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Stag & Hollow Chronicles #1
Prince of the Ancients
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN B0B4BGJB98 can be found here
In Tenebris, heir to the exiled dragon kingdom, Dracho Celesta, offers to venture to the mortal realm to discover the cause of vicious attacks which have plagued the land and threaten his home. Maintaining his human form will be difficult whilst his irrational dragon fights to be freed, and he must master control to prevent war between the realms.
But beyond his home, he will meet someone who pushes the limits of his patience...
During their quest, Dracho must place his trust in the mortals he accompanies, whilst the enigmatic Eli makes him question everything he has ever been taught. Though they have their differences, the future of the continent lies in their entwined fates. The more time they spend together, the more Dracho wants to uncover Eli's secrets...and the harder it becomes for Dracho to hide his identity.
Until he cannot hide it anymore.
Facing enemies, tragedy and an ancient entity brings them together. But their secrets may just tear them apart.
Prince of the Ancients is an epic fantasy with a romance subplot that will leave you wanting more!
In Tenebris, heir to the exiled dragon kingdom, Dracho Celesta, offers to venture to the mortal realm to discover the cause of vicious attacks which have plagued the land and threaten his home. Maintaining his human form will be difficult whilst his irrational dragon fights to be freed, and he must master control to prevent war between the realms.
But beyond his home, he will meet someone who pushes the limits of his patience...
During their quest, Dracho must place his trust in the mortals he accompanies, whilst the enigmatic Eli makes him question everything he has ever been taught. Though they have their differences, the future of the continent lies in their entwined fates. The more time they spend together, the more Dracho wants to uncover Eli's secrets...and the harder it becomes for Dracho to hide his identity.
Until he cannot hide it anymore.
Facing enemies, tragedy and an ancient entity brings them together. But their secrets may just tear them apart.
Prince of the Ancients is an epic fantasy with a romance subplot that will leave you wanting more!
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2023
256 people are currently reading
4005 people want to read
About the author
Gem L. Preston
11 books149 followersGem L. Preston is an international bestselling fantasy author from a small town in South Wales, where her love of video games and deep obsession with Welsh mythology collided to create Prince of the Ancients— and she hasn't stopped writing magical chaos since.
Her books are full of fierce heroines, morally grey men, shadowy magic, and slow-burn romantic tension that will emotionally ruin you (in the best way). Her characters are brave, bold, and brilliant — unlike Gem, who is terrified of moths and would much rather be hiding under a blanket with a cup of tea.
When she’s not writing (or *trying* to write while her two small daughters reenact a WWE match in the background), you’ll usually find her reading, gaming, or deep-diving into her favourite fandom theories. Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, K-pop, and anime (yes, *Jujutsu Kaisen* owns her soul) — if there’s chaos and heartbreak involved, she’s probably already obsessed.
Gem has been living with IIH (a rare neurological condition) and a heart disorder for over a decade, and she’s passionate about raising awareness for chronic illness and invisible disabilities. She believes in building stories — and communities — where strength doesn’t always look like perfection.
Her books are full of fierce heroines, morally grey men, shadowy magic, and slow-burn romantic tension that will emotionally ruin you (in the best way). Her characters are brave, bold, and brilliant — unlike Gem, who is terrified of moths and would much rather be hiding under a blanket with a cup of tea.
When she’s not writing (or *trying* to write while her two small daughters reenact a WWE match in the background), you’ll usually find her reading, gaming, or deep-diving into her favourite fandom theories. Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, K-pop, and anime (yes, *Jujutsu Kaisen* owns her soul) — if there’s chaos and heartbreak involved, she’s probably already obsessed.
Gem has been living with IIH (a rare neurological condition) and a heart disorder for over a decade, and she’s passionate about raising awareness for chronic illness and invisible disabilities. She believes in building stories — and communities — where strength doesn’t always look like perfection.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
May 16, 2023
Magical, authentic, charming and wholesome.
This was a GREAT, solid start to a high fantasy series, I mean THE MAIN CHARACTER IS AN EXTREMELY ENTERTAINING, FLIRTY, CINNAMON BUN YET SEXY DRAGON-SHIFTER PRINCE?? Yum.
Anyways…
This story is set in a colourful, well-built fantasy realm that gave LOTR vibes but in a more refreshing way.
I’m also pretty sure Welsh lore/history etc was used as inspiration also which gave the world a little more flavour, uniqueness and depth.
My favourite element of this book were the characters. The most wonderful, diverse little family is forged during the events of this book and I honestly can’t pick a favourite.
They all felt fully-dimensional, with any of them able to carry their own books if the author so wished.
There is a slow-burn romance which I died and went to heaven for. There were so many tense moments that maybe led to a little sprinkle of spice…👀
My only real criticism was that sometimes the pacing felt a little inconsistent in that some parts dragged more than others, but it was nothing that took away from the story.
I’m so excited to see where the next book takes us because with that ending…I’m anticipating a whole lot of grovelling and angst and betrayal.
- dragon-shifter prince MC
- slow-burn romance
- Fun found family
- Trans rep
- Sapphic rep
- Mystery, magic and lore
- Enriched world and history
- Secrets and hidden identity
- Spice 🌶️
This was a GREAT, solid start to a high fantasy series, I mean THE MAIN CHARACTER IS AN EXTREMELY ENTERTAINING, FLIRTY, CINNAMON BUN YET SEXY DRAGON-SHIFTER PRINCE?? Yum.
Anyways…
This story is set in a colourful, well-built fantasy realm that gave LOTR vibes but in a more refreshing way.
I’m also pretty sure Welsh lore/history etc was used as inspiration also which gave the world a little more flavour, uniqueness and depth.
My favourite element of this book were the characters. The most wonderful, diverse little family is forged during the events of this book and I honestly can’t pick a favourite.
They all felt fully-dimensional, with any of them able to carry their own books if the author so wished.
There is a slow-burn romance which I died and went to heaven for. There were so many tense moments that maybe led to a little sprinkle of spice…👀
My only real criticism was that sometimes the pacing felt a little inconsistent in that some parts dragged more than others, but it was nothing that took away from the story.
I’m so excited to see where the next book takes us because with that ending…I’m anticipating a whole lot of grovelling and angst and betrayal.
- dragon-shifter prince MC
- slow-burn romance
- Fun found family
- Trans rep
- Sapphic rep
- Mystery, magic and lore
- Enriched world and history
- Secrets and hidden identity
- Spice 🌶️
November 10, 2025
“You must chose to. Those of us born into greatness….we all have our time, until we pass on our light to another. Just remember, a leader is a servant”.
Estoy un poco decepcionada. No lo voy a negar. Me esperaba una novela completamente diferente. También me la esperaba más densa.
En cuanto a puntos a favor solo voy a decir uno y es que la novela solo está escrita desde el punto de vista masculino y eso es algo que me cuesta ver últimamente en fantasía romántica.
“You can’t undo the trauma that’s been done…only to overcome and adapt to it”.
En cuanto a los puntos negativos por así decirlo se puede englobar en que a la novela le falta profundización: la idea está bien pero falta pulir detalles y darle más realismo a los personajes así como el mundo.
“If you get through the hardness and persevere then maybe-just maybe-you’ve earned the right to look upon such beauty”.
En conclusión debo admitir que la novela no está mal y se lee bien. Voy a leer su segunda parte y desenlace pero dentro de un tiempo, ahora no tengo ganas de saber nada.
“But… I thank the stars they took me your way, because now-Eliana-you’re the one of the most certains things I’ve ever known”.
Estoy un poco decepcionada. No lo voy a negar. Me esperaba una novela completamente diferente. También me la esperaba más densa.
En cuanto a puntos a favor solo voy a decir uno y es que la novela solo está escrita desde el punto de vista masculino y eso es algo que me cuesta ver últimamente en fantasía romántica.
“You can’t undo the trauma that’s been done…only to overcome and adapt to it”.
En cuanto a los puntos negativos por así decirlo se puede englobar en que a la novela le falta profundización: la idea está bien pero falta pulir detalles y darle más realismo a los personajes así como el mundo.
“If you get through the hardness and persevere then maybe-just maybe-you’ve earned the right to look upon such beauty”.
En conclusión debo admitir que la novela no está mal y se lee bien. Voy a leer su segunda parte y desenlace pero dentro de un tiempo, ahora no tengo ganas de saber nada.
“But… I thank the stars they took me your way, because now-Eliana-you’re the one of the most certains things I’ve ever known”.
June 1, 2023
4.5✨
I loved this! In the beginning, I found it weird that a character like Dracho is the main character because he was all sunshine and rainbows, wears his heart on his sleeve type of guy and I'm used to that type being the comic-relief side character. But instead, here, the side character was a brooding, morally grey dark-haired dude. It was flipped and I found it so weird, but in a good way? There aren't a lot of books, at least the ones I've read, that have sunshine MMCs in them, so this was a nice change of scenery. After I got over my initial shock, I loved it. I also loved the fact that the entire book was in MMC's POV, I've never read a book like that, usually, it's either dual POV or from FMC's perspective so this was great.
I had some problems with this book, but not anything important, it was more like unanswered questions plaguing me the whole time. For example, merging with your dragon is mentioned very early on, and I've spent the whole book wondering what the hell does that mean. Which is great, because it hooked me right at the beginning, and then waited for the whole book to reveal the detail, it created some sort of suspense. My second problem was trying to figure out what the hell was Dracho's hair color, he goes into great detail describing everybody else's, but I spent the whole book wondering what's his hair color. Because of this, I had a problem imagining him in my head, there is a fanart that shows him with black hair, but in the books, it was once described as silver, and Roux called him blondie, so I was very confused until that ending (which I will get to) when I've got my answer. Again this was just something that was bugging me personally and not the actual problem with the book.
I loved all the relationships in this book, from the bromance between Dracho and Ant to the slow burn between Dracho and Eli that had me kicking my feet in the air. Even if the book was relatively short, I felt that the characters had so much dept, they weren't shallow and didn't have the personalities of a cardboard box, they were generally well-developed and each was unique. That is very hard to achieve, especially with such a large crew of diverse characters in such a short time. This book just kept on surprising me.
Now let's talk about that ending. I saw a betrayal coming because when reading fantasy books I've been burned many times and just learned to expect it at this point. What I didn't see was Dracho doing a 180 and just breaking all his promises. It felt like he had a personality change in those last few pages. I'm not saying I'm not here for it, just stating facts. Yes, his dad died and that is all very sad, but he wasn't thinking rationally, but again let his heart lead him, his rage for the death of his father.
I feel like his inner dragon can also be used as a metaphor for Dracho's internal rage/confidence. I feel like when he merged with his dragon, he in a way, stopped being the sunshine and rainbows character that we got to know throughout the book and instead absorbed that rage and anger. I mean he has dark hair now, in my head that also means that he is now a little bit corrupted, morally grey, takes no shit from anyone type of guy.
I'm getting weird vibes from his uncle, I feel like he is involved in a way. Trying to make it look like Tenebris has been attacked by outsiders so he could influence Dracho to attack them and cause a war without their shapeshifting gift being taken away. He had a lot of opinions about Dracho releasing the crew, it is just shady.
I am very curious to see what happens next in the series. I expect a lot of groveling and angst. Friends to lovers to enemies back to lovers, might be one of my favorite tropes and I'm here waiting (im)patiently for it. I'm excited to see where their journey takes us!
I loved this! In the beginning, I found it weird that a character like Dracho is the main character because he was all sunshine and rainbows, wears his heart on his sleeve type of guy and I'm used to that type being the comic-relief side character. But instead, here, the side character was a brooding, morally grey dark-haired dude. It was flipped and I found it so weird, but in a good way? There aren't a lot of books, at least the ones I've read, that have sunshine MMCs in them, so this was a nice change of scenery. After I got over my initial shock, I loved it. I also loved the fact that the entire book was in MMC's POV, I've never read a book like that, usually, it's either dual POV or from FMC's perspective so this was great.
I had some problems with this book, but not anything important, it was more like unanswered questions plaguing me the whole time. For example, merging with your dragon is mentioned very early on, and I've spent the whole book wondering what the hell does that mean. Which is great, because it hooked me right at the beginning, and then waited for the whole book to reveal the detail, it created some sort of suspense. My second problem was trying to figure out what the hell was Dracho's hair color, he goes into great detail describing everybody else's, but I spent the whole book wondering what's his hair color. Because of this, I had a problem imagining him in my head, there is a fanart that shows him with black hair, but in the books, it was once described as silver, and Roux called him blondie, so I was very confused until that ending (which I will get to) when I've got my answer. Again this was just something that was bugging me personally and not the actual problem with the book.
I loved all the relationships in this book, from the bromance between Dracho and Ant to the slow burn between Dracho and Eli that had me kicking my feet in the air. Even if the book was relatively short, I felt that the characters had so much dept, they weren't shallow and didn't have the personalities of a cardboard box, they were generally well-developed and each was unique. That is very hard to achieve, especially with such a large crew of diverse characters in such a short time. This book just kept on surprising me.
Now let's talk about that ending. I saw a betrayal coming because when reading fantasy books I've been burned many times and just learned to expect it at this point. What I didn't see was Dracho doing a 180 and just breaking all his promises. It felt like he had a personality change in those last few pages. I'm not saying I'm not here for it, just stating facts. Yes, his dad died and that is all very sad, but he wasn't thinking rationally, but again let his heart lead him, his rage for the death of his father.
I feel like his inner dragon can also be used as a metaphor for Dracho's internal rage/confidence. I feel like when he merged with his dragon, he in a way, stopped being the sunshine and rainbows character that we got to know throughout the book and instead absorbed that rage and anger. I mean he has dark hair now, in my head that also means that he is now a little bit corrupted, morally grey, takes no shit from anyone type of guy.
I'm getting weird vibes from his uncle, I feel like he is involved in a way. Trying to make it look like Tenebris has been attacked by outsiders so he could influence Dracho to attack them and cause a war without their shapeshifting gift being taken away. He had a lot of opinions about Dracho releasing the crew, it is just shady.
I am very curious to see what happens next in the series. I expect a lot of groveling and angst. Friends to lovers to enemies back to lovers, might be one of my favorite tropes and I'm here waiting (im)patiently for it. I'm excited to see where their journey takes us!
November 6, 2022
*Minor spoilers*
Before I get into my negative review I will say that I’m happy to read books that are inclusive and diverse. Which I think the author did well.
So unfortunately I really didn’t like this book. 90% of it was the main character, Dracho and Eli’s group going from city to city getting little to no info about what has been destroying towns. (Everyone was also way to friendly and care free to feel real.) When he does find someone who knows something he has one short interaction with them and then tucks his tail and runs off. There is barely any action but then there is random brutality that was just jarring.
The romance felt superficial, Dracho was nice but felt like a weak character (to much like a sheltered prince). He was also too crass at time to be charming. I really was not into his dragon forcing him to say rude things to Eli, like there first conversation by the stream. Eli was an okay character, though I would have liked to see her being stronger on her own then immediately start leaning on Dracho when he shows up, I’m also guessing she was leaning on Bastion before this, why can’t she be strong on her own? I liked that she was a great fighter but we did not really get to see this until she abruptly brutalized the mercenary.
I was raging by the last few chapters and wanted to slap/stab Dracho and the decision he made in the end. Which was such a child king way of dealing with what happened.
Also pet peeve, not every name needs to be abbreviated.
Before I get into my negative review I will say that I’m happy to read books that are inclusive and diverse. Which I think the author did well.
So unfortunately I really didn’t like this book. 90% of it was the main character, Dracho and Eli’s group going from city to city getting little to no info about what has been destroying towns. (Everyone was also way to friendly and care free to feel real.) When he does find someone who knows something he has one short interaction with them and then tucks his tail and runs off. There is barely any action but then there is random brutality that was just jarring.
The romance felt superficial, Dracho was nice but felt like a weak character (to much like a sheltered prince). He was also too crass at time to be charming. I really was not into his dragon forcing him to say rude things to Eli, like there first conversation by the stream. Eli was an okay character, though I would have liked to see her being stronger on her own then immediately start leaning on Dracho when he shows up, I’m also guessing she was leaning on Bastion before this, why can’t she be strong on her own? I liked that she was a great fighter but we did not really get to see this until she abruptly brutalized the mercenary.
I was raging by the last few chapters and wanted to slap/stab Dracho and the decision he made in the end. Which was such a child king way of dealing with what happened.
Also pet peeve, not every name needs to be abbreviated.
November 19, 2022
"...even though I am not a lion, I have a lion's heart."
A truly brilliant debut.
Gem is a talented storyteller with enchanting prose. There were some parts of this book that were written so beautifully, I had to take a few moments before continuing because I was so awestruck by the detail.
The world-building is exquisite, with a diverse range of characters that you will adore almost instantly. In between exploring the world and learning more about the magic, there's witty banter and heartwarming moments, plus a few twists and turns along the way.
We've got:
DRAGON SHIFTERS
Found family
Sassy and badassy FMC
Epic world-building
LGBTQ+, including beautiful trans rep
Beasts and monsters
Battles
Magic
Friends to lovers to enemies
Banter
And so much more!
A truly brilliant debut.
Gem is a talented storyteller with enchanting prose. There were some parts of this book that were written so beautifully, I had to take a few moments before continuing because I was so awestruck by the detail.
The world-building is exquisite, with a diverse range of characters that you will adore almost instantly. In between exploring the world and learning more about the magic, there's witty banter and heartwarming moments, plus a few twists and turns along the way.
We've got:
DRAGON SHIFTERS
Found family
Sassy and badassy FMC
Epic world-building
LGBTQ+, including beautiful trans rep
Beasts and monsters
Battles
Magic
Friends to lovers to enemies
Banter
And so much more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2023
Bella idea, bel finale. Però. Però.
Ci sono troppi refusi, troppi errori di punteggiatura, disturbavano proprio la lettura. Con un lavoro di revisione più massiccio, sarebbe stato un bel romanzo YA.
Con tutti i cliché del caso.
ERRATA CORRIGE: ho parlato con l'autor* e alla fine possiedo io una vecchia versione del romanzo con ancora dei refusi, che ora nella sua versione più nuova non ha più. (Il mio acquisto risale infatti a Natale)
Leggerò il seguito, ma in digitale.
Ci sono troppi refusi, troppi errori di punteggiatura, disturbavano proprio la lettura. Con un lavoro di revisione più massiccio, sarebbe stato un bel romanzo YA.
Con tutti i cliché del caso.
ERRATA CORRIGE: ho parlato con l'autor* e alla fine possiedo io una vecchia versione del romanzo con ancora dei refusi, che ora nella sua versione più nuova non ha più. (Il mio acquisto risale infatti a Natale)
Leggerò il seguito, ma in digitale.
July 14, 2023
This book sat on my TBR for a while and now I'm torn between I wish I read it sooner and thank god I waited because book two is about to be released.
Prince of the Ancients is a captivating fantasy with amazing worldbuilding. I love the depth the author gave to the land of Ruvalon. The story is told from the POV of Dracho a dragon shifter heir to the Tenebris throne. As he ventures from home for the first time, his beliefs are challenged at every turn.
This book as magick, shifters, spicy and one hell of a plot. The ending will grip you and you will be dying for the next book.
Prince of the Ancients is a captivating fantasy with amazing worldbuilding. I love the depth the author gave to the land of Ruvalon. The story is told from the POV of Dracho a dragon shifter heir to the Tenebris throne. As he ventures from home for the first time, his beliefs are challenged at every turn.
This book as magick, shifters, spicy and one hell of a plot. The ending will grip you and you will be dying for the next book.
September 10, 2022
ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛꜱ by G. L. Preston
I was fortunate enough to get this book as an ARC, and this is what I thought:
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬:
Dragons. Forbidden love. Friendship. Representation. Magick and creatures.
This book had a ton of representation! Queer, non-binary, equality and a man in touch with his emotions... it was such a positive story, tinged with sadness.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞?
Grumpy/sunshine, found family and slow burn romance.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭?
Our main man, Dracho is the Emperors son... and a Dragon, and he is in touch with his emotions and sexuality. Whereas our main woman Eli is more stabby than that, but she has a kind heart under all that armour.
The group meet and, much to Dracho's friends dismay, go off to find the darkness killing entire towns together.
Dracho's friend Antares is so funny in this book! He gets dragged around, trying to stop Dracho doing stupid things and is either rolling his eyes at him or flipping him off at any given moment.
Eli has a sad past, but is so strong because of it.
The book is very descriptive and the characters are likable and realistic.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Anyone who loves Dragon shifters who are the sweet one and women who may just stab you if you look at them wrong. And anyone who likes seeing characters flirt unabashedly.
𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭?
4/5
I was fortunate enough to get this book as an ARC, and this is what I thought:
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬:
Dragons. Forbidden love. Friendship. Representation. Magick and creatures.
This book had a ton of representation! Queer, non-binary, equality and a man in touch with his emotions... it was such a positive story, tinged with sadness.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞?
Grumpy/sunshine, found family and slow burn romance.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭?
Our main man, Dracho is the Emperors son... and a Dragon, and he is in touch with his emotions and sexuality. Whereas our main woman Eli is more stabby than that, but she has a kind heart under all that armour.
The group meet and, much to Dracho's friends dismay, go off to find the darkness killing entire towns together.
Dracho's friend Antares is so funny in this book! He gets dragged around, trying to stop Dracho doing stupid things and is either rolling his eyes at him or flipping him off at any given moment.
Eli has a sad past, but is so strong because of it.
The book is very descriptive and the characters are likable and realistic.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Anyone who loves Dragon shifters who are the sweet one and women who may just stab you if you look at them wrong. And anyone who likes seeing characters flirt unabashedly.
𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭?
4/5
August 29, 2023
I have fallen in love.
Draconi men just do it better. Maybe it's because they can shift into dragons, or because they make every dirty middle school joke available. Perhaps it's their undeniable sexual energy or the swift expertise with which they fight evil. I dunno. I dunno. But yeesh. Dracho and Antares. One cinnamon roll who doesn't hold back, one broody loner balancing on a razor's edge. Both lethal. I can't get enough.
And don't worry your pretty little head, there are countless strong female leads to find pieces of yourself in. The depth and circumstance of each FMC a different echo of womanhood.
I don't know what to say about this series. There is such heart. It has some kind of addictive magic to it. Simple, straightforward humanity with abstract magic and world building. Found family around every corner. Slow burn mysteries that are drawn out across books, romance that will have you perpetually on the tip of your toes.
All I know is, color me invested. Need book 2 now.
Draconi men just do it better. Maybe it's because they can shift into dragons, or because they make every dirty middle school joke available. Perhaps it's their undeniable sexual energy or the swift expertise with which they fight evil. I dunno. I dunno. But yeesh. Dracho and Antares. One cinnamon roll who doesn't hold back, one broody loner balancing on a razor's edge. Both lethal. I can't get enough.
And don't worry your pretty little head, there are countless strong female leads to find pieces of yourself in. The depth and circumstance of each FMC a different echo of womanhood.
I don't know what to say about this series. There is such heart. It has some kind of addictive magic to it. Simple, straightforward humanity with abstract magic and world building. Found family around every corner. Slow burn mysteries that are drawn out across books, romance that will have you perpetually on the tip of your toes.
All I know is, color me invested. Need book 2 now.
February 11, 2023
This was a great read! It took me a while to get into the story and the world, but it gave me so much time to appreciate how good the characters are. I love the relationship between Ant and Dracho, I love to see close friendships like these. And then there was the romance! So much chemistry! I feel this story is very character driven fantasy which isn’t an issue for me at all. I loved the vibes and the relationships. I’m interested to see where this goes next after the ending!!!
March 14, 2024
This book wasn’t at all what I expected it to be but I still really enjoyed it! I found it to be fast paced with cozy fantasy vibes. I don’t think the cozy vibes will carry over to book 2 and I’m excited for the series to get more tense with higher stakes. I loved the characters and found the world interesting. Hoping for more dragons in the next book
May 10, 2023
Wonderful and entrancing story!
October 1, 2022
Let me start by saying that the ending of this book had me in tears and yearning to know, albeit apprehensively, what lies ahead in the next book!
I was grateful to have gotten the chance to receive an eARC of Preston's debut fantasy novel. A continent filled with strife and possibilities of impending war, young dragon shifters on a journey, magic, slow burn romance, with lgbtq+ rep my interest was piqued from the beginning.
The story is told through the eyes of the main male character Dracho. Dracho and his trusted companion Antares travel to discover more about the cause of the troubles going on throughout the continent. Through their journey, they meet a variety of people including Eli, Bas, Vyn, and Roux. The characters have a wide range of personalities and come from a variety of backgrounds, which allows for well-balanced character interactions as well as providing levity or tension where needed. My favorite characters so far are probably Antares and Roux based on their internal strength, fierceness, and loyalty (to whomever or whatever that may be).
My favorite aspects of this book begin with the representation of strong female characters that possess both emotional and physical strength in addition to the non-binary, sapphic, and achillean representation that is shown throughout. Also, I truly enjoyed the emotional depth and maturity given to these characters regardless of their gender identity. No character seemed simplified, 1-dimensional, or lacking in the dynamic aspects that make up a person. Lastly, yes while I enjoyed the slow burn romance aspects throughout the book, I absolutely adored that platonic relationships were an emphasis throughout, the story captured the strength, love, and importance of platonic friendships as well.
However, there were certain areas of the book that I felt could be improved. One aspect of that for me personally was the pacing throughout the middle ⅓ of the book. During this part of the book parts of the story seemed to drop to a slower pace that struggled to keep me as engaged in the story. I think this was well-intentioned by the author and partly done to allow for proper transitional time between more plot-intensive parts. However, I think sometimes these parts, albeit interesting, were slightly off-paced for me and didn’t keep my attention as much. Within this pacing, it felt as though some of the secret plot points were drawn on for too long. I would have preferred for the reader to stay a little more in the dark, leaving the reader more inquisitive, or have less attention drawn to the secret along the way. At some points, I found myself no longer enjoying the journey a reader goes on when finding out a potential secret and just wanting to know the point already. Additionally, there were a couple of plot points that felt predictable. That being said, even with some parts I found more predictable I still enjoyed reading those moments when they occurred. Lastly, early on in the book some character traits were described, yet other character traits were left out until much later in the book, and some character traits were inconsistent throughout. This didn’t seem done in a way to add mystery or suspense, more as though these details needed to be clarified for the subsequent plot pieces to make sense. This felt as though it allowed for character traits to be unclear and those that were introduced later in the story to contradict prior character blanks already filled in by the reader. Personally, I believe it could have felt more natural and less inserted into the text, if these traits would have been described in more of the “journey” pieces of the story as parts of the world are described, characters are introduced to each other, etc.
Overall I definitely would recommend this book and this is only the author’s debut! I greatly anticipate the series to only keep improving and for the readers to grow more and more attached to these characters and their stories.
I was grateful to have gotten the chance to receive an eARC of Preston's debut fantasy novel. A continent filled with strife and possibilities of impending war, young dragon shifters on a journey, magic, slow burn romance, with lgbtq+ rep my interest was piqued from the beginning.
The story is told through the eyes of the main male character Dracho. Dracho and his trusted companion Antares travel to discover more about the cause of the troubles going on throughout the continent. Through their journey, they meet a variety of people including Eli, Bas, Vyn, and Roux. The characters have a wide range of personalities and come from a variety of backgrounds, which allows for well-balanced character interactions as well as providing levity or tension where needed. My favorite characters so far are probably Antares and Roux based on their internal strength, fierceness, and loyalty (to whomever or whatever that may be).
My favorite aspects of this book begin with the representation of strong female characters that possess both emotional and physical strength in addition to the non-binary, sapphic, and achillean representation that is shown throughout. Also, I truly enjoyed the emotional depth and maturity given to these characters regardless of their gender identity. No character seemed simplified, 1-dimensional, or lacking in the dynamic aspects that make up a person. Lastly, yes while I enjoyed the slow burn romance aspects throughout the book, I absolutely adored that platonic relationships were an emphasis throughout, the story captured the strength, love, and importance of platonic friendships as well.
However, there were certain areas of the book that I felt could be improved. One aspect of that for me personally was the pacing throughout the middle ⅓ of the book. During this part of the book parts of the story seemed to drop to a slower pace that struggled to keep me as engaged in the story. I think this was well-intentioned by the author and partly done to allow for proper transitional time between more plot-intensive parts. However, I think sometimes these parts, albeit interesting, were slightly off-paced for me and didn’t keep my attention as much. Within this pacing, it felt as though some of the secret plot points were drawn on for too long. I would have preferred for the reader to stay a little more in the dark, leaving the reader more inquisitive, or have less attention drawn to the secret along the way. At some points, I found myself no longer enjoying the journey a reader goes on when finding out a potential secret and just wanting to know the point already. Additionally, there were a couple of plot points that felt predictable. That being said, even with some parts I found more predictable I still enjoyed reading those moments when they occurred. Lastly, early on in the book some character traits were described, yet other character traits were left out until much later in the book, and some character traits were inconsistent throughout. This didn’t seem done in a way to add mystery or suspense, more as though these details needed to be clarified for the subsequent plot pieces to make sense. This felt as though it allowed for character traits to be unclear and those that were introduced later in the story to contradict prior character blanks already filled in by the reader. Personally, I believe it could have felt more natural and less inserted into the text, if these traits would have been described in more of the “journey” pieces of the story as parts of the world are described, characters are introduced to each other, etc.
Overall I definitely would recommend this book and this is only the author’s debut! I greatly anticipate the series to only keep improving and for the readers to grow more and more attached to these characters and their stories.
February 5, 2023
Bookstagram: maribookstation
First of all: thank you to the author and equality book tours for the opportunity to read this book!! 🫶🏻
This book is perfect for anyone who loves high fantasy! There are fae's, mages, spirit guides (like cats), dragons shifters, magick , and more!
It addresses several important topics such as mental health, diversity, LGBTQ + and also talks about: betrayals, family, friends, magic, adventures, grief and love.
I love fantasy and I don't think I've ever read anything like this, it was nice to read something new, that included different types of fantasy and magical species. The world is explained in a simple and detailed way so it's easy to understand everything from the beginning, the writing is captivating and there are big and small chapters!
The story focuses a lot on the adventure, on the journey that the characters have to go through to get the answers they foresee to save their kingdoms.
The dialogues between the characters are funny, they flirt a lot too hahah but they talk about more sensitive topics too, I loved the dynamics of the group: Eli, Dracho, Ant, Bass and Vyn.
Despite loving all the characters, I think my favorite was Dracho! I also really identified with Ant, I don't usually like to be around a lot of people and my social energy drains fast!
There's an friends to lovers to enemies here between Eli and Dracho and I loved their chemistry! I can't wait to see what happens in the second book, I can't wait! 🥰
First of all: thank you to the author and equality book tours for the opportunity to read this book!! 🫶🏻
This book is perfect for anyone who loves high fantasy! There are fae's, mages, spirit guides (like cats), dragons shifters, magick , and more!
It addresses several important topics such as mental health, diversity, LGBTQ + and also talks about: betrayals, family, friends, magic, adventures, grief and love.
I love fantasy and I don't think I've ever read anything like this, it was nice to read something new, that included different types of fantasy and magical species. The world is explained in a simple and detailed way so it's easy to understand everything from the beginning, the writing is captivating and there are big and small chapters!
The story focuses a lot on the adventure, on the journey that the characters have to go through to get the answers they foresee to save their kingdoms.
The dialogues between the characters are funny, they flirt a lot too hahah but they talk about more sensitive topics too, I loved the dynamics of the group: Eli, Dracho, Ant, Bass and Vyn.
Despite loving all the characters, I think my favorite was Dracho! I also really identified with Ant, I don't usually like to be around a lot of people and my social energy drains fast!
There's an friends to lovers to enemies here between Eli and Dracho and I loved their chemistry! I can't wait to see what happens in the second book, I can't wait! 🥰
August 7, 2023
This book got me out of a reading slump, finished it in 2 sittings.
Plot - creatures are causing chaos across the land, a dragon half breed prince convinces his father to let him and his close friend travel to the human lands to find out what’s going on, meets a girl and her band of mercenaries but all is not as it seems…
Pros;
- Really enjoyed the plot, a new take on ‘evil’ passing through the land which was different to anything I had read before!
- both male and female leads are very well written, strong female lead which is so good to see! No damsel needing saving here!
- touches on some mental health struggles without being massively obvious, I thought was lovely to see and added depth and vulnerability to the characters while adding hope for readers who may have the same struggles
- The attraction is believable. The characters actually bond over conversations before having spice scenes which I think a lot of books get wrong.
- the way the mages are portrayed really intrigued me, in my head they were similar to the Na’vi in Avatar
- ending of the book VERY interesting and sets up nicely to the 2nd which has potential to be more dark and twisted which I’m excited for
- book 2 out September so not long to wait!!
Cons
- minimal spice until the end, HOWEVER it matches the storyline well
- book 2 isn’t out yet
Plot - creatures are causing chaos across the land, a dragon half breed prince convinces his father to let him and his close friend travel to the human lands to find out what’s going on, meets a girl and her band of mercenaries but all is not as it seems…
Pros;
- Really enjoyed the plot, a new take on ‘evil’ passing through the land which was different to anything I had read before!
- both male and female leads are very well written, strong female lead which is so good to see! No damsel needing saving here!
- touches on some mental health struggles without being massively obvious, I thought was lovely to see and added depth and vulnerability to the characters while adding hope for readers who may have the same struggles
- The attraction is believable. The characters actually bond over conversations before having spice scenes which I think a lot of books get wrong.
- the way the mages are portrayed really intrigued me, in my head they were similar to the Na’vi in Avatar
- ending of the book VERY interesting and sets up nicely to the 2nd which has potential to be more dark and twisted which I’m excited for
- book 2 out September so not long to wait!!
Cons
- minimal spice until the end, HOWEVER it matches the storyline well
- book 2 isn’t out yet
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2022
I described this book as a warm bowl of stew. Let me explain. The world and all it's kingdoms are rich and complex, so thought out and well explained. The different people and their beliefs, morals, values build this beautiful world with intricate systems and rules.
Dracho and Ant, future emperor of Tenebrism (oh hey Dragon Shifters) and his bestie, are on a mission to find the cause of wyvern attacks on the other side their magical mountain barrier. They quickly join a group from another kingdom on the same mission. How convenient! Especially since one of these people is an attractive, intriguing young woman... See where I'm going with this?
Then we are taken on one heck of a journey through kingdom after kingdom, meeting so many different magical creatures, sharing secrets while keeping even more hidden. Parts of this book caught me by surprise, plot twists and secrets so carefully, delightfully set to make you scream and gasp (and sometimes curse the authors name).
This books is not to be skimmed, it is to be savored. I throughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to see what comes next!
Dracho and Ant, future emperor of Tenebrism (oh hey Dragon Shifters) and his bestie, are on a mission to find the cause of wyvern attacks on the other side their magical mountain barrier. They quickly join a group from another kingdom on the same mission. How convenient! Especially since one of these people is an attractive, intriguing young woman... See where I'm going with this?
Then we are taken on one heck of a journey through kingdom after kingdom, meeting so many different magical creatures, sharing secrets while keeping even more hidden. Parts of this book caught me by surprise, plot twists and secrets so carefully, delightfully set to make you scream and gasp (and sometimes curse the authors name).
This books is not to be skimmed, it is to be savored. I throughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to see what comes next!
September 14, 2022
I received an eARC of Prince of the Ancients from the author. The thoughts in this review are my own.
WOW. This was a strong first book in the The Stag & Hollow Chronicles series and I’m already dying to read the next one. This book had me on the edge of my seat, and I could not put it down! It had the perfect amount of tropes and representation — including magical powers, dragons, secrets, slow burn romance (my fav!!), one bed, and split-up kingdoms. Honestly, there was not much more I could have asked for in this book.
The book starts off with Dracho (the future emperor of Tenebris) and Ant (his bestie) who head off on a mission to find the cause of wyvern attacks happening along the magic barrier. They join another team from another kingdom who are also on a similar mission. Their journey takes them through several kingdoms and meeting many different magical creatures. I laughed. I cried. I will be reading this over and over again.
4.5 STARS. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
WOW. This was a strong first book in the The Stag & Hollow Chronicles series and I’m already dying to read the next one. This book had me on the edge of my seat, and I could not put it down! It had the perfect amount of tropes and representation — including magical powers, dragons, secrets, slow burn romance (my fav!!), one bed, and split-up kingdoms. Honestly, there was not much more I could have asked for in this book.
The book starts off with Dracho (the future emperor of Tenebris) and Ant (his bestie) who head off on a mission to find the cause of wyvern attacks happening along the magic barrier. They join another team from another kingdom who are also on a similar mission. Their journey takes them through several kingdoms and meeting many different magical creatures. I laughed. I cried. I will be reading this over and over again.
4.5 STARS. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
February 3, 2023
I will hunt you down, and bring you more pain than you can ever imagine.
••
Prince of the Ancients is the first book in The Stag and Hollow Chronicles. It is also a debut novel and honestly speaking a gem waiting to be discovered. I loved every minute of the book.!!
••
Betrayal, friendship, loss, love, found family, magic, diversity, mental health.. this book had an abundance emotions and tropes & everything amazingly executed.!!
••
The book was an adventure ride.!! From the world building which was elegantly detailed to the most adorable characters that you cannot help but root for, I loved every single thing about the story, and that ending!???? like can I please have the second book already.!
••
Also, the best part? There are DRAGONS… dragons in this book & not just dragons but dragon shifters.!! If that doesn’t convince you to pick up this book idk what will.!!
••
And that ending gosh..! What a experince and I’m really looking forward to book 2.! So here is your sign to go pick up and read Prince of the Ancients.!!
••
Prince of the Ancients is the first book in The Stag and Hollow Chronicles. It is also a debut novel and honestly speaking a gem waiting to be discovered. I loved every minute of the book.!!
••
Betrayal, friendship, loss, love, found family, magic, diversity, mental health.. this book had an abundance emotions and tropes & everything amazingly executed.!!
••
The book was an adventure ride.!! From the world building which was elegantly detailed to the most adorable characters that you cannot help but root for, I loved every single thing about the story, and that ending!???? like can I please have the second book already.!
••
Also, the best part? There are DRAGONS… dragons in this book & not just dragons but dragon shifters.!! If that doesn’t convince you to pick up this book idk what will.!!
••
And that ending gosh..! What a experince and I’m really looking forward to book 2.! So here is your sign to go pick up and read Prince of the Ancients.!!
July 10, 2023
Okay, first things first, I was so relieved when the MMC turned out to be a flirty, energetic goofball and not an angsty brooder. Dracho was SO likable and it was easy to root for him despite his flaws, and his passions and actions were so authentically compelling. I love him.
The character relationships and banter were top-notch, and the sheer amount of shameless flirting among the bunch — along with the queernormative quips — gave me LIFE. And made the ending that much more….impactful. Send help.
The worldbuilding was also gorgeous, and the idea of the great Home Trees was especially brilliant. There were some info dumps I ended up kind of skimming, but there was nothing portrayed in an overtly complicated way and I appreciated the ease with which the different elements of race, culture, location, etc. came to light.
The plot felt a little loose at times but honestly I just wanted the squad to find out what was happening and my intrigue never let up, and I think the building suspense helped set the scene for later books.
Gemma, this is a wonderfully riveting book and I cannot wait to read more of Dracho & Eli!
The character relationships and banter were top-notch, and the sheer amount of shameless flirting among the bunch — along with the queernormative quips — gave me LIFE. And made the ending that much more….impactful. Send help.
The worldbuilding was also gorgeous, and the idea of the great Home Trees was especially brilliant. There were some info dumps I ended up kind of skimming, but there was nothing portrayed in an overtly complicated way and I appreciated the ease with which the different elements of race, culture, location, etc. came to light.
The plot felt a little loose at times but honestly I just wanted the squad to find out what was happening and my intrigue never let up, and I think the building suspense helped set the scene for later books.
Gemma, this is a wonderfully riveting book and I cannot wait to read more of Dracho & Eli!
September 6, 2022
I received an eARC of this book from the author and I am so glad I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of this one before it comes out in a few weeks. I would have finished it in a day if I hadn’t been on vacation with my family.
This book contains dragons, mages, and elemental magic. Some tropes you’ll find are found family, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, and betrayal.
I personally loved this little group. I loved everyone’s bantering and want to join them on their adventures. My favorite interactions were between Dracho and Ant. Ant’s exasperation with his friend often had me laughing and I love how he just resigns himself like, “Ugh, here he goes again!”
There’s also a lot of heartache in this group as they try to figure out what is destroying their towns and killing its citizens—not to mention their own past traumas. The last few chapters will certainly pull on your heartstrings and leave you wanting more.
Overall, this was a great first book in a series and I can’t wait to read the next one.
This book contains dragons, mages, and elemental magic. Some tropes you’ll find are found family, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, and betrayal.
I personally loved this little group. I loved everyone’s bantering and want to join them on their adventures. My favorite interactions were between Dracho and Ant. Ant’s exasperation with his friend often had me laughing and I love how he just resigns himself like, “Ugh, here he goes again!”
There’s also a lot of heartache in this group as they try to figure out what is destroying their towns and killing its citizens—not to mention their own past traumas. The last few chapters will certainly pull on your heartstrings and leave you wanting more.
Overall, this was a great first book in a series and I can’t wait to read the next one.
September 8, 2022
My regret that I have a job and can't just read all day has never been stronger than when reading this book! Everything else was just a distraction from this story which had me hooked!
The world building and lore are fantastic and had me wanting to know more about the people and their history.
It's wonderfully inclusive and I could see parts of myself reflected in so many of the characters.
I'm a sucker for a slow burn relationship and am excited to see where all the different characters end up!
If you are looking for a wonderfully described fantasy world with character who feel real then I highly recommend!
The world building and lore are fantastic and had me wanting to know more about the people and their history.
It's wonderfully inclusive and I could see parts of myself reflected in so many of the characters.
I'm a sucker for a slow burn relationship and am excited to see where all the different characters end up!
If you are looking for a wonderfully described fantasy world with character who feel real then I highly recommend!
June 6, 2023
This book has such a fun magic system. I loved the sense that everything was connected in some way we just don't know HOW just yet. I also really enjoyed that the FMC is not a damsel in distress and that the MMC is actually attracted to this side of her.
Eli and Dracho have such an interesting relationship and I think enjoyed that it's not insta love and both characters have some things to work through separately as well as together.
The further into the book I got the more I just couldn't put it down. The ending left me on edge and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Eli and Dracho have such an interesting relationship and I think enjoyed that it's not insta love and both characters have some things to work through separately as well as together.
The further into the book I got the more I just couldn't put it down. The ending left me on edge and I can't wait to see what happens next!
March 16, 2024
3.5 🌟A great start for the authors debut series. I loved the diversity in characters and queer rep. The world and plot were interesting. I was not a fan of the MMC but he grew on me. The last half of this book really picked up. Was a cozy fantasy easy read. The characters and story felt a bit underdeveloped but this improves as the book progresses and I'm definitely reading book 2!
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September 25, 2022Was unfortunately not the right time for me to get into this book. I will definitely come back to it in the future :)
September 1, 2023
cute, plot moves fast but i’m enjoying it, and excited to see what happens in book 2
November 16, 2022
I really enjoyed this, the world building was great. The slow burn and reverse grumpy x sunshine really did something for me. If you liked ACOTAR or similar series you’d like this one.
April 25, 2023
Heroine > dragon Boi
If there isn't some groveling coming from this man dragon idiot in the next book I swear. Girl has been through enough of her own challenges and is still a badass.
If there isn't some groveling coming from this man dragon idiot in the next book I swear. Girl has been through enough of her own challenges and is still a badass.
February 5, 2025
Loved this.. the storyline is full of mystery and Darkness.. I love the relationship of eli and dracho and how it's fiery and fierce... full of betrayal and angst... now onto the next one
June 12, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. I read a lot of fantasy romance books and this one was refreshingly well written. I really love the main character, he is kind, loyal, and respectful but still flirty. I think all of the lore is well written and something new. I love the found family vibes of the book and all the side characters are equally as interesting as the main characters.
September 24, 2022
An absolute perfect book for all fantasy readers out there. I highly recommend this one !
While reading I was telling myself “Is this really a debut novel?” because it was THAT good. The plot, the setting, the characters are all lovable.
I can’t wait for the next installment on this upcoming trilogy. <3
While reading I was telling myself “Is this really a debut novel?” because it was THAT good. The plot, the setting, the characters are all lovable.
I can’t wait for the next installment on this upcoming trilogy. <3
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