You like Dragons? You like Royal Dragons in the world of humans? I do... and I definitely liked this book! It was a gorgeous, amusing and thoroughly delightful read. It was so unlike any Raven Storm book I've read, at least the first half was, so lighthearted, so easy to read, the humour wrapped up nicely in very likeable characters. I was smiling through most of the book at the banter and dialogue, the flow was just perfect. The lightheartedness took a back seat about halfway through, making way for tension, drama and action. Not an in your face weapon wielding action but actions of the heart, actions of alliances, actions of the unknown.
I loved the idea of Dragons living a very human like life, you know, mom and dad working, kids being kids. With a slight difference, there isn't a normal dating routine, there's something called the Drakken Games where one participates to find one's mate. It can be brutal but that doesn't stop Sakala from entering, not to find a mate but to find freedom. Freedom from the mundane life she is living, freedom from society's expectations, freedom to choose. But hells bells did this NOT turn out as she expected! Since they were kids, Prince Fane and Sakala have been pitting their prowess against each other, who is faster, who is better, who is more savvy. And neither can stand the other....Fane, well yes, he's rather infantile, getting up to so many things frowned upon but he's the heir apparent and such behaviour isn't appropriate. And when he finds out Sakala has entered the Games, nothing will stop him from entering, trying to best her. I got quite a few giggles out of them, their banter and their reactions to what was happening. And goodness, NOTHING like they expected!
Fate is a fickle thing and fate has manipulated them to such an extent that they are left reeling! I really enjoyed their journey to the mainland, the revelations that literally hit them in the face and the beautiful steady growth of both of them. Although Sakala still tries to deny it all, it was really a sweet transformation of Fane. No longer the spoilt impetuous Prince, he shows his caring and compassionate, he shows his respect and love, not only for Sakala but for all the races at risk from an invasion. Loved watching his evolution! Sakala took a while to get there, but she did. Geesh, her stubbornness was almost her undoing! The powers she gains are so unexpected and so unusual, people either fear her or are in awe of her. I loved the sweet naivety of them both in the beginning and how when shown how sheltered they both had been, their conviction to help, to make a better world where all races, joined in alliance, can prevale against a great evil threatening them all.
The characters we pick up along the are just as sweet and engaging, take Astrid for instance, a half breed witch who's powers are, ummm, different. And Theo, a human Prince, who isn't the scheming self centred human as his father, he truly has the interest at the fore. It wasn't a particularly fast paced book, it steadily progressed in a timely manner, one I certainly appreciated as I followed each action and reaction. I loved the politics playing out, the way each race was S secular, until Fane and Sakala changed all that. These two were an absolute pleasure to get to know! Even though this is a standalone, I really hope the author sees fit to continue with these two unlikely but immensely likeable heros.