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Dragon Spirit #1
Immortal Coil
Two souls. One Body. Sharing is not an option… Terrible news has turned Anaea Salis’s life upside down. There’s nothing she can do to make it right, and the stranger who stops to talk to her can’t help. But when that stranger, Hunter, an ancient dragon spirit, is viciously attacked and forced to transfer his spirit into her body, Anaea’s life takes a new terrifying twist. Hunter should have known by now not to get involved with human affairs, but there was something about the woman that drew him to her, and he just couldn’t help himself. Trapped in her body all he wants is to get out, except whoever is trying to kill him is now after her. Their only hope of survival… plunge into the deadly world of dragons. Immortal Coil is the first book in the Dragon Spirit series. Satisfy your cravings for an action-packed, sensual paranormal romance and read Immortal Coil today!
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2012
1117 people are currently reading
2126 people want to read
About the author
C.I. Black
29 books110 followersC.I. Black has always lived in a world of imagination. When she’s not daydreaming, she puts her flights of fancy down on paper writing urban fantasy and paranormal romance books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
June 12, 2018
This book was really surprising!
Okay, but it was in reverse. I expected some plain old Dragon Smut and got something pretty cool.... yeah, just like the guy in the first picture is .. so ... cool....
Hmm, I maybe didn't think this comparison out that well.
Let's try this one instead:
Better!
I expected the blobby unicorn, but got the good unicorn instead. Like the unicorn on the box of the Lucky Charms. He doesn't look creepy giving the old side-eye to the leprechaun at all.... Wait, is he coming on to the ugly leprechaun? What the hell is going on at General Mills? I see a future #metoo and a lawsuit if that unicorn doesn't keep his horn to himself.
Anyway, back to my point. And, yes, I have one. Much like Chester the Molester Unicorn does.
The book is really good!
There are all these dragons, but they aren't dragons anymore. They are disembodied spirits that live in the bodies of dead people and have a very complicated society and court system with an insane king and sadistic prince. One of these dragonish guys gets involved with a woman with fatal cancer who is going to commit suicide at the beginning of the book. They end up sharing her body for a while. And, then they have to figure out who is trying to kill whom, and play the twisty court games that will somewhat remind you of Fae politics.
The hero in this book is very awesome. He sees our cancer lady for who she is inside, because he's sharing her insides with her. And, not in a sexy way you perverts! I know what you're thinking....
But, you'd be wrong. Well, unless you expect the second picture. That one is also wrong, but I thought this was funny.
It was action-packed, interesting, and had great side characters. There was a little bit of sex, but mostly a fade to black thing.
Free on Amazon right now, and totally worth it.
Okay, but it was in reverse. I expected some plain old Dragon Smut and got something pretty cool.... yeah, just like the guy in the first picture is .. so ... cool....
Hmm, I maybe didn't think this comparison out that well.
Let's try this one instead:
Better!
I expected the blobby unicorn, but got the good unicorn instead. Like the unicorn on the box of the Lucky Charms. He doesn't look creepy giving the old side-eye to the leprechaun at all.... Wait, is he coming on to the ugly leprechaun? What the hell is going on at General Mills? I see a future #metoo and a lawsuit if that unicorn doesn't keep his horn to himself.
Anyway, back to my point. And, yes, I have one. Much like Chester the Molester Unicorn does.
The book is really good!
There are all these dragons, but they aren't dragons anymore. They are disembodied spirits that live in the bodies of dead people and have a very complicated society and court system with an insane king and sadistic prince. One of these dragonish guys gets involved with a woman with fatal cancer who is going to commit suicide at the beginning of the book. They end up sharing her body for a while. And, then they have to figure out who is trying to kill whom, and play the twisty court games that will somewhat remind you of Fae politics.
The hero in this book is very awesome. He sees our cancer lady for who she is inside, because he's sharing her insides with her. And, not in a sexy way you perverts! I know what you're thinking....
But, you'd be wrong. Well, unless you expect the second picture. That one is also wrong, but I thought this was funny.
It was action-packed, interesting, and had great side characters. There was a little bit of sex, but mostly a fade to black thing.
Free on Amazon right now, and totally worth it.
March 9, 2012
Paranormal romance is hot, but some of us just aren’t turned on by vampires and werewolves. I picked this one up for something different and wasn’t disappointed.
[SPOILER ALERT] The book opens with Anaea Solis, dying of cancer, standing on the Queen Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, about to throw herself into the half-frozen Allegheny River. It’s either that or die slowly as the cancer eats her alive. But before she can convince herself to let go, a good and good-looking Samaritan approaches her from behind and tries to convince her to live. He’s a stranger and doesn’t understand her circumstances, of course, so she’s cynical no matter how sexy his voice. Then a sword drives through both of them, they tumble into the icy river together, and the good Samaritan’s body is so savagely injured that even the dragon-spirit inhabiting it can’t magically heal the sword thrust. The spirit, Hunter, transfers into Anaea’s dying body, giving him every reason to keep her alive. And the way his life is going, that’s not going to be easy. [END SPOILER ALERT]
The plotline is nonstop and solid, classic action-reaction. Anaea is adaptable but realistic, and Hunter is ferocious, as a dragon should be. The chemistry between the two is fabulous and funny; try taking a shower with a male dragon looking out through your eyes, watching and feeling your every move. The little bits of dragonish behavior scattered throughout, such as showing a bit of teeth for sexual aggression, are logical yet clever.
The magic also shows logic and thankfully isn’t overplayed, leaving the bulk of the work to the physical realm for the characters to handle. Clearly a lot of thought went into building this fantasy world, in some places perhaps too much, but it’s fed to the reader in mainly digestible morsels. With the solid grounding, I almost feel I could survive among Hunter’s people, for a while, at least.
Finally, Black’s writing style is so conversational, it almost fades into the background as the characters tell their own story. Not something I often say, but this book ended too quickly for me, and it’s not a short one. Lots of good page-turning here.
Five fully-earned stars.
[SPOILER ALERT] The book opens with Anaea Solis, dying of cancer, standing on the Queen Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, about to throw herself into the half-frozen Allegheny River. It’s either that or die slowly as the cancer eats her alive. But before she can convince herself to let go, a good and good-looking Samaritan approaches her from behind and tries to convince her to live. He’s a stranger and doesn’t understand her circumstances, of course, so she’s cynical no matter how sexy his voice. Then a sword drives through both of them, they tumble into the icy river together, and the good Samaritan’s body is so savagely injured that even the dragon-spirit inhabiting it can’t magically heal the sword thrust. The spirit, Hunter, transfers into Anaea’s dying body, giving him every reason to keep her alive. And the way his life is going, that’s not going to be easy. [END SPOILER ALERT]
The plotline is nonstop and solid, classic action-reaction. Anaea is adaptable but realistic, and Hunter is ferocious, as a dragon should be. The chemistry between the two is fabulous and funny; try taking a shower with a male dragon looking out through your eyes, watching and feeling your every move. The little bits of dragonish behavior scattered throughout, such as showing a bit of teeth for sexual aggression, are logical yet clever.
The magic also shows logic and thankfully isn’t overplayed, leaving the bulk of the work to the physical realm for the characters to handle. Clearly a lot of thought went into building this fantasy world, in some places perhaps too much, but it’s fed to the reader in mainly digestible morsels. With the solid grounding, I almost feel I could survive among Hunter’s people, for a while, at least.
Finally, Black’s writing style is so conversational, it almost fades into the background as the characters tell their own story. Not something I often say, but this book ended too quickly for me, and it’s not a short one. Lots of good page-turning here.
Five fully-earned stars.
November 22, 2018
Not the usual dragon story. Pretty good, but sort of ended open ended. I suppose that’s done in order to continue the series.
June 7, 2018
I was intrigued by the idea of two souls within one body and the only other series I’ve read that successfully tackled this was Jacquelyn Frank with her Nightwalkers although this time we get dragons but alas they are in spirit . Nevertheless the author did a credible job of making the dragons feel anything but human !
It’s quite a complicated idea in play here with dragons inhabiting human bodies and yet they can be reborn but to do so lose all memories and standing. Their court is chaotic to say the least and the dissent appears to be leading towards a coup.
So into this madness comes Anaea, a woman suffering the ravages of cancer and at the end of her tether. What she wasn’t prepared for was to have her body playing host to a disembodied dragon named Hunter. Hunter is the court assassin desperate to release the soul he carries in a magical medallion but possessing a living human is forbidden so how can he both save Anaea and those in his charge?
I did enjoy this with its ideas of reincarnation but the romance seemed forced. Anaea was most definitely the stronger character here and sometimes the magic and Mage ideas just muddled the flow. However the end certainly helped to clear up somethings but I’m still left puzzled about how this series will play out. There is a moment or two of humour but unfortunately an ick moment too as Hunter does eventually get a new body but honestly I felt the author entered territory best left well alone.
It’s quite a complicated idea in play here with dragons inhabiting human bodies and yet they can be reborn but to do so lose all memories and standing. Their court is chaotic to say the least and the dissent appears to be leading towards a coup.
So into this madness comes Anaea, a woman suffering the ravages of cancer and at the end of her tether. What she wasn’t prepared for was to have her body playing host to a disembodied dragon named Hunter. Hunter is the court assassin desperate to release the soul he carries in a magical medallion but possessing a living human is forbidden so how can he both save Anaea and those in his charge?
I did enjoy this with its ideas of reincarnation but the romance seemed forced. Anaea was most definitely the stronger character here and sometimes the magic and Mage ideas just muddled the flow. However the end certainly helped to clear up somethings but I’m still left puzzled about how this series will play out. There is a moment or two of humour but unfortunately an ick moment too as Hunter does eventually get a new body but honestly I felt the author entered territory best left well alone.
February 20, 2015
A spell saved dragons from total annihilation, but now they exist as spirit entities inhabiting the bodies of humans who have died. It is taboo to reveal their existence or to share a body, but when an enforcer is returning a spirit of a renegade for a rebirth ceremony, circumstances force him to share the body of a terminal cancer patient who planned to suicide.
By the end of the sample for Immortal Coil I was hooked and not knowing whether it was a romance or not (but with the cover suspecting that it might be) I just wasn't sure where it was going - which is a nice change of pace considering the number of books I read. The worldbuilding and the amount of romance in the story, put Immortal Coil more in the fantasy romance camp than the Paranormal Romance one, but I liked the characters both in leading and supporting roles and there is a great action packed climax to the story.
My only nits are that I'd have liked the romance to have come a bit more to the forefront and that the wrap up of all of that action is a bit abrupt. Still they're minor nits, so I ended up really liking Immortal Coil and immediately went looking to see if and when there will be more. I wasn't able to find any info on the next book - the author doesn't have a website - but I know who I want it to be about:)
By the end of the sample for Immortal Coil I was hooked and not knowing whether it was a romance or not (but with the cover suspecting that it might be) I just wasn't sure where it was going - which is a nice change of pace considering the number of books I read. The worldbuilding and the amount of romance in the story, put Immortal Coil more in the fantasy romance camp than the Paranormal Romance one, but I liked the characters both in leading and supporting roles and there is a great action packed climax to the story.
My only nits are that I'd have liked the romance to have come a bit more to the forefront and that the wrap up of all of that action is a bit abrupt. Still they're minor nits, so I ended up really liking Immortal Coil and immediately went looking to see if and when there will be more. I wasn't able to find any info on the next book - the author doesn't have a website - but I know who I want it to be about:)
April 15, 2018
I bought this book expecting smut. And I got a well thought out world with action, plot, and surprisingly good characters.
It was a pleasant surprise. Probably one of the best free books I’ve read this year.
It was a pleasant surprise. Probably one of the best free books I’ve read this year.
Want to read
October 16, 2017FREE on Amazon today (10/16/2017)!
December 16, 2012
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Sometimes when I get a free book from Amazon its a disappointment, Not this time!
This story had an unusual premise and was well written. The dialogue flowed well and didn't have any rough spots.
I love this cover; its a thing of beauty.
I really liked the fact that the author told us the main female character had had a mastectomy and didn't feel the need to magically fix that up in the story. Her partner thought she was beautiful regardless of her scars.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Sometimes when I get a free book from Amazon its a disappointment, Not this time!
This story had an unusual premise and was well written. The dialogue flowed well and didn't have any rough spots.
I love this cover; its a thing of beauty.
I really liked the fact that the author told us the main female character had had a mastectomy and didn't feel the need to magically fix that up in the story. Her partner thought she was beautiful regardless of her scars.
January 20, 2020
A bit different from the usual dragon trope, but this was not enough for me to continue with the series. My dragon yardstick is Dragon Bound, so at the risk of mixing metaphors, the bar is bloody high, folks.
December 3, 2018
3 Drake Stars
This book… no. I cant. I understand I am new to PRN and dragons .. but no. this book was too much. It took dragons to a different light and showed them as body snatchers and it felt more haunting then dragon. By the end of the book I felt the connection between our main characters Anaea and Hunter. Surprisingly Anaea was the normal human .. why did she have to have an otherworldy name when she was human. But I also.. didn’t care. The book did pick up a bit near the halfway point but this didn’t work for me. I didn’t feel a connection to dragons and sorcerers and mages that I was supposed to be feeling and I really felt like I jumped into book 2 all of a sudden. It also felt the book was really pushing it in terms of length. It was over 300 pages and I feel 50% were internal monologue and repetitive phrases and altogether unneeded.
close your eyes I am getting naked
*closes eyes to get naked since the Dragon is inside of me, oh wait he can hear me , oh my god he hears me being naked *
YAWN ..adios im out of here !
April 20, 2016
RATING: 3.5-4 Hearts! :)
July 6, 2022
4.5 stars
June 21, 2012
Future Self,
who would have thought that a freebie would be so good? For some reasons I expected this really stereotypical, filled-with-clichés, guilty pleasure Paranormal Romance. And to some extends I'll admit that I got it, but it wasn't just sex with some story, but story with some sex. (And those scenes were rather short, if I recall correctly.) That was a very pleasant surprise and I'm glad that I gave Immortal Coil a try.
It starts with a scene written in the hero's, Hunter's, point of view. He's trying to escape from a curse cast by some Greek folks, desperate and angry. He has to leave his real body, that of a dragon. It's later explained that this ability to body-switch has been given to all of the dragons by their 'God', the Mother of All.
Then we immediately switch to Anaea's point of view. The heroine of this story is suicidal after being told that her cancer is not curable. After chemo, operations and so on, she had hoped to finally get on with life. Unfortunately she has only a few more months left to live.
Standing on the bridge, contemplating life and death, her ex-husband, her estranged family, she suddenly meets Hunter. He tries to talk her out of jumping off the bridge when suddenly they get attacked and both fall into the water, where he kisses her and body-jumps again.
But body-sharing is forbidden for dragons. It's possible to drive them crazy, and even if not, they have to kill their human hosts afterwards, because those a. can't know about dragons and body-sharing makes keeping that secret a little hard, and b. the connection of dragon-spirit and body often results in awakening humans' natural bond to magic. Only twenty percent or so of us apparently have that, but many dragons are deeply afraid of humans with magic, because the Greek guys who almost killed them used magic as well.
Too bad that Anaea has a stronger mind than Hunter, can push through all the walls he builds to keep his identity a secret, and gets hold of her body again, despite him being in it. But they start to build some sort of partnership, and the more Anaea fights for her life (and his) the more he falls for her, until in the end he realizes that she is his lifemate. (One would say “Too bad that her life is so darn short”, but don't worry. His spirit being in her completely cured it.)
As much as I would enjoy talking about the rest, like the side-characters, I'll try to keep it short from now on. The plot basically revolves around other dragons trying to steal the medallion Hunter owns, a medallion that makes reincarnation possible and him trying to keep his body-sharing-thing a secret, while plotting how to get out of the dragons' realm to get Anaea to safety.
The romance was not bad, but it wasn't very satisfying or captivating either. I very much enjoyed the fact that while they shared a body there was little they could do. They build a bond, though, and that was nice. So nice, in fact, that I wish the author had explored it further. Hunter was so stoic and un-funny at times. -sigh- Actually, the whole story had few really funny scenes or moments, which is sad. I know that it was a serious story, but there should be some time for a Funny here and there.
But back to the romance: I really had an issue with the body he got after Anaea's, despite the fact that she obviously was able to deal with it in the end. It just felt wrong to me, ya know. (Don't worry, it wasn't her brother or something horrible like that.)
Moving on, there are few things that bothered me. Despite its flaws, Immortal Coil was really good. I hope the author will write as fast as she (she?) can. There aren't many dragon-stories that I have read so far, but this one seems to be the first one I actually enjoyed reading.
who would have thought that a freebie would be so good? For some reasons I expected this really stereotypical, filled-with-clichés, guilty pleasure Paranormal Romance. And to some extends I'll admit that I got it, but it wasn't just sex with some story, but story with some sex. (And those scenes were rather short, if I recall correctly.) That was a very pleasant surprise and I'm glad that I gave Immortal Coil a try.
It starts with a scene written in the hero's, Hunter's, point of view. He's trying to escape from a curse cast by some Greek folks, desperate and angry. He has to leave his real body, that of a dragon. It's later explained that this ability to body-switch has been given to all of the dragons by their 'God', the Mother of All.
Then we immediately switch to Anaea's point of view. The heroine of this story is suicidal after being told that her cancer is not curable. After chemo, operations and so on, she had hoped to finally get on with life. Unfortunately she has only a few more months left to live.
Standing on the bridge, contemplating life and death, her ex-husband, her estranged family, she suddenly meets Hunter. He tries to talk her out of jumping off the bridge when suddenly they get attacked and both fall into the water, where he kisses her and body-jumps again.
But body-sharing is forbidden for dragons. It's possible to drive them crazy, and even if not, they have to kill their human hosts afterwards, because those a. can't know about dragons and body-sharing makes keeping that secret a little hard, and b. the connection of dragon-spirit and body often results in awakening humans' natural bond to magic. Only twenty percent or so of us apparently have that, but many dragons are deeply afraid of humans with magic, because the Greek guys who almost killed them used magic as well.
Too bad that Anaea has a stronger mind than Hunter, can push through all the walls he builds to keep his identity a secret, and gets hold of her body again, despite him being in it. But they start to build some sort of partnership, and the more Anaea fights for her life (and his) the more he falls for her, until in the end he realizes that she is his lifemate. (One would say “Too bad that her life is so darn short”, but don't worry. His spirit being in her completely cured it.)
As much as I would enjoy talking about the rest, like the side-characters, I'll try to keep it short from now on. The plot basically revolves around other dragons trying to steal the medallion Hunter owns, a medallion that makes reincarnation possible and him trying to keep his body-sharing-thing a secret, while plotting how to get out of the dragons' realm to get Anaea to safety.
The romance was not bad, but it wasn't very satisfying or captivating either. I very much enjoyed the fact that while they shared a body there was little they could do. They build a bond, though, and that was nice. So nice, in fact, that I wish the author had explored it further. Hunter was so stoic and un-funny at times. -sigh- Actually, the whole story had few really funny scenes or moments, which is sad. I know that it was a serious story, but there should be some time for a Funny here and there.
But back to the romance: I really had an issue with the body he got after Anaea's, despite the fact that she obviously was able to deal with it in the end. It just felt wrong to me, ya know. (Don't worry, it wasn't her brother or something horrible like that.)
Moving on, there are few things that bothered me. Despite its flaws, Immortal Coil was really good. I hope the author will write as fast as she (she?) can. There aren't many dragon-stories that I have read so far, but this one seems to be the first one I actually enjoyed reading.
August 10, 2019
This one surprised me. Usually I'm not a big fan of shifters or werewolves. I'll read them but none really make me go wow. This one did. it was a dragon shifter but there is more to it. The story was a nice mystery (who's trying to kill them and why) with a bubbling romance thrown in.
February 2, 2013
This is a perfect example of a great book ruined by one character. In this case (for me) is the heroine: whinny, 'poor-is-me' complex, indecisive, and a contrived character. A lot of the inner monologues in the story are repeated information from chapter one to the last chapter that if cut off would eliminate 50% of the book's pages.
Other than that the created world is worth visiting, the rest of the characters are memorable, the new take on dragons and its mythology is unique and I would not mind reading more.
This is a book that would appeal to those who would not mind 75% drama in their reads because I am not exaggerating when I said a lot of the story happens in all the character's head that also repeats information over and over again. I guess the author wants to show how dire the situation is but for me it's just too repetitive. Often I find myself skipping because I am reading the same thing read from chapter one just to get to what's next. Why do I kept reading then? Great court intrigue, and when action happens (sporadically as they are) they are worth reading. It also helps that most of the characters are worth watching for because they are individually as interesting as the hero. Further more, the new take on dragons is quite unique for me. I haven't read a book yet that portrayed them in this way.
So if you don't mind verbose story with great yet sporadic action, this book is for you.
Other than that the created world is worth visiting, the rest of the characters are memorable, the new take on dragons and its mythology is unique and I would not mind reading more.
This is a book that would appeal to those who would not mind 75% drama in their reads because I am not exaggerating when I said a lot of the story happens in all the character's head that also repeats information over and over again. I guess the author wants to show how dire the situation is but for me it's just too repetitive. Often I find myself skipping because I am reading the same thing read from chapter one just to get to what's next. Why do I kept reading then? Great court intrigue, and when action happens (sporadically as they are) they are worth reading. It also helps that most of the characters are worth watching for because they are individually as interesting as the hero. Further more, the new take on dragons is quite unique for me. I haven't read a book yet that portrayed them in this way.
So if you don't mind verbose story with great yet sporadic action, this book is for you.
May 5, 2014
June 9 2012
This was offered as free at amazon and I have to say that I am glad I got this book. I would of payed to read it. The plotline is nonstop and solid, a page turn all the way to the end. I could not put it down.
Anaea is someone you can relate too, and Hunter is strong and ferocious, as a dragon should be. I love the chemistry between the two of them, and how their relationship developed, it was done natural and realisic.
The one scene I liked is the shower scene, try taking a shower with a male dragon looking out through your eyes, watching and feeling your every move.
The little bits of dragonish behavior scattered throughout, such as showing a bit of teeth for sexual aggression, are nice touch so you are reminded that you are dealing with dragons and not just humans.
You are completely pulled into this fantasy world, I almost feel like I was there among dragons. Only thing I have to say that I didnt like is that the story ended way to abruptly for me, one minute they are in the middle of a battle next they are flying away, to much left unfinished but I guess a great way to led into the next book.
This is nice change from vampires and werewolves. I look forward to reading more about this fantastic story about dragons.
Reread may 4-5 2014
This was offered as free at amazon and I have to say that I am glad I got this book. I would of payed to read it. The plotline is nonstop and solid, a page turn all the way to the end. I could not put it down.
Anaea is someone you can relate too, and Hunter is strong and ferocious, as a dragon should be. I love the chemistry between the two of them, and how their relationship developed, it was done natural and realisic.
The one scene I liked is the shower scene, try taking a shower with a male dragon looking out through your eyes, watching and feeling your every move.
The little bits of dragonish behavior scattered throughout, such as showing a bit of teeth for sexual aggression, are nice touch so you are reminded that you are dealing with dragons and not just humans.
You are completely pulled into this fantasy world, I almost feel like I was there among dragons. Only thing I have to say that I didnt like is that the story ended way to abruptly for me, one minute they are in the middle of a battle next they are flying away, to much left unfinished but I guess a great way to led into the next book.
This is nice change from vampires and werewolves. I look forward to reading more about this fantastic story about dragons.
Reread may 4-5 2014
June 10, 2012
This book was amazing. There are 2 reasons I did not give it 5 stars and only provided 1. First is that the ending seemed unfinished. There were items toward the end with Grey and the Handmaiden that were never resolved. I am hoping that this will be settled in the next book because just dropping this part of the story would be a waste. Also I try to reserve a top score on a book for reads like JRR Tolkien LOTR series. Baring the classics, this is one of the best fantasy books I have read in a long time. I love dragons, and the tale of how they were almost wiped off the earth and how they have survived was as good as the love story of Anaea and Hunter. Other than the feeling that something was missing, the climax at the end was a treat as I was not expecting the ending.
Thank you Mrs. Black as I can usually tell the ending by the middle of the book and although I was close, the true ending did hold a bunch of twists and turns for me. I was fully entertained from beginning to end. I am hoping the next book will be out soon!!!
Thank you Mrs. Black as I can usually tell the ending by the middle of the book and although I was close, the true ending did hold a bunch of twists and turns for me. I was fully entertained from beginning to end. I am hoping the next book will be out soon!!!
June 6, 2012
Well written, interesting characters, not-cliched fantasy story line. The first chapter sucked me in, and I read it straight thru. Highly recommended, can't wait for the next book! (Now I've got another author I'm thinking "WRITE FASTER" at. I can lend it, but I recommend everyone give her money. I don't think I've liked a first book this much since Kim Harrison's _Dead Witch Walking_. Yes, it's that well written. )
December 11, 2017
**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**
This is a slightly different read to what i have been reading recently, however the book starts with a hard subject. Anaea has been suffering from Cancer and things are bad, she is going to jump off the bridge in Pittsburgh.
The subject is tackled well, however its not a book that pulls you down, by the end you are lifted up and happy things have gone well for our two characters.
We do get points of view from multiple characters, not just the main two characters in a bid to give us a well rounded view of what is happening, but as we get the point of view of the baddie, i feel that it loses the suspense it could have had.
We get to meet characters that are also going to have their own endings and get their points of view at times, so we start to get invested in them, wanting to hear them have their own story.
A good read, certainly giving us a good idea of the world that they inhabit and the law of the dragon kind.
This is a slightly different read to what i have been reading recently, however the book starts with a hard subject. Anaea has been suffering from Cancer and things are bad, she is going to jump off the bridge in Pittsburgh.
The subject is tackled well, however its not a book that pulls you down, by the end you are lifted up and happy things have gone well for our two characters.
We do get points of view from multiple characters, not just the main two characters in a bid to give us a well rounded view of what is happening, but as we get the point of view of the baddie, i feel that it loses the suspense it could have had.
We get to meet characters that are also going to have their own endings and get their points of view at times, so we start to get invested in them, wanting to hear them have their own story.
A good read, certainly giving us a good idea of the world that they inhabit and the law of the dragon kind.
April 17, 2018
A painful and boring read.
July 26, 2019
I enjoyed the whole, two people trapped in one body idea. The magic seemed a bit slap dash and the ending kind of wrapped up without much explanation but it was overall enjoyable.
Read
July 6, 2022Really interesting plot, something I've never read before, but I was bored.
Not sure if it was the writing, failing to connect to the characters, lack of chemistry, etc.
Not sure if it was the writing, failing to connect to the characters, lack of chemistry, etc.
May 3, 2015
Anaea's life is in the gutter and she sees no hope of it looking up, until an unfortunate encounter with a good Samaritan named Hunter turns everything on its head. Both characters, Anaea and Hunter, are easy to engage with. I got a little tired of Anaea's self deprivation, but understood it too. Her strength of will, even in her beaten down state, was something I appreciated. Though I did think that her willingness to put herself in danger in order to establish her independence bordered on the stupid at times. I tend to want to slap such females. Luckily her who personality wasn't based on this characteristic so it wasn't overwhelming. Hunter was smoke' hot, no matter his guise, but I never could figure out why he wanted so badly to protect Anaea in the beginning. It seemed out of character for him, or at least like something the man he had been wouldn't have concerned himself with. I can't forget good old Grey. He was a joy. I can see a sequel based on his character easily.
I really liked the feel of this book. I know that is nondescript. It probably comes down to the language choice as much as the actual events. The end result was a certain appealing tone. My favourite parts, however, were when Hunter's dragon nature slipped through (the tendency to hoard things, the desire to woo a female with shinies and meat, etc). It tended to draw a mental 'Aww' out of me. It's so appealing to see a strong man reduced to acting cute.
I'm did see the solution to Hunter's body problem coming a mile away, but that doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate the sad, poetic justice of it. I also wasn't particularly surprised by the actual reveal that brought around the conclusion at the end. (I'm trying not to give anything away here.) It didn't happen the way I thought it would though, so I still got a surprise. Over-all I'm glad to have read it and will be well up for reading the second when it comes out.
I really liked the feel of this book. I know that is nondescript. It probably comes down to the language choice as much as the actual events. The end result was a certain appealing tone. My favourite parts, however, were when Hunter's dragon nature slipped through (the tendency to hoard things, the desire to woo a female with shinies and meat, etc). It tended to draw a mental 'Aww' out of me. It's so appealing to see a strong man reduced to acting cute.
I'm did see the solution to Hunter's body problem coming a mile away, but that doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate the sad, poetic justice of it. I also wasn't particularly surprised by the actual reveal that brought around the conclusion at the end. (I'm trying not to give anything away here.) It didn't happen the way I thought it would though, so I still got a surprise. Over-all I'm glad to have read it and will be well up for reading the second when it comes out.
June 9, 2012
Wow! This book was amazing balls! First off the whole concept was unbelievably original. I can honestly say I've never read anything like this at all. Anaea was such a ridiculous heroine, seriously I applaud her and all her greatness. Diagnosed with breast cancer, lost her husband, her life and her friends she thinks there is nothing to live for. She decides screw cancer I'm going to die on my terms. She's standing at the rail looking down into the dark cold waters and this is how she decides to die. Till a man tries to talk her out of it. But in the process some psycho comes up and stabs the good Samaritan and her through the shoulder. He makes a decision to throw them over the bridge into the icy death waters below. Good Samaritan then gives Anaea the kiss of her life, bright lights and tingly feelings and all. She opens hr eyes to see the glassed over eyes of her hero. He's dead and she is still alive. Once to the surface she becomes very sleepy. But then we find Hunter, our main hot dragon man, has somehow invaded her mind with her still in it! To say this book lacked action would be a bold face lie! I swear they were fighting for their life almost the whole book to the very last page! And I loved every minute of it. C.I. Black is an amazing author that makes me feel it all. And considering that the whole book is from a third person POV, that's amazing! If I to pick one thing to critique it would be that the end, end was a bit rushed. No this and this happened. Just bam it's over. But I do understand there will be more to this series and I will be first in line to get it! Amazing balls!
October 21, 2017
2.5 stars Ok I liked it up until Hunter got a body. Now normally I would and been on board with that cause now they can progress their relationship and build on the emotional connection and respect they have developed by sharing a body and working together to survive Dragon court and murder attempts. BUT I was super unhappy with the body he ended up with. And how it came about actually made me like Anaea less although up to that point I had liked her strength of will and spirit plenty. Basically from what I can gather Mark was her college boyfriend that she was with for years who she abruptly dumped for her a-hole ex. They cut off contact yet when she turns up on his doorstep desperate and on the run he takes her in and obviously has feelings for her. Instead of leaving she takes advantage, ends up getting him killed, pops her new honey’s spirit into his body and presto they can be together now. It was very off-putting. Prior to this I actually liked Anaea, particulary how her strength of will was stronger than hunters. Which leads me to the next thing that really bugged me. We have super strong willed Anae who couldn’t even surrender control of her body when she tried suddenly popped in and unbreakable cage in her mind that she can’t break no matter how hard she tries when the crazy dragon possesses her. Mind you this dragon was imprisoned in a crazy persons head for hundreds of years so I don’t get why Anaea could resist him at all. It was stupid. And Mother of All did I ever get sick of the overuse of that exclamation. Hunter seemed to preface every second though or statement with that phrase.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2015
One mythological animal that I adore is the ever mighty dragon. So it's plain to see I was really excited about this book. And now that I finished it, I can say it's a good solid read but it wasn't everything I was hoping it to be. The heroine is likable and I really enjoyed how they incorporated the nature of her cancer. It explained a lot of her motives without dulling the character and the hero is also pretty likable as well as the supporting characters.
Although the story also had it's share of problems, what bothered me the most is that when I finished the book, I felt like I finished reading an incomplete novel. Okay, so you're thinking that it's because this is just "Book 1" and that's true, if there was more on the way I wouldn't have felt this abandoned. But the problem is that there is only one book towards this story and it doesn't look like there are any others on the way. There are still all these questions that have been left unanswered and I think it's a bit of a cheap shot to leave so much unresolved for another book.
The overall story is a solid read, I just wish it was more resolved during the end so I wouldn't feel like I was left hanging.
Although the story also had it's share of problems, what bothered me the most is that when I finished the book, I felt like I finished reading an incomplete novel. Okay, so you're thinking that it's because this is just "Book 1" and that's true, if there was more on the way I wouldn't have felt this abandoned. But the problem is that there is only one book towards this story and it doesn't look like there are any others on the way. There are still all these questions that have been left unanswered and I think it's a bit of a cheap shot to leave so much unresolved for another book.
The overall story is a solid read, I just wish it was more resolved during the end so I wouldn't feel like I was left hanging.
August 17, 2012
This book is a bit different than everything else that is out there ... which I thoroughly enjoyed. Dragons, soul sharing, sorcery, with an old world touch. I thought that Anaea was a great heroine. She has every reason to give up on life, but ends up fighting through it all. In turn, Hunter was an awesome hero, his faith in Anaea was great to read about.
If the entire book was written like the last quarter of the book ... it would have been a much better book. The ending wasn't all that pleasurable either ... but endings can be hard. Not that the book wasn't well written. I'm not sure I can put my finger on it ... maybe too many words were put in to uninteresting parts of the plot and not enough in to the more interesting parts.
Either way, I did like the book. I liked the writing as well as the plot and the characters.
If the entire book was written like the last quarter of the book ... it would have been a much better book. The ending wasn't all that pleasurable either ... but endings can be hard. Not that the book wasn't well written. I'm not sure I can put my finger on it ... maybe too many words were put in to uninteresting parts of the plot and not enough in to the more interesting parts.
Either way, I did like the book. I liked the writing as well as the plot and the characters.
June 4, 2012
Here there be dragons. Rather than rehashing the plot points of which those who have posted before me have done a fine job, I will just say a few things.
First, I thought the idea of where the dragons have been lo these many years to be a good and 'buyable' one. Second, I appreciate a good strong female protaganist and I got that. Third, the characters were interesting and deep enough for me to really want to know what happens next to them. Oh, and fourth, there was precious little I could find to wail and gnash over from an editorial perspective in which I am cursed to be perpetually stuck.
I look forward to seeing the next book in the series.
First, I thought the idea of where the dragons have been lo these many years to be a good and 'buyable' one. Second, I appreciate a good strong female protaganist and I got that. Third, the characters were interesting and deep enough for me to really want to know what happens next to them. Oh, and fourth, there was precious little I could find to wail and gnash over from an editorial perspective in which I am cursed to be perpetually stuck.
I look forward to seeing the next book in the series.
August 5, 2017
Great idea - poor execution. You know those baked dishes that sound great in theory, are tasty for the first few bites and then the filling shows up and you have to chew through to reach the bottom which is halfway good? And afterward you ask yourself why you even bothered Yes? Then you know about my reading experience with this book.
If you cut out all the court stuff that was there to soleily (at nauseating length) showcase the parallell culture, you would get an interesting novella.
And the end... (spoilers ahoi)
Black invests over half the book to flesh out court life and makes the reader hate Regis, the king and 3/4th of the court and then they just leave?!?
If you cut out all the court stuff that was there to soleily (at nauseating length) showcase the parallell culture, you would get an interesting novella.
And the end... (spoilers ahoi)
Black invests over half the book to flesh out court life and makes the reader hate Regis, the king and 3/4th of the court and then they just leave?!?
June 14, 2012
Well, who knew that a free Amazon book could out-do far more expensive e-books currently being released! I did enjoy this book from beginning to end. It's well written, strong character development, loved the whole dragon/mage/human thing going on; wonderful NEW urban fantasy author and a story that I look forward to reading/buying more of in the future. Very well done. I highly recommend reading at any price.
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