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Dragonsworn #1
Soul of Smoke
On a hike deep in the Rocky Mountains, Kai Monahan watches as a dozen dragons—actual freaking dragons—battle beneath a fat white moon. When one crashes nearly dead at her feet and transforms into a man, Kai does the only thing a decent person could: she grabs the nearest sword and saves his life.
As the dragon/man, Rhys, recovers from the attack, a chance brush of skin against skin binds him inextricably to Kai. Becoming heartsworn to a human—especially such a compelling one—is the last thing Rhys wants. But with an ancient enemy gathering to pit dragons against humanity and his strength nearly depleted, Kai has just become the one thing Rhys needs. A complete bond will give him the strength to fight; a denied bond means certain death.
Kai is terrified at the thought of allowing any dragon into her mind…or her heart. Accepting the heartswearing and staying with the dragons means sacrificing everything, and Kai must decide if her freedom is worth risking Rhys's life—a life more crucial to the fate of humanity than she could possibly know.
As the dragon/man, Rhys, recovers from the attack, a chance brush of skin against skin binds him inextricably to Kai. Becoming heartsworn to a human—especially such a compelling one—is the last thing Rhys wants. But with an ancient enemy gathering to pit dragons against humanity and his strength nearly depleted, Kai has just become the one thing Rhys needs. A complete bond will give him the strength to fight; a denied bond means certain death.
Kai is terrified at the thought of allowing any dragon into her mind…or her heart. Accepting the heartswearing and staying with the dragons means sacrificing everything, and Kai must decide if her freedom is worth risking Rhys's life—a life more crucial to the fate of humanity than she could possibly know.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2015
278 people are currently reading
1233 people want to read
About the author
Caitlyn McFarland
11 books126 followersAfter spending most of her adult life in UT, Caitlyn McFarland has returned to the Midwest and currently lives by a lake in Missouri with her husband and three daughters. She has a Bachelor’s degree in linguistics from Brigham Young University. When she's not writing romantic fantasy, Caitlyn can be found wandering the woods, crafting, or playing TTRPGs.
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November 10, 2015
Soul of Smoke is book one in the Dragonsworn series by Caitlyn McFarland. This book was generously provided to me for an honest review by NetGalley, Carina Press and Caitlyn McFarland.
Kai Monahan is a normal twenty year old woman, going to school, living with her roommates whom she loves, and working as a rock climbing instructor part time. That is, until the day she saw dragons. She had convinced two of her roommates to go hiking when they came across a severely injured woman along the trail. They are miles from getting help so Kai stayed with her when the other two went back for help. But the woman insists that she has to go and warn her brother. So against everything that Kai feels she should do, she helps her. This decision will change her life. When they eventually find her brother and the rest of their group, they are attacked. By men, no, but by dragons. And the brother, he changed into a dragon as well. Until he was injured and fell at her feet and changed back into a man. So what does Kai do? Does she run? No, she helps the man. She saves his life.
“The wind blows where it will. We can only adjust our wings.”
Rhys is a dragon shifter. He, his sister, and their group thought they would be safe from those that are after them. There hadn’t been an attack in a long time. But they’ve been found, and his sister is injured. During the battle he is also severely injured and he is sure this is the end, until the human girl rescues him. She saved his life. They can’t just leave her here, she’ll be killed. So they take her back to their cave. She’ll just have to stay with them until it is safe to take her home. That was the plan until Rhys accidently barely touched her skin. It was just a simple brush, but that’s all that was needed for him to become heartsworn to her.
“He wanted to know her in every sense of the word. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally. It was as if he’d been living in a dark room, and when someone finally turned on the light he’d discovered half of him was missing. The stories lie. This isn’t love. This…it was need. Pure, incandescent need.”
When a dragon touches the skin of the one he is fated to become mated with, a magical bonding happens. But it is one sided, until they kiss. Then the bonding will be complete. But Rhys is determined to let Kai make the decision to complete the bonding. He will not kiss her against her will. He wants her to decide on her own if she wants to become heartsworn to him. Even though every hour, every minute, and every second the heartswearing is not completed, Rhys is in pain.
Kai does NOT want this. She just wants to go home, back to her life. To be heartsworn to this man/dragon that she doesn’t even know would mean giving up everything. But what would happen to Kai if she said no? He is keeping secrets from her. And why is it so important that she accepts?
“She didn’t love him now. Not even close. But she knew as sure as the stone beneath her feet that someday, this man could mean more to her than anything in the world.”
This book was just amazing. So far I would classify it as YA. If I had to voice one complaint, it is that in the beginning I had a little trouble with all the names and the names of places. I kept getting them confused since they were all unusual. But after about the first fifty pages or so, it all started falling into place. The action was non-stop. I loved ALL of the characters. The other dragons in Rhys’s group were all so easy to love. Kai and her friend Juli were amazing. The romantic in me wanted Kai to hurry up and kiss Rhys but I understand that she had to make the decision in her own time. Her acceptance of the dragons existence was pretty amazing. This book kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the ending. And oh my gosh, the ending! It is most definitely not what I expected. Is there a cliff hanger…yes. But thankfully, it is only about two months until the next book, Shadow of Flame, is released on September 14.
I believe this is Caitlyn’s first book so congratulations! You definitely have me hooked.
Kai Monahan is a normal twenty year old woman, going to school, living with her roommates whom she loves, and working as a rock climbing instructor part time. That is, until the day she saw dragons. She had convinced two of her roommates to go hiking when they came across a severely injured woman along the trail. They are miles from getting help so Kai stayed with her when the other two went back for help. But the woman insists that she has to go and warn her brother. So against everything that Kai feels she should do, she helps her. This decision will change her life. When they eventually find her brother and the rest of their group, they are attacked. By men, no, but by dragons. And the brother, he changed into a dragon as well. Until he was injured and fell at her feet and changed back into a man. So what does Kai do? Does she run? No, she helps the man. She saves his life.
“The wind blows where it will. We can only adjust our wings.”
Rhys is a dragon shifter. He, his sister, and their group thought they would be safe from those that are after them. There hadn’t been an attack in a long time. But they’ve been found, and his sister is injured. During the battle he is also severely injured and he is sure this is the end, until the human girl rescues him. She saved his life. They can’t just leave her here, she’ll be killed. So they take her back to their cave. She’ll just have to stay with them until it is safe to take her home. That was the plan until Rhys accidently barely touched her skin. It was just a simple brush, but that’s all that was needed for him to become heartsworn to her.
“He wanted to know her in every sense of the word. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally. It was as if he’d been living in a dark room, and when someone finally turned on the light he’d discovered half of him was missing. The stories lie. This isn’t love. This…it was need. Pure, incandescent need.”
When a dragon touches the skin of the one he is fated to become mated with, a magical bonding happens. But it is one sided, until they kiss. Then the bonding will be complete. But Rhys is determined to let Kai make the decision to complete the bonding. He will not kiss her against her will. He wants her to decide on her own if she wants to become heartsworn to him. Even though every hour, every minute, and every second the heartswearing is not completed, Rhys is in pain.
Kai does NOT want this. She just wants to go home, back to her life. To be heartsworn to this man/dragon that she doesn’t even know would mean giving up everything. But what would happen to Kai if she said no? He is keeping secrets from her. And why is it so important that she accepts?
“She didn’t love him now. Not even close. But she knew as sure as the stone beneath her feet that someday, this man could mean more to her than anything in the world.”
This book was just amazing. So far I would classify it as YA. If I had to voice one complaint, it is that in the beginning I had a little trouble with all the names and the names of places. I kept getting them confused since they were all unusual. But after about the first fifty pages or so, it all started falling into place. The action was non-stop. I loved ALL of the characters. The other dragons in Rhys’s group were all so easy to love. Kai and her friend Juli were amazing. The romantic in me wanted Kai to hurry up and kiss Rhys but I understand that she had to make the decision in her own time. Her acceptance of the dragons existence was pretty amazing. This book kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the ending. And oh my gosh, the ending! It is most definitely not what I expected. Is there a cliff hanger…yes. But thankfully, it is only about two months until the next book, Shadow of Flame, is released on September 14.
I believe this is Caitlyn’s first book so congratulations! You definitely have me hooked.
June 19, 2015
I received this ARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I'll try to be nice...Rating- 1.5 stars
seriously, what the heck was that?!
Did I read the right book? *looks at all the 5 star reviews, then looks back at the book*
*shakes head* I'll just talk about the plot:
For all intents and purposes, this plot line sounds amazing. When i saw it, i had a serious case of the honey-glow in my cheeks.
I happily delved into it, but imagine swimming in a pool of jelly, all the sudden you're stuck and you can't move and pretty soon you feel like you're drowning. Welcome to my feeling of this book.
The Main protagonist (Kai) was so down-right horrible that every time i saw it was her POV coming up, i would go on a rant or just dump my tablet and walk away from it.
THIS WHOLE FREAKING STORY REVOLVES AROUND 1 FREAKING KISS!!!!!
The whole freaking time you're shouting "JUST KISS!!"
Okay, if you knew that all humanity depended on you and if you kiss a dude he'll have the power to save it, would you be like "oh...no, if i kiss him i'll never see anyone again...I'll never see my brothers and parents." LADY! IF YOU DON'T KISS HIM THEY'LL DIE, ARE YOU THICK!? *face palm*
I can't...honestly, I just can't. It was so ridiculous.
WARNING! INSTA LOVE, LOVE TRIANGLE, MAIN GIRL KISSES RANDOM GUY FOR NO REASON!
The beginning was decent and then everything fell into the valley of awful.
Oh! Oh! Of course the best friend will also be the 'special' someone too. Figures. cliche anyone?
I can't even say the writing was awesome. It was okay, but the story, the way it went, just made the characters- especially Kai look stupid. I'm sorry if that's harsh.
This is going into the read-if-you-hate-yourself shelf!
This really didn't cut it for me. Maybe it'll appeal more to you?
that's that.
Stay awesome!
-The Book Herald
Tweet me @thebookherald
I'll try to be nice...Rating- 1.5 stars
seriously, what the heck was that?!
Did I read the right book? *looks at all the 5 star reviews, then looks back at the book*
*shakes head* I'll just talk about the plot:
One day Kai and her friend Juliet go hiking, there they find a wounded girl.
Juliet runs back to their site to get help while Kai stays behind to make sure the girl is safe.
While there, the girl hysterically asks for help because her brother is in danger.
Kai rushes to help and find a mystical band of people who can turn into dragons.
When a scarlet scaled dragon is downed and about to be killed,
Kai rushes with a sword and saves him.
Who knew that saving a dragon could land her in such a pile of trouble!
For all intents and purposes, this plot line sounds amazing. When i saw it, i had a serious case of the honey-glow in my cheeks.
I happily delved into it, but imagine swimming in a pool of jelly, all the sudden you're stuck and you can't move and pretty soon you feel like you're drowning. Welcome to my feeling of this book.
The Main protagonist (Kai) was so down-right horrible that every time i saw it was her POV coming up, i would go on a rant or just dump my tablet and walk away from it.
THIS WHOLE FREAKING STORY REVOLVES AROUND 1 FREAKING KISS!!!!!
The whole freaking time you're shouting "JUST KISS!!"
Okay, if you knew that all humanity depended on you and if you kiss a dude he'll have the power to save it, would you be like "oh...no, if i kiss him i'll never see anyone again...I'll never see my brothers and parents." LADY! IF YOU DON'T KISS HIM THEY'LL DIE, ARE YOU THICK!? *face palm*
I can't...honestly, I just can't. It was so ridiculous.
WARNING! INSTA LOVE, LOVE TRIANGLE, MAIN GIRL KISSES RANDOM GUY FOR NO REASON!
The beginning was decent and then everything fell into the valley of awful.
Oh! Oh! Of course the best friend will also be the 'special' someone too. Figures. cliche anyone?
I can't even say the writing was awesome. It was okay, but the story, the way it went, just made the characters- especially Kai look stupid. I'm sorry if that's harsh.
This is going into the read-if-you-hate-yourself shelf!
This really didn't cut it for me. Maybe it'll appeal more to you?
that's that.
Stay awesome!
-The Book Herald
Tweet me @thebookherald
July 8, 2015
What the actual fuck?! This is my feeling still two days after I've finished the book. I liked the premise, the writing, and all the characters BUT Kai, the female lead. Oh my God, the female lead makes me want to rip my hair out and beat her with a metal baseball bat. I do love Rhys and think he's fabulous.
Let's start with why I'm giving this novel a solid four stars, shall we? For the most part I enjoyed the writing style. Rhys is a delightful male lead and I like him. He's clever, passionate, honest, and considerate. He doesn't want to force Kai into anything and so takes the pain that comes with his decision. It is hard to not love him, I swear!
Kai is the most bratty, inconsiderate, and selfish character I think I've ever read. It is always "poor me," or the "me, me, me," crap. She honestly made me want to go inside the book and beat her to within an inch of her life. There's greater things than the poor me shit and yet that's all she's concerned with. She doesn't care about the fate of the world, about trying to understand what she is to Rhys or the feeling that is between them, and she fights everyone at every turn when they are trying to help her.
Regardless of my utter distaste for Kai, I liked all the other characters, the story line, and the writing which saved it. I give Soul of Smoke 4 soul smoking stars.
Let's start with why I'm giving this novel a solid four stars, shall we? For the most part I enjoyed the writing style. Rhys is a delightful male lead and I like him. He's clever, passionate, honest, and considerate. He doesn't want to force Kai into anything and so takes the pain that comes with his decision. It is hard to not love him, I swear!
Kai is the most bratty, inconsiderate, and selfish character I think I've ever read. It is always "poor me," or the "me, me, me," crap. She honestly made me want to go inside the book and beat her to within an inch of her life. There's greater things than the poor me shit and yet that's all she's concerned with. She doesn't care about the fate of the world, about trying to understand what she is to Rhys or the feeling that is between them, and she fights everyone at every turn when they are trying to help her.
Regardless of my utter distaste for Kai, I liked all the other characters, the story line, and the writing which saved it. I give Soul of Smoke 4 soul smoking stars.
April 3, 2015
I beta-read this story and am obsessed. I haven't written fan-fiction since I was 15, but I have seriously considered doing so for this title. So excited to own the official copy!
July 7, 2015
~ I received this book from Netgalley, in exchange for a honest review ~
3+
This book was a pleasant, unexpected surprise.
It's a fast, entertaining reading, that really hooked me.
It's definitely a PR/UF, but the Author well balanced the "romance component" and the "fantasy one".
I would have assigned 4 stars if it wasn't for Kai, the female lead character: at times she seemed too selfish, self-centred (she was too focused on her freedom to really listen to what Rhys' vee was trying to explain or, actually, to listen to her own feelings...) and in the end I just wanted to scream "For heaven's sake, JUST. KISS. HIM!".
And it's a pity, because I really liked the other characters (well, especially Rhys and Cadoc): they're dimensional and compelling. I appreciated the world-building, too: it's not flawless, but I think it's interesting and quite well-developed.
All in all, I will definitely read the next installement.
3+
This book was a pleasant, unexpected surprise.
It's a fast, entertaining reading, that really hooked me.
It's definitely a PR/UF, but the Author well balanced the "romance component" and the "fantasy one".
I would have assigned 4 stars if it wasn't for Kai, the female lead character: at times she seemed too selfish, self-centred (she was too focused on her freedom to really listen to what Rhys' vee was trying to explain or, actually, to listen to her own feelings...) and in the end I just wanted to scream "For heaven's sake, JUST. KISS. HIM!".
And it's a pity, because I really liked the other characters (well, especially Rhys and Cadoc): they're dimensional and compelling. I appreciated the world-building, too: it's not flawless, but I think it's interesting and quite well-developed.
All in all, I will definitely read the next installement.
July 18, 2015
Kai Monahan, human, is drawn into the dragon’s world through circumstances beyond her control. When she’s accidentally heartsworn to Rhys, the dragon king (it only takes a touch), they have to figure out if they can go through with completing the bond while dodging the big bad dragon’s that’s trying to kill Rhys and eventually, the human race. You know, that old chestnut.
More urban fantasy/paranormal than romance : The writing is good and the world building is done well. There is alot to process though, so the first half of the book lagged a bit while I adjusted to all the bits of info being thrown at me. That said, I read this pretty quickly because the overarching storyline of the big bad who’s trying to usurp the dragon throne kept me intrigued.
I think this works much more as an urban fantasy than the romance, but it’s the first book in a trilogy, so I can only hope that the romance gets stronger as it goes along. Regardless, I am interested in many of the secondary characters (#teamCadoc!), so they are what’s keeping me coming back for more.
About that romance…. : In an interesting ‘verse, it was the weakest part of it. I really wish that more time and attention had been spent in really making the reader feel some chemistry between Kai and Rhys. For the first third of the book, they barely interact, and quite frankly, I thought Kai had more chemistry with Cadoc (who breaks my heart and needs a HEA stat). Rhys waffled alot, clearly didn’t want a mate, but even when he’s heartsworn, it felt more like an obligation than any kind of real feelings for Kai.
Kai could be frustrating as a heroine, and as immature as you’d expect a 20 year old to be, thrust into a very strange world where no one wants to explain anything to her. I was hard pressed to hold it against her though, because the dragons were lacking in any kind of empathy for her and how strange this all was. Deryn, Rhys’ sister, in particular, irked me alot. She was saved by Kai, more than once, and barely acknowledged it - she just came off as a jerk. I thought Ashem and Juli had the best chemistry of them all, and they’re a small part of the overall story.
I liked it, but more as an urban fantasy more than a romance. I would recommend for fans of UF who don't need a strong romantic angle. I’d be interested in the next book.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
More urban fantasy/paranormal than romance : The writing is good and the world building is done well. There is alot to process though, so the first half of the book lagged a bit while I adjusted to all the bits of info being thrown at me. That said, I read this pretty quickly because the overarching storyline of the big bad who’s trying to usurp the dragon throne kept me intrigued.
I think this works much more as an urban fantasy than the romance, but it’s the first book in a trilogy, so I can only hope that the romance gets stronger as it goes along. Regardless, I am interested in many of the secondary characters (#teamCadoc!), so they are what’s keeping me coming back for more.
About that romance…. : In an interesting ‘verse, it was the weakest part of it. I really wish that more time and attention had been spent in really making the reader feel some chemistry between Kai and Rhys. For the first third of the book, they barely interact, and quite frankly, I thought Kai had more chemistry with Cadoc (who breaks my heart and needs a HEA stat). Rhys waffled alot, clearly didn’t want a mate, but even when he’s heartsworn, it felt more like an obligation than any kind of real feelings for Kai.
Kai could be frustrating as a heroine, and as immature as you’d expect a 20 year old to be, thrust into a very strange world where no one wants to explain anything to her. I was hard pressed to hold it against her though, because the dragons were lacking in any kind of empathy for her and how strange this all was. Deryn, Rhys’ sister, in particular, irked me alot. She was saved by Kai, more than once, and barely acknowledged it - she just came off as a jerk. I thought Ashem and Juli had the best chemistry of them all, and they’re a small part of the overall story.
I liked it, but more as an urban fantasy more than a romance. I would recommend for fans of UF who don't need a strong romantic angle. I’d be interested in the next book.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
November 2, 2025
A human young woman stumbles into the world of dragons by accidentally rescuing aother woman who ends up be a princess to the dragon shifters.
Soul of Smoke had a unique and colorful world where dragon shifters remain on the periphery of humankind. The story was interesting leaving the reader with a giant cliffhanger and feeling somewhat incomplete. I will definitely have to read on to get more of a feel for this storyline.
The overall read was good, entertaining and had a very interesting premise. In the end, I give Soul of Smoke 3.5 stars.
I received this ARC copy of Soul of Smoke from Carina Press in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication July 27, 2015.
Soul of Smoke had a unique and colorful world where dragon shifters remain on the periphery of humankind. The story was interesting leaving the reader with a giant cliffhanger and feeling somewhat incomplete. I will definitely have to read on to get more of a feel for this storyline.
The overall read was good, entertaining and had a very interesting premise. In the end, I give Soul of Smoke 3.5 stars.
I received this ARC copy of Soul of Smoke from Carina Press in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication July 27, 2015.
March 14, 2018
I just loved this dragon paranormal romance! I’m a huge fan of the magical soul mate trope, and McFarland pulls it off in such a new and fun way! Can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
July 21, 2015
4.5*s
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Soul of Smoke is the first book in the Dragonsworn series and I have to say – I’m impressed!
I think the synopsis is spot on in its description and if that doesn’t tempt you to read this then nothing will.
I thought the author came up with a great premise for the book and series, Dragons living alongside us but separately, cloaked against discovery and very little interaction with humans…. Until now. Kai is thrust straight into the battle of two sets of dragons after rescuing a girl who she finds injured on a cliff. When she gets the girl to her friends it quickly becomes an escape mission as they come under attack from dragons and turn into dragons themselves. Kai defends one of the dragons and finds herself in danger from repercussions, so the group have no alternative but to take her with them to a safe haven. Although they try to assure her that she is not a prisoner…she sort of is, even if she does get along with them. What she doesn’t realise is that with one touch of skin on skin, a human can becomes heartsworn to a dragon, a fated mate of sorts who can amplify the dragon’s powers and take on some magic for themselves. Kai ends up heartsworn to Rhys and although she is completely drawn to him, she wants nothing to do with the situation but Rhys wants her to commit willingly and not just because he will suffer if she chooses not to bond with him.
I really liked Kai’s character, she is more than capable of looking after herself and I love that she didn’t just lie down and accept what was happening to her; she challenged it! She refused to compromise who she was and what she wanted just because she was drawn to Rhys. They did share a lovely bond even before the ‘touch’ but it’s good to see them both try to work for it & get to know each other – even if it went against Rhys’s instincts. I also liked that she was willing to jump in and help complete strangers; that showed her characters’ integrity from the start which also tied in with her refusal to be a victim and helping herself to find a solution to her situation.
The storyline was great but a lot of it could be spoilery so I will do my best to explain. There are two opposing sides of dragons which are feuding against each other. One side wants to kill the other side and will stop at nothing to do so. The ‘good’ side is forced into a safe haven after being discovered with minimal guards and support. The feud has been coming to a head for a while and has a whole history that you will learn about. We are introduced to all different kinds of dragons, most have gifts that enhance their natural abilities and they are from a place where magic is common place. They have a soul mate principal called heartsworn that is activated by skin on skin contact and sealed with a kiss that totally brings out the alpha in our dragons. There are quite a few secrets being kept that will be revealed throughout the story and will definitely change the way you view more than one character but have the potential to turn the whole game on its head.
The story is also filled with lots of action and fighting from the start; if we haven’t got people shifting into dragons we have dragons carrying people then we have awesome battle scenes with dragon on dragon fighting, human on dragon fighting, in air battles, on the ground battles, fire breathing, mind controlling….. you name it and it’s in there. All of this creates and awesome read and it left me desperate for more – as all good books should.
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Soul of Smoke is the first book in the Dragonsworn series and I have to say – I’m impressed!
I think the synopsis is spot on in its description and if that doesn’t tempt you to read this then nothing will.
I thought the author came up with a great premise for the book and series, Dragons living alongside us but separately, cloaked against discovery and very little interaction with humans…. Until now. Kai is thrust straight into the battle of two sets of dragons after rescuing a girl who she finds injured on a cliff. When she gets the girl to her friends it quickly becomes an escape mission as they come under attack from dragons and turn into dragons themselves. Kai defends one of the dragons and finds herself in danger from repercussions, so the group have no alternative but to take her with them to a safe haven. Although they try to assure her that she is not a prisoner…she sort of is, even if she does get along with them. What she doesn’t realise is that with one touch of skin on skin, a human can becomes heartsworn to a dragon, a fated mate of sorts who can amplify the dragon’s powers and take on some magic for themselves. Kai ends up heartsworn to Rhys and although she is completely drawn to him, she wants nothing to do with the situation but Rhys wants her to commit willingly and not just because he will suffer if she chooses not to bond with him.
I really liked Kai’s character, she is more than capable of looking after herself and I love that she didn’t just lie down and accept what was happening to her; she challenged it! She refused to compromise who she was and what she wanted just because she was drawn to Rhys. They did share a lovely bond even before the ‘touch’ but it’s good to see them both try to work for it & get to know each other – even if it went against Rhys’s instincts. I also liked that she was willing to jump in and help complete strangers; that showed her characters’ integrity from the start which also tied in with her refusal to be a victim and helping herself to find a solution to her situation.
The storyline was great but a lot of it could be spoilery so I will do my best to explain. There are two opposing sides of dragons which are feuding against each other. One side wants to kill the other side and will stop at nothing to do so. The ‘good’ side is forced into a safe haven after being discovered with minimal guards and support. The feud has been coming to a head for a while and has a whole history that you will learn about. We are introduced to all different kinds of dragons, most have gifts that enhance their natural abilities and they are from a place where magic is common place. They have a soul mate principal called heartsworn that is activated by skin on skin contact and sealed with a kiss that totally brings out the alpha in our dragons. There are quite a few secrets being kept that will be revealed throughout the story and will definitely change the way you view more than one character but have the potential to turn the whole game on its head.
The story is also filled with lots of action and fighting from the start; if we haven’t got people shifting into dragons we have dragons carrying people then we have awesome battle scenes with dragon on dragon fighting, human on dragon fighting, in air battles, on the ground battles, fire breathing, mind controlling….. you name it and it’s in there. All of this creates and awesome read and it left me desperate for more – as all good books should.
March 30, 2017
I am so, SO glad that I got the opportunity to read Soul of Smoke. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. McFarland increases the tension, both in action and romance, steadily throughout the novel.
The cast of characters is incredibly dynamic. The dialogue and banter between Rhys and his dragon cohorts is fun and highly entertaining. You'll absolutely want to become part of their "vee."
I really enjoyed Kai as a main character. I loved that she questioned and fought against her situation throughout the story, which was a very authentic response to the type of situation she found herself in. I also loved that she had a bit of feistiness to her and was definitely not afraid to stand up for herself.
Rhys is an incredibly swoony love interest. Despite his culture, his feelings, and the way he was raised, he commits to his decision to always respect Kai's wishes even when it causes him intense physical suffering. He's also a loyal friend and definitely the type of guy you want to have on your side in a fight.
The romance in this book is just so well done. It seems like it's going to be an insta-love story, but it is not. It is so much more beautifully complex than that. The heat between Kai and Rhys is off the charts, and McFarland does a phenomenal job of constantly upping the romantic tension between them throughout the novel!
I also enjoyed that this was a story about dragons but still set in the real world. Being a Rocky Mountain girl myself, the setting certainly came alive for me, and I really enjoyed that McFarland included scenic elements that were obviously very familiar and important to her.
I am always a huge fan of epic fantasies that actually make me feel something with character deaths. There was a specific character death in this book that utterly wrecked me, and I was SO thrilled that I was that connected with this story that it had that kind of impact on me.
Also, ten points to McFarland's Hogwarts House of choice for an excellent Harry Potter reference and ten more for a Mr. Darcy reference. :)
I am so excited to read the next book in this series, Shadow of Flame! The full series is out now, so I highly recommend this to all you fantasy lovers out there who hate waiting for the next book in a series to come out...and who also love some dragons and rom
The cast of characters is incredibly dynamic. The dialogue and banter between Rhys and his dragon cohorts is fun and highly entertaining. You'll absolutely want to become part of their "vee."
I really enjoyed Kai as a main character. I loved that she questioned and fought against her situation throughout the story, which was a very authentic response to the type of situation she found herself in. I also loved that she had a bit of feistiness to her and was definitely not afraid to stand up for herself.
Rhys is an incredibly swoony love interest. Despite his culture, his feelings, and the way he was raised, he commits to his decision to always respect Kai's wishes even when it causes him intense physical suffering. He's also a loyal friend and definitely the type of guy you want to have on your side in a fight.
The romance in this book is just so well done. It seems like it's going to be an insta-love story, but it is not. It is so much more beautifully complex than that. The heat between Kai and Rhys is off the charts, and McFarland does a phenomenal job of constantly upping the romantic tension between them throughout the novel!
I also enjoyed that this was a story about dragons but still set in the real world. Being a Rocky Mountain girl myself, the setting certainly came alive for me, and I really enjoyed that McFarland included scenic elements that were obviously very familiar and important to her.
I am always a huge fan of epic fantasies that actually make me feel something with character deaths. There was a specific character death in this book that utterly wrecked me, and I was SO thrilled that I was that connected with this story that it had that kind of impact on me.
Also, ten points to McFarland's Hogwarts House of choice for an excellent Harry Potter reference and ten more for a Mr. Darcy reference. :)
I am so excited to read the next book in this series, Shadow of Flame! The full series is out now, so I highly recommend this to all you fantasy lovers out there who hate waiting for the next book in a series to come out...and who also love some dragons and rom
December 9, 2015
Couldn't finish it although I tried. It felt a little like Twilight with dragons instead of vampires. Couldn't connect with any of the characters and the dragons lair in the Rocky Mountains felt uninteresting to be stranded at for so long.
May 6, 2017
**I would like to thank Netgalley, Carina Press and the author Caitlyn McFarland for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.**
Soul of Smoke is the first book in the Dragonsworn trilogy by Caitlyn McFarland. It's a YA fantasy. There's Dragons, Magic, Fire, a bit of romance and kidnappings. Oooohhhh !!!!
Soul of Smoke is about Kai , a 20 year old ex gymnast and now a college student and a rock climber, who goes hiking with her friends. They stumble across an injured girl. While Kai's friends go get help, she's taken by the injured girl to a place where Kai meets new people and learns about creatures she thought were just fantasy. She sees dragons and can't believe it. Kai becomes a part of the dragon war that's been going on for a thousand years, without wanting to. The more she's around these dragons, the closer she gets to them. She has to make a decision if she wants to be one of them. Many are depending on her part/help. Evil is out there and they want power and to end the humans. This evil knows about Kai. The Dragons will fight to stop them, and fight to keep each other safe, including Kai, who at this point has no way out.
Kai is a girl who was living someone else's dream, when she decides to break away and do something she enjoys, it's when her whole world tilts and she no longer sees a future that she would've loved to have planned. She had to make a decision she wasn't ready for. I think Kai was brave at times, throwing herself in front of dragons, but I also think she was stubborn and just wouldn't listen and got herself into very dangerous situations where she had to be rescued. I still like her, I understand that she wasn't ready for such a big commitment. It felt like she had no choice.
I think Rhys was distant, at least to Kai at first. Rhys is a crimson colored dragon. He has his secrets he doesn't want Kai to know. I liked that he was a good guy and didn't force Kai to do anything she didn't want to do, even if he was in pain. He didn't want to be like his dad. He has a lot to deal with and with Kai's help he could be stronger. I wanted more Kai + Rhys time though :-)
Cadoc was cute. I could tell right away he was going to be a playah. He was always flirting with Kai, he had a good energy, and positive. I liked the times Kai spent with him. I know Kai cares for Cadoc but he seemed like he was going to be the good guy friend. Ashem , now he was just always serious and bossy, and intimidating. But I enjoyed how he liked to mess with Juli, that's was cute. He knew what he was doing :-) Juli was a good friend/sister to Kai, she never stopped looking for her, and wasn't going to give up, just knew Kai was okay. Deryn , Rhys sister, to me was ungrateful. Kai saved her and Deryn just wanted Kai to hand her life over, she didn't understand why Kai wasn't doing that. The evil guys, Kavar and Owain are good at being bad. You just dislike them right away. Owain wants power and to do things his way, he feels that it's his right.
It's been a while since I've read a book with Dragons, they were mostly the enemy or just mentioned. I didn't know what to expect, because dragons aren't usually my thing. But once I got into this book, I saw that they were cool. I just imagined how they looked and all those powers they have, they were all different. I'm sure if dragons existed, it would be scary to see one shoot fire at you or lightning. I liked the way things were described. It help visualize some of the scenes and how the dragon's looked like, it really does help get the full picture, I as a reader like all the details I can get, makes the world's in the books more real. I enjoyed reading about the characters, sometimes they made me smile and other times I just wanted to hit one of them. At first it was a bit hard to remember names and places and how to pronounce them, but as I read, I got to know the characters, and it wasn't confusing like it was before. I would recommend Soul of Smoke to anyone into Dragons, fantasy, and a light touch of romance. If you want Dragons, oh you'll get them in this book.
Overall I enjoyed reading Soul of Smoke. I will like to see what happens to our characters. Hopefully Kai and Rhys talk things out, I also want Cadoc to be there, hopefully with no love triangle, I wouldn't know whom to choose., lets not forget Ashem and Juli. Great book, liked all the magic, the powers and all its badassness. :-)
***
Soul of Smoke is the first book in the Dragonsworn trilogy by Caitlyn McFarland. It's a YA fantasy. There's Dragons, Magic, Fire, a bit of romance and kidnappings. Oooohhhh !!!!
Soul of Smoke is about Kai , a 20 year old ex gymnast and now a college student and a rock climber, who goes hiking with her friends. They stumble across an injured girl. While Kai's friends go get help, she's taken by the injured girl to a place where Kai meets new people and learns about creatures she thought were just fantasy. She sees dragons and can't believe it. Kai becomes a part of the dragon war that's been going on for a thousand years, without wanting to. The more she's around these dragons, the closer she gets to them. She has to make a decision if she wants to be one of them. Many are depending on her part/help. Evil is out there and they want power and to end the humans. This evil knows about Kai. The Dragons will fight to stop them, and fight to keep each other safe, including Kai, who at this point has no way out.
Kai is a girl who was living someone else's dream, when she decides to break away and do something she enjoys, it's when her whole world tilts and she no longer sees a future that she would've loved to have planned. She had to make a decision she wasn't ready for. I think Kai was brave at times, throwing herself in front of dragons, but I also think she was stubborn and just wouldn't listen and got herself into very dangerous situations where she had to be rescued. I still like her, I understand that she wasn't ready for such a big commitment. It felt like she had no choice.
I think Rhys was distant, at least to Kai at first. Rhys is a crimson colored dragon. He has his secrets he doesn't want Kai to know. I liked that he was a good guy and didn't force Kai to do anything she didn't want to do, even if he was in pain. He didn't want to be like his dad. He has a lot to deal with and with Kai's help he could be stronger. I wanted more Kai + Rhys time though :-)
Cadoc was cute. I could tell right away he was going to be a playah. He was always flirting with Kai, he had a good energy, and positive. I liked the times Kai spent with him. I know Kai cares for Cadoc but he seemed like he was going to be the good guy friend. Ashem , now he was just always serious and bossy, and intimidating. But I enjoyed how he liked to mess with Juli, that's was cute. He knew what he was doing :-) Juli was a good friend/sister to Kai, she never stopped looking for her, and wasn't going to give up, just knew Kai was okay. Deryn , Rhys sister, to me was ungrateful. Kai saved her and Deryn just wanted Kai to hand her life over, she didn't understand why Kai wasn't doing that. The evil guys, Kavar and Owain are good at being bad. You just dislike them right away. Owain wants power and to do things his way, he feels that it's his right.
It's been a while since I've read a book with Dragons, they were mostly the enemy or just mentioned. I didn't know what to expect, because dragons aren't usually my thing. But once I got into this book, I saw that they were cool. I just imagined how they looked and all those powers they have, they were all different. I'm sure if dragons existed, it would be scary to see one shoot fire at you or lightning. I liked the way things were described. It help visualize some of the scenes and how the dragon's looked like, it really does help get the full picture, I as a reader like all the details I can get, makes the world's in the books more real. I enjoyed reading about the characters, sometimes they made me smile and other times I just wanted to hit one of them. At first it was a bit hard to remember names and places and how to pronounce them, but as I read, I got to know the characters, and it wasn't confusing like it was before. I would recommend Soul of Smoke to anyone into Dragons, fantasy, and a light touch of romance. If you want Dragons, oh you'll get them in this book.
Overall I enjoyed reading Soul of Smoke. I will like to see what happens to our characters. Hopefully Kai and Rhys talk things out, I also want Cadoc to be there, hopefully with no love triangle, I wouldn't know whom to choose., lets not forget Ashem and Juli. Great book, liked all the magic, the powers and all its badassness. :-)
***
December 6, 2015
Ever since I read Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison I've been craving dragon romances. The description for this one caught me so I decided to give it a go. While there are aspects I truly liked, the heroine pretty much killed the story for me.
At first I really felt for Kai. She ends up in an unimaginable situation and has to wrap her head around the fact that 1) Dragons exist and 2) she's going to be "married" to one...and she didn't get a choice about it. The problem is, she acted like an immature brat about it. Her constant whining and her refusal to look past her own issues was really frustrating. I get it. You don't want to give up your entire life and walk away from your family and friends. But even when faced with Rhys' physical pain over the separation between them (he was literally in excruciating pain because he was Heartsworn and she wasn't) and the possible end of humanity, she still only thought of herself. Even when her best friend comes back and ends up heartsworn to one of the other dragons, she still only thought of herself. If she left Rhys and walked away from it all, her best friend would have surely died. And still she didn't hesitate. She didn't even attempt to compromise or talk to Rhys about her situation..she just flat out refused to consider it.
I really liked Rhys. He was doing his best to lead his people and keep his dragons alive, yet he didn't try to force Kai. He wanted to be chosen for himself, yes, but he also wanted Kai to be as comfortable as possible. I thought he was sweet and understanding. Having said that, he didn't act like a thousands of years old dragon. He acted like a 20-something who had a lot of responsibility thrust on him. I expected more maturity out of him.
The world is imaginative and I really liked the secondary characters. The other dragons in Rhys' V (essentially his personal guard) and Juli really brought life to the story. I really became invested in their fight against Rhys' cousin, who wants to take over the dragons, the council, and their interpersonal dramas.
Which brings me to my biggest complaint...this ended in a cliffhanger. I didn't expect the war to be fought and won in a single book, but I did think the series was going to feature the different dragons, rather than focusing solely on Kai and Rhys. I want to continue the series to find out what happens, but I don't know if I can stomach two more full length books with Kai as the main protag. I bought book two, but I'm going to hold off on reading it for now.
At first I really felt for Kai. She ends up in an unimaginable situation and has to wrap her head around the fact that 1) Dragons exist and 2) she's going to be "married" to one...and she didn't get a choice about it. The problem is, she acted like an immature brat about it. Her constant whining and her refusal to look past her own issues was really frustrating. I get it. You don't want to give up your entire life and walk away from your family and friends. But even when faced with Rhys' physical pain over the separation between them (he was literally in excruciating pain because he was Heartsworn and she wasn't) and the possible end of humanity, she still only thought of herself. Even when her best friend comes back and ends up heartsworn to one of the other dragons, she still only thought of herself. If she left Rhys and walked away from it all, her best friend would have surely died. And still she didn't hesitate. She didn't even attempt to compromise or talk to Rhys about her situation..she just flat out refused to consider it.
I really liked Rhys. He was doing his best to lead his people and keep his dragons alive, yet he didn't try to force Kai. He wanted to be chosen for himself, yes, but he also wanted Kai to be as comfortable as possible. I thought he was sweet and understanding. Having said that, he didn't act like a thousands of years old dragon. He acted like a 20-something who had a lot of responsibility thrust on him. I expected more maturity out of him.
The world is imaginative and I really liked the secondary characters. The other dragons in Rhys' V (essentially his personal guard) and Juli really brought life to the story. I really became invested in their fight against Rhys' cousin, who wants to take over the dragons, the council, and their interpersonal dramas.
Which brings me to my biggest complaint...this ended in a cliffhanger. I didn't expect the war to be fought and won in a single book, but I did think the series was going to feature the different dragons, rather than focusing solely on Kai and Rhys. I want to continue the series to find out what happens, but I don't know if I can stomach two more full length books with Kai as the main protag. I bought book two, but I'm going to hold off on reading it for now.
June 22, 2015
This book was a real quick read. I enjoyed it but something was missing for me. For me this book needed more romance, more swoon, it just needed more for me. I mean you can’t find your soulmate just by touching skin…..
This book is about a human girl that stumbled upon a girl who was hurt. Kai decided to help the girl and the girl took her to a camp of dragons. The girl wanted to warn her brother about an enemy group of dragons; because that enemy group of dragons were near. When Rhys, the brother of the girl got hurt; Kai decided to help Rhys. She saved him but the group of dragons took her away to a cave. They promised to take her home but things changed through out the book. Unexpected things…..
I think this book was good but you must read the other books in the series for this book to feel finished. This book ended at a huge cliffhanger that left me wanting more, I want to know if there will be any romance in the other books that will make a person swoon, because I really hope so!!
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG:
This book is about a human girl that stumbled upon a girl who was hurt. Kai decided to help the girl and the girl took her to a camp of dragons. The girl wanted to warn her brother about an enemy group of dragons; because that enemy group of dragons were near. When Rhys, the brother of the girl got hurt; Kai decided to help Rhys. She saved him but the group of dragons took her away to a cave. They promised to take her home but things changed through out the book. Unexpected things…..
I think this book was good but you must read the other books in the series for this book to feel finished. This book ended at a huge cliffhanger that left me wanting more, I want to know if there will be any romance in the other books that will make a person swoon, because I really hope so!!
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG:
June 26, 2015
This book, in my opinion was a N/A romantic fantasy!
I'm not too fond of N/A books, so I must say that this was good!
I liked the idea and the fast-paced, action packed story.
The dragon shifters and soul-mates (here they're called heartsworn ) have been used often in romantic fantasy, but that was not what bothered me.
What did was the N/A vibe... where all the charactes, being them human or dragon-shifters, act like 17/18 years old. They have tantrums, their jokes are adolescent-like, they keep secrets like high-school room-mates...
I could understand it in the human girls, Kai (the heroine) and Juli (her BFF) since they're really young, but in the dragons it didn't rung true! Dragons were supposedly thousends of years old, but they still acted like teenagers. For me it was wrong...
Still I enjoyed the action, the way the story was told and I'm curious to see how the things will evolve in the next book/s! :)
I'm not too fond of N/A books, so I must say that this was good!
I liked the idea and the fast-paced, action packed story.
The dragon shifters and soul-mates (here they're called heartsworn ) have been used often in romantic fantasy, but that was not what bothered me.
What did was the N/A vibe... where all the charactes, being them human or dragon-shifters, act like 17/18 years old. They have tantrums, their jokes are adolescent-like, they keep secrets like high-school room-mates...
I could understand it in the human girls, Kai (the heroine) and Juli (her BFF) since they're really young, but in the dragons it didn't rung true! Dragons were supposedly thousends of years old, but they still acted like teenagers. For me it was wrong...
Still I enjoyed the action, the way the story was told and I'm curious to see how the things will evolve in the next book/s! :)
August 15, 2015
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Carina Press for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was an okay book. The world building was interesting, albeit confusing at times. Also, I felt that, at points, Jules' plot was resolved way faster than Kai's. Given that Jules is a secondary character, I sometimes felt like her story distracted me from Kai's. Granted, I didn't much like Kai to begin with. I felt like she was too bratty, too spoiled.
Some things were just weird. Kai's fascination with cliffs was never explained, though Jules kept telling her to not get too close to the edge of cliffs.
This was an okay book. The world building was interesting, albeit confusing at times. Also, I felt that, at points, Jules' plot was resolved way faster than Kai's. Given that Jules is a secondary character, I sometimes felt like her story distracted me from Kai's. Granted, I didn't much like Kai to begin with. I felt like she was too bratty, too spoiled.
Some things were just weird. Kai's fascination with cliffs was never explained, though Jules kept telling her to not get too close to the edge of cliffs.
June 7, 2023
This book was fantastic! It had dragons, Fated mates lots of action and a great story line! Kai and her best friend who is also a distant cousin Juli go hiking and find a lady who is badly injured. Juli goes for help. Meanwhile the lady wakes up and goes to look for her brothers with the help from Kai. Kai soon realizes that they are dragons and saves Rhys (brother) from dying. The story really picks up with lots of action and banter between the characters! I love all the characters in this story including the side characters! I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2! If you are looking for a great fantasy book with dragons, romance and action then you definitely need to read this one!
November 1, 2015
Whoa.
Okay, first off, THAT COVER.
Second, EVERYTHING INSIDE THE COVER. Loved this book so hard! Fantastic, believable characters that are each unique and add so much to the story, incredible depth of story and world building, and pacing that blew me away. I couldn't get enough of this book! I was so glad I was able to read an ARC (and so glad that book 2 comes out this September). This is one trilogy that I will definitely be reading through to the end! It was amazing.
Okay, first off, THAT COVER.
Second, EVERYTHING INSIDE THE COVER. Loved this book so hard! Fantastic, believable characters that are each unique and add so much to the story, incredible depth of story and world building, and pacing that blew me away. I couldn't get enough of this book! I was so glad I was able to read an ARC (and so glad that book 2 comes out this September). This is one trilogy that I will definitely be reading through to the end! It was amazing.
July 13, 2023
a wonderful read. A potent romance with spectacular world building and a full cast of interesting characters. dynamic and powerful storytelling. If you like books like the Raven boys and City of Bones you'll really enjoy this.
April 7, 2015
Received a copy to read by Angela James for my honest opinion
July 2, 2023
"The wind blows where it will. We can only control our wings."
Kai is a rock-climber who is hiking with her best-friend Juliet when they find a girl at the base of a cliff with a broken leg. While Juliet goes for help, Kai waits with the girl. But her leg is already starting to heal, Kai follows her into a clearing with a bunch more people, little does she know they're dragons. Thrust into an old war and dragon magic Kai must decide what she will give up to help save these dragons and ultimately all of human kind.
I really liked this book! It had everything I love! I mean an epic fantasy with action, romance and hidden magic with dynamic characters in a found family who are dragons!! What's not to love!!
The characters really pulled through on this story! I thought the author wrote them and their relationships and dialogue so well. The side characters added so so much to the story, Rhys, AShem, Juli and Cadoc (who reminded me soo much of Caldon from The Prison Healer Trilogy!!!) were some of my favs!
The plot was good, it got a little slow because most of the middle of the book is dedicated to exploring heartswearing, which is the dragon form of fated mates, like a bond. I also would love to have explored more lore about the dragons and the different kinds, because it sounds so amazing! Although I feel like this stuff and the war will definitely become more of the focus in the next book. Some of the major plot points were a little predictable, but for me I wasn't too annoyed because I like having my theories be right, cause they usually are not. I also have to say something about that ending. Because OMG the author just UGHH. like omg.. I literally had to put the book down because so much happened!! I literally am going to pick up the next book asap because it was so good!!
Anyway, I highly recommend this book if you love a good epic fantasy with a large romance aspect that is based around bonds between a human and a dragon. Plus, if you love the high stakes and will-they-won't-they trope combines with a diverse and dynamic set of side characters.
Thank you to Book of Matches Media and author for giving me a copy of the book, this did not impact my review, and all thoughts are my honest opinions.
Kai is a rock-climber who is hiking with her best-friend Juliet when they find a girl at the base of a cliff with a broken leg. While Juliet goes for help, Kai waits with the girl. But her leg is already starting to heal, Kai follows her into a clearing with a bunch more people, little does she know they're dragons. Thrust into an old war and dragon magic Kai must decide what she will give up to help save these dragons and ultimately all of human kind.
I really liked this book! It had everything I love! I mean an epic fantasy with action, romance and hidden magic with dynamic characters in a found family who are dragons!! What's not to love!!
The characters really pulled through on this story! I thought the author wrote them and their relationships and dialogue so well. The side characters added so so much to the story, Rhys, AShem, Juli and Cadoc (who reminded me soo much of Caldon from The Prison Healer Trilogy!!!) were some of my favs!
The plot was good, it got a little slow because most of the middle of the book is dedicated to exploring heartswearing, which is the dragon form of fated mates, like a bond. I also would love to have explored more lore about the dragons and the different kinds, because it sounds so amazing! Although I feel like this stuff and the war will definitely become more of the focus in the next book. Some of the major plot points were a little predictable, but for me I wasn't too annoyed because I like having my theories be right, cause they usually are not. I also have to say something about that ending. Because OMG the author just UGHH. like omg.. I literally had to put the book down because so much happened!! I literally am going to pick up the next book asap because it was so good!!
Anyway, I highly recommend this book if you love a good epic fantasy with a large romance aspect that is based around bonds between a human and a dragon. Plus, if you love the high stakes and will-they-won't-they trope combines with a diverse and dynamic set of side characters.
Thank you to Book of Matches Media and author for giving me a copy of the book, this did not impact my review, and all thoughts are my honest opinions.
October 3, 2016
I, like so many others, dearly wish that GoodReads would allow for half-stars. I really really want to give this book 5 stars, but I just can't due to a few glaring problems which I'll get into briefly. On the other hand, seeing as I struggled to put it down and ended up staying awake until 6am on a Sunday night prior to busy Monday at work, clearly I enjoyed it too much to only give it a 4-star rating. But I am regrettably doing so, even though in my heart it's more of a 4.5 stars.
What were those issues? Well, number 1 is the problem that I seem to not be alone in suffering, judging from the other reviews here: Kai. At first I thought maybe it's just me, as I have a marked history of hating the female protagonists of otherwise wonderful stories. But truly... she's just awful. I wanted to like her so bad, but she's just incredibly selfish and immature. Obviously I'm invested and am going to finish the trilogy, but it's with a solemn prayer that this overwrought childish little drama queen grows up by the end of the series. (Preferably sooner, for the sake of my sanity.)
Thankfully she is the only character that I felt this way about. I was absolutely delighted and engaged in every other primary and secondary character in this book. I thought all the dragons were absolutely wonderful, and even Juli was intriguing and well fleshed-out. (Also: Cadoc is my boo, and I NEED to know where his story goes next!)
Issue Number 2 for me was something kinda typical of first-time authors, but it didn't bother me any less for that fact. I lost count of how many times in the exposition that McFarland needed to remind us AGAIN that Kai plays with the carabiners on her belt when she's nervous, and by about the 5th chapter or so, every time it was mentioned I just wanted to scream. That being said, just imagine how out-of-my-mind irritating it was by Chapter 30. I'm actually really surprised that McFarland's editor didn't catch this and fix that shit, because it was seriously weak writing.
Issue Number 3 comes back to another redundancy problem. Okay, I get that dragons say "sunder" instead of "fuck," at least in the context of a swear word. I thought that was a cute little detail... at first. But our first-time author here was either way too eager and proud of her clever little swear word alternative, or she genuinely intended every dragon in the book to cuss like a sailor at all times and in all situations. I'm pretty sure wasn't the latter. Either way, it became excessive to the point of being distracting, effectively making the dialogue clunky and unbelievable at times.
And finally, Issue Number 4 returns us to my disappointment with the editor of this book. I found several mid-passage tense or perspective shifts, and multiple outright grammar mistakes/typoes.
But again, all of that nit-picky bullshit aside, the book absolutely captivated me. The story, the world building, the magic, the dragons, the characters (except for that whiny self-absorbed brat Kai, of course)... I am pretty much in love. I have a lot of hope for the next installment of the series, and will be absolutely delighted with this trilogy if only those four issues stated above see some improvement.
**EDIT** It's not lookin' good, ya'll. I'm currently 3% (yes, just 3%, no, that's not a typo) into the next book, only half a chapter, and already there have been THREE useless repetitive references to Kai fidgeting with the carabiners on her belt. That's basically one every other page. Fuck my life.
What were those issues? Well, number 1 is the problem that I seem to not be alone in suffering, judging from the other reviews here: Kai. At first I thought maybe it's just me, as I have a marked history of hating the female protagonists of otherwise wonderful stories. But truly... she's just awful. I wanted to like her so bad, but she's just incredibly selfish and immature. Obviously I'm invested and am going to finish the trilogy, but it's with a solemn prayer that this overwrought childish little drama queen grows up by the end of the series. (Preferably sooner, for the sake of my sanity.)
Thankfully she is the only character that I felt this way about. I was absolutely delighted and engaged in every other primary and secondary character in this book. I thought all the dragons were absolutely wonderful, and even Juli was intriguing and well fleshed-out. (Also: Cadoc is my boo, and I NEED to know where his story goes next!)
Issue Number 2 for me was something kinda typical of first-time authors, but it didn't bother me any less for that fact. I lost count of how many times in the exposition that McFarland needed to remind us AGAIN that Kai plays with the carabiners on her belt when she's nervous, and by about the 5th chapter or so, every time it was mentioned I just wanted to scream. That being said, just imagine how out-of-my-mind irritating it was by Chapter 30. I'm actually really surprised that McFarland's editor didn't catch this and fix that shit, because it was seriously weak writing.
Issue Number 3 comes back to another redundancy problem. Okay, I get that dragons say "sunder" instead of "fuck," at least in the context of a swear word. I thought that was a cute little detail... at first. But our first-time author here was either way too eager and proud of her clever little swear word alternative, or she genuinely intended every dragon in the book to cuss like a sailor at all times and in all situations. I'm pretty sure wasn't the latter. Either way, it became excessive to the point of being distracting, effectively making the dialogue clunky and unbelievable at times.
And finally, Issue Number 4 returns us to my disappointment with the editor of this book. I found several mid-passage tense or perspective shifts, and multiple outright grammar mistakes/typoes.
But again, all of that nit-picky bullshit aside, the book absolutely captivated me. The story, the world building, the magic, the dragons, the characters (except for that whiny self-absorbed brat Kai, of course)... I am pretty much in love. I have a lot of hope for the next installment of the series, and will be absolutely delighted with this trilogy if only those four issues stated above see some improvement.
**EDIT** It's not lookin' good, ya'll. I'm currently 3% (yes, just 3%, no, that's not a typo) into the next book, only half a chapter, and already there have been THREE useless repetitive references to Kai fidgeting with the carabiners on her belt. That's basically one every other page. Fuck my life.
July 28, 2015
Soul of Smoke is book one of Caitlyn McFarland's new Dragonsworn series. It is a paranormal read with a romantic angle to boot! I was reveling in this book! It starts off with major action and the plot held my attention the entire way through. The author does a spectacular job in creating this world where dragon shifters live amongst humans. There is a centuries old war waging in the dragon world and humans could be the next casualty.
Kai Monahan is hiking in the mountains with her girlfriends when they happen upon a hurt girl. Two leave to get help and Kai stays back to watch over her. The girl awakes and begs Kai to help her to get back to the top of the mountain to save her brother who is in danger. Once at the mountain top, she sees the unbelievable taking place. Dragons battling each other-actual freaking dragons! When one gets taken down hurt-Rhys, Kai grabs an on the ground sword, jumps in to help, and saves his life. Later, a brief touch of skin, Rhys is heartsworn to Kai. Kai has no clue what exactly it means but she knows she's inexplicitly drawn to him.
Kai is a strong girl but I didn't like her being so mousy at times. She seems so selfish and totally self-centered. I get that she is overwhelmed and frightened, but I kind of got sick of the poor me attitude that she was hanging onto till the end of book one. She literally has the world's fate in her hands and her resistance to understand the ramifications of her situation just got old quick. I understand she may miss her family, but from what we learn about it, she wasn't close with them anyway. Plus they would cease to exist in doing nothing, so why not try to help the cause??
Rhys, on the other hand, I loved him! He is understanding of Kai to a fault. He's passionate, honest, and very endearing. He doesn't want to force anything on Kai-even for the good of mankind, but her vacillating is having major consequences. He's forced to endure actual physical pain while he lets Kai think about her decision. At a few times, I actually yelled at him to takes the reigns and make her waffling end! They both were developing feelings and I think Kai was just a bit dense. She was resisting Rhys and everything about the situation the entire time. She never once stepped into his shoes to understand how he was feeling.
Overall I really dove into this book and the authors depiction of the dragon battles were awesome! I really liked all the secondary characters and they made the book enjoyable-outside of my dislike for the heroine, Kai. Ms. McFarland made each one interesting in their own right. For me they were the glue that made me continue to read and discover their fates. I felt I knew them and had a vested interest in them. The back stories we learn were intriguing without being too wordy or too descriptive. So if you love paranormal books, dragons, and alternate realities, then you need to read this captivating book. I know I am not done wanting to know more about these characters and am excited to read the next two books in the series!
4 stars/2 flames
This book was gifted to me for the express purpose of an honest review. The rating and review are solely my opinions and in no way was I compensated.
Kai Monahan is hiking in the mountains with her girlfriends when they happen upon a hurt girl. Two leave to get help and Kai stays back to watch over her. The girl awakes and begs Kai to help her to get back to the top of the mountain to save her brother who is in danger. Once at the mountain top, she sees the unbelievable taking place. Dragons battling each other-actual freaking dragons! When one gets taken down hurt-Rhys, Kai grabs an on the ground sword, jumps in to help, and saves his life. Later, a brief touch of skin, Rhys is heartsworn to Kai. Kai has no clue what exactly it means but she knows she's inexplicitly drawn to him.
Kai is a strong girl but I didn't like her being so mousy at times. She seems so selfish and totally self-centered. I get that she is overwhelmed and frightened, but I kind of got sick of the poor me attitude that she was hanging onto till the end of book one. She literally has the world's fate in her hands and her resistance to understand the ramifications of her situation just got old quick. I understand she may miss her family, but from what we learn about it, she wasn't close with them anyway. Plus they would cease to exist in doing nothing, so why not try to help the cause??
Rhys, on the other hand, I loved him! He is understanding of Kai to a fault. He's passionate, honest, and very endearing. He doesn't want to force anything on Kai-even for the good of mankind, but her vacillating is having major consequences. He's forced to endure actual physical pain while he lets Kai think about her decision. At a few times, I actually yelled at him to takes the reigns and make her waffling end! They both were developing feelings and I think Kai was just a bit dense. She was resisting Rhys and everything about the situation the entire time. She never once stepped into his shoes to understand how he was feeling.
Overall I really dove into this book and the authors depiction of the dragon battles were awesome! I really liked all the secondary characters and they made the book enjoyable-outside of my dislike for the heroine, Kai. Ms. McFarland made each one interesting in their own right. For me they were the glue that made me continue to read and discover their fates. I felt I knew them and had a vested interest in them. The back stories we learn were intriguing without being too wordy or too descriptive. So if you love paranormal books, dragons, and alternate realities, then you need to read this captivating book. I know I am not done wanting to know more about these characters and am excited to read the next two books in the series!
4 stars/2 flames
This book was gifted to me for the express purpose of an honest review. The rating and review are solely my opinions and in no way was I compensated.
July 25, 2015
2.5 stars. I was so looking forward to this book – mountains, dragons, a Welsh name. Tick, tick, tick, my checklist was running over. And then I read it. Not that this is a terrible book, because there is plenty here to like, but it wasn’t what I was hoping for and, well, if I’m totally honest, I found parts of it a little dull.
Most of the reasons for this comes down to two things – Kai and Rhys. While Kai starts off quite good, being all brave and risking her life for strangers, she deteriorates rapidly into a selfish brat. I didn’t blame her for being reluctant to swear to Rhys because she doesn’t know him, but her behaviour before all of that is pretty immature and what she does directly afterwards? Yeah, there was no coming back from that particular moment of selfish stupidity. From that moment on I kept waiting for everyone else to do this world a favour and push her off one of the handily placed cliffs. So many chances!
Sadly, no one fulfilled my greatest wish, so I gave up on her ever redeeming herself (she doesn’t, she gets worse) and turned my attention to Rhys. Which may have been a mistake, because he’s so frustrating! I wouldn’t have blamed him for railing against fate and saddling him with Kai for a heartsworn, but no, instead he seems torn between wanting her and… well, I don’t know what else he does except waste a lot of time not telling her things she needs to know. If Kai had been a little less annoying I might have sympathised with her situation, because Rhys doesn’t do her any favours with all the things he’s hiding.
I also found the plot pretty slow moving, restricted as it is for the most part to a large cave (and connected caverns). There’s a lot of laying of foundations about the war between the dragons and the various allegiances, but very little actually happens between the opening attack and the end. It just drags along with the emotional issues, which I wouldn’t have minded if I’d actually liked any of the characters. The only one I felt any flicker of liking for was Ffion – and I would have liked her heartsworn too, but we don’t see much of him.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. Cadoc’s side of things was much more interesting, and he definitely pays for his foolish behaviour. I found myself getting through the other sections as fast as possible in the hopes that more of his story would come along. I’m not sure I was happy with the way things ended on that plot strand, but to be honest the way everything else went I won’t be back for more anytime soon.
Overall this book wasn’t for me. Much though I love dragons and I appreciated the geographical spread of their origins in this book, I need characters I can root for, like and sympathise with – or at the very least that I find interesting. Sadly, I didn’t find enough of them here to retain my interest.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Most of the reasons for this comes down to two things – Kai and Rhys. While Kai starts off quite good, being all brave and risking her life for strangers, she deteriorates rapidly into a selfish brat. I didn’t blame her for being reluctant to swear to Rhys because she doesn’t know him, but her behaviour before all of that is pretty immature and what she does directly afterwards? Yeah, there was no coming back from that particular moment of selfish stupidity. From that moment on I kept waiting for everyone else to do this world a favour and push her off one of the handily placed cliffs. So many chances!
Sadly, no one fulfilled my greatest wish, so I gave up on her ever redeeming herself (she doesn’t, she gets worse) and turned my attention to Rhys. Which may have been a mistake, because he’s so frustrating! I wouldn’t have blamed him for railing against fate and saddling him with Kai for a heartsworn, but no, instead he seems torn between wanting her and… well, I don’t know what else he does except waste a lot of time not telling her things she needs to know. If Kai had been a little less annoying I might have sympathised with her situation, because Rhys doesn’t do her any favours with all the things he’s hiding.
I also found the plot pretty slow moving, restricted as it is for the most part to a large cave (and connected caverns). There’s a lot of laying of foundations about the war between the dragons and the various allegiances, but very little actually happens between the opening attack and the end. It just drags along with the emotional issues, which I wouldn’t have minded if I’d actually liked any of the characters. The only one I felt any flicker of liking for was Ffion – and I would have liked her heartsworn too, but we don’t see much of him.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. Cadoc’s side of things was much more interesting, and he definitely pays for his foolish behaviour. I found myself getting through the other sections as fast as possible in the hopes that more of his story would come along. I’m not sure I was happy with the way things ended on that plot strand, but to be honest the way everything else went I won’t be back for more anytime soon.
Overall this book wasn’t for me. Much though I love dragons and I appreciated the geographical spread of their origins in this book, I need characters I can root for, like and sympathise with – or at the very least that I find interesting. Sadly, I didn’t find enough of them here to retain my interest.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
July 29, 2023
Their fated touch ignites a destiny that could leave them both burned.
Soul of fire is the first book in a completed trilogy. It features fated mates and dragon shifters and a secret world that is in the middle of a dragon war! I really enjoyed this first book. So much that I immediately jumped into book two.
In soul of fire we meet two best friends juli and Kai. On a hike they discover an injured girl and Kai goes to help her while juli goes to find other help. In the course of helping the girl they stumble across a hidden dragon camp and when kai and Rhys touch they discover they are fated mates. This is a slow burn romance and I really enjoyed the back and forth between kai and Rhys. If you are a fan of fantasy worlds embroiled in war, dragon shifters and fated mates check out this trilogy.
Soul of fire is the first book in a completed trilogy. It features fated mates and dragon shifters and a secret world that is in the middle of a dragon war! I really enjoyed this first book. So much that I immediately jumped into book two.
In soul of fire we meet two best friends juli and Kai. On a hike they discover an injured girl and Kai goes to help her while juli goes to find other help. In the course of helping the girl they stumble across a hidden dragon camp and when kai and Rhys touch they discover they are fated mates. This is a slow burn romance and I really enjoyed the back and forth between kai and Rhys. If you are a fan of fantasy worlds embroiled in war, dragon shifters and fated mates check out this trilogy.
July 11, 2015
First off let me say that I enjoyed this book as a whole and had a difficult time putting it down. It was a fun, quick read with an interesting plot and characters, most of whom I really liked, but dear lord did they drive me nuts and one in particular drove me to want to reach out and smack her.
Kai just hit all those wrong buttons for me and while I did my best to give her the benefit of the doubt because of her age and the situation that she found herself in, I just couldn’t find much to really like about her, even when she had what I’ll call moments of clarity and moved past her own needs, they were short lived. Her need to assert her independence overrode everything else going on around her and made her appear to be a brat. Rhys is simply too honorable for his own good and this sense of honor makes things a little more difficult for him, but I couldn’t blame him for it. He’s a good guy who is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and is doing his best to not repeat the mistakes of the past. Their relationship, if you could call it that, felt a lot like playing Frogger (Yes, I am dating myself). It was a lot of waiting, false starts and a few horrible collisions (one of which pissed me off and had me very unhappy with a character I really liked) and outside of the heartswearing and all it entails I’m still not sure if I’m fully on board with them being together.
The story/premise/plot of the trilogy is well done and the writing is engaging, though I will say that it does take a while to get the big picture of what is going on, but that didn’t bother me in anyway. I liked the history of the dragons and why they are at/about to go to war with each other and there were a few plot twists that I didn’t see coming and am looking forward to seeing how they play out, especially Cadoc. And though I may have issues with one of the main characters, I LOVED Juli and Ashem and want to see more of them.
Something that I feel the need to point out is that while this is being touted as a romance, it is more like Urban Fantasy with a New Adult feel to it. This wasn’t an issue for me, but if you’re looking for a lot of romance and sex, you won’t be getting it in this installment of the trilogy.
The Bottom Line: Although I had some violent tendencies towards a character or two, I just really enjoyed the overall story and world and am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
~ ARC provided by Carina Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~
Kai just hit all those wrong buttons for me and while I did my best to give her the benefit of the doubt because of her age and the situation that she found herself in, I just couldn’t find much to really like about her, even when she had what I’ll call moments of clarity and moved past her own needs, they were short lived. Her need to assert her independence overrode everything else going on around her and made her appear to be a brat. Rhys is simply too honorable for his own good and this sense of honor makes things a little more difficult for him, but I couldn’t blame him for it. He’s a good guy who is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and is doing his best to not repeat the mistakes of the past. Their relationship, if you could call it that, felt a lot like playing Frogger (Yes, I am dating myself). It was a lot of waiting, false starts and a few horrible collisions (one of which pissed me off and had me very unhappy with a character I really liked) and outside of the heartswearing and all it entails I’m still not sure if I’m fully on board with them being together.
The story/premise/plot of the trilogy is well done and the writing is engaging, though I will say that it does take a while to get the big picture of what is going on, but that didn’t bother me in anyway. I liked the history of the dragons and why they are at/about to go to war with each other and there were a few plot twists that I didn’t see coming and am looking forward to seeing how they play out, especially Cadoc. And though I may have issues with one of the main characters, I LOVED Juli and Ashem and want to see more of them.
Something that I feel the need to point out is that while this is being touted as a romance, it is more like Urban Fantasy with a New Adult feel to it. This wasn’t an issue for me, but if you’re looking for a lot of romance and sex, you won’t be getting it in this installment of the trilogy.
The Bottom Line: Although I had some violent tendencies towards a character or two, I just really enjoyed the overall story and world and am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
~ ARC provided by Carina Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~
July 8, 2023
I have two questions about this book - why have I not discovered it before now and why isn't this book making a bigger noise on bookish social platforms?
For all of those still recovering from the Fourth Wing hangover, this book is a MUST READ! I read it in one day as I really couldn't put it down. It has dragon shifters, royalty, heartsworn mates and lots of action. It begins with Kai, our FMC, hiking in the Rocky Mountains and I was wondering how dragons were going to feature in a modern world setting. However all is explained and what I loved about this book was that there were no unanswered questions. The world building is brilliant and everything slotted into place perfectly with explanations that made sense. The characters are all amazing. They are relatable, real and flawed. Each of them are trying to navigate their situation in the best way they know. Even the grumpy Ashem is understandable considering the responsibilities he shoulders. Kai is the perfect human thrown into a mix of characters straight from her wildest imagination. Instead of just accepting her situation like so many fantasy characters do, she is shocked, afraid, and just wants to go home. The slow burning romance between her and Rhys is so lovely to watch unfold and several times I had the tummy flip that tells me this a romance to die for. There are also some brilliant villains in this story who I cannot wait to find out more about but the stand out character for me was Juliet King (her full name needs to be said and if you know you know). I love her sassiness yet no nonsense 'lets just get on with it' attitude to life, and the way she whips Ashem into line is fabulous to watch.
Overall the characters, the plot, the world building, the pace, the writing style all hit the right notes for me. If I could give this more than five stars I would. Now excuse me while I go and dive straight into book 2. I could be gone for the day!
For all of those still recovering from the Fourth Wing hangover, this book is a MUST READ! I read it in one day as I really couldn't put it down. It has dragon shifters, royalty, heartsworn mates and lots of action. It begins with Kai, our FMC, hiking in the Rocky Mountains and I was wondering how dragons were going to feature in a modern world setting. However all is explained and what I loved about this book was that there were no unanswered questions. The world building is brilliant and everything slotted into place perfectly with explanations that made sense. The characters are all amazing. They are relatable, real and flawed. Each of them are trying to navigate their situation in the best way they know. Even the grumpy Ashem is understandable considering the responsibilities he shoulders. Kai is the perfect human thrown into a mix of characters straight from her wildest imagination. Instead of just accepting her situation like so many fantasy characters do, she is shocked, afraid, and just wants to go home. The slow burning romance between her and Rhys is so lovely to watch unfold and several times I had the tummy flip that tells me this a romance to die for. There are also some brilliant villains in this story who I cannot wait to find out more about but the stand out character for me was Juliet King (her full name needs to be said and if you know you know). I love her sassiness yet no nonsense 'lets just get on with it' attitude to life, and the way she whips Ashem into line is fabulous to watch.
Overall the characters, the plot, the world building, the pace, the writing style all hit the right notes for me. If I could give this more than five stars I would. Now excuse me while I go and dive straight into book 2. I could be gone for the day!
June 20, 2023
So, this was this author’s first book, and she recently went back and gave it a fresh polish so to speak and done her best to make the story representative of her experience now as an author!
Personally, I think that is such a brave thing to do, and while I didn’t read the original version of the series, I did really enjoy book one the way it is now!
If you’re raving over all things dragon like most of us right now (Hello Fourth Wing anyone?!), this is definitely a series that should move up your TBR.
Kai, a rock climber from Colorado, finds herself thrown into a world of dragons after saving one when out on a hike. I loved the sort of fish out of water aspect here along with the found family that developed.
The evolution of Kai herself throughout the story was very well written and I feel like now (as I read book 2) I can truly see her character growth.
There are lots of characters here that are great — I’m 100% obsessed with Juliet. (IYKYK).
I’m reading book two now and it is even better than book one! So I’d definitely recommend checking out the new editions of this series. ❤️🥰
Personally, I think that is such a brave thing to do, and while I didn’t read the original version of the series, I did really enjoy book one the way it is now!
If you’re raving over all things dragon like most of us right now (Hello Fourth Wing anyone?!), this is definitely a series that should move up your TBR.
Kai, a rock climber from Colorado, finds herself thrown into a world of dragons after saving one when out on a hike. I loved the sort of fish out of water aspect here along with the found family that developed.
The evolution of Kai herself throughout the story was very well written and I feel like now (as I read book 2) I can truly see her character growth.
There are lots of characters here that are great — I’m 100% obsessed with Juliet. (IYKYK).
I’m reading book two now and it is even better than book one! So I’d definitely recommend checking out the new editions of this series. ❤️🥰
May 11, 2023
Love this series
I read the first edition of this book back in 2019 and loved it so much it never quite got out of my head. The author decided to publish this updated version and I'm so glad she did. The story remains true to the original, but now has more detail, deeper developed characters, and more thought out magic and how it all works. I loved it and feel like it is truly just a better version of the original. Part of me wanted to wait until all three books were out, before I read this one, but when it showed up on my Kindle there was no way I could wait.
This is part one of a three part series, so you know, there's that whole waiting thing you have to do to get the complete story, but they are coming out only a month apart and anticipation can be a good thing.
If you love great stories, dragons and magic, loveable good guys, and interesting bad guys and even a possible anti hero, then this book and the entire series is just what you want.
I read the first edition of this book back in 2019 and loved it so much it never quite got out of my head. The author decided to publish this updated version and I'm so glad she did. The story remains true to the original, but now has more detail, deeper developed characters, and more thought out magic and how it all works. I loved it and feel like it is truly just a better version of the original. Part of me wanted to wait until all three books were out, before I read this one, but when it showed up on my Kindle there was no way I could wait.
This is part one of a three part series, so you know, there's that whole waiting thing you have to do to get the complete story, but they are coming out only a month apart and anticipation can be a good thing.
If you love great stories, dragons and magic, loveable good guys, and interesting bad guys and even a possible anti hero, then this book and the entire series is just what you want.
May 13, 2015
Talk about a damn cliffhanger, there were no naughty bits I was sad about that but as the story went on I saw that it made sense not to have any. Rhys he had PMS towards the end of the book I wanted to smack him, right now I just want the second book really badly. Rhys is protective and possessive and this is before his act of PMS kind you, "home?” Rhys had to fight the urge to stride forward and grab her, tie her down, do anything to make sure she didn’t leave him." The ending really hurt me and not because it was a cliffhanger but because Rhys could have handled things differently. Please hurry up and write the next one
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