Mountain of Dragons and Sacrifice

Sacrificed Hearts #1

by Tara Grayce

It’s a tale as old as myth and legends: the village maiden sacrificed to a monster.

Every year, Nessa’s village sacrifices a maiden to the dragon in the mountain. If they don’t, the dragon will sweep down from his lair and destroy them all.

When Nessa is chosen to be that year’s sacrifice, she’s prepared to be eaten, as much as anyone can prepare for such a thing. Instead, she finds herself swept away to a world of dragons, gnomes, and fae creatures beyond her imagination, leaving her with more questions than answers. If the maiden’s purpose isn’t to be eaten, then what is the dragon’s reason for the sacrifices? And why is the dragon nothing like what she had been told he would be?

And, most frightening of all, what would happen if she lit the candle and looked upon the dragon’s face?

Loosely inspired by the myth of Psyche and Eros, this humorous romantasy features dragon shifters, quirky fae, and swoony no spice romance, perfect for fans of Sylvia Mercedes, Kenley Davidson, and K.M. Shea!

Mountain of Dragons and Sacrifice is book 1 in the Sacrificed Hearts multi-author series, a collection of stand-alone fantasy romances inspired by monsters of legend and packed with strong heroines, swoony heroes, and sacrificial themes.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Romance, Fae, Romantasy, Retellings, Fiction

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2024

About the author

Born and raised in Michigan, I enjoy traveling to new adventures that inspire my writing.

Growing up, I read just about every book I could get my hands on, especially fantasy. I currently write YA fantasy and romantic fantasy filled with lots of humor, spunky and tough leading ladies, and broken heroes.

When I am not writing, I enjoy spending time with my chocolate lab, Miss Kisses.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Gosh! This was so cuuuuute! I love the couple in this book, I love the clean stolen bride/marriage of convenience, and just the way Tara writes fantasy romance!

I defiantly liked this one best out of the ones I read in her fae realm, and I think that’s because Nessa is such a strong female lead. She’s not unnecessarily reckless, but she also isn’t foolish or stubborn in her decision making, which I loved!

All in all, a fun, quick read!

[Tales and Treats with Tay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, sweet, short romantasy! A fun palate cleanser.

This was an interesting take on the sacrificed to a monster trope; the dragon himself was unlike any other dragon I've read about before.

Probably due to its length, I wish there was a bit more depth in some places and, while the romance was sweet, I wish there'd been a bit more hints of how they felt about each other-- it didn't feel like there was much there other than a really strong friendship before they're discussing spending the rest of their lives together. I would have loved to have seen more from the dragon as to his feelings, particularly a declaration of why he loved her, how she was different than the other maidens.

All in all, I was entertained and had fun seeing this world and its creatures.

Content: magic (magic pockets, magic wardrobe, magic items of the castle), creatures (a dragon, fae, gnomes, etc)

Christian faith rating: 0/3 secular clean fiction with a few minimal description kisses, no language

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 3 out of 5]

****Actual Rating 3.5 Stars****

Sooo…where do I start? I have mixed feelings on this book (seems to be a thing with me and Tara’s novellas…) but would overall say I enjoyed it.

Nessa was a fine character with a good arc though she did annoy the heck out of me during the time between her being taken to the dragon’s castle and around the 50% mark (which is a good chunk of the book, grrr). Like I know she wouldn’t trust anyone and be overly suspicious but it got to a point that her inner monologue had me wanting to hit her over the head half a dozen times. I also figured out a certain character’s identity pretty quickly but that’s just because I read so much and not a bad point against the author.

The romance was cute and the plot decent—it was a fun story though at times frustrating and a bit draggy. Not my favorite by Tara by a long shot but it was good.


‼️Content‼️

Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); a girl is strapped to a stone slab as a sacrifice and left for dead; a mind cave in; creatures attack characters (not detailed)

Sexual: kissing (not detailed)

Other: dragon/fae; magic; talk about maidens being “sacrificed” to a dragon; magical abilities

[Beka]

Loved the twists on the dragon and sacrificial maiden archetype in this one. Especially enjoyed the take on a dragon’s hoarding habits, hehe.

[Reese Songbird · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read, one that I read really quickly and was a fun time, but not one that I really loved. I did enjoy it, and smiled and chuckled a couple times, but ultimately left me a bit flat, and the characters weren’t my favorite
But if you’re looking for a sweet fun clean romantasy, then this is a great book to pick up!

Content:
Mentions of sacrificing maidens, some blood and violence, and kissing
Clean romance

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, fun read. I always love stories about dragons! I love the little twist the story has. 💕

[Courtney Ranger · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun, clean story!!!

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while, and I definitely enjoyed it!!!!

My favorite parts were the little asides at the beginning of each chapter. They were so funny, AND they provided nice… summaries, so I could make sure I didn’t miss anything!

Nessa was such a sweet protagonist! I was pleasantly surprised by how feminine Nessa was. It was so admirable how she wanted what was best for her family and village.

I liked the MMC a lot better once I realized he wasn’t already married. Long story short, I got him mixed up with a different character……..
I love how honorable and respectful he is to Nessa and everyone else around him.

I also enjoyed seeing how Tara created the village to show how fear can be used as a dangerous weapon.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book!!!! I hope I can reread it soon!!!!!!

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpectedly respectful dragon, a village maiden marked as a sacrifice, and events that aren’t all what they seem…

Tara nailed it once again! It’s always fun to return to her fae world, this time to the Court of Stone.

Nessa is a spunky protagonist and an all around fun character. Yes, it takes her a long to time to warm up to her new life and I wanted to shake her a few times, but I get it. It was freaky for her. The dragon was my favourite—I loved his sense of responsibility and respect for those under his care, particularly in his relationship with Nessa. And the banter was golden.

I really enjoyed the thoughtfully deep perusal into learning to not blindly accept whatever we’re taught, but to hold it up to scrutiny & the light to determine if it is indeed the truth. An important lesson!

[SarieBerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO CUTE!

This was unexpected! I don’t read very much fantasy but I was really drawn into this clean, smut free dragon story! This is proof all that other garbage does not need to be so prevalent in every single book! It can be enthralling and exciting without spice, language etc. very good, fast paced and just an enjoyable reading experience!

[Celestria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall an entertaining read while I was feeling under the weather. And the cover is gorgeous 😍
Also I need what's-his-name's magical pockets for snacks

[DragonRider Elf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I looked forward to this book a lot! From reading about it I expected a book sort of like “I am dragon” (a Russian romantacy movie you should definitely watch if you are good with subtitles)… it was nothing like that. It was still good… just far, far more cozy than I’d expected for a dragon book.

18+ content: None (obviously)

Cussing: None (obviously)

Gore: None

As other reviewers have said, it’s predictable. That was the point though and Nessa sums it up in this one quote:

“You’re probably screaming at me right now. You can see all the signs I didn’t see. It’s rather obvious, looking back. But then you can’t blame me if I didn’t see it back then. After all, this situation was nothing like I’d been told it would be.” — Chapter 6

It was a good book nonetheless. I wasn’t really invested in the romance until 3/4 in (but man that last 1/4 was so freaking adorable it was so worth it).

Who doesn’t love the dynamic of a big scary dragon that is actually as sweet and innocent as a little boy (especially when it comes to rocks 😜). He was so cute (in the best way possible)!

Nessa wasn’t exactly my favorite, but was surprised at how much growth one character could have over the course of such a small book!

Y’all may call me crazy, but I want someone to hug those poor little stone gremlins! The poor little guys. Though they were brats at times…

As much as I’ve gotten into the companion book (3 chapters) I’ve already fallen for that romance. Read it after Mountain of Dragons and Sacrifice though.

For the ones like me, wondering whether or not to buy the hard cover, I recommend getting it from Etsy if you do. The author has a store there with signed copies and swag for the same price as Amazon (the ONLY reason I didn’t but the hardcover there what bc I didn’t have enough money… so I had to settle for the paperback). Also, the hardcover there has the companion book in the hardcover as well (so you don’t need to buy them separately), though on Amazon I don’t know if it does or not.

I don’t know if by that it seems like I’m promoting the author and her store, but I’m not. This was the first book I’ve ever read by her, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her books… I just figured I should share my knowledge of alternative places to get this.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like so many authors, I discovered Tara Grayce when reading a series of interconnected tales by multiple authors. She grabbed my attention with a magical library and before I knew it I had added another author on the way too long list with auto-buy authors. So, even though I won't read the rest of the series (right now), I had to add this newest book to the collection!

There are very few plots better than the maiden not being killed by the dragon but falling in love with him. I like that from the start it's clear the author knows that her story is predictable. It's meant that way. It's a cozy read. Not too many bad things are happening and knowing that it will end with a happily ever after is very nice and comforting.

I really loved the heroine introducing each chapter herself. I especially liked how those introductions always seemed to echo my own thoughts and feelings. I have to admit that the heroine sounded a little young for her age, but considering her upbringing and what life in her little town must have been like it's also understandable in a way.

However, the biggest star of the book is of course the dragon. I have a huge weak spot for soft hearted slightly socially awkward man. You wouldn't expect a dragon to be one of those, but this dragon might be one of the cutest and most endearing dragons in the entire world. For me it was absolutely impossible not to fall in love with him.

[Jamie (The Kansan Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know the myth that has inspired this book. If you are wanting a quick cute read, this book is for you. The characters have some funny moments. Don’t expect there to be some secret twist, because the author makes it very clear the dragon’s identity.

I do like the writing, I like the characters, but one thing annoyed me. At the beginning of each chapter there is a paragraph or so more of the heroine talking to the reader. I wasn’t a fan of that.

Other than that I think this was cute. I would say it felt more like a palette cleanser for me.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A sweet story with some interesting themes but the first half was a bit slow.

[bookgirlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl sacrificed to the evil dragon...what could possibly happen???

THEY GET TO HAVE THE SWEETEST LOVE STORY EVER <3333

The big evil dragon is just a cinnamon roll :)
The sweetest & most understanding cinnamon roll everrr.

𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙯𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙩.

Nessa's line of thinking the whole book was hilarious 😆
And she was SO suspicious of everything and the dragon was like chillll you're safe :)
And she's like NAHHH THIS IS A TEST

I Loved every moment of it.


This story was fast.
unlike most fantasy romance books This is just a light read. I finished it in less than a day and it was awesome


Highly recommended to get you out of a reading slump or when you're looking for someone fast, clean, and sweet.

[Claire]

MOUNTAIN OF DRAGONS AND SACRIFICE is the first in the Sacrified Hearts series, books by multiple authors all on the theme of sacrifice. In this book, our heroine Nessa is picked by her village to be the yearly sacrifice to the dragon who enchants their olive groves, but not all is what it seems.

I enjoyed that the author took the Virgin sacrifice trope and played with it! If you are a fan of Tara Grayce, this is very much in line with her other works. Our heroine encounters lots of cozy fae and a supportive community after leaving a kind of sucky village, tbh. Our dragon is a bit of a cute nerd with endearing habits. You just have to be okay with the trope of “I can’t tell you the answers to your questions yet, because reasons.” The reason is this is vaguely inspired by Cupid and Psyche.

This is an enjoyable read and a fun start to the series. Thanks to the author for this ARC. MOUNTAIN OF DRAGONS AND SACRIFICE comes out this March.

[Brittnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Single POV
-Lighthearted, funny
-Short, quick read

[Laramee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm ridiculously excited about this series! I absolutely adored this sweet story! I didn't want it to end!

I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.

[Sharon Hughson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an original take on the "sacrificed to a monster" trope. I wouldn't expect anything less from Tara Grayce.
Smart heroine meets reserved and misunderstood hero. Add mystery and swoony romance to keep things interesting.
The story also explores superstitions and how they can take over (in not a good way) when no one pursues truth.
There were a few moments when I couldn't suspend my disbelief, but Grayce's masterful storytelling kept me turning pages to the end.
This is a definite MUST READ for lovers of clean fantasy romance and fairy tale retellings.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you asked me to categorize this book into any one single category, I simply could not. The whole thing is such a bizarre mix of writing and tropes that to definitively label it is very very difficult.

When I was reading the blurb I was like, "Psyche and Cupid? Dragons?? No spice??? Sign me up!" And then finding out that the FMC was 26 (or 24, one of the two), I was like, "Phew!" If you look at the Venn diagram, the circle for "books for adults" and "no spice" do not touch at all, which is both unfortunate and annoying. I thought this book could fit the criteria and fill the void. Unfortunately for me, it did not.

This book has a frustrating problem of having an adult MC yet sounding like the MC is 16. The book is written in 1st POV, and it suffers from what my friend calls the "YA voice". The writing did not sound particularly mature and I thought that Nessa read as any YA heroine written between 2010-2018. Is that the end of the world? No, not really, but I think that more consideration into Nessa's voice would've been cool.

Also, the author did their weird thing where very chapter would start with anywhere between one sentence to three paragraphs of Nessa's thoughts in italics. But like, not in a "I'm moving the story forward" way, more in a *freeze frame* "Hey, that's me. You might be wondering how I got here. Well, it all started when..." way. It was kinda cringey. Of course, by the end of the book I see why it was happening (a psuedo-framed narrative thing) but I don't think it was successful.

Language was used in the book in a very inconsistent way. The setting seems to be some ancient-Greece-adjacent world, except there's also fae (like northern European fae) in the world? The dragon character raised more questions for me than answers, because he didn't seem to necessarily fit into a single culture's understanding of dragon? The characters are able to identify rocks by their scientific categories (such as sedimentary or igneous), but that was the only thing they seemed to have a scientific understanding of? Also, how can rocks be categorized into our human categories in the same world where bread is pink and eggs are green (for seemingly no reason other than it's a cool fantasy thing to do)? ALSO, (sorry if this is a spoiler), I could not stop laughing over the fact that the dragon calls his parents Mama and Papa?!?!? MAMA AND PAPA??! Nothing wrong with that, other than those are such endearing terms and I would've expected something more like Mother and Father (also, nevermind that Nessa uses non-English names for her parents, so why does the dragon?). But you know, maybe this decision makes sense since the parents were so unexplained that anything goes.

The romance? Laughable. Even Nessa asks what makes her any more special or different than the previous sacrifices (seriously, what makes her special? She's pretty unextraordinary). Also, a first kiss while flying hundreds of feet in the air seems like a questionable decision but pop off.

Were there parts of the book I did like? Sure, I thought there were some original and unique twists on specific aspects of the Psyche and Cupid myth. Would I read this again? Probably not anytime soon.

[Yael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful take on the sacrificed maiden tale; with a smart and witty maiden, a chivalrous dragon, elves, and gnomes. Tara Grayce weaves a vivid world with captivating characters and explores superstition and fear that lead to sacrifice, and one smart maiden that seeks to end it. I read this in one sitting as the book was un-putdown-able.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sandralena Hanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one day. It's a romantic twist of the sacrificed maiden tale.

Nessa feared every year's Sacrifice Day. This was her last one. Her best friend had been taken 5 years before. But the loss of one maiden means the village olive groves are the best in the land.

When she is chosen, the head elders wife tells her she must : 1. Never look upon the dragon's face. 2. Do whatever he tells her. Or he will burn down the whole village.

Nessa lays waiting for the dragon to eat her, tied to the stone altar. So she is surprised when she sees the silhouette of a man with dragon wings come for her.

The only thing he asks of her nightly is to light her candle and look at him. This is contradictory to what she's been told to do. It must be a test. Yet she's supposed to do what he asks and not anger him. When she finally does see him, everything she's ever known changes.

The budding romance is so sweet. I loved Evander, the dragon's steward, and the rest of the characters of the dragon's eyrie.

Humor, romance, mystery - this story has it all! Everything you would expect from author Tara Grayce.

*The author gave me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[vic · Rating 3 out of 5]

very simplistic, but enjoyable enough. i liked Nessa, and i know she's supposed to be cautious after being sent as a sacrifice, but her cautiousness sounded fake. i guess it would play out better if the author had more time to express Nessa's feelings and to develop scenarios, but since it's a standalone book, we don't get much more.

also, the romance was undeveloped and rushed. without any romantic tension of importance. suddenly, one day, they're in love. there's nothing special about Nessa, but still, the dragon lord was charmed, with no good explanation... she's just different, i guess! good for her!

to fish it all, Nessa's idea to stop the sacrifices was just not it. it's impossible to think the dragon lord hadn't thought about that even once if he was really so desperate to stop the sacrifices.

i'll give the other books on this series a chance to see if it's also like this one.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara Grayce hit the nail on the head with this book! The sacrificial themes were spot on and the characters realistic.

I wasn't quite sure what I was expected when I started this book, but it somehow both met and thwarted my expectations. I loved all the nods to Greek culture, the myth of Eros and Psyche, and the existing culture Grayce created, as well as the humorous foreshadowing similar to that of Robin's in "Bluebeard and the Outlaw". What I wasn't expecting was a deeper look into superstition, fear, and, of course, sacrifices. It was an interesting peek at human nature that tied the story together nicely.

Thank you Tara Grayce/Sacrificed Hearts authors for giving me the chance to read an ARC of this book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

[librarian.of.rivendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for this one!

While checking my library I realised I own a lot of Tara Grayce’s books — and it’s no wonder I do. She has a way with words and characters; there is humour, adventure, the text flows and nothing feels fabricated.

I hadn’t read her in a while and I absolutely loved this book! The plot was intriguing and I loved the artful storyline - not to mention the clean romance!

Content warning for the more sensitive like me: there were an instance or two of light innuendo in the face of a situation, but never between the two MCs — both were very respectful of each other (loved that!).

I was gracefully sent this ARC by the author and I cannot wait to read the next installments!

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

– this is part of a series, but meant to be read as a stand-alone

– this is in the same world as Tara Grayce’s Court Of Midsummer Mayhem series (though there are no crossover characters & this can be read as a stand-alone)

– this is told from Nessa‘s point of view

Review:

I finished this book in one day! I loved getting to know Nessa, Evander, and the other people/creatures under the dragon. Nessa was determined to figure out what was going on when things weren’t adding up. And though she started off very closed off to those around her after she was brought into the dragon’s castle, Nessa soon became endeared to them. I loved how quirky Evander was. He was sweet and kind towards everyone and made sure that each person felt seen as he went about his tasks for the dragon. I also loved that he (almost always) seemed to have whatever he’d need on hand when it came to caring for Nessa as she navigated the new world she’d be inhabiting.

I can’t wait to read Of Dragons and Stone, a companion novelette that tells the story of two of the characters we met in this one!

Summary:

Nessa’s village fears destruction from the dragon. Every year he demands that a maiden be sacrificed to him and he’ll bless the harvest on their olive groves. No one knows who will be chosen, just that no one has ever returned. And this time, Nessa will discover the fate of the maidens before her.

When Nessa’s name is chosen by lottery, she fears what is to come. But when taken by the dragon to his castle, nothing is as it seems. The dragon has no desire to eat her, only that she do the one thing that is said to be forbidden – to look at his face. Those living in the castle don’t fear the dragon, but instead rejoice in his kindness toward them. Even his faithful steward has nothing but nice things to say of him, going so far as to say that anything asked of her doesn’t even have to be done if she doesn’t want to do it. Which sounds extremely suspicious. Why else would the dragon demand a maiden from her village every year if he has no use for her?

*I received an ARC from the author & am not required to leave a positive review.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually avoid first person narration because I like getting to know all the characters more fully but this 1st person take was perfectly delightful especially because Grayce was kind enough to give us a novella after this one that included some 3rd person narration and some scenes from the hero’s point of view! Wahoo!

This was so fun. The heroine was a great, witty narrator even with the dire circumstances she was in and once she accepted she wasn’t going to be a “sacrifice” her exploration of her new world and developing romance with Evander was so delightful. Evander was an excellent hero, carrying many burdens and just straight up being a leader who made sense and was easy to root for. Their chemistry and witty dialogue was also great. They just made a swoony couple on page with their developing intimacy and the way the heroine saw how Evander took care of his own—so different from the Elders of her world.

I just enjoyed hanging out in this world and hope she writes more for the court of stone. I think her tethered hearts novel may have some cameos from here so I’ll be snatching that up too!

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lived up to all my expectations and surpassed them! The twist on the myth—and trope, the elements of mystery, the compelling characters—everything was so much fun. I enjoyed seeing a different court in Grayce’s fae realm, and learning more of the world’s lore, as well as the human world around it. Grace also did an excellent job of writing a realistic heroine who’s been raised with years of fear and expectations ingrained in her. It’s another great book, with lots of sweet moments and fun worldbuilding!

[Riley Perrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, but definitely not my favorite from the Sacrificed Hearts series. I loved the world-building, the fun side characters, and especially Evander. Nessa's character was very well-written to the point where I found her absolutely annoying through most of the story. However, I loved the ending and greatly enjoyed the book.

[Lindsay Rankin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

This is a great book, and I really enjoyed reading it! I’ve been eagerly waiting for this series to start, and I can’t wait for the next book to release!