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Never Deal with Dragons #1
Never Deal with Dragons
Consoling a sobbing dragon and serving pig buffets are just part of the job for Myrna Banks. Working for a mediation firm, it's her job to get humans compensated for damages caused by the dragons who now rule. But her "typical" day is interrupted by Trian Chobardan, an old flame who sneaked out of her bed two years ago, taking her heart and a handful of classified documents with him.
Myrna would love to show Trian the door, but he's been sent by North America's reigning dragon lord for help negotiating a truce with a powerful rival to avert war. Myrna agrees to help, even though she'll be stuck with Trian as a partner.
As the two work together, Myrna finds Trian to be surprisingly supportive—and still irresistibly attractive. Though her brain tells her not to forget his betrayal, her body feels differently. When they learn the enemy dragon lord is planning something no one could have imagined, Myrna has to learn who she can trust before she loses not only her heart, but her life.
Myrna would love to show Trian the door, but he's been sent by North America's reigning dragon lord for help negotiating a truce with a powerful rival to avert war. Myrna agrees to help, even though she'll be stuck with Trian as a partner.
As the two work together, Myrna finds Trian to be surprisingly supportive—and still irresistibly attractive. Though her brain tells her not to forget his betrayal, her body feels differently. When they learn the enemy dragon lord is planning something no one could have imagined, Myrna has to learn who she can trust before she loses not only her heart, but her life.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2013
34 people are currently reading
1105 people want to read
About the author
Lorenda Christensen
6 books62 followersA native of Eastern Oklahoma, Lorenda lives with her husband and two sons in a house that feels far too small during the stay-inside winter months. Lorenda loves chocolate, hates snakes, and despite living two years in Bangalore next-door to a native preparer of Indian cuisine, cannot cook anything but ground beef. She is a recovering nail biter, and is currently celebrating five years bite-
free.
free.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
June 1, 2013
SQUEE!!! I am utterly in love! With this story. With these characters. With Lorenda Christensen. She has created a world so believable, so tangible and sparkling and delicious, I found myself wanting to move there. Brava, Ms. Christensen! This remarkable story will stay with me for a very long time to come.
July 27, 2013
This book is like dragon-style chick lit. And that isn't a bad thing.
In "Never Deal with Dragons", Myrna is a professional dragon mediator. As one of the few humans who can talk to the dragons who have taken over the world, Myrna is in charge of dealing with all of the crap that dragons bring to the human realm. However, is she up to the task of working with her ex-boyfriend on a high profile dragon mediation case that could change her career?
This book was fun and well written, which I didn't quite expect. It was surprisingly clever, super light, and an easy read. Did it keep my attention all the way through? Not 100%. However, the heroine is really likeable and the world is interesting. I enjoyed this book a lot and I'll be looking for more from this author in the future.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
In "Never Deal with Dragons", Myrna is a professional dragon mediator. As one of the few humans who can talk to the dragons who have taken over the world, Myrna is in charge of dealing with all of the crap that dragons bring to the human realm. However, is she up to the task of working with her ex-boyfriend on a high profile dragon mediation case that could change her career?
This book was fun and well written, which I didn't quite expect. It was surprisingly clever, super light, and an easy read. Did it keep my attention all the way through? Not 100%. However, the heroine is really likeable and the world is interesting. I enjoyed this book a lot and I'll be looking for more from this author in the future.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
June 20, 2013
I'm her agent so of course I love it. Seriously guys. Dragons, real ones, big meaty fire-breathing dragons!
November 29, 2025
A genetic mishap while trying to cure cancer creates dragons, moving the humans down on the evolutionary scale. Dragons are now the superior race on the planet.
Myrna Banks, a human able to dragon speak, works for an agency created to help mediate disputes between human and dragons. She should get hazard pay for this job. Dealing with the temperamental dragons can be hilarious or down right terrifying depending on the dragons mood. But nothing prepared Myrna for the reappearance of Trian Chobardan, her ex-boyfriend that stole sensitive documents and disappeared, causing Myrna to be demoted and left her heart broken.
Myrna wants Trian gone, but when the North American dragon lord wants Myrna's help, she is given Trian as a partner. You can't turn down the dragon lord so reluctantly Myran accepts. Trian wheedles away at Myrna's walls around her heart while they traverse a delicate negotiation with the Chinese dragon lord.
When Myrna wasn't dodging pregnant dragon vomit, she was fighting for her life. Trian is the perfect stoic hero, with a wonderful character twist.
Never Deal with Dragons was a fun, action packed and completely original story that made dragons truly come to life as the story marvelously blossoms. Don't miss this fabulously funny and enchanting new story!
I am thrilled to know there is more to come with Dodging the Dragon coming November 2013. I definitely wanted more of this story line.
I received this ARC copy of Never Deal With Dragons from Carina Press in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication July 22, 2013.
Myrna Banks, a human able to dragon speak, works for an agency created to help mediate disputes between human and dragons. She should get hazard pay for this job. Dealing with the temperamental dragons can be hilarious or down right terrifying depending on the dragons mood. But nothing prepared Myrna for the reappearance of Trian Chobardan, her ex-boyfriend that stole sensitive documents and disappeared, causing Myrna to be demoted and left her heart broken.
Myrna wants Trian gone, but when the North American dragon lord wants Myrna's help, she is given Trian as a partner. You can't turn down the dragon lord so reluctantly Myran accepts. Trian wheedles away at Myrna's walls around her heart while they traverse a delicate negotiation with the Chinese dragon lord.
When Myrna wasn't dodging pregnant dragon vomit, she was fighting for her life. Trian is the perfect stoic hero, with a wonderful character twist.
Never Deal with Dragons was a fun, action packed and completely original story that made dragons truly come to life as the story marvelously blossoms. Don't miss this fabulously funny and enchanting new story!
I am thrilled to know there is more to come with Dodging the Dragon coming November 2013. I definitely wanted more of this story line.
I received this ARC copy of Never Deal With Dragons from Carina Press in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication July 22, 2013.
June 27, 2013
***Carina Press through Netgalley provided me with an ARC of this book, I based my review on content alone. ****
4 1/2 stars
Myrna Banks’ job is to help humans get compensation from dragons; an interesting job and hazardous job but one she loves. Well, she used to love. Her boyfriend, Trian, left her without a word and took off with sensitive information from her job; she was demoted and now works as a secretary. While in the middle of mediating a dispute, her ex-walks in and once again her whole life is turned upside down. She and Trian must to work together while dealing with a rival Dragon Lord. Myrna is drawn into a world of lies, violence, hate, revenge, secrets and passion. With her life, and countless others, on the line she doesn't know who or what to trust. I chose this book because of the cover, it’s very eye catching and I am so glad I did. Within the first few pages I was laughing; some of the situations Myrna finds herself in are incredibly hilarious. Other times I found myself rooting for her and hoping that all the characters would live through the danger. The relationship between Myrna and Trian was rife with sexual tension. The foreshadowing in this book is done exceptionally well, major kudos to the author on that front. What I really loved about this book was the scientific explanation on how dragons came into existence; it was both interesting and well thought out. Fans of paranormal romance should add Never Deal With Dragons to the top of their to be read list.
4 1/2 stars
Myrna Banks’ job is to help humans get compensation from dragons; an interesting job and hazardous job but one she loves. Well, she used to love. Her boyfriend, Trian, left her without a word and took off with sensitive information from her job; she was demoted and now works as a secretary. While in the middle of mediating a dispute, her ex-walks in and once again her whole life is turned upside down. She and Trian must to work together while dealing with a rival Dragon Lord. Myrna is drawn into a world of lies, violence, hate, revenge, secrets and passion. With her life, and countless others, on the line she doesn't know who or what to trust. I chose this book because of the cover, it’s very eye catching and I am so glad I did. Within the first few pages I was laughing; some of the situations Myrna finds herself in are incredibly hilarious. Other times I found myself rooting for her and hoping that all the characters would live through the danger. The relationship between Myrna and Trian was rife with sexual tension. The foreshadowing in this book is done exceptionally well, major kudos to the author on that front. What I really loved about this book was the scientific explanation on how dragons came into existence; it was both interesting and well thought out. Fans of paranormal romance should add Never Deal With Dragons to the top of their to be read list.
July 23, 2013
I've tried to write this review 5 times and goodreads won't save it. I give up. I enjoyed this book immensely. Engaging characters and a well plotted storyline hooked me to the end. Adored the heroine. I did wish hero would have grovelled a bit more and they would have made up earlier to facilitate more sexy times. Regardless, I enjoyed this new world and look forward to the second installment.
July 27, 2013
This book grabbed me right from the start. Lorenda Christensen has created a really fabulous world where humans and dragons live side by side in semi-peace. Right around WWIII (yes..three) in an attempt to cure cancer, a doctor mixed up human and reptile DNA, threw it away into an incinerator and three years later, dragons were born. They speak dragonspeak, a foreign language to most humans, except for a select few born with the ability to understand them. Myrna is one of these people who works for Dragon Relations, Arbitration and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation or DRACIM for short. In plain words, Myrna makes peace between humans and dragons when there has been an incident. Although humans outnumber dragons 300,000 to one, dragons are king of the food chain. While we were fighting in WWIII, they were breaking into banks and stealing all of our valuables. They are wealthy, arrogant and in charge.
A year ago Myrna was in love with Trian, a man who works for one of the dragon lords. She thought they were in love until one night Trian leaves her without saying goodbye, and took important paperwork of hers with him. Because she lost these documents, she got demoted at her job, and with Trian walking out on her, her misery level became at an all time high. But now it is a year later, she has moved on but still dealing with a crap position at work. When Trian walks through the door, she knows her day is about to get worse.Myrna is needed to help negotiate some peace between the North American dragons and a ruthless Chinese dragon leader. The idea of this job excites and challenges her and she ends up working quite closely with Trian too.
The first half of this book is really strong. I was so impressed with this world the author has created. I love that the dragons are feared, meat-eaters, some very ruthless, others more shy and timid. They live in houses, they decorate, they speak and then they go out and eat a whole cow. I like that it is set into the future where technology is wiped out because of the war and things are just a little different (although very similar to earth today). There are seven dragon lords, all from the original creation and we get to know two of them in this book.
We were a necessary annoyance. Our race provided things essential to survival, for both dragons and humans. Dragons couldn’t exactly manage their own cattle. And they weren’t too keen on menial labor, such as cleaning, farming and building.
Myrna is a wonderful protagonist. Smart, funny, and a really hard worker. Being a dragonspeaker, she has an edge to a regular human. She is in awe of dragons. She has respect and a healthy fear of them, but they don’t terrify or disgust her. She thinks they are beautiful, each one different colored, shaped and sized. When she has to start negotiations with the leader of the Chinese clan, she learns just how violent and ruthless dragons can be.
This book went a direction I wasn’t necessarily expecting. With some bigger twists and a mystery to solve, it did get a bit tedious towards the end. I was also a little disappointed in the romance. Trian has to win back Myrna’s heart and I felt they had chemistry but a lack of emotion. There isn’t really a lot of time spent with these two romantically. I didn’t mind it the first half while I was so immersed in the world, but I did notice it in the second half.
I think this author has a cool thing going on in this book. She has a great and unique voice. Excited for the next one.
Rating: B
A year ago Myrna was in love with Trian, a man who works for one of the dragon lords. She thought they were in love until one night Trian leaves her without saying goodbye, and took important paperwork of hers with him. Because she lost these documents, she got demoted at her job, and with Trian walking out on her, her misery level became at an all time high. But now it is a year later, she has moved on but still dealing with a crap position at work. When Trian walks through the door, she knows her day is about to get worse.Myrna is needed to help negotiate some peace between the North American dragons and a ruthless Chinese dragon leader. The idea of this job excites and challenges her and she ends up working quite closely with Trian too.
The first half of this book is really strong. I was so impressed with this world the author has created. I love that the dragons are feared, meat-eaters, some very ruthless, others more shy and timid. They live in houses, they decorate, they speak and then they go out and eat a whole cow. I like that it is set into the future where technology is wiped out because of the war and things are just a little different (although very similar to earth today). There are seven dragon lords, all from the original creation and we get to know two of them in this book.
We were a necessary annoyance. Our race provided things essential to survival, for both dragons and humans. Dragons couldn’t exactly manage their own cattle. And they weren’t too keen on menial labor, such as cleaning, farming and building.
Myrna is a wonderful protagonist. Smart, funny, and a really hard worker. Being a dragonspeaker, she has an edge to a regular human. She is in awe of dragons. She has respect and a healthy fear of them, but they don’t terrify or disgust her. She thinks they are beautiful, each one different colored, shaped and sized. When she has to start negotiations with the leader of the Chinese clan, she learns just how violent and ruthless dragons can be.
This book went a direction I wasn’t necessarily expecting. With some bigger twists and a mystery to solve, it did get a bit tedious towards the end. I was also a little disappointed in the romance. Trian has to win back Myrna’s heart and I felt they had chemistry but a lack of emotion. There isn’t really a lot of time spent with these two romantically. I didn’t mind it the first half while I was so immersed in the world, but I did notice it in the second half.
I think this author has a cool thing going on in this book. She has a great and unique voice. Excited for the next one.
Rating: B
August 1, 2015
2.5 Stars
A post apocalyptic world where dragons and humans co-exist in relative peace? Yes, I had to give this a read! And although it in no way rocked, or even shock my world in any way, it was entertaining; funny, a bit of action, a bit of romance but honestly? Also a little forgettable as well.
A post apocalyptic world where dragons and humans co-exist in relative peace? Yes, I had to give this a read! And although it in no way rocked, or even shock my world in any way, it was entertaining; funny, a bit of action, a bit of romance but honestly? Also a little forgettable as well.
September 2, 2019
2.5 stars
August 11, 2016
Never Deal with Dragons by Lorenda Christensen is the first book in the Dragon Trilogy. It is an entertaining read and I enjoyed it very much. It starts out great and you find yourself quickly drawn into a world were dragons roam the earth and sky. The dragons and humans coexists peacefully for the most part. It truly is an intriguing idea for a paranormal series and the world Lorenda Christensen has crafted is both vivid and believable. I admit I wasn’t surprised by a couple of the plot points but I think that’s what the author intended.
The romance is nicely done and I enjoyed Myrna and Trian and their chemistry together. Trian had betrayed her in the past and I liked that Myrna gave him a hard time about it and didn’t fall back into his arms right away. Myrna is a great heroine. She’s intelligent, compassionate and determined. Trian is a little more mysteries because we are not in his head but he is hardworking, strong, gruff and protective. You can tell early on that he still has feelings for Myrna.
In short, Never Deal with Dragons is a great new read. I highly recommend it to fans of paranormal romance.
The romance is nicely done and I enjoyed Myrna and Trian and their chemistry together. Trian had betrayed her in the past and I liked that Myrna gave him a hard time about it and didn’t fall back into his arms right away. Myrna is a great heroine. She’s intelligent, compassionate and determined. Trian is a little more mysteries because we are not in his head but he is hardworking, strong, gruff and protective. You can tell early on that he still has feelings for Myrna.
In short, Never Deal with Dragons is a great new read. I highly recommend it to fans of paranormal romance.
July 2, 2014
Color me surprised. I actually liked this book. :) I wasn't sure I wanted to read it, as it was described as light pnr or chick-lit, and I'm not always in the mood for it.
But the story is in the best section of the shelf: it has world-building, a plot well centred outside the main couple, no bonds! :) It's interesting and well rounded, it's only fault a predictable thread in the plot.
The heroine is no way a doormat as I feared, yes, I'm not happy about women who pine after lost loves (we do in real life already, why would I want to read about it too?), but she's not steam rolled by him and she doesn't fall for his charm immediately. That said the romance was the weakest part of the story for me, her forgiving act way too easy. He's unbelievable in thinking everything is ok, no damage done. And he keeps doing it.
But the story is in the best section of the shelf: it has world-building, a plot well centred outside the main couple, no bonds! :) It's interesting and well rounded, it's only fault a predictable thread in the plot.
The heroine is no way a doormat as I feared, yes, I'm not happy about women who pine after lost loves (we do in real life already, why would I want to read about it too?), but she's not steam rolled by him and she doesn't fall for his charm immediately. That said the romance was the weakest part of the story for me, her forgiving act way too easy. He's unbelievable in thinking everything is ok, no damage done. And he keeps doing it.
January 29, 2019
This was an impulse grab from the Audible Romance Package. It grabbed me from the start. Myrna works for a mediation firm in a post-apocalyptic future society where technology has basically been wiped out and dragons rule the earth. She settles disputes between humans and dragons. When her ex stole some sensitive documents from her a year ago, her fast-track to the top career came to a screeching halt. Now she's stuck working as assistant to an incompetent creep, with no end in sight. She isn't too happy to see her ex when he shows back up. Especially when she realizes he's really the head of security for the Dragon in charge of North America - a position he held when they were together, though she didn't know it.
I really liked Myrna. She was strong, competent and full of snark. The world was really interesting and drew me in right from the start. I did struggle with the romance. I didn't really feel a true connection between Myrna and Trian. Plus, he needed to grovel more. The second half got bogged down with a suspense plot I wasn't all the interested in, but the narrator kept me invested in the story. Overall this was a light, enjoyable read.
I really liked Myrna. She was strong, competent and full of snark. The world was really interesting and drew me in right from the start. I did struggle with the romance. I didn't really feel a true connection between Myrna and Trian. Plus, he needed to grovel more. The second half got bogged down with a suspense plot I wasn't all the interested in, but the narrator kept me invested in the story. Overall this was a light, enjoyable read.
March 8, 2018
I was entertained by the adventurous story. Also the romance had its moments.
On the other hand, I had a hard time following the logic of the plot and the world building. The narrator did ok, but her voice was not for me.
On the other hand, I had a hard time following the logic of the plot and the world building. The narrator did ok, but her voice was not for me.
August 20, 2013
Buddy read with Ange & Cory (click on the links to read their reviews)
In this futuristic world, set sometime after WWIII dragons are definitely at the top of the food chain. They rule over humans like lords of the manor and the humans aren't powerful enough to resist them. Myrna works for DRACIM (Dragon Relations, Arbitration, and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation) and it is her job to help keep the peace between humans and the dragons. This can often be quite a messy business and the kind of things she has to deal with make for hilarious reading. The first line in the book is "It's amazing how often my day starts with a three-legged dragon and an enraged dairy farmer." and I knew from that point that I was in for a fun read.
I actually picked this story up expecting a fairly standard paranormal romance, I love dragons and along with a couple of friends I was looking for something hot and steamy so this looked like it would fit the bill perfectly. As it goes I think the cover is quite misleading because in a lot of ways this one reads more like an urban fantasy, I'm not complaining because I happen to love UF as well as PNR but I do prefer to know what I'm getting when I pick up a book. I loved the unexpected humour right from the beginning, watching Myrna try to hammer out an agreement between a very pregnant and hormonal dragon and the farmer whose livestock has been eaten was very comical and I really liked the way Myrna was so spunky. In fact I quickly warmed to Myrna and had high hopes that she was going to be a fabulous heroine. In a lot of ways she was but when it came down to her ex-boyfriend Trian she turned into a doormat and just let him walk all over her and she lost all my respect for that.
Myrna and Trian had been dating a year and she was dreaming of wedding bells when he vanished overnight taking some of her very sensitive work documents with him and leaving only a very brief note of apology. Since then Myrna's work life has been hell, because she lost the documents she was demoted and she now has to work for the most hopeless boss on the planet who treats her like dirt. There aren't many jobs for dragon speakers though so she doesn't really have any other choice but to accept her current situation. When she is given the task of mediating a dispute between two dragon lords she suddenly finds herself face to face with Trian again for the first time since he left her. Now, the two of them obviously had chemistry and I actually thought Trian was quite nice at first. I was sure he had to have a very, very good reason for abandoning her like he did and I expected a huge apology from him when he explained what had happened. Unfortunately that didn't happen, not only was his reason incredibly pathetic but he hardly gave any form of apology before Myrna had rolled over and forgiven him. I get that Trian is hot but he walked out on you and his actions have made your life a misery for the last year - why would any self respecting woman let a guy get away with that unless he had fallen at their feet begging for forgiveness?
Luckily for me the romance didn't feel like the main focus of this story and I did really enjoy the world building. I loved the fact that there was a reason that dragons had only arrived on the scene fairly recently and I was pleased that they had basically taken over the world because they were so much more powerful. It's not often that supernatural creatures are given the upper hand in stories like this, they are usually living in secret and hiding from the human population so this made a nice change. There were some interesting developments in the ongoing plot that definitely make me curious to see how things will play out. There was a certain amount of predictability to it though and a lot of things were so obvious to me as a reader that I was practically shouting at my kindle hoping one of the main characters would hurry up and figure it out.
Overall, I'd say that while I liked Never Deal with Dragons it didn't quite manage to live up to my expectations. I could have really enjoyed the romance if only Trian hadn't been such an unapologetic idiot and I would have loved the plot if the major twists had been a little less obvious. Considering that this is a debut novel I am prepared to give Lorenda Christensen another chance though because I think this has the potential to be a really fun series (and I do love books about dragons!).
In this futuristic world, set sometime after WWIII dragons are definitely at the top of the food chain. They rule over humans like lords of the manor and the humans aren't powerful enough to resist them. Myrna works for DRACIM (Dragon Relations, Arbitration, and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation) and it is her job to help keep the peace between humans and the dragons. This can often be quite a messy business and the kind of things she has to deal with make for hilarious reading. The first line in the book is "It's amazing how often my day starts with a three-legged dragon and an enraged dairy farmer." and I knew from that point that I was in for a fun read.
I actually picked this story up expecting a fairly standard paranormal romance, I love dragons and along with a couple of friends I was looking for something hot and steamy so this looked like it would fit the bill perfectly. As it goes I think the cover is quite misleading because in a lot of ways this one reads more like an urban fantasy, I'm not complaining because I happen to love UF as well as PNR but I do prefer to know what I'm getting when I pick up a book. I loved the unexpected humour right from the beginning, watching Myrna try to hammer out an agreement between a very pregnant and hormonal dragon and the farmer whose livestock has been eaten was very comical and I really liked the way Myrna was so spunky. In fact I quickly warmed to Myrna and had high hopes that she was going to be a fabulous heroine. In a lot of ways she was but when it came down to her ex-boyfriend Trian she turned into a doormat and just let him walk all over her and she lost all my respect for that.
Myrna and Trian had been dating a year and she was dreaming of wedding bells when he vanished overnight taking some of her very sensitive work documents with him and leaving only a very brief note of apology. Since then Myrna's work life has been hell, because she lost the documents she was demoted and she now has to work for the most hopeless boss on the planet who treats her like dirt. There aren't many jobs for dragon speakers though so she doesn't really have any other choice but to accept her current situation. When she is given the task of mediating a dispute between two dragon lords she suddenly finds herself face to face with Trian again for the first time since he left her. Now, the two of them obviously had chemistry and I actually thought Trian was quite nice at first. I was sure he had to have a very, very good reason for abandoning her like he did and I expected a huge apology from him when he explained what had happened. Unfortunately that didn't happen, not only was his reason incredibly pathetic but he hardly gave any form of apology before Myrna had rolled over and forgiven him. I get that Trian is hot but he walked out on you and his actions have made your life a misery for the last year - why would any self respecting woman let a guy get away with that unless he had fallen at their feet begging for forgiveness?
Luckily for me the romance didn't feel like the main focus of this story and I did really enjoy the world building. I loved the fact that there was a reason that dragons had only arrived on the scene fairly recently and I was pleased that they had basically taken over the world because they were so much more powerful. It's not often that supernatural creatures are given the upper hand in stories like this, they are usually living in secret and hiding from the human population so this made a nice change. There were some interesting developments in the ongoing plot that definitely make me curious to see how things will play out. There was a certain amount of predictability to it though and a lot of things were so obvious to me as a reader that I was practically shouting at my kindle hoping one of the main characters would hurry up and figure it out.
Overall, I'd say that while I liked Never Deal with Dragons it didn't quite manage to live up to my expectations. I could have really enjoyed the romance if only Trian hadn't been such an unapologetic idiot and I would have loved the plot if the major twists had been a little less obvious. Considering that this is a debut novel I am prepared to give Lorenda Christensen another chance though because I think this has the potential to be a really fun series (and I do love books about dragons!).
August 15, 2013
Being a dragonspeaker sounds like the best job! Lovers of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonrider series will conjure up images of humans telepathically communicating with dragons. This is not a book where dragons are like pets with loyalty and honour. Instead, these dragons are the superior race who speak in dragon tongue which only a handful of humans can understand. Myrna Banks is one such human blessed with the skill to understand the hissing and grunting.
How did the dragons become the ruling class? It's a bit far-fetched, but it works for readers enjoying a constructed world. Myrna's job as dragonspeaker is integral to this new world populated by large flying reptiles who tear into sheep and cattle. One would think it's a glorious job. This is not the case. A day in the life of a dragonspeaker can be spent soothing crying pregnant female dragons who vomit barely digested animal parts. Sometimes, it's consoling grieving humans who have lost their pets to a unsanctioned dragon snack. Basically, it's mediating between two different cultures - human and dragons. Myrna excels at negotiating tough situations plus she possesses the heart to do with kindness.
There are a few odd things in this story. Myrna is slated as a secretary instead of a negotiator. This is because of a situation caused by an ex-lover, Trian. Now, once Trian's real job with the North American dragon lord is revealed, some plot holes are exposed. And this is what makes the story a bit average. First, how could Trian not realize the impact of his actions upon Myrna? Second, how is it possible that afterwards, he didn't know what happened to her? Even a year later? Third, how is it conceivable that he doesn't know why Myrna's boss Emory is in an exalted position at DRACIM? These are all fact a person in his high position should know. If he didn't then he's poor at his job. While the first two points is needed to create a conflict between Myrna and Trian, it is a bit weak. The main conflict of this story is good enough to survive on its own. In fact, the main conflict is treated as a side note when it could have been used as a more powerful and intricate plot device. This is of course, a matter of opinion. Is this a paranormal romance or an urban fantasy? As a paranormal romance, the story flows fine and the focus is on the heartbroken Myrna. As an urban fantasy it squeaks by.
The characters Ms. Christensen creates are clearly understandable. The reader comprehend their motivations, selfish or otherwise. There are a couple of intriguing characters, mostly in the form of the dragons. The humans are simplistic. Even the human villain in this story is easy to predict why he behaved the way he did. For Myrna and the dragons to completely miss this is very surprising. This reader figured it out as soon as a tidbit about the character's past was revealed. Honestly, with a past like this characters, how did they get the job they did? It should have been a red flag immediately. While it is used to make the story work, it comes across flimsy. The dragons on the other hand, they are familiar yet a bit foreign. It would be nice to learn more about the dragons. Perhaps even have the dragon as the main character and the story narrated from their point of view could be fascinating. Overall, this book is a light and enjoyable read. It is recommended to dragon lovers who enjoy a good paranormal romance.
*provided by NetGalley
How did the dragons become the ruling class? It's a bit far-fetched, but it works for readers enjoying a constructed world. Myrna's job as dragonspeaker is integral to this new world populated by large flying reptiles who tear into sheep and cattle. One would think it's a glorious job. This is not the case. A day in the life of a dragonspeaker can be spent soothing crying pregnant female dragons who vomit barely digested animal parts. Sometimes, it's consoling grieving humans who have lost their pets to a unsanctioned dragon snack. Basically, it's mediating between two different cultures - human and dragons. Myrna excels at negotiating tough situations plus she possesses the heart to do with kindness.
There are a few odd things in this story. Myrna is slated as a secretary instead of a negotiator. This is because of a situation caused by an ex-lover, Trian. Now, once Trian's real job with the North American dragon lord is revealed, some plot holes are exposed. And this is what makes the story a bit average. First, how could Trian not realize the impact of his actions upon Myrna? Second, how is it possible that afterwards, he didn't know what happened to her? Even a year later? Third, how is it conceivable that he doesn't know why Myrna's boss Emory is in an exalted position at DRACIM? These are all fact a person in his high position should know. If he didn't then he's poor at his job. While the first two points is needed to create a conflict between Myrna and Trian, it is a bit weak. The main conflict of this story is good enough to survive on its own. In fact, the main conflict is treated as a side note when it could have been used as a more powerful and intricate plot device. This is of course, a matter of opinion. Is this a paranormal romance or an urban fantasy? As a paranormal romance, the story flows fine and the focus is on the heartbroken Myrna. As an urban fantasy it squeaks by.
The characters Ms. Christensen creates are clearly understandable. The reader comprehend their motivations, selfish or otherwise. There are a couple of intriguing characters, mostly in the form of the dragons. The humans are simplistic. Even the human villain in this story is easy to predict why he behaved the way he did. For Myrna and the dragons to completely miss this is very surprising. This reader figured it out as soon as a tidbit about the character's past was revealed. Honestly, with a past like this characters, how did they get the job they did? It should have been a red flag immediately. While it is used to make the story work, it comes across flimsy. The dragons on the other hand, they are familiar yet a bit foreign. It would be nice to learn more about the dragons. Perhaps even have the dragon as the main character and the story narrated from their point of view could be fascinating. Overall, this book is a light and enjoyable read. It is recommended to dragon lovers who enjoy a good paranormal romance.
*provided by NetGalley
July 20, 2013
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2013/07/18/...
I love a good dragon story, so when I saw this paranormal romance on NetGalley, I was intrigued by the blurb and the world. I am so glad I got this one, because it was such a fun read.
Myrna has the ability to speak to dragons, who were created by man in a freak accidental lab experiment. She works for an organization that settles disputes between dragons and humans. When the Dragon Lord of the area requests someone to work on a dragon to dragon mediation, Myrna jumps at the chance to kick-start her career.
Trian left Myrna in the middle of the night with no words, and having to deal with the fallout of stolen paperwork. Now he is working as her bodyguard, and finding out just how much he really misses her. But as Myrna finds herself in trouble again and again, Trian will have to reveal his secrets and past in order to keep Myrna safe.
I really loved the world building of this story. It was so unique and different and so incredibly engaging. Usually with paranormal stories that feature dragons there is a magical aspect, or a lot of fantasy undertones. With Christensen, she took a completely different approach and had her dragons be genetically made within a lab, while humans were trying to find a cure for cancer. I absolutely loved that. It was so awesome and kept me flipping pages as fast as I could read.
I do have to say that this story had a very urban fantasy feel to it. The romance was VERY slow to develop, and although I really liked Trian and Myrna. However, I was okay with that as the plot was so wonderfully written. I loved the political aspect, and all the crap that Myrna had to muddle through in order to do her job. I don’t know if Christensen has any plans to make this a series, but if she does, I can only hope that we either get to see more of Myrna and Trian’s adventures, or that we get to meet more couples in this world.
I really liked Myrna, despite her occasional TSTL moments. Although she did some training before going into her medications, she still made some pretty bold – and in my opinion, stupid – moves while dealing with the dragons. That being said, I kinda adored everything else about her. Despite the way she was forced to deal with the downfall of her career, she was still hopeful and optimistic for her life. I feel like there is so much more to her story, and I hope that we get to see more from her.
Since this book was told in the first person, I didn’t feel like we got to know Trian very well. He was kind of a jerk, especially since his history with Myrna is a little muddy. I never really felt like we got a good understanding of who his character really was. Again, if Christensen continues writing about this couple, I hope that we get a chance to delve more into his character.
All in all I think this was a wonderful debut paranormal book. I loved the world building, and Myrna was an all around great heroine. The plot was a great mix of political mayhem, and action. I hope that Christensen continues to grow this world and these characters and that we get to see more of Myrna, get to know Trian better, and spend more time within the dragons world.
I give Never Deal with Dragons a B+
I love a good dragon story, so when I saw this paranormal romance on NetGalley, I was intrigued by the blurb and the world. I am so glad I got this one, because it was such a fun read.
Myrna has the ability to speak to dragons, who were created by man in a freak accidental lab experiment. She works for an organization that settles disputes between dragons and humans. When the Dragon Lord of the area requests someone to work on a dragon to dragon mediation, Myrna jumps at the chance to kick-start her career.
Trian left Myrna in the middle of the night with no words, and having to deal with the fallout of stolen paperwork. Now he is working as her bodyguard, and finding out just how much he really misses her. But as Myrna finds herself in trouble again and again, Trian will have to reveal his secrets and past in order to keep Myrna safe.
I really loved the world building of this story. It was so unique and different and so incredibly engaging. Usually with paranormal stories that feature dragons there is a magical aspect, or a lot of fantasy undertones. With Christensen, she took a completely different approach and had her dragons be genetically made within a lab, while humans were trying to find a cure for cancer. I absolutely loved that. It was so awesome and kept me flipping pages as fast as I could read.
I do have to say that this story had a very urban fantasy feel to it. The romance was VERY slow to develop, and although I really liked Trian and Myrna. However, I was okay with that as the plot was so wonderfully written. I loved the political aspect, and all the crap that Myrna had to muddle through in order to do her job. I don’t know if Christensen has any plans to make this a series, but if she does, I can only hope that we either get to see more of Myrna and Trian’s adventures, or that we get to meet more couples in this world.
I really liked Myrna, despite her occasional TSTL moments. Although she did some training before going into her medications, she still made some pretty bold – and in my opinion, stupid – moves while dealing with the dragons. That being said, I kinda adored everything else about her. Despite the way she was forced to deal with the downfall of her career, she was still hopeful and optimistic for her life. I feel like there is so much more to her story, and I hope that we get to see more from her.
Since this book was told in the first person, I didn’t feel like we got to know Trian very well. He was kind of a jerk, especially since his history with Myrna is a little muddy. I never really felt like we got a good understanding of who his character really was. Again, if Christensen continues writing about this couple, I hope that we get a chance to delve more into his character.
All in all I think this was a wonderful debut paranormal book. I loved the world building, and Myrna was an all around great heroine. The plot was a great mix of political mayhem, and action. I hope that Christensen continues to grow this world and these characters and that we get to see more of Myrna, get to know Trian better, and spend more time within the dragons world.
I give Never Deal with Dragons a B+
February 20, 2015
3.5 stars - I am not sure that Never Deal with Dragons knew exactly what it wanted to be, but I liked it anyway.
Even though Christensen won the 2012 RWA Paranormal Romance Gold Heart Award winner for Never Deal with Dragons (the first book of the DRACIM series), I don't know that I'd have called it paranormal romance. Despite the fact that it lacks the first person POV of Urban Fantasy, the world building here is probably more in that category - the DRACIM universe being based on genetic engineering biting the world on the backside and knocking humans out of their long held place at the top of the food chain leaving the dragons as the ones in charge now. Still, there is that touch of romance and bit of chicklity-ness (clothes shopping and fabulous fashion that has a hard time holding up to dragon encounters) and a wacky tone at the beginning that doesn't really carry through the whole book - but which makes appearances from time to time - and the end result is that it's hard to pin a genre on Never Deal with Dragons.
While the story is pretty mild in the romantic payoff, the conflict between dragonspeaker Myrna and Trian - the guy who did her wrong and left her heart and her previously promising career as a mediator of human/dragon affairs in shambles - is a good one. And while Trian is appealing, since we can see that he regrets his mistake and the cost to Myrna, I really liked that Myrna isn't quick to forgive him and that she takes him to task when she finally finds out the reason for his betrayal. The background story with its fashion demolishing action was good and even though Christensen makes sure that we see where every twist and turn is going ahead of time that didn't bother me - though if I had a nit, I think that Myrna should have seen the last one coming.
So bottom line is that with the melange of the world/romance/story Never Deal with Dragons felt like something different and not the same old same old PNR fare, and I liked it and look forward to the next episode as this trilogy continues with Myrna's friend Carol in the lead in Dodging the Dragons.
ARC via Netgalley
Even though Christensen won the 2012 RWA Paranormal Romance Gold Heart Award winner for Never Deal with Dragons (the first book of the DRACIM series), I don't know that I'd have called it paranormal romance. Despite the fact that it lacks the first person POV of Urban Fantasy, the world building here is probably more in that category - the DRACIM universe being based on genetic engineering biting the world on the backside and knocking humans out of their long held place at the top of the food chain leaving the dragons as the ones in charge now. Still, there is that touch of romance and bit of chicklity-ness (clothes shopping and fabulous fashion that has a hard time holding up to dragon encounters) and a wacky tone at the beginning that doesn't really carry through the whole book - but which makes appearances from time to time - and the end result is that it's hard to pin a genre on Never Deal with Dragons.
While the story is pretty mild in the romantic payoff, the conflict between dragonspeaker Myrna and Trian - the guy who did her wrong and left her heart and her previously promising career as a mediator of human/dragon affairs in shambles - is a good one. And while Trian is appealing, since we can see that he regrets his mistake and the cost to Myrna, I really liked that Myrna isn't quick to forgive him and that she takes him to task when she finally finds out the reason for his betrayal. The background story with its fashion demolishing action was good and even though Christensen makes sure that we see where every twist and turn is going ahead of time that didn't bother me - though if I had a nit, I think that Myrna should have seen the last one coming.
So bottom line is that with the melange of the world/romance/story Never Deal with Dragons felt like something different and not the same old same old PNR fare, and I liked it and look forward to the next episode as this trilogy continues with Myrna's friend Carol in the lead in Dodging the Dragons.
ARC via Netgalley
July 15, 2013
DRACIM agent Myrna Banks has spent the last year of her life cleaning up a cluster of a mess when her ex took off with documents relating to her work. When aforementioned ex, Trian, walks back into her life bringing with him the chance of a lifetime to work with a notorious dragon lord AND fellow DRACIM agent, Myrna can’t really turn him away. She’s not sure why Train betrayed her the way he did, but Myrna is able to mostly turn off her resentment toward him in order to help negotiate a truce between two warring dragon lords. Mostly. Okay, it’s harder than she thought it’d be, and when her resentment starts fading in contrast to her attraction to him, she really starts to berate herself. But Trian carries more secrets than she realizes, and when things really start to get dangerous, she comes to see how deeply involved with the dragons he truly is.
I LOVE, LOVE LOVE this book. What an awesome new fantasy series! I have a soft spot for dragon stories, though I’m kind of particular about the details. There are quite a few shapeshifter/dragon series out there, but very few that really stand out. Never Deal with Dragons definitely does. Ms. Christensen really kicks up the world building, making it a fascinating read as we tail our heroine, Myrna, and her daily trials as a scorned DRACIM agent. I cracked up quite a few times at Myrna’s internal monologue. What really appealed her to me, though, was her vulnerability. She’s kick-ass without being an ass-kicker. She’s more of a cerebral lead as opposed to a sword toting one, and I found it refreshing. This isn’t to say Myrna can’t hold her own, but she definitely knows her limits.
And our hero? He’s an interesting dude, too. It’s obvious from the get-go that there’s more to Trian than meets the eye. I can’t say I was as surprised as Myrna was when the truth of his station comes out, but that didn’t deter from my enjoyment.
Like dragons? Enjoy fantasy? Definitely give Never Deal with Dragons, an RWA Golden Heart Winner, a go! I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next in the series!
I LOVE, LOVE LOVE this book. What an awesome new fantasy series! I have a soft spot for dragon stories, though I’m kind of particular about the details. There are quite a few shapeshifter/dragon series out there, but very few that really stand out. Never Deal with Dragons definitely does. Ms. Christensen really kicks up the world building, making it a fascinating read as we tail our heroine, Myrna, and her daily trials as a scorned DRACIM agent. I cracked up quite a few times at Myrna’s internal monologue. What really appealed her to me, though, was her vulnerability. She’s kick-ass without being an ass-kicker. She’s more of a cerebral lead as opposed to a sword toting one, and I found it refreshing. This isn’t to say Myrna can’t hold her own, but she definitely knows her limits.
And our hero? He’s an interesting dude, too. It’s obvious from the get-go that there’s more to Trian than meets the eye. I can’t say I was as surprised as Myrna was when the truth of his station comes out, but that didn’t deter from my enjoyment.
Like dragons? Enjoy fantasy? Definitely give Never Deal with Dragons, an RWA Golden Heart Winner, a go! I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next in the series!
July 31, 2013
Lorenda Christensen is a new to me author and one I will continue to follow. She wrote a storyline that flows and plots full of intrigues. The world building was concise, and not one time did I feel lost. I simply loved it from the beginning to end.
Ms. Christensen’s dragon world is not your typical dragon story. They are not mythical, nor are they from ancient times. World War III has passed, and human technology has come to bite them in the ass.Due to epic fail of test tube research, Dragons now exist and rule the earth. Though they try to live with humans in a symbiotic relationship, well, they really still rule the land.
Myrna Banks is one of the very few humans that can communicate with dragons. I like Myrna with her job as translator she has the skill to arbitrate issues between humans and dragons. Though the job can be bloody and dirty, she does it well and enjoys doing it. Well here’s where she grows some balls, not only she took a job to facilitate communication between two dragon lords, she agreed to work with her ex boyfriend on this assignment. And anyone knows that’s a mission one broken hearted gal should never have to endure. She will finally find out why this sexy of a man has left her to begin with.
Myrna and Trian are sexy together. I love that they had chemistry they could not resist. Ms. Christensen did a great job with their romance and the steam factor in their relationship. The funny banters, humorous scenes and even the action scenes were impressive. I could not put this book down!
I can’t wait for the second installment of this series called Dodging the Dragons. No release dates set at this time, but I’m hoping for sooner than later.
*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
February 7, 2015
I really enjoyed this story about a young woman dragonspeaker in a future where dragons are now the top of the food chain. I found the dragon creation story interesting, although it left me with some questions. I liked the heroine, she's focused on achieving and is goodhearted, so always does the best job she can, even if it's not in the best interest of her career. I also liked that she took some time to trust again, although she was a bit too wiling to forgive.
Towards the end there is a mystery and it was pretty obvious who was behind it and how it happened. And our heroine was rather obtuse in figuring things out, although I may be realistic as she wasn't trained for intrigue and had no reason not to believe the people she spoke to. There were a few editing errors, including an egregious one where a poker becomes a pen in the middle of an action scene. That threw me out of the story while I reread a few paragraphs several times. However, there were only a couple of places I noticed these errors. Overall I enjoyed the book and how its story progressed. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, which is about a supporting character in this one.
Towards the end there is a mystery and it was pretty obvious who was behind it and how it happened. And our heroine was rather obtuse in figuring things out, although I may be realistic as she wasn't trained for intrigue and had no reason not to believe the people she spoke to. There were a few editing errors, including an egregious one where a poker becomes a pen in the middle of an action scene. That threw me out of the story while I reread a few paragraphs several times. However, there were only a couple of places I noticed these errors. Overall I enjoyed the book and how its story progressed. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, which is about a supporting character in this one.
July 13, 2013
Myrna Banks is a dragonspeaker working as a mediator between humans and the dragons. After World War III, the dragons took over and have ruled ever since. It was another typical day with dragon goo on her clothing, a misunderstanding between a human and dragon, and her boss trying to take the glory for work he did not do. Enter ex-boyfriend and thief Trian to an already trying day, after a year together he stole documents from her home and walked out of her life. Now the group he works with needs her help with a delicate matter, that could cost others their lives.
Not wanting to trust Trian again, Myrna can’t help but take little digs as they come her way, but when he seems hurt by the personal jabs she decides she wants answers. Trying to get them though is difficult when everything wrong about her newest assignment happens.
Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=9006
Not wanting to trust Trian again, Myrna can’t help but take little digs as they come her way, but when he seems hurt by the personal jabs she decides she wants answers. Trying to get them though is difficult when everything wrong about her newest assignment happens.
Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=9006
June 27, 2013
Earth isn’t as we know it today. World War III crippled the economy and most of the earth’s landscape, and an accidental byproduct of genetic splicing has led to a new world order. Humans are no longer the superior race. Dragons are. Not dragon shifters; these are the real deal. DRACIM, Dragon Relations, Arbitration, and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation, was founded to represent both parties and help with a peaceful coexistence. Some humans developed the ability to interpret dragon noises, snorts and huffs into something approximating the human language making communication between the species possible. They are known as dragonspeakers. Myrna Banks is a dragonspeaker and works in the department of Reparations. A simple mission to China, to help negotiate the release of imprisoned scientists, suddenly turns into a dangerous hunt for a weapon of mass dragon destruction, and Myrna finds she has a lot more to lose than just her heart.
Myrna was a delightful character. After the death of her parents, she was raised by foster parents who worked for an elderly dragon. She was well cared and provided for, and that’s where her love and fascination for dragons grew. As an adult, Myrna was dedicated to her job and on a fast track to having a career, until her then boyfriend, Trian Chobarda, ruined those chances and broke her heart. When we meet her, she’s deep in dragon vomit and trying to appease her clients. That opening scene alone on the first page conjured up the most hilarious image. I liked her for her wicked inner monologues, her level of comfort around dragon vomit and animal parts, and the fact that she flipped between bravery and cowardice in the blink of an eye. Trian Chobardan was as sweet as he was intense. He took his duties very seriously, even if it meant having to sacrifice his own happiness. He was pretty reserved for most of the story, except when he went into guardian mode. I could see why he got under her skin so easily and effortlessly. Even if Myrna didn’t want to like him, I sure did!
I didn’t really buy into their chemistry, only because it took them half to three-quarters of the book to resolve their issues from the past. However, the sexual tension was ever present from the first moment since they were reunited, despite her best efforts to ignore it. Since the story is told from Myrna’s POV, we only get her side of the situation until she decides to listen to him. But once they had settled their differences, I loved them as a couple. I just wish it hadn’t taken them so long.
The concept and execution of this story cemented it as a favorite for me. It was rich in humor, imagination, action, and sexual tension. The world building was creative and something I hadn’t read before. I also felt that the author did a fantastic job in detailing the dragons – their appearances, their habits, the different living environments between the US and China, their gross eating habits (um, several cows, goats and pigs were harmed in the making of this story. You’ve been warned). The story moved at a good and believable pace, there were some surprises along the way. I thought the characters were well developed. Of course Myrna stole most of the show, but the author did manage to make a lot of the characters memorable, or rather, identifiable via their unique traits. The romance portion was sweet and sensual. The one love scene wasn’t explicit, so I think this story will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. I laughed, I bit my nails and I cried. Never Deal with Dragons was definitely engaging from the first to the last page.
If you want a different take on a paranormal romance involving dragons and a lot of blood and gore, Lorenda Christensen is a fresh and exciting voice and shouldn’t be missed.
Favorite Moments/Lines:
Trian is explaining to Myrna how he got certain scars.
He grasped my hand and moved it to his chest, just over the center of his heart. He waited until my gaze locked with his. “This one I got a year ago. i was stupid and thought running was a better option than talking.”
~*~
Hop on—we need to get going. I’ve asked them to tie you in tight. The drugs I gave you are pretty stout.”
A half hour later, I was flying high—both literally and figuratively.
“Whoo!” I tilted my head back, wondering why the stars were spinning like a sink full of dishwater. “Trian, this upside down flying is awwwweeesooome!”
The rest of her maiden voyage on dragonback just gets funnier from there.
~*~
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Carina Press via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.
December 20, 2014
The last person Myrna Banks wanted to see was her ex-boyfriend, Trian; the man whom fled from her bed two years ago, taking along some classified documents. The betrayal not only broke her heart, but it damaged her career beyond repair - or so she thought. Unexpectedly, a dragon war is on the horizon, and it's up to Myrna and Train both to try and stop it. Putting aside attractions for the job may be more difficult than she first thought however.
(I reviewed this book via NetGalley for my honest review. I give my thanks to Carina Press publishers for giving me the chance to review it. Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers before reading further.)
It took me only two days to read this book, which is quicker than my usual pace. I admit, I can be excruciatingly slow, unlike those that can read hundreds of books a year, which can add up to one or more a day, I can be distracted enough to let one novel last me weeks. Never Deal with Dragons, however, was addictive and surprisingly a lot of fun. I say "surprisingly", because it was complete and utter chick-lit; humorous, lighthearted, with a touch of romance and a lot of problems regarding clothes. I have no issues with the genre, but it usually doesn't grasp me enough that I find myself unable to put it down. I have a love for dragons in general, which is what attracted me in the first place. At first, I believed it to be simply romance, or erotica (based on the cover), but it was relatively light in those respects and it wasn't what I concentrated on.
The plot itself held mystery, action and some laugh-out-loud moments. Whilst the specifics of how the dragons came to be were a bit silly, the shaping of the world since their creation was extremely well written. The regular dumps of information regarding politics and the like were fascinating, thus they failed to be bothersome. I literally enjoyed every bit of detail, perhaps so much that I didn't really care for the romance side of things. Sure, there was heartbreak and drama, mistakes were made, feelings and hormones were all over the place, but admittedly I felt somewhat indifferent. I just wanted to know more about the dragons!
They came in all shapes, sizes, and colours, some breathing fire and others spitting venom. There were the more fantasy-esque ones, whilst the Chinese dragons were typically serpent-like. They were the rulers of the world and at the top of the food chain. If anything, the world was probably better off with them around and taking over, because humanity itself is nothing but a destructive force, selfish in all ways, and the superior beasts could be seen as a punishment. Nevertheless, I liked how this book made me think on certain subjects, it's something I always appreciate.
The main characters were likable enough, with the leading lady being intelligent as well as entertaining and her counterpart being tall, dark and sexy. Trian did have his obvious flaws and perhaps a lack of brain-cells to boot, but considering who and what he was, it's understandable that errors were made. The situation revolving around the whole relationship certainly wasn't normal; he had a huge secret that could possibly affect the world, with dire consequences. To put all that aside to spare the feelings of one woman? There's love, but then there's utter stupidity. I also liked Carol, the redhead of a best friend, and the assortment of other colourful characters, including the scaly ones.
Thoroughly enjoyed, and the second book in the series (Dancing with Dragons) was published earlier this year and is on my reading list.
Notable Scene:
A popping sound drew my attention back to the dragon lord. Hian-puo's spine bent at an unnatural angle, and something protruded from beneath his ribs.
Oh my God.
"Train?"
"He's morphing."
"I don't... I don't understand." I stared, paralyzed by what I was seeing. The something beneath his ribs was starting to look a lot like a dragon's wing. And the bones in his face were in the process of changing, elongating to form a lean red snout.
© Red Lace 2014
(I reviewed this book via NetGalley for my honest review. I give my thanks to Carina Press publishers for giving me the chance to review it. Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers before reading further.)
It took me only two days to read this book, which is quicker than my usual pace. I admit, I can be excruciatingly slow, unlike those that can read hundreds of books a year, which can add up to one or more a day, I can be distracted enough to let one novel last me weeks. Never Deal with Dragons, however, was addictive and surprisingly a lot of fun. I say "surprisingly", because it was complete and utter chick-lit; humorous, lighthearted, with a touch of romance and a lot of problems regarding clothes. I have no issues with the genre, but it usually doesn't grasp me enough that I find myself unable to put it down. I have a love for dragons in general, which is what attracted me in the first place. At first, I believed it to be simply romance, or erotica (based on the cover), but it was relatively light in those respects and it wasn't what I concentrated on.
The plot itself held mystery, action and some laugh-out-loud moments. Whilst the specifics of how the dragons came to be were a bit silly, the shaping of the world since their creation was extremely well written. The regular dumps of information regarding politics and the like were fascinating, thus they failed to be bothersome. I literally enjoyed every bit of detail, perhaps so much that I didn't really care for the romance side of things. Sure, there was heartbreak and drama, mistakes were made, feelings and hormones were all over the place, but admittedly I felt somewhat indifferent. I just wanted to know more about the dragons!
They came in all shapes, sizes, and colours, some breathing fire and others spitting venom. There were the more fantasy-esque ones, whilst the Chinese dragons were typically serpent-like. They were the rulers of the world and at the top of the food chain. If anything, the world was probably better off with them around and taking over, because humanity itself is nothing but a destructive force, selfish in all ways, and the superior beasts could be seen as a punishment. Nevertheless, I liked how this book made me think on certain subjects, it's something I always appreciate.
The main characters were likable enough, with the leading lady being intelligent as well as entertaining and her counterpart being tall, dark and sexy. Trian did have his obvious flaws and perhaps a lack of brain-cells to boot, but considering who and what he was, it's understandable that errors were made. The situation revolving around the whole relationship certainly wasn't normal; he had a huge secret that could possibly affect the world, with dire consequences. To put all that aside to spare the feelings of one woman? There's love, but then there's utter stupidity. I also liked Carol, the redhead of a best friend, and the assortment of other colourful characters, including the scaly ones.
Thoroughly enjoyed, and the second book in the series (Dancing with Dragons) was published earlier this year and is on my reading list.
Notable Scene:
A popping sound drew my attention back to the dragon lord. Hian-puo's spine bent at an unnatural angle, and something protruded from beneath his ribs.
Oh my God.
"Train?"
"He's morphing."
"I don't... I don't understand." I stared, paralyzed by what I was seeing. The something beneath his ribs was starting to look a lot like a dragon's wing. And the bones in his face were in the process of changing, elongating to form a lean red snout.
© Red Lace 2014
July 13, 2013
Fantastic new series alert! Fans of paranormal romance should put down whatever they are reading and reshuffle those TBR piles, because you will not want to miss this fantastic brand new series from Lorenda Christensen.
Myrna Banks had a promising career at DRACIM (Dragon Relations, Arbitration and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation) with her specialised training, extensive knowledge of dragon history and politics she was on the fast-track to becoming the lead arbitrator of the US Reperations department. That is until her boyfriend Trian Chobardan disappeared after stealing Myrna's sensitive DRACIM paperwork. Myrna not only found herself broken hearted and alone she was also demoted to the lowly position of administrative assistant and became the general dogsbody of Emory Glask the most work shy and god awful boss imaginable.
I loved Never Deal with Dragon's imaginative world building. Sometimes I find the first book in a new series can quickly become a tad boring bogged down with detail when the who, why and whatever of the new world is explained often at great length, thankfully it's not the case here. Let me lay it out for you- Dragons were mistakenly created by humans when a doctor in a bid to cure cancer mixed up human DNA with reptile DNA, the forgotten test tubes were tossed into an incinerator and after a three year incubation period seven dragons were born. In the ten years it took humans to find out about the existence of dragons the original seven had been breeding and their numbers now reached the thousands. These dragons are smart and completely unstoppable which meant that humans were no longer at the top of the food chain, it's the dragons who now rule the world.
A select number of humans managed to work out what all of the dragon snorts, huffs and smoke streams actually meant and they become known as dragonspeakers. It was only when the first dragonspeaker Joseph Green was able to negotiate with the dragons that an all out war between dragons and humans was averted. Joseph Green then set up the offices of DRACIM in locations around the world where the seven original dragons and their clans had settled. Our heroine Myrna is one of the dragonspeakers in Tulsa the US office.
It's whilst in the middle of settling a dispute by a local farmer who has lost his beloved pet cow Annabelle to a pregnant, temperamental and slightly peckish dragoness that Myrna covered in dripping cow guts finds her Trian has walked back into her life. Trian needs the assistance of DRACIM and in particular Myrna to negotiate between his boss the reigning US Dragonlord Lord Relobu and the unstable and dangerous Chinese Dragonlord Hian-puo who has taken a team of Lord Relobu's men and dragons hostage.
I liked Myrna right from the start, forced to put up with her dogsbody role in DRACIM her love of dragons and sense of humour shines throughout. Myrna is clearly capable of much more she singlehandedly runs the whole department but gets none of the glory and has to put up with a boss that would drive the most patient person insane. Myrna is not only forced to negotiate, bluff and dodge death in her dealings with the Chinese dragons she also has to work with her very secretive but fascinating ex-boyfriend to avert another full out dragon vs. human war. The tension between Myrna and Trian was well played throughout, although I knew there was more to Trian than just being the US Dragonlord's master spy I was kept guessing and the little twists in the tale certainly took me by surprise.
The minute I finished Never Deal with Dragons I was right on the interwebz to find out if this was the first part in a series, it has so much potential and I would definitely reshuffle my enormous TBR pile to read the next episode. And yay! Lorenda Christensen confirmed on Facebook that Never Deal with Dragons is indeed the first in a three part series and the second book Dodging the Dragons will be Carol's (Myrna's pal) story due out sometime next year. Write faster Lorenda you've got yourself a new fan! 4.5 out of 5
March 9, 2014
Originally published at Reading Reality
I picked this one up because Cass liked it. The idea that Cass liked anything with even a smidgen of romance made this one too tempting to resist.
Never Deal with Dragons turned out to be way too much fun for a story that starts after World War III, but then, the causes (and effects) of that war are all part of what makes this story such a blast.
Somebody really screwed up genetic manipulation, and instead of curing cancer, they created dragons by accident. That’s one heck of an accident, especially since those brand new dragons got such an interesting mix of genes that they are pretty much indestructible, at least by anything that humans can cook up.
Mankind is no longer the apex predator on Earth. The societal consequences are enormous. If it weren’t for the fact that dragons find us useful (we farm, they don’t), the dragons would probably have wiped us out in a heartbeat.
Especially since the results of that war include global cooling and a nearly complete breakdown of telecommunications due to too much EMP radiation. We’ve lost a lot of history and communication, and everyone wants to live in the new temperate zones, which have shrunk and moved towards the equator.
This is only the beginning of the worldbuilding, which is fantastic as well as incredibly well thought out.
Our heroine is a dragon mediator. She speaks dragon. The lord dragon of North America prefers to negotiate rather than fight or enslave when there’s a dispute between dragons and humans, such as when a dragon eats a bunch of cows without asking permission first. Smoothing over everyone’s feathers and scales is definitely required.
But Myrna Banks is stuck in a dead end secretarial job (to an asshat boss) because even though she is one of the few dragonspeakers, she lost some confidential documents a couple of years ago. She says she lost them, but her ex-lover actually stole them, on his way out the door in the middle of the night.
Trian Chobardan is back, and with a job offer. It turns out he works for that reigning dragon lord, and Lord Relobu wants a dragonspeaker to mediate between himself and the crazy-but-powerful Dragon Lord of China.
Myrna sees the mission as her chance to get out of her dead-end job and back onto the fast-track. She just has to ignore her still-definitely-simmering attraction to Trian--and all the dragons who suddenly want to kill her.
Escape Rating A: This one is all about the dragons, and the new society that is created in their wake. And it’s awesome.
The reactions of the people involved in this thing are just so much fun, even when the people are dragons.
Myrna is in such an interesting position, because even though her talents are needed, there are a lot of humans who don’t want to admit that the world has changed. They hate dragons, and therefore undervalue anyone who can communicate with them. There’s an element of human society that thinks they can go back to the “good old days” if they just manage to eliminate the dragons. This is so short-sighted, because they don’t have a way to get rid of all the dragons, and because things never go back to the way they used to be. That genie is long past out of the bottle. (Yes, I see it as a commentary on current society, as always, your mileage may vary)
I liked Myrna a lot. She’s a great point of view character because she understands both sides. And because she’s a mediator and negotiator rather than a warrior. It’s marvelous to see someone who fights with their brains first as the heroine.
I also liked that, as much as she’s still attracted to Trian, they don’t get back together until he comes clean about his betrayal, his disappearance from her life, and his true identity. He has to rebuild her trust, and it takes the entire story for that to happen. And so it should.
I picked this one up because Cass liked it. The idea that Cass liked anything with even a smidgen of romance made this one too tempting to resist.
Never Deal with Dragons turned out to be way too much fun for a story that starts after World War III, but then, the causes (and effects) of that war are all part of what makes this story such a blast.
Somebody really screwed up genetic manipulation, and instead of curing cancer, they created dragons by accident. That’s one heck of an accident, especially since those brand new dragons got such an interesting mix of genes that they are pretty much indestructible, at least by anything that humans can cook up.
Mankind is no longer the apex predator on Earth. The societal consequences are enormous. If it weren’t for the fact that dragons find us useful (we farm, they don’t), the dragons would probably have wiped us out in a heartbeat.
Especially since the results of that war include global cooling and a nearly complete breakdown of telecommunications due to too much EMP radiation. We’ve lost a lot of history and communication, and everyone wants to live in the new temperate zones, which have shrunk and moved towards the equator.
This is only the beginning of the worldbuilding, which is fantastic as well as incredibly well thought out.
Our heroine is a dragon mediator. She speaks dragon. The lord dragon of North America prefers to negotiate rather than fight or enslave when there’s a dispute between dragons and humans, such as when a dragon eats a bunch of cows without asking permission first. Smoothing over everyone’s feathers and scales is definitely required.
But Myrna Banks is stuck in a dead end secretarial job (to an asshat boss) because even though she is one of the few dragonspeakers, she lost some confidential documents a couple of years ago. She says she lost them, but her ex-lover actually stole them, on his way out the door in the middle of the night.
Trian Chobardan is back, and with a job offer. It turns out he works for that reigning dragon lord, and Lord Relobu wants a dragonspeaker to mediate between himself and the crazy-but-powerful Dragon Lord of China.
Myrna sees the mission as her chance to get out of her dead-end job and back onto the fast-track. She just has to ignore her still-definitely-simmering attraction to Trian--and all the dragons who suddenly want to kill her.
Escape Rating A: This one is all about the dragons, and the new society that is created in their wake. And it’s awesome.
The reactions of the people involved in this thing are just so much fun, even when the people are dragons.
Myrna is in such an interesting position, because even though her talents are needed, there are a lot of humans who don’t want to admit that the world has changed. They hate dragons, and therefore undervalue anyone who can communicate with them. There’s an element of human society that thinks they can go back to the “good old days” if they just manage to eliminate the dragons. This is so short-sighted, because they don’t have a way to get rid of all the dragons, and because things never go back to the way they used to be. That genie is long past out of the bottle. (Yes, I see it as a commentary on current society, as always, your mileage may vary)
I liked Myrna a lot. She’s a great point of view character because she understands both sides. And because she’s a mediator and negotiator rather than a warrior. It’s marvelous to see someone who fights with their brains first as the heroine.
I also liked that, as much as she’s still attracted to Trian, they don’t get back together until he comes clean about his betrayal, his disappearance from her life, and his true identity. He has to rebuild her trust, and it takes the entire story for that to happen. And so it should.
September 4, 2013
This book started out so well, only to take a sharp downward turn in the last third or so. The first half to two-thirds was a fun, contemporary romance with dragons! I loved the urban fantasy blend of the real world, with its bureaucracy and crappy bosses, and the mythological world of dragons! The book was funny and light, which was just what I wanted.
The heroine, Myrna, was smart and extremely competent at her job, which was fun to read. I wasn't crazy about the hero, the brooding, silent, mysterious Trian, and I didn't really get what Myrna saw in him, but I was willing to believe the book would eventually show me.
It didn't.
Unfortunately, the last third of the book was a train wreck. Myrna, who had been so smart and insightful about people up until now, suddenly became too stupid to live.
Her worst sin as a too-stupid-to-live heroine, though, came at the end, during her climactic confrontation with
Also, Trian was a jerk from beginning to end imo, and the book never redeemed him. Myrna and Trian were together a few years ago, when Trian stole a highly confidential work file from Myrna and skedaddled without even saying goodbye. Quite a way to dump someone, huh? Myrna was demoted (which is why she was working for her incompetent boss) as a result. He somehow does not realize that his theft would have negative consequences for her at work until she spells it out for him! And his big excuse, the reason why he took the file?
So, to sum up:
PROS
1. Fun, light, funny style
2. Dragons!
3. Smart, funny, competent heroine
CONS
1. Style looses its humor in the last third of the book, becoming SUPER SERIOUS all the time (and, I'm sorry, I just can't really take a dragon romance too seriously)
2. An extremely obvious villain
3. The heroine suddenly becomes too stupid to live in the last third of the book
4. The hero is a jerk who never redeemed himself
It was frustrating because this book had so much promise and potential, but in the end, I just can't recommend it. TWO THUMBS DOWN.
The heroine, Myrna, was smart and extremely competent at her job, which was fun to read. I wasn't crazy about the hero, the brooding, silent, mysterious Trian, and I didn't really get what Myrna saw in him, but I was willing to believe the book would eventually show me.
It didn't.
Unfortunately, the last third of the book was a train wreck. Myrna, who had been so smart and insightful about people up until now, suddenly became too stupid to live.
Her worst sin as a too-stupid-to-live heroine, though, came at the end, during her climactic confrontation with
Also, Trian was a jerk from beginning to end imo, and the book never redeemed him. Myrna and Trian were together a few years ago, when Trian stole a highly confidential work file from Myrna and skedaddled without even saying goodbye. Quite a way to dump someone, huh? Myrna was demoted (which is why she was working for her incompetent boss) as a result. He somehow does not realize that his theft would have negative consequences for her at work until she spells it out for him! And his big excuse, the reason why he took the file?
So, to sum up:
PROS
1. Fun, light, funny style
2. Dragons!
3. Smart, funny, competent heroine
CONS
1. Style looses its humor in the last third of the book, becoming SUPER SERIOUS all the time (and, I'm sorry, I just can't really take a dragon romance too seriously)
2. An extremely obvious villain
3. The heroine suddenly becomes too stupid to live in the last third of the book
4. The hero is a jerk who never redeemed himself
It was frustrating because this book had so much promise and potential, but in the end, I just can't recommend it. TWO THUMBS DOWN.
July 23, 2013
I picked this book up for three reasons:
Hot man with sexy dragon tattoo
Great blurb
I heard that it had won the prestigious 2012 Golden Heart from RWA in the paranormal romance category.
After reading it, I thoroughly get why it won the Golden Heart. The first fifty, or even one hundred pages were spectacular. The book as a whole was great! Unfortunately, there was a minor problem toward the end that knocked my appreciation of this book from 5 stars to 4.
First, Dragons is set in a future Earth, after World War III and a genetic experiment that was supposed to be tossed but instead first bred dragons. The dragons have pretty much taken over, and a select few humans are able to speak the dragon language (Dragon-Speakers, of which Myrna is one). Her typical day is pretty much like the blurb says, dealing with puking dragons and disputes over improperly eaten sheep and cows. Not glamorous, but it pays the bills, right?
She used to be in a better job, but thanks to Trian ended up getting a demotion. Well, he roars back into her life as DRACIM (the organization that helps coordinate human/dragon peace) tries to find out what the Chinese dragon Hing-puo is up to.
There's definitely heat between Trian and Myrna from the first time they step onto the page, even as they've got definite issues between them. It grows as she tries to figure out if she can trust him again, and she learns the truth as to why he stole the paperwork he stole from her. The Chinese war-lord made for a great villain with a fascinating secret of his own.
The world building is second to none. I felt the entire set-up as to how dragons came into existence was incredibly plausible (fantastical, but at least plausible, although of course I have my doubts as to whether anyone would survive World War III. Heh.
My only gripe was how absolutely obvious one of the villains. I IDd him the second he revealed one minor detail about his background. His motives were very cliche. I can see why Myrna didn't figure it out immediately, but her gullibility later on when she's told something by this villain, without any semblance of corroboration from anyone, just left me with my jaw hanging open.
There's a rich cast of secondary characters and I sincerely hope there will be more books set in this world. I know I'll snap them up to read as soon as I possibly can. This book totally, COMPLETELY deserved the Golden Heart.
Thank you, Ms. Christensen, and thank you Carina Press, for offering me the chance to read this book.
Hot man with sexy dragon tattoo
Great blurb
I heard that it had won the prestigious 2012 Golden Heart from RWA in the paranormal romance category.
After reading it, I thoroughly get why it won the Golden Heart. The first fifty, or even one hundred pages were spectacular. The book as a whole was great! Unfortunately, there was a minor problem toward the end that knocked my appreciation of this book from 5 stars to 4.
First, Dragons is set in a future Earth, after World War III and a genetic experiment that was supposed to be tossed but instead first bred dragons. The dragons have pretty much taken over, and a select few humans are able to speak the dragon language (Dragon-Speakers, of which Myrna is one). Her typical day is pretty much like the blurb says, dealing with puking dragons and disputes over improperly eaten sheep and cows. Not glamorous, but it pays the bills, right?
She used to be in a better job, but thanks to Trian ended up getting a demotion. Well, he roars back into her life as DRACIM (the organization that helps coordinate human/dragon peace) tries to find out what the Chinese dragon Hing-puo is up to.
There's definitely heat between Trian and Myrna from the first time they step onto the page, even as they've got definite issues between them. It grows as she tries to figure out if she can trust him again, and she learns the truth as to why he stole the paperwork he stole from her. The Chinese war-lord made for a great villain with a fascinating secret of his own.
The world building is second to none. I felt the entire set-up as to how dragons came into existence was incredibly plausible (fantastical, but at least plausible, although of course I have my doubts as to whether anyone would survive World War III. Heh.
My only gripe was how absolutely obvious one of the villains. I IDd him the second he revealed one minor detail about his background. His motives were very cliche. I can see why Myrna didn't figure it out immediately, but her gullibility later on when she's told something by this villain, without any semblance of corroboration from anyone, just left me with my jaw hanging open.
There's a rich cast of secondary characters and I sincerely hope there will be more books set in this world. I know I'll snap them up to read as soon as I possibly can. This book totally, COMPLETELY deserved the Golden Heart.
Thank you, Ms. Christensen, and thank you Carina Press, for offering me the chance to read this book.
June 30, 2013
Never Deal with Dragons appears to be the first published book by Lorenda Christensen. I have to say that she knocked the ball out of the park with the story. Here is why:
Worldbuilding: This is a complicated world and I understood it immediately. The world building shows up throughout the book. It is wrapped in dialog and shows up at just the right points. Within a few pages I understood the basics and those were presented in an active not a passive voice. That method continued throughout the book. Very, Very difficult to do and very well done.
Characters: Myrna Banks and Trian Chobardan are the two main characters. The book opens with a scene featuring Myrna and the basics of her character are presented there. Again it is done within the context of the story and is developed as the book moves forward. Trian is more of a mystery but it is a mystery that fits the story. There are a few clues to who or what Trian is. See if you spot them. There are some very well developed side characters that are essential to the story. The dragons are the least developed as this story focuses on the humans and how they deal with dragons.
Plot: Everything builds from the actions of the characters. What seems simple at first gets more complicated as the story progresses. Each element is introduced and developed in a progression that keeps the story moving even as surprises are added. Everything moves and builds in a way that kept me reading and in some cases guessing.
Writing: There is nothing in the writing that interrupts the flow and tension of the story. This is a well-constructed book with excellent writing.
Tension: There are numerous elements that produce the tension in the story. There is the past relationship between Myrna and Trian, the problem between the two dragon lords, the relationship between dragons and humans, and the need to prevent a war that would devastate both humans and dragons.
Never Deal with Dragons is a book I could not put down. There were some unresolved issues at the end so I wonder if it will be the first book in a series. The world Lorenda Christensen built is large enough for more than one future story.
Carina Press will release NeverDeal with Dragons by Lorenda Christensen on July 22, 2013. I suggest you preorder so you can start reading immediately.
I received a free eARC of NeverDeal with Dragons from NetGalley.
July 18, 2013
3.5
After World War III society has changed drastically. Cell phones and television aren’t very prevalent, we are no longer fighting over oil rights and have gone back to kerosene lights. Oh and there are dragons, lots of dragons and they are now at the top of the food chain.
Myrna Banks is a mediator between dragons and humans, getting compensation for the humans when dragons cause damages. She is also a dragon speaker, speaks the language of the dragons. When a new job opportunity comes her way she jumps at the chance to work for the most powerful dragon in North America. Unfortunately it comes with working alongside an ex that stole from her and broke her heart. Trian Chobardan had his reasons for taking documents from Myrna but he can’t bring himself to explain them so he has to live with Myrna’s anger toward him.
Myrna and Trian have a pretty uncomfortable relationship for about the first half of the book. Each time Trian tries to talk to Myrna he gets brushed off and she nurses her mad for a long time. I could see where she was coming from but as the book went on I really wanted them to just sit down and have a conversation about what had happened when he left the previous year. I did enjoy how Myrna didn’t wait for someone to save her. She was tough when she needed to be but she was never hard. I liked that about her.
I really enjoyed the set up of this world. There are a lot of questions and wonderings that I have left but I think that Christensen did a nice job of explaining the world but not bombarding the reader with so much information that it was difficult to read. It was told in first person point of view from Myrna’s perspective so there was an underlying humor to a lot of the events that made for a very enjoyable read. There were several twists and turns in the plot that keeps the reader on their toes until the end.
After World War III society has changed drastically. Cell phones and television aren’t very prevalent, we are no longer fighting over oil rights and have gone back to kerosene lights. Oh and there are dragons, lots of dragons and they are now at the top of the food chain.
Myrna Banks is a mediator between dragons and humans, getting compensation for the humans when dragons cause damages. She is also a dragon speaker, speaks the language of the dragons. When a new job opportunity comes her way she jumps at the chance to work for the most powerful dragon in North America. Unfortunately it comes with working alongside an ex that stole from her and broke her heart. Trian Chobardan had his reasons for taking documents from Myrna but he can’t bring himself to explain them so he has to live with Myrna’s anger toward him.
Myrna and Trian have a pretty uncomfortable relationship for about the first half of the book. Each time Trian tries to talk to Myrna he gets brushed off and she nurses her mad for a long time. I could see where she was coming from but as the book went on I really wanted them to just sit down and have a conversation about what had happened when he left the previous year. I did enjoy how Myrna didn’t wait for someone to save her. She was tough when she needed to be but she was never hard. I liked that about her.
I really enjoyed the set up of this world. There are a lot of questions and wonderings that I have left but I think that Christensen did a nice job of explaining the world but not bombarding the reader with so much information that it was difficult to read. It was told in first person point of view from Myrna’s perspective so there was an underlying humor to a lot of the events that made for a very enjoyable read. There were several twists and turns in the plot that keeps the reader on their toes until the end.
July 6, 2013
Lorenda Christensen may be a new to me author however Never Deal with Dragons proves to be a funny, suspenseful and exciting paranormal romance with sexy dragons and a spunky heroine that is a fantastic read from the beginning paragraph to the final sentence.
Set in a world after World War III when the we find out we share the planet with dragons Myrna has the ability to speak to dragons and as one of the few who do she works at providing mediation between dragons and humans. The opening scene of the book where Myrna is mediating a dispute between a farmer and a pregnant dragon who ate his cow is hysterical. In addition to being funny there are several situations where Myrna must work with her ex-boyfriend Trian to help the local Dragon Lord with getting his people back from the Dragon Lord of China that turn out to be anything but easy.
The secondary characters in Never Deal With Dragons have as much to do with propelling the story line along as the hero and heroine and they are well written and used well in the plot. This book is not erotic it does have some sexual tension between Myrna and Trian and one pretty good sex scene but nothing explicit.
I enjoyed the adventures of Trian and Myrna and would love to see future books set in the same world with some of the secondary characters getting their chance as hero or heroine.
I received my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Set in a world after World War III when the we find out we share the planet with dragons Myrna has the ability to speak to dragons and as one of the few who do she works at providing mediation between dragons and humans. The opening scene of the book where Myrna is mediating a dispute between a farmer and a pregnant dragon who ate his cow is hysterical. In addition to being funny there are several situations where Myrna must work with her ex-boyfriend Trian to help the local Dragon Lord with getting his people back from the Dragon Lord of China that turn out to be anything but easy.
The secondary characters in Never Deal With Dragons have as much to do with propelling the story line along as the hero and heroine and they are well written and used well in the plot. This book is not erotic it does have some sexual tension between Myrna and Trian and one pretty good sex scene but nothing explicit.
I enjoyed the adventures of Trian and Myrna and would love to see future books set in the same world with some of the secondary characters getting their chance as hero or heroine.
I received my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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