A missed shot on the battlefield. A desperate plan to save her clan to redeem herself. The explosive origin story of a love that will span four centuries.
In the heat of battle, fearless warrior Kyoko strikes with unmatched precision, guided by an unyielding spirit. Her arrows, like whispers of fate, hit their mark every time. One shot is all it would take to bring the Date clan to their knees, until the damning smile of the One-Eyed Dragon disrupts her focus, altering the course of her life.
As her clan faces ruin, Kyoko sets out to right her wrongs, willing to sacrifice it all - love, joy, and her relationship with her kin. Nudged by invisible hands pushing her on the path of her destiny, she steps into the dragon’s lair, unaware that the ruthless warlord within will walk by her side until the very End… and Beyond.
For fans of powerful lady warriors and LGBTQI protagonists, a gritty and highly explicit enemies-to-lovers, altar-diplomacy, fated-souls romance with a supernatural twist.
This is a prequel to the author’s TEMPER saga, but it can also be read a standalone.
An avid reader of thrillers, science-fiction, horror and romance, I have been writing for nearly 25 years. Lila Mina is one of my pen names.
I am a firm believer in cross-genre literature. Life is too complex, too rich and surprising to limit stories to one genre only. I love blending genres to create powerful characters, emotional plots and exciting stories that hopefully will stay a long time with my readers. My stories feature multiracial couples and sometimes menage who come together, bound by love and passion, to fight against forces bent on taking them apart.
I live in Japan. The rich and beautiful traditions, the amazing nature and the long history of this country are a constant source of creative inspiration.
After more than two years of work, I will release the first book of my TEMPER saga in ebook and paperback in March 2019, and books 2 and 3 in May and July. I am actively looking for reviewers, so feel free to contact me to discuss about an eARC.
A highly explicit and sensual story with paranormal undertones, it is a tale of survival, resilience, personal growth, loyalty and unbreakable love between three unforgettable characters. It takes my readers along the transformative journey of self-discovery of Lana Martin.
I really enjoy the Temper series, starting with Deference, and this is basically a past life prequel of that, so I had to read it!
Sadly, I missed many things that I love about the original series, as well as the author's other series, How to Tame a Dragon.
Namely:
1. a diverse cast of vocal side characters who are crazy (in a good way)
2. the seamless way that Japanese mythical creatures and gods are woven into the plot
Usually these two aspects are what I enjoy the most in Lila Mina's books, so having a novel be lackluster in those departments was sad :(
The side-characters in this prequel fell flat, even though I saw a promising cast that could have worked, if they had been given a chance to actually do stuff and run wild, instead of just being relegated to the side-lines.
- Sen, Lady Kyoko's lover, could have been so much more vibrant, and her role could easily have been bigger, through more letters and dialogue, for example.
- Lady Kyoko's mother was a huge piece of work and I *wish* we had been given more of her scheming in this novel
- Lady Kyoko's sisters were another missed opportunity. Why not give them more of a relationship with their sister and work off that?
- even Lady Kyoko's nemesis, Nakano-san, could have had a bigger role
- finally, Lady Kyoko's gunwoman unit. As characters with agency, they had maybe one scene to shine. That was so sad! Why not give them more of a role? Give them stuff to do? There was just so much potential wasted here!
- same with the mythical entities that interacted with Kyoko. They showed up, dropped their mic and disappeared again, without being discussed or really leaving a strong impact and impression. I wish these instances had felt more like interaction between characters and less like a deus ex machina to move the plot forward.
With that being said, I had some fun reading this but the missed opportunities were a huge bummer! I hope that when Dragon vol 3 comes around, we will have more fun with a large, active cast and gods whose impact is really felt!
You ever get into a book so hard you forget it's for review?
It's nearly impossible to explain why a historic romance set centuries ago is a sequel to a modern romance without spoiling some things. Suffice to say, there is a paranormal aspect to the story and there are some allusions to what's to come. If you're reading this for the first time, it'll hopefully get you excited for the rest of the series. And if you've already read the series, you'll get to feel smug 'cause you know what it's referring to.
Important to note here that I usually hate enemies-to-lovers. Call me Mr. Darcy, but my good opinion, once lost, is lost forever. It helped that the two protagonists were more enemies in theory than having any personal hatred for each other. Date's father had died while a hostage in Kyoko's father's keep and it all came apart from there. This is an era in which honor is tantamount, so a lot of people take actions to preserve said honor that don't necessarily reflect their own feelings.
It also helps that when Kyoko sneaks into Date's tent with her proposal for a truce, he's getting railed by one of his underlings. Because yes, my friends, we have two chaos bisexuals here. This won't be a surprise if you've read the main series, but our Date not only agrees to a marriage, but an open marriage on both sides for lovers all genders. And I love me a bi m/f more than I hate enemies to lovers.
I knew from experience that Lila Mina is a master at sexual tension and she does not disappoint here. Our two leads agree to start having various forms of intercourse in a variety of delightful ways on the lead up to the wedding (there's rope involved at one point) but on the condition that Date has to keep his pants on until their actual wedding night. And keeping that last tantalizing step just out of reach for nearly the entire book was a master class in edging your readers. But like, in a good way.
Of course the setting is markedly different from a contemporary romance and there are a slew of minute etiquette rules that wouldn't even occur to us today. Thankfully, the book gives quick explanations on why a certain phrase or gesture was the height of rudeness. And there are a slew of Japanese words and honorifics, but you'll get all the important story beats without needing to check the glossary.
All in all, the story just flowed incredibly well. Normally, when I read a review book I pause every 30 to 50 pages to write notes. But over 100 pages went by before I thought to write anything. I even managed to get the review copy PDF on my phone (not an optimized reading experience, do not recommend) just so I could continue when I was out and about. And I am incredibly thankful that none of my coworkers bother looking at each other's phones in the staff lounge.
If you liked the rest of the Temper saga, this is a delightful look into the far past briefly touched on in later books in that series. And if you loved this one, I highly encourage you to check the rest of the series out!
At the beginning of this book there was almost something like plot. An ongoing war, a strong woman ready to sacrifice to end it. However, it soon devolved into a series of kind of gross smut scenes with very little in terms of plot happening. Some dispersed political plots which barely made an impact, mainly serving to create different backgrounds for smut, and a single reference to a mystical connection between them which is never developed further (but is apparently the premise of an entire series to which this is the prequel).
I really don't like the trope where a woman is effective until she gets overly emotional about small things. This was used over and over. She is made completely useless by the mere presence of the enemy commander (come sexual partner, come husband) and her own mental breakdowns resulting from her own romantic decisions.
I say romance, but there was none of it. This wasn't a steamy romance, it was smut with absolutely no feelings behind it. The only person she seems to hold feelings for is her ex, not even girlfriend just another sexual partner, and even then it means nothing. Her relationship with the main male, who is meant to be her mystical soulmate, is almost purely sexual, beginning with her as a voyeur watching him with another partner (which was so disgusting to read), then agreeing to be his retainer so they could have relations before marriage, then threesomes and then it ends with their wedding night. The whole plot is building up to this wedding, a political union bringing peace, and yet the ceremony isn't even described? They cut straight to after, a brief breakdown about the fact she didn't actually want this, literally referring to this marriage as a punishment even though it was HER idea, then finish the book with consummation.
To make it worse. For a book with more porn than plot, the smut wasn't even well written. It was wattpad fanfiction level. The author would not stop saying 🐱, which is such a teenage fanfic thing to do but is also just gross, and there was so much cringy dialogue. Just ew.
This book was the first I’ve read from this author and is a prequel to their published Temper series. The main characters, Kyoko and Date, are the past-life versions of Mina’s characters from her other books. Honestly, this is one of those premises that made me laugh (positively.) Why not right? It’s an original world-building technique and I never once felt like I was missing something or that I was expected to know other details from the series.
There were elements of this story that I really enjoyed. For one, I’ve never read a period romance in Feudal Japan before. There are vivid, immersive descriptions of battles that reflect the brutal nature of medieval history. Honestly, I’d love to read more romance books set during this period- rather than seeing book after book set in high-class Georgian Britain. The romance itself comes from two clans engaged in war, for what appeared to be no other reason than honour and pride, which seemed very accurate for the time.
Both protagonists of the book are also bisexual, which is a detail I personally loved. Not just for the element of representation, but the reminder that there are historical periods where people were less homophobic than some people now. The main characters have this intense connection that you feel both in their interactions as a couple and at war.
My main criticism is that there isn’t much “romance” between the characters. There is a lot of sexual content and their attraction to each other is obvious. There just doesn’t appear to be much actual romantic chemistry between them. There are also elements of the plot that got my attention, such as Date’s backstory and his foster mother, that don’t really get the attention they deserve.
Overall, it this read was positive for me, but be prepared for adult content to pop out of nowhere!
Well, there is a little bit more to it, but I seriously loved it. If you have been following my blog you might have noticed how much I loved Yuki, so every other character of Lila Mina has to survive being compared to her. Considering Kyoko's relation to Yuki, she was both at a better and a worse starting point than any other character.
I'm happy to announce she is not simply Yuki but younger. Instead, she is her own character who reminds me of Yuki but in a very good way. Same with Dante, who turned out to convince me more easily to be a good romantic male lead as a Honda did.
The energy between those two was a very nice back-and-forth with a few delicious twists. I would have loved a little bit more plot. The beginning was a great starting point and I hoped for more intrigue and character development, but that kinda fell behind not-confined-to-the-bed-scenes. Which I enjoyed greatly, don't get me wrong. The way consent was asked and given was a treat in itself and if you have read something by this author you know how well she writes about (BDSM) erotica.
I will reread The Goshawk and the One-Eyed Dragon without a doubt, but it leaves me with a problem: I'd really like a continuation of this prequel. And I know I can reread the rest of the Temer series, and especially Fated, but still.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
I received an advance review copy of this book through StoryOrigin.
I've never read any other novels by Lila Mina so I didn't know what to expect going into this story. I picked this book up because I love reading books with LGBTQ+ representation. Our main character, Kyoko, is the daughter of a prominent Japanese daimyo. Her family is at war with a neighboring clan and she leads a group of female warriors in her father's army. We learn about her family dynamics and her bisexuality through her relationship with a lady-in-waiting named Sen. After her father is killed, she offers herself as wife to the attacking warlord to broker a peace and save her family.
There are interesting bits of fantasy with various Japanese spirits, but the book is mostly rooted in the politics of feudal Japan. It discusses sexism and the expectations of men and women of the day. I had no knowledge going into the book of how feudal Japanese society worked, so I was occasionally confused but was able to pick up enough context clues to figure out what was going on. There were some typos and small errors but none that pulled me out of the story. I actually enjoyed the book quite a bit and found myself sucked in about a third of the way through.
This book was a pleasant introduction to Lila Mina's work and I would be curious to read other books in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
All I can say is that this was one delightful read. It is a very steamy book, so not for everyone, but it is also a beautiful story of admiration and respect, of acceptance, of allowing someone to shine and stand in their own light and be themselves. I loved the historical setting and the way worldbuilding is offered to the readers with no info dumps, just very organically infused into the narrative, I loved the family dynamics in Kyoko's life as a single woman, the viciousness and the absurd, downright hatred women (still) have to suffer at the hands of certain man who will risk anything and everything just 'to teach them a lesson', but most of all, I loved the interactions between her and Date, and the manner in which they played word and mind games with each other without ever losing sight of themselves. Theirs was a beautiful relationship, in my opinion, where both were given the freedom to be themselves and accepted for who they were. It was indeed a delightful read.
At first I thought this book might have a plot, with a strong woman willing to sacrifice to end a war, but, it quickly turned into a series of graphic smut scenes with almost no storyline. I love a good steamy romance but I just didn’t feel any romance in the story. The book was more about smut than any emotional connection. It seemed like the main character had more feelings for her ex than her supposed “soulmate,” with the relationship mostly being about sex. Their wedding, which was supposed to bring peace, is barely described, and the book ends with a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion. The writing itself wasn’t great either. The smut felt amateurish, like Wattpad fanfiction, with awkward dialogue and repeated juvenile references. It just wasn’t enjoyable to read.
Descriptions of scenery that pull you right in, and characters that stay with you long after you're finished reading the book.
Kyoko and Date are not without flaws but they work so well together because of mutual respect and understanding.
The action is so well written, and the mounting sexual tension gripping. There's a few scenes I can't get out of my head (and no, not just the sex scenes!).
I read this book a couple of months ago and I still think about it every day.
Steamy. Exhilarating. Adventurous. I loved this book so much! Enemies to lovers. LGBTQ involved. I loved that despite the main character’s backgrounds - they were able to come together and explore their new lives together through trust and mutual respect. Oh and a lot of sexual tension lol! Loved it.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I hope it isn't the last. It is thoroughly enjoyable. I enjoyed the story, the mannerisms and the characters. I am watching Shogun and so things resonate with me. It is fast paced and very saucy. Loved it!!
I really loved reading The Goshawk and the one-eyed dragon by Lila Mina it was a lovely story. I respect the main character for the sacrifice she made and loved the plot. I definitely recommend reading this book.
This is my first read of a book by Lila Mina and it is a lesson in Japanese history and culture. Goshawk and the One-Eyed Dragon is the origin story of Yuki and Honda, the two main characters in the Temper series! The author takes time at the beginning of the story to provide a glossary of terms and a bit an explanation so the reader has a better understanding of Japanese language and culture. It didn’t take long to immerse myself in their story and I look forward to reading the Temper Series, as the books are out and I won’t have to wait for future releases. I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from the author and this review represents unbiased view of this wonderful story.