Court of Dragons and Vows

Dragon Crown #2

by G. Bailey

The dragons of the west need riders, and to survive, I must become one of them.

After barely surviving The Dragon Crown Test, I wake up in the desert at the mercy of the Dragon Riders and their brutal Commander. They come for me, my dragon kings, even when I didn’t expect them to get out alive. The dragon kings make an uneasy alliance with the dragon riders, both with a common goal to stop the Sorcerer before he gets too powerful. But they have secrets and they won’t tell me any of them.

My new shadow dragon knew I was coming to him. He claims I’m his destined mate... and he isn’t the only one with that claim.

Old magic and Greek Gods are real, and they won’t stop until they have claimed Ayiolyn.

In this world of dragon riders, complicated love, and Greek Gods, I need to become stronger.

I’m the princess of the Fifth Court, and I was born to rule.

This is a full-length enemies to lovers fantasy romance with dragon shifters, a badass heroine and possessive alpha males. Perfect for fans of spicy fantasy whychoose? romance. This book two.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Romance, Magic, Why Choose, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2023

About the author

G. Bailey is a USA Today bestselling author of books that are filled with everything from dragons to pirates. Plus, fantasy worlds and breath-taking adventures. Oh, and some swoon-worthy men that no girl could forget.
G. Bailey is from the very rainy U.K. where she lives with her husband, two children and three cheeky dogs.

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest here - there are parts of this that reads a bit like Fourth Wing fanfic. However, I was slumping after finishing Iron Flame, and I was really in the mood for more sentient dragons, and this thoroughly did the trick. It's a very quick and easy read. This is a fantasy why choose that pits dragon-shifter kings against a race of people who ride "wild dragons," with some Greek mythology elements mixed in.

The 1st book involved a hunger games-type competition between human girls who were all kidnapped and are being forced to fight to become 1 of the 4 dragon kings' wife to save the magic of the realm. However, all 4 kings feel a strange attraction/obsession to 1 specific (seemingly human) girl who is basically dominating the competition. Book 2 picks up where we left off with Ellelin stranded in the West amongst the dragon riders after she was injured and thrown through a portal to there by the evil sorcerer during the Earth Test at the end of book 1. The 4 dragon kings are all imprisoned but make a (stupid) deal so that they can find Ellelin and ensure her safety. During her time with the dragon riders, Elle is now forced to become a dragon rider herself and bonds with a dragon that "marked her." The whole scene with Elle trying to learn how to ride a dragon and being unable to stay seated on the dragons' back while the dragon was getting increasingly mad at her was very Violet-Sorrengail-coded, but whatever. I can appreciate a fanfic-type story when it is retelling a story that i love.

The world-building in this book is a little shaky; I'm not sure how much I like the sudden introduction of all of these Greek gods, but it honestly was more of a subplot (for me) to the romance and character/relationship development. I don't really understand the motivations or dynamics between Ares, Aphrodite, Hera, etc.

I like the female main character in this book (Ellelin), as well as the female side characters (Hope and Livia) and love interests (Arden, Lysander, Emrys, Grayson, and Terrin). i'm looking forward to learning more about her shadow mate and seeing Lysander stop being such an ass. Everyone was a bit dumber in this book, but the book is so short and sweet that it's fine.

I am a little hesitant about the plot that is being hinted at for the next book. I didn't really love the cliffhanger. It kind of feels like the entire plot from book 1 is about to repeat itself. I think it's dumb if she is once again entering a new competition to win one of the king's hand in marriage. I also don't trust Arty still.

[Cheyyleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead, but this barely squeaked by with a three. I love this author...but.




Alright let's start with the fact that this book is short and relatively boring for the short amount of time we spend in the fantasy. We barely get real connection but we get some "I love yous" we also get her maybe having another mate? But he's a dragon that we get 4 whole sentences from? No body spills any of their secrets, nothing progressed and in the end we get a 4 page of excitement when she gets her memories back. I feel just disappointed because I always love this author and can find connection and don't get easily bored but here we are. With a 2.6 if I'm being honest.


Also trigger warning would be good. Attempted sexual assault with the fmc being drugged.

[Stary Eyed Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

….It Tried

I think this book just had too many things all thrown into it. The first book had a clear concept, but this one just felt like the author threw all of their ideas in a blender and came out with this book.

[Livres & Chats ll Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

C’est facile à lire et assez téléphoné.
Je ne m’attendais pas à ce que l’histoire se mêle à une trame de mythologie grecque x Fourth Wing !
Ça devient effectivement un vrai harem inversé un peu comme Les Liens du Destin mais avec des rois dragons.
Il y a plusieurs intrigues intéressantes mais je n’ai pas accroché avec la réalisation.
Je ne pense pas lire la suite.

[⊹ Gabriela | Asternyx ⊹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

‧₊˚ ⋅ Actual rating: 3.5🌟‧₊˚ ⋅

[Niamh Keeling · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 34%

[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75, audiobook
Didn't see the reverse harem trope coming but i should have

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ті самі персонажі що і в першій частині, і тут під кінець мені стала подобатися Хоуп, бо в першій частині вона була дуже така дратуюча. В цій частині у жгг з'являється власний дракон(не пара, їх і так забагато) і тут багато нових деталей знаходяться. Рада що Командира вбили, бо думати, що згвалтувати це норма, краще б його одразу спалили і все. Сцена з сорочками це щось з чимось 😂🤌🏻 і виявляється її бабця це Гера, трішки в ахуї була.

[Maegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has me in a chokehold. Book 2 picked up right where book 1 ended. You get to see more of the relationships bloom & learn the depths of the treachery. Ends on another cliffhanger. Glad book 3 is out.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed read. Ellelin is getting deeper in the intrigue of the courts while building her relationships with her dragons.

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s parts where I’m like this series is weird but it’s also like I honestly can’t put this down!!!

[Jessica Schulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost didn’t continue on with this series. The first book was sort of average middle of the road for me, but I’m glad I gave this a chance. A lot happens in this short second book. Honestly I loved how short and to the point it was for a second book. No fluff, fast paced, not a ton of info dumps but still a lot of information, spicy, dragons and dragon shifters, fated mates, adventure, found family, realm on the brink of war, a touch of Greek mythology which made it more interesting to me and a proper little cliffy. This ticked all the right boxes.

[Jess O. (From Jess to You) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 Stars (ish). I am still intrigued to see where the characters will end up in this series. However, this novel brings in the Gods/Goddesses, and I cannot say that I enjoyed the twists thrown out. Watch my full review here: https://youtu.be/dlW3PUdYoZQ

- Paranormal Fantasy Polyamorous Dragon Shifter Royalty Romance -
🛍️ Jess' 2024 Reading Book List: https://amzn.to/48qZ1Qq

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh.My.Damn

That ending though. I am on the edge of my seat reading that last chapter! So much makes sense after that last information was provided. I am completely shocked and obsessed with this series!

This is a fantasy why choose that pits dragon-shifter kings against a race of people who ride "wild dragons," with some Greek mythology elements mixed in. There are some parts that reminds me of Fourth Wing but it’s still entertaining.

[Shamell Klinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

This was really good continuation to previous book. Finally got some answers to more than I think expected. But in the end men are stupid and always try to make all the decisions with 0 input from the females. Who probably could've come up with some better plan. Very much looking forward to next book

[Elina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐/ 5⭐
1.75🌶️ /5🌶️
❤️ Favourite quote: "I want to kill her"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well this book is written in a kind of wattpad style. A heroine who starts powerless chosen by someone and in the process it is revealed that actually she is so powerful.
It ends with a cliffhanger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🎶 For me the first book was better, but would still recommend

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
This one was also so good. I mean the way that they fight for her, how will they hold onto him to have her wear their shirts to bed. They definitely had its cute parts in this book. The suspense was there. There was stuff I did not see coming. The ending of this book was fantastic and crazy. Can't wait to listen to the next one.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

Outstanding dragon shifter read that is filled with action! I am absolutely loving this series ! I cannot wait for the next book! I would consider this a must read for fans of PNR🥰

Rh���
Enemies to l0vers✅
Dragons✅
Fated mates✅

[Leyre Sesma · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4,5⭐️

1. Mis ganas de matar a gente van en aumento
2. Estos finales van a acabar conmigo
3. Me voy a leer el siguiente libro en nada y menos
4. !¿Por qué los libros son tan cortos :(?!

Fin de mi aportación.

[Jasmine Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. The first book pulled me in, but this one submerged me. I liked this series so far but was hesitant if it was going to be more. BUT damn did it surprise. I’ll be jumping into the next book!

[Jacquelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Reads!

Man I need 4 days of no work or responsibilities so I can finish this series!!!!! So so so good!

[Sentranced Jem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[CRAY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was almost a 3 but I did crush this in like a day and it kept me entertained. Some cringe moments

[Janae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone tell Grayson to shut up PLEASE He’s gonna make me more single istgggggggg WDYM ‘THEY’RE MY PAST, YOU’RE MY FUTURE’ LET ME BREATHEEEEEEEEEE

[Bluebyyou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, talk about a drop in quality from the excellent first book.

Good
1) The black dragons' place in the overall story.
2) Relationship-building between the female lead and water king was compelling
3) Interactions between the female lead and 'mean girl' were engaging

Bad
1) Needed an editor BADLY. Example: This is the first time someone has told me they love me, and it’s something I wanted. My ex told me it over and over, but it was just words. So you have been told before, over and over apparently.
2) Disjointed story-telling; way too much skipped over and left out Example: how did the dragon kings meet with the king of the dragon riders? Heck, how did they even contact him?
3) Nothing in the story was woven together; instead it just jumps from one thing to another
4) Things are said for dramatic value that never happened Example: Elle to Lysander: '... and yet you destroyed me!' When? All I remember is blackmail and threats, which you stood up to, dirty looks and crude words, which you ignored, and HIM SAVING YOU MULTIPLE TIMES.
5) The terribly-done addition of greek gods . It felt like the author just plucked mythological names out of a hat with no understanding of their themes and relationships Ares, the savage, bloodthirsty god of war as a master of magic, an art requiring deep acumen and patience?!! Not credible if you understand the first thing about greek myth.
6) The world-building was implausible to thin to non-existent. For instance: what are the gold and silver dragon (sentient beasts? magical beasts? shapeshifting dragons who can't shift? who knows!), why do they live somewhere that is inhospitable to their kind (commander said it was too hot for them which also didn't make sense) and does not support the food source they need (deserts do not have large prey groups), and why do they want to bond with humans when they could just go to war on their own without having to deal with pesky, fragile burdens on their backs?
7) The setting was poorly explained
8) No plot or even primary storyline
9) Female lead became soft and stupid and useless (Honey, your body didn't betray you, you made a choice and if you are too immature to own it, then you are too immature to be doing it)
10) Female lead knows they're lying to her and hiding things from her and doesn't stand up to them over it (Oh, they are just trying to protect me. Really, bitch? Take control of your own protection with knowledge. Forewarned is forearmed!)
11) Love interests became pathetic martyrs with no respect for the female lead, putting THEIR need for her to be safe above HER right to make her own choices
12) There was no relationship-building between female lead/air king, lead female/fire king and female lead/earth king
13) Three-way sex scene had no build-up, no romance and/or passion, did not evolve any relationships and had no consequence
14) Really? The female lead has a three-way with two the love interests and then that is it? They sleep in the same bed but do nothing for weeks because she is too tired from dragon training? Not believable on any level.
15) That's not how you teach people (she got it right in the first book and then flubbed it here)

Cannot believe how poor this was.

[Heavenly Dixson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up right where we left off at the end of Book 1. "Court of Dragons and Vows" was a compelling read that provided answers while also raising new questions. Book 2 elevates the level of action, complexity, and spice. Similar to Book 1, this was a quick and easy read that I finished in less than 48 hours.

Here are my personal opinions:

- While the book was shorter than I would have preferred, the amount of events and developments kept me glued to the pages.
- Book 2 leans more towards New Adult, with a spice level of 3 out of 5.
- This installment has become my favorite in the series so far!
- Towards the end of the book, I felt a strong urge to dive into the story and confront the Men for the numerous times they kept secrets from Ellelin and made decisions for her instead of involving her in the process.
The ending is a cliff-hanger, and I admit I felt a bit frustrated knowing that we might encounter similar plot lines again in Book 3. However, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am eagerly anticipating what comes next.

[Lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - 3 stars.

This book fell into classic “second book syndrome” where I really enjoyed the first one, but the second failed to deliver.

First the things I did enjoy:
✅ Finally got some smut!
✅ Learned about Elle’s mysterious backstory
✅ The dragons

Things I didn’t enjoy:
⚠️ The writing felt more one dimensional and jeuvenille to me this book
⚠️ The introduction of Greek gods (felt completely random. And even in this other world they’re referred to as “Greek” gods. Greece doesn’t even exist in that world!)
⚠️ A ton of inconsistencies (like references to it being near dawn but then saying it’s late at night, or how Arty switches between calling her mother “mother” or by her first actual name, or how Elle has never met Lysander’s brother but the first time she sees him she’s like, ‘oh that’s Lysander’s brother’. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT!?)
⚠️ Arty’s redemption arc. Nope. Not buying it.
⚠️ The ending and where the next book is going…are we going to repeat the plot from book 1?

At the end of the day though, I’m still going to read the next one…so there’s that.

[Eva DiToto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to start off but stating I absolutely loved & devoured the first book within 3 hours of starting it. But moving on to the second book I liked a lot of things & found it fast-paced but also gave some vibes of another book I’ve read recently.

I found the plot twist at the end cool learning more of Elle’s lineage & looking forward to seeing what she can actually do. I hope to see her friendship with Hope develop more in the next book since they would be such an iconic duo.

I liked seeing even more dragons because honestly it's been my type of book lately & the spice I would say Spice is a 🌶🌶🌶 rating, the book is a rather short book & there was quite a bit of it.

All in all was an okay read but I felt something was missing a feeling that I had with the first book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Trey U · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Disclaimer: I’m going to review it without spoilers at the top, then create a line and anything below that line will be spoilers. Do with that what you will.

This series is both good and messy all at the same time. The number of pages in each book is all over the place, not to mention I feel like this book includes every damn fantasy concept smashed into one. But weirdly, it’s also not the worst book I’ve read and keeps me interested. A lot of my opinion on where this book landed is in the spoiler section just because it’s very viral information.

What I liked:
- Ellelin is so mouthy and I love it.
- Arty’s little love interest side plot.
- Tattoos/markings being involved
- Favorite quote #1: I don’t plan on fucking anyone, but I’d rather not be eaten by a dragon when Aunt Flow turns up.
- Favorite quote #2: “If you die, I’ll hate you more.” 😂
- The guys’ confessions/admissions of love are astounding. This is very Instalove but my god, they word them so well that they still give me chills.
- I’m toxic but I love the contention between her and Lysander
- GRAYSON WILL ALWAYS HAVE MY HEART. I need more of him. The wounded underdog that’s got a bite to him is just my weakness.
- This book blends adventure, struggles, and comedy really well.
- There’s so much potential. Like I said in the first book review, I’ll likely be irked about the series and the ratings aren’t great…but there’s some great stuff too.
- Some of these plot twists I literally never saw coming.
- The side characters of friends don’t get much screen time but they’re great in different ways. I’m really liking Hope as heinous as she can be.
- It might be a cliche but I love me a dragon rider.

What I didn’t like:
- This book is chaotic with the blending of fantasy concepts. And in a very jarring way. We’re into book 2 and this is the first time we’re hearing about Greek gods and destined mates?
- The inconsistency of book length. I wouldn’t mind it if these were longer but you go from 380 pages to 180? That’s insane.
- Some of the hypocrisy that’s in this book.
- Things are just entirely too rushed. There’s some great ideas for this book and the author does some great plot twists, but the books need to cook a bit longer. Add more subtleties, more character development, more angst, more events, etc. and this could be a phenomenal series actually. But the stuff is instead rushed and then slapped right in your face. The Greek gods thing was a prime example of this.
- Her name 🤦🏻‍♂️



SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT
————————————————————

What I liked:
- Her little recovery coma and the concept of her waking up and she’s just got a bunch of new growth to her hair was an interesting concept.
- It’s interesting of the concept of dragon shifters BUT also natural dragons that are only gold, silver, and black.
- Was NOT expecting the natural dragons (or some of them at least) to be the Spirit Court just waiting for Ellelin.
- The amount of tattoos this girl has. Does she even have skin anymore? It’s funny and cool…but also kinda weird just because she’s never given a choice and she’s just being marked up.
- The rape scene. Not for the rape but because this scene was ELITE. Chills, suspense, etc. It really just had you panicking.
- Hope being protective and fighting against the guys’ choice to send them back to earth.
- Terrin is also a destined mate? 🤯

What I didn’t like:
- I’ve said it but all the concepts and how they’re just like plopped right in without any preamble. Suddenly there’s Greek gods when all that was said was a rumor that the sorcerer once said he was a god. Also, why Greek? Just make him some unknown god. It just doesn’t work in this plot.
- Arty’s real name is Artemis. But she’s not THAT Artemis? But she’s the product of Ares and Aphrodite? Which the Artemis is from Zeus and Leto, so this just makes no sense. Also, Phobos helps Hera but Phobos in Greek mythology is Ares’ and Aphrodite’s son. Is he in this even though he’s Ellelin’s uncle???
- Suddenly making the grandma Hera and Ellelin is now some demigod? I don’t know. It just seems a little much.
- Arden loves her but he had suspicions of who Ellelin was but he kept it to himself the whole race? Like…that’s just manipulation and it bothers me.
- All these guys are falling in love with her and confessing their love but most haven’t had too many interactions. Especially Emrys. Give the guy some screen time.
- The portal stipulations are confusing since clearly the guys could grab the humans for the race but can’t return her except for a specific time? Was there magic around the race originally too? And then mentions how Ellelin’s dad can just make portals. And Ares could too. It just feels inconsistent. I can talk myself into why all of this is true, but there should have been a better setup and explanation around this stuff. Like powerful beings have the ability or there’s natural magic that allows portals to be open for the race or something.
- The dragon rider thing was a little anticlimactic. Like she was in some competition…but not really. Fast forwarded several months with nothing.
- HER REAL NAME. It’s awful. Spirit, really? 🤦🏻‍♂️
- Really hate when guys make decisions against an FMC’s will. Even if in this case it was for love and to setup for ANOTHER competition.