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

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

Shelves: books-read-2011, read-audio-books, genre-paranormal-romance, dragons, 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 04, 2011 Chelsea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: weres, uf-pnr, smexy, fae-angels, suggested-series-firsts

This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

Lately I’ve been trying to make time for the highly recommended books on my to-read shelf. The ones I bought on a friend’s recommendation and then got so busy with new review books that I didn’t sit down and, you know, read them.

The list of people who recommended Dragon Bound to me is long. I first purchased it after Kelly from Reading the Paranormal gave it her “you must, you must” push to me. Then associate VBC reviewer Candace said the mo This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

Lately I’ve been trying to make time for the highly recommended books on my to-read shelf. The ones I bought on a friend’s recommendation and then got so busy with new review books that I didn’t sit down and, you know, read them.

The list of people who recommended Dragon Bound to me is long. I first purchased it after Kelly from Reading the Paranormal gave it her “you must, you must” push to me. Then associate VBC reviewer Candace said the most recent book had the hottest sex scene she’d ever read. I moved it to the front of the line. Really. My mom devoured the series and looked aghast when I told her I still had then on my Kindle waiting to be read.

Shame. On. Me.

Seriously.

Y’all were right. This is the kind of book I love and I’m not sure anyone can stop me from reading the whole series in rapid succession. I sure as hell loaded up the Kindle with the remaining books when I finished Dragon Bound.

The writing is spry and witty. Even when characters are in peril, there’s the equivalent of a wry smile in the prose. It’s enchanting. The characters are well-developed and refuse to fall into obvious romance tropes. This may be what impressed me most about Dragon Bound.

Here you have characters in the more common problem of we need to stay together to stay safe and the hero is the most alpha of alphas. Drogos only gives orders. Pia knows how to make him say please. His sentinels are floored. However, every time the plot starts to take a traditional course, Thea Harrison lets us get far enough to think she’d actually have her characters do the obvious then flips it on it’s head. Pia is smarter than your average paranormal romance heroine. Drogos is more adaptable than most alpha males, while maintaining the strength and masculinity that attracts us to him.

With such strong main characters it’s not really surprising the sex in Dragon Bound is epic. And plentiful. While it never it used just for sex’s sake, the romantic interludes draw these two closer and force them to drop barriers—magical and otherwise.

Paranormal romance that turns tropes on their heads? Hell yes. Sign me up for more.

Sexual content: Graphic sex ...more

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May 13, 2011 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, favorites, review-on-blog, 5-star

This book definitely lived up to the hype. I have seen so many positive reviews for this book, and sometimes that can make expectations pretty high. I am very happy to say that Dragon Bound met those expectations. I will be adding to this review later, I'm out of time right now. I will say, FANTASTIC read!

Here's the review I have on my blog (http://booksavvybabe.com)

So many people have read and reviewed this book already, so I am making this review short and sweet.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I kept seeing ...more

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

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

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.”
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Mar 17, 2012 Kristin - *Nocturnal Bites* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved this book!! Fantastic start to a PNR series!

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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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Apr 12, 2012 Bella rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, paranormal, romance

This was really more of a 3.5 for me, close to 4. I loved the humor between the two main characters and they had some really funny banter. But the romance felt a little too rushed for me, so I had to kind of just force myself to stick with it regardless of that. Overall though it's a great beginning to a new series and can't wait to check out the next 3 books which are already out. Another plus was reading about some new types of paranormal characters outside of werewolves, vampires, and angels ...more

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