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, Why Choose, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Magic

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.

[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.

[⊹ 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

[Haileigh Richards · Rating 1 out of 5]

Welcome back to this train wreck of a series. We barely survived book two. As someone who can easily finish a book in a day and usually insists on pushing through, I chose to wait four days before picking this one back up—something that never happens.

Book one felt like a rip-off of Red Queen and The Selection. Book two? A blatant rip-off of Fourth Wing. There was no subtlety to it—a rare black dragon chooses the protagonist. Its name? Terrin. Sound familiar? Oh, I don’t know… maybe Teirn, the rare black dragon from Fourth Wing? The similarities were impossible to ignore.

This book had slightly more magic than Fourth Wing, and while the dragon riders don’t die with their dragons, it apparently destroys them. Some dragons are also from her court, which is another random plot point tossed in. Honestly, it felt like a chaotic mess of ideas shoved together, hoping something would stick.

And then there’s the Greek gods—because why not throw another random element into the mix? Except they’re nothing like actual Greek gods. If you’re not going to use any reference material to make them even remotely accurate, why not just make up your own gods instead?

On top of all that, the why-choose romance still feels like it’s slowly making its way toward monogamy. I could be wrong, but the FMC clearly has a favorite—her supposed fated mate—which makes it feel like it’s only a matter of time before she makes a choice. The rest of the love interests seem more like placeholders for now, which makes the entire why-choose dynamic feel disingenuous.

This book was a disaster. I’m trying to finish the series because I hate DNF-ing anything, but it might be a long time before I force myself through books three and four.

[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.