

Posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...

Something I have learned in my year of blogging is that book bloggers influence each other…a lot. It will always start with one or two bloggers. They will get their hands on an ARC that they simply fall in love with. So they blog and blog and blog about it. This makes other bloggers want this book. What can I say. We are book addicts and have very little resistance. As soon as we can, we bloggers run to the store and pick up this gem. We then rea Posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...

Something I have learned in my year of blogging is that book bloggers influence each other…a lot. It will always start with one or two bloggers. They will get their hands on an ARC that they simply fall in love with. So they blog and blog and blog about it. This makes other bloggers want this book. What can I say. We are book addicts and have very little resistance. As soon as we can, we bloggers run to the store and pick up this gem. We then read it and often fall in love with it too. So we blog and blog and blog about it. Suddenly, this book is everywhere and everyone loves it…because it is made of awesome.

I call this phenomenon “finding and pimping the ‘it’ book of the moment”. And right now, that ‘it’ book is Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison. And it totally deserves all the attention that it seems to be getting because this book is simply wonderful.

The way the world is introduced to you is like it’s always been and you know what it’s like. There is no long ramble about how things work because honestly, this world is pretty straight forward and simple. There are Wyr (shifters), Fae and Vampyre (but we don’t actually meet any in this book). They are out. There is the human realm and there is the Other realm. That’s it, and I was glad. Without a bunch of unnecessary complication, you are really able to focus on the story and the character development. And that character development is worth paying attention to because it is incredibly done.

I can’t gush enough about the hero and heroine in this book. Dragos is your typical Alpha. He’s older than dirt so people respect/fear him and always do what he says…and never question him. That is until Pia. First of all, I love her name. Next, I love it when a heroine stands up to the guy who never gets stood up to. And Pia does it without seeming too righteous or like a bitch. I found her to be likeable and a perfect match for our dear alpha Dragos. I loved how he was confused and baffled by some ‘unnecessary’ modern conveniences. And I love that he did things for Pia without really knowing why but simply because his gut told him it would make her happy. And all that macho possessive game he pulls? I’m sorry but in books, I’m a sucker for that.

I also enjoyed each and every supporting character in this book. Dragos’ entourage is filled with people I want to know more about. They already made me laugh and shake my head. I’m already hoping each and every one of them gets their own book!

And the story was great. It moved along at a nice pace and was interesting to read. Twists and turns galore too that keeps you on your toes.

I have to say that I have not been this excited about a Paranormal Romance series by a ‘new to the genre’ author in…well, ever. The cast of characters is just incredible and I can’t wait for each and every one of their stories to be told. Next up, and not too far from now, is Storm’s Heat (Tricks and Tiago’s story). That one hits shelves August 2 2011. After that it’s Serpent’s Kiss (Rune and Carling’s story). We don’t have to wait too long for that one either. It’s due out October 4 2011. I really enjoyed Tricks and Rune…and even Tiago (what we saw of him) in Dragon Bound. I am very anxious to read their tales.

Overall I found this book simply fantastic. Neat world, great alpha hero, wonderful strong heroine, well constructed supporting characters and a gripping story. To me, simply put, it was a perfect Paranormal Romance read.

5plus stars ...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, fantasy, book-club, 2011, shifter

I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read this book. If you have not read it GO, GO NOW and BUY IT! I loved this book. The characters were so incredibly real. The character dialogue was wonderful. That statement encompasses all of the characters, not just the hero and heroine. It is a fresh original read. The types of paranormal beings range from dragon to gryphon to dark fae to the big shocker of what the heroine turns out to be. I love stories where the non-humans and the humans are liv I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read this book. If you have not read it GO, GO NOW and BUY IT! I loved this book. The characters were so incredibly real. The character dialogue was wonderful. That statement encompasses all of the characters, not just the hero and heroine. It is a fresh original read. The types of paranormal beings range from dragon to gryphon to dark fae to the big shocker of what the heroine turns out to be. I love stories where the non-humans and the humans are living amongst each other knowingly. I also enjoy a book where there are a variety of different beings living and working together in the tale. This book has so many positives going for it. There is a very sweet love story going on with some steamy sex scenes, but the romance between Pia and Dragos so affectionately loving. Then to top all of that off you get some fighting, action and chest pounding alpha male Neanderthal behavior.
Dragos is such an interesting male. He is old, older than everything else old. His Twizzler, Slurpee, and Ziploc bag confusion is reason alone to read this book. His manipulative use of the word please makes him such an honestly real character that can easily be connected to. Then you throw Pia into the mix. She is young, young even by human year standards. She is being haunted by one bad decision. It is a decision that every woman has made. She dated the wrong man for a brief period in her life. Now this ex that she wishes she could forget is blackmailing her into stealing from the much feared local dragon. She knows that the people that are behind him in doing this have nefarious plans for her. She also knows that the dragon will kill her when (not if) he finds her. Pia is a smart witty girl. She tries her best to do a little harm as possible while committing a crime she doesn’t want to commit. Her mother ingrained in her for as long as she can remember to not trust others with her secret, always be prepared to run and never let anyone know what you are. She ends up in the home of a dragon who is demanding her to stay, trust him and tell him everything.
I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series to get into the bookstores in August. We are introduced to the hero and heroine of Storm’s Heart in Dragon Bound. I must say I am looking forward to reading how many different tricks Trick’s has up her sleeve. Yes, pun intended. My only complaint about Dragon Bound is the size of the font. Just to make sure I am not in need of glasses I actually counted lines in various mass market paperbacks. Most have 35-37. Dragon Bound has 40 lines per page. The type is smaller. I know it’s a crazy lame very minor complaint.

Dragos to Pia “I see the lunatic inhabiting your body is alive and well.” (I really LOVE these two!)

...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Stella rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, paranormal, 2011

Everyone loved this book, all I saw in the blogosphere were raving reviews. But sadly I wasn't blown away. (Read an ARC so don't know if the things I didn't like were changed in the finalised version.)

Read this as the Book Blogger's Anonymous read for August and will try to pull together my thoughts and post my review soon.

I give it 2.5 stars ...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Jai rated it liked it · review of another edition

Review from my book blog (wordpress/ livejournal)

I've come to the conclusion that Paranormal Romance doesn't tend to work for me the way Urban Fantasy does, but I saw sooo many rave reviews for Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison, that I couldn't resist giving it a try.

The Premise: Pia Giovanni has spent her whole life keeping a low profile and never letting anyone know what she is and what her special gifts are. Then one slip in front of a low-down loser of a boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend), and Pia is ...more

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May 03, 2011 Ni_kii rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: shifters, fairys, must-read, alpha-male, strong-female-charcter, steamy, witches, psychic-powers, dreamy-men, funny

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I’m going to start telling you all you really want to read this book. Why? Because it has a really hot alpha hero, a heroine who pretty much kicks ass and a fast and sexy plot that kept me reading until five in the morning...ON A WORK NIGHT! Needless to say, my boss wasn’t impressed, but I really couldn’t care less because this book was amazing. Anyway, I digress; I’m going to really REALLY try not to give away any spoilers. You need to read it for yourselves...really, I insist :D

The Elder races I’m going to start telling you all you really want to read this book. Why? Because it has a really hot alpha hero, a heroine who pretty much kicks ass and a fast and sexy plot that kept me reading until five in the morning...ON A WORK NIGHT! Needless to say, my boss wasn’t impressed, but I really couldn’t care less because this book was amazing. Anyway, I digress; I’m going to really REALLY try not to give away any spoilers. You need to read it for yourselves...really, I insist :D

The Elder races and humans have co-existed a very long time. Wyr (shape shifters), Elves, Goblins, Trolls and Mortals are all part of one big happy family. Pia is a half-breed with a secret, one that she will die to protect. Her scuzz-bag ex-boyfriend knows a little part of her secret and uses this, potentially life threatening, information to blackmail her into doing something stupid. That something stupid is to steal something from the hoard of the Dragon Wyr, Dragos. Dragos is not very happy at all and vows to hunt her down personally as a matter of honour. Using the letter of apology that she leaves at the scene, he uses his power to track her down in a very sexy dream. After waking up very aroused (and more than a little p*ssed) he gets serious about hunting her, and uses witches to pinpoint her physical location. Unfortunately for him, the second they lay eyes on each other, the sparks they created during their dream encounter, turn into a full on inferno. Realising that he can no longer punish Pia, he decides to capture her and take her home with him. This turns out to be easier said than done, as the journey home is filled with danger and a near death situation due to Dragos’s enemy, the Dark Elf King, deciding that now is the time to start a war. Can Pia and Dragos navigate through the danger to reach his home, or will they get lost in the other world forever?

I love Dragos. Dragos has gone to number two on my alpha male list of hotness (I’m sorry, but it will take a fricking miracle to knock Judd Lauren off the top). Dragos is the ultimate Alpha warrior, an ancient being who has had to claw his way to the top of the hierarchy to organise the Wyr into a force to be reckoned with. Pia excites him, Pia makes him feel alive and, unwilling to let her escape, and he pretty much forces her into coming home with him. He is so dominant and so forceful that he made my stomach flutter. He constantly orders Pia around because his single focus is her. However, what was absolutely fab was his willingness to learn. At one point in the tale, he quite willingly admits he used to eat humans before he had a conversation with one, and now he is looking to claim one for himself so I think that shows how he has evolved! He has no idea how to deal with a relationship (I had a little grin on when he wondered if he was now a boyfriend) but he wanted to be with her so much that he was willing to learn. Don’t get me wrong, he is always going to be bossy, Dominant and completely in charge, but he tried to work around these character traits. When they got into danger , everything in him screamed at him to protect her at all costs, but he knew it would do more harm than good. What he did was prepare her as much as possible, and then hope for the best. However, don’t think he did nothing. No, he definitely does not do nothing as he meticulously notes down who touches Pia and then plots their demise. Yum! :D He wanted Pia just as she was, he wouldn’t even accept her in her glamored form that she used to protect herself, and he just made me melt.

I loved Pia because she was such a strong character. She wanted Dragos and was willing to take him at face value. Apart from the whole ordering her around, she didn’t want him to change anything. At one point, she refers to him as her “hero”, and he honestly can’t believe that someone can see past the big scary monster to the man inside. She calms him down when the Dragon takes over, excites him with her refusal to cower and bow to his every whim, and revs up his libido to the point where rational thought leaves the building (The sex scenes in this book are amazing. Seriously. Think Dominant Dragon with a new lease for life and a ridiculous amount of stamina and you might get an idea. Oh and he has a big tail :D) They are amazing together but both have a lot to learn in order to have a successful relationship. Can she trust him with her secrets? Moreover, can he let go of his Wyr side enough to be with her without trying to control her?
One of the fab things about this book was the world building and the side characters. We meet a whole host of creatures who help bring this character to life. Dragos is the leader of the New York branch of Wyrs. Many different warriors report to him, all who play different roles in bringing this love story together. My favourite were the two gryphons Rune and Graydon who are put in charge of her care. They are big, bossy, sexy men with protective streaks a mile wide...love them and can’t wait for their books! :D

This book is amazing. Sexy, funny, dark and magical, I just couldn’t put it down. I recommend it to Alpha fans who don’t mind a little darkness with their Romance. I leave you with my favourite exchange between Pia and Dragos....soooo bossy :D

“You’re mine,” he said. “You can deny it, argue, throw fits, try to run away. But. You’re. Still. Mine.”

“That’s insane,” she whispered. “I have no idea what that means. I don’t belong to you or anyone else.”

“Yes, you do,” he told her. His thumbs stroked her lips. “You are mine and I will keep you. I will not hurt you and I will protect you. And You’re beginning to trust me. All of that is a good thing.”
...more

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Dec 06, 2010 ♫♥✿LovLivLife Reviews✿♥♫ (Chasity) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, 2011-may, bba

Front cover, back cover, first page flap and the page after that is brimming with Author ravings and I can see why! Dragon Bound, book one in the Elder Races series is packed with heat.

Dragos Cuelebre, the only known dragon in existence has been alive far a long time and has found life all too comfortable at the top of the food chain. Pia Giovanni is just the person Dragos's been looking for and didn't even know it. "Pia was his mystery. No one else's." (p 167)

Pia is out on a limb. Desperate tim Front cover, back cover, first page flap and the page after that is brimming with Author ravings and I can see why! Dragon Bound, book one in the Elder Races series is packed with heat.

Dragos Cuelebre, the only known dragon in existence has been alive far a long time and has found life all too comfortable at the top of the food chain. Pia Giovanni is just the person Dragos's been looking for and didn't even know it. "Pia was his mystery. No one else's." (p 167)

Pia is out on a limb. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. She is on the run and trying to cover her tracks but in a world dripping with magic and magic creatures hiding is not so easy. No one has ever broke through Dragos's barriers and wards much less steal something from his horde. Dragos wants that thief for more reasons then one... in fact, the letter left in place of the missing coin has his knickers in a twist.

The romance is hot and sweet. Is that possible? Yes, it is. Thea Harrison does a tremendously fine job writing her characters. Dragos's character achieves a total alpha male sizzling with dominance while still remaining to be cute because he's honestly clueless.

"This is an unexpected honor, my lord," she gushed. "What can I do for you?"
"There are plastic bags with zippers on them. I've seen them in commercials," Dragos said to her. He snapped his fingers, trying to remember the name. "You put food in them."
"Ziploc bags?" she asked in a cautious voice.
He pointed at her. "Yes. I want one." (page 37)

Pia knows all too well the animal within-the Wyr aspect of Dragos. She knows when to push and when to cool back but at the same time never letting him step on her toes. Their shared romance is a paranormal romance fan's dream read. The relationship begins with lust and the confusion of the parameters. Pia's suppose to be a slave to repay Dragos for her crime but something else is happening. I enjoy complex story lines like this because the author then has the challenge of proving to me that love really exists between the two and really make me believe the happy outcome. I call this 'relationship of forced circumstance.' It is my favorite element in romance story lines but also the easiest to mess up if not written with care. Kudos, Thea Harrison has made me a believe in Pia and Dragos.

All in all, Dynamite read. Loved every page and looking forward to the entire series! ...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Kaetrin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, pnr-uf

To be honest, when I started Dragon Bound, I was a bit worried. As the first in the Elder Races series, there’d been such buzz about it for months – would it live up to expectations? I’m pleased to say it did, in spades! Ms. Harrison introduces a new world in the Elder Races but there’s no info dump bogging it down. Dragos Cuelebre (pronounced “Wella-bray”) is a dragon shapeshifter who is effectively the king of the Wyr and a member of the Elder Races. Pia Giovanni is a halfling who’s been black To be honest, when I started Dragon Bound, I was a bit worried. As the first in the Elder Races series, there’d been such buzz about it for months – would it live up to expectations? I’m pleased to say it did, in spades! Ms. Harrison introduces a new world in the Elder Races but there’s no info dump bogging it down. Dragos Cuelebre (pronounced “Wella-bray”) is a dragon shapeshifter who is effectively the king of the Wyr and a member of the Elder Races. Pia Giovanni is a halfling who’s been blackmailed by a sad excuse of an ex-boyfriend to steal something from the dragon’s hoard. Uh-oh.

The story, while new and different, has a touch of the Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter and Dragos has a touch of Curran (Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series) so fans of either will find their happy place in Dragon Bound. Come to think of it, Pia has a touch of Kate Daniels as well. I mean all that as a compliment by the way.

Pia is a loner for the most part, raised by her mother to always be careful and prepared to protect her secret heritage. Not surprisingly, she longs for a home and a sense of belonging but she doesn’t expect to find it with Dragos Cuelebre.

Sophie Eastlake is a new-to-me narrator but I’m sure we’ll be hearing more of her in the future, as she does a great job here. She totally nails Dragos’ regal arrogance. He’s the boss (he’s been the boss like forever) and he’s always obeyed. Enter Pia. Cue fireworks. They have an instant chemistry and it’s easy to hear as their interactions progress.

For Pia, Dragos learns new things. One particular scene involving Dragos’ request for a zip-loc bag was funny, and no doubt improved, by the voice and tone Ms. Eastlake gave him.

In the past, we’ve discussed here at Speaking of Audiobooks Angela Dawe’s limited male characterizations for the Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. The same is true of Ms. Eastlake – she probably has only one or two “hero” voices. You may not want to listen to the entire series back to back but that’s really my only complaint about Dragon Bound. The story kept me engaged, made me laugh, and I can certainly see myself re-listening in the future.

Ms. Eastlake satisfactorily conveyed the sizzle between Pia and Dragos and the change in Dragos as he learns to cope with Pia and what she comes to mean to him. And, while Dragos does change in the course of the book, he is, nevertheless, always a regal dragon – he’s just learned to say “please.” Sometimes.

Fortunately for us, Dragos has a number of Gryphon Sentinels who will make excellent heroes for future books. I see that Tiago is featured in the second and Rune in the third. I’m definitely looking forward to Graydon’s book too! The Sentinels are part of my favorite non-romance scene as they sit around and watch soap operas with Pia – so much fun!

Dragon Bound (and the world of the Elder Races) is a wonderful addition to the paranormal genre and excellent in audio as well. Highly recommended.

This review was written for the 10/03/11 Speaking of Audiobooks column. http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=708... ...more

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