The Witch’s Grumpy Dragon

Brinnswick: Tales From Gauhala #1

by Michele Notaro

I have never in my life met anyone as infuriating as that dragon. So then why do I keep wanting to spend time with him?

Step One: Find a gorgeous guy. Check.

Step Two: Talk to said gorgeous guy. Check.

Step Three: Try not to strangle him. Uh… do I really have to check this one? Because I really want to wrap my fingers around his—ugh.

Garrick Von Stein is the most frustrating person I’ve ever met, and yet, as soon as he calls me for help, I jump right in. Every single time. Why? I have no idea. I mean, I really do like to look at the dragon shifter king, but that doesn’t explain this strange pull, this need, I feel to be near him.

He doesn’t even like me—believe me, I’d know—but for some reason he trusts me. And the weirdest thing of all? I trust him too.

Now if only we could find a way to work together to keep him and everyone else safe.

The Witch’s Grumpy Dragon is Book 1 of the new MM urban fantasy series, Brinnswick: Tales From Gauhala. It follows a new couple in each book with a guaranteed HEA. It takes place in the Brinnswick world in the far away country of Gauhala and brings a whole new cast of characters. But don't worry, there will be some cameos along the way.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Paranormal, Dragons, Romance, Magic, Urban Fantasy

372 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2024

About the author

Michele is married to an awesome guy that puts up with her and all the burnt dinners she makes—hey, sometimes characters are a bit distracting, and who doesn’t plot when they’re supposed to be cooking? They live together in Baltimore, Maryland with two little monsters, a three-legged princess, a four-legged goofball, and a cutie with giant ears (aka their two kids, their two cats, and their dog). She hopes to rescue another cat soon, and if her hubby wouldn’t kill her, she’d get more than one… and maybe a few more dogs as well.

She loves creating worlds filled with lots of love, chosen family, and of course, magic, but she also likes making the characters fight for that happy ending. She hopes to one day write all the stories in her head—even if there are too many to count!

If you would like updates on my new books or to be notified when a new book is released, please join my mailing list:
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Feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you.

Reviews

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this paranormal romance

I liked the first in this series, which was part of the loosely connected Fortune Favors the Fae, but this one's even better.

Both MCs are interesting and compelling people who I wanted to know more about, the plot slowly revealed itself in a nicely paced way, and there was lots of action going on to keep the reader's attention focused.

It's low steam, but what you get is nicely spiced, I like the way fated mates are dealt with in this universe and I enjoy the different magic systems and creatures that inhabit it.

I hadn't read any of the Elwoood stories before this but it didn't affect my enjoyment at all.

[Ronie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, so I found Michele Notaro a few years ago. Been working through his books, slowly. It's like a treat after reading twenty books. I get to read one.

Now, these chronicles wasn't where I was introduced to this world. It was from a flip of a coin. You know one of those series authors are invited to continue the plot or add on of their own to a theme.

The them is thus fae coin. Yet here it was tied into a preexisting world. I say a job well done

[Verdelite · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @54%

SO much awkward small talk!

I don't know if it's me or the book, as I have previously read and loved other books by this author, but the dialogue here was honestly awful.
Super on the nose, no subtlety and instalovey with some half-hearted denials of the pull thrown in as half a sentence that are not properly developed and immediately ignored. The flirting was painful to behold and the cutesy nicknames felt forced and even more awkward (Gar-Bear and little pretty in case you were wondering).

I am currently 54% in and all of it (200+ pages!) consisted primarily of sooo much tedious, awkward dialogue during mundane activities sprinkled with infodumps disguised as emotional bonding moments. It's frankly not very interesting if the main plot consists of unnatural sounding dialogue and the only plot development needed for the characters to reveal their deep inner secrets is to spend a few days together.

I guess if you enjoy instalove and sappy slice-of-life-y paranormals, this might be for you. However, from what I can tell from the recent backstory reveal, there may be a lot of drama and plot action incoming during the second half of the book, but after slogging through 200+ pages, I cannot bring myself to continue reading in order to find out.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I haven't read the entire Ellwood series or the Brinnswick series, yet. Even though this book takes place in the me world, I did not feel lost. Tan was a sweet, take no nonsense witch. Garrick is a broken soul who is the King, and there are assassins out to kill him. I loved how these two danced around each other. Garrick knows that Tan is his mate, but he doesn't want to put him in the line of fire. I would have loved to see the bad guy get more than just prison time. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this one coming out and feel very happy with what we got. In this issue we have:
-cute witch with a will of steel
-cat familiar
-really sweet grumpy dragon
-slightly sassy BFF dragon
-family drama
-magic
-the Ellwood clan
And it was overall everything I hoped for. Sweet, exciting, surprising, engaging. And we know the series is ongoing so there's more goodness in the future! Yay!

[Savy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Tanyl and Garrick's story. The first book in a new series by Michele Notaro. You might recognize Tanyl from the short story 'The Wolf's [Un]Lucky Fae' by the same author. Even though this book is a stand alone, I would recommend reading the Wolf's story first. It not only introduces Tanyl and his friends, but also gives a bit more insight into the world and other characters featuring in this book.

Some characters might be familiar from the Brinnswick world/books, but not having read those, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything.

It's an emotional and sweet story, easy to read an with not a lot of suspence/angst. There's a lot of emphasis on (found) family and friends. It took me a while to get into the story, as not much is happening in the beginning. I found the repetition of the cat on Tanyl's head a bit too much. I get it, his bonded one is funny and sweet and likes to sit on his head. That doesn't mean I want to read about that almost every other chapter.
Aside from this minor irritation, the story continued smoothly and I wanted to keep on reading. There is a giant time-skip of three months near the end, which was really confusing to me. Also, not everything was explained at the end, which was a shame. There is a HEA, but the main characters will return in other books in this series.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and want to keep on reading, but there were no real surprises in the story for me.

Tanyl/Garrick 1st POV

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard a preview of this audio at the end of the last book I listened to. It sounded funny and I love Michael Lesley, so I decided to grab this one. The narration really worked for me. Tan was such a fun MC and I adored his grumpy dragon mate. I do wish we got more steam. This is a slow burn folks and we don't even get any kissing for quite a while.

I haven't read the previous books this series is a spin off from, but I didn't feel lost. That being said, I could tell that I would have increased my enjoyment had I read them. Many of the side characters are from previous stories which I have now since added to my TBR.

[Amy Mc Dowall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun action packed story. The audio was great as usual.

[Carla Marie Vázquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ufff, it was not for me. The plot in theory wasn’t bad, but the way it was written was like I was reading from Wattpad.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good solid 4/5. The characters are entertaining, the worldbuilding is solid and the plot is interesting. The only thing keeping it from being a 5/5 is the simple solutions to plot conflicts. There is no complexity.

[Demian Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Witch’s Grumpy Dragon is the first book in the Brinnswick: Tales From Gauhala series, but I recommend starting with The Wolf’s (Un)Lucky Fae. The prequel will give you needed context, also show you how Tan and Garrick meet from an outside perspective and help you understand the recurring characters and the fae problem that pervades Gauhala.
This book is also set in the same universe as Michele Notaro’s Ellwood Chronicles and Brinnswick Chronicles. While it’s not necessary to read these series first, I would recommend it due to some familiar characters showing their faces…and because the books are great. 😉🥰

Tan is a snarky and kind-hearted death witch who arrives in Gauhala to run a security company with his best friend, Remi. Garrick, on the other hand, is a grumpy king who’s surprisingly sweet underneath. After a year of working together, Garrick unexpectedly hires Tan to help protect him from danger he is in. Things are additionally complicated when it is discovered they are viramores (fated mates). While Garrick is aware of this, Tan is absolutely clueless. Garrick hesitates to act on it, worried about the risks while his life is in danger.

The relationship between Garrick and Tan is really central to the story. While Garrick is awkward and stiff in his attempts to connect with Tan, Tan initially judges Garrick pretty harshly. Right off the bat he decided that Garrick is rude and cold. But as the story unfolds, Tan starts to see under the layers of Garrick’s grumpiness and discovers a soft, caring side of our dragon. Rest assured, there is plenty of humorous and tender moments between them to make up for the tension.

The plot of the book mostly focuses on their relationship and the danger surrounding Garrick. And while the danger gets resolved by the end, and the suspense and action were on point, I do wish the villain had faced more serious consequences. But seeing Garrick find happiness again after all his grief is really rewarding and it does make up for it...a little bit.

Although the emphasis on world-building is lighter this time, the setting remains rich with magic, action, and complex characters that will draw you in. The story has plenty of silly, sweet, and heartfelt moments that really balance out the more serious themes.

There was one thing that rubbed me the wrong way...I guess I'm in the minority when it comes to this, but as with Nikolai's book, I wasn't a fan of “silly” nicknames. Luckily, they weren't that constant in this story, so it didn't diminish my overall enjoyment.

In short, this is a charming paranormal romance with well-crafted characters, a touch of humour, and a bit of suspense. Tan and Garrick’s journey from awkward first impressions to something more is a joyful experience that makes this book worth the read.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my unbiased review.

______________________

CW: violence, death, betrayal, child abduction, parental abuse.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review audiobook
I loved this book, so I jumped at the chance to get to review the audiobook. Unfortunately, I have the same issues here as with the first book.
Michael Lesley makes Tan seem like an arrogant twat - which is just not understandable as his narration of Garrick, is not so bad.
Although, I am not a big fan of his accent - but that is on me.

on the whole, the audiobook is a good one (after getting used to the voices, which just took me some time) - but only 3,5 upgraded to 4 stars for that from me


First review
Oh, I loved this book.
The first book in this series, about Remi and Bel, was already really good and gave us the preview to this 6 I was so happy to finally get to read it

Tan is Remis brother in all but blood and I love his connection to the Ellwoods.
The only slight disappointment here was that we see nearly nothing of Remi.

Garrick is the silent brooding type with a lot of history.
There is a reason why things got so bad in Senoba, and although it doesn't make it right, it at least explains a lot.

The background story is interesting and well crafted
But the love story tops everything.
I loved how they forged their connection, how they got to know each other, how their feelings developed
This was sooo sooo, so lovely to read and made me stay up all night to finish

I am now waiting for the next book. I love this world

[Danis ❤️ MM · Rating 3 out of 5]

You really need to read the Ellwood Chronicles, then the Brinnswick Chronicles before you start reading this series. Also read The Wolf's (Un)lucky Fae before you read the Witch's Grumpy Dragon because that is actually book 1 of this series even though it is not marked as such.

Anywho grumpy old dragon in a tower meets not quite sun shiney witch who happens to be his fated mate. There's intrigue. And someone's trying to kill the grumpy dragon. A fairly enjoyable read.

[Dominike]

DNF @ 26%

I might go back to this one day. Idk, couldn’t hold my attention.

[leisce ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i missed Michele Notaro's books sm. i can't believe i haven't read one in over 2 years. good plot, cute couple, and OMG AILIN AND SEB MY FAVS

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series which is set in the author’s Brinnswick universe can be read as a standalone but I would recommend reading The wolf’s (un)lucky fae written by this author as part of the multi author series Fortune favours the fae, which is were we first meet Garrick and Tan this book takes place maybe a year or so later and we get more world building, this is a slow burn romance and we learn more about the characters background and Garrick’s is heartbreaking so I’m so happy he got his hea. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice addition to the Ellwood/Brinnswick/Gauhala world

I liked the story and characters! As per usual, they all had difficult pasts but didn’t let that keep them down. Cute moments, tense moments, and sexy moments all combined for an enjoyable tale.

There were a few minor issues that prevented me from rating it higher, but worth the read.

[Tessa Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has magic, dragons, witches, familiars and so much more. There was so much good stuff to keep you engaged in the story the whole time. I really loved Garrick the grumpy dragon. The relationship between him and his witch is adorable. overall a great read.

[Aki · Rating 3 out of 5]

In einer Nacht gelesen. Ich bin müde und es war nett zu lesen. Manchmal Spannend, manchmal sweet, aber nichts super besonderes.

[Xanthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

**story review**
I absolutely adore Michele's books. The Ellwood and Brinnswick series are amazing urban fantasy romances with huge world building and the most amazing characters.
The Witch's Grumpy Dragon introduces Garrick, dragon king, to Tan, witch and one of those taken under Ailin's wing into the Ellwood clan. This is a perfect grumpy/sunshine read. We discover Garrick's reasons for his surliness and hard fought trust are completely understandable and heart breaking for what he went through but Tan is determined to get at least a smile out of the much older man. Taking Tan on as personal security has become a necessity for Carrick with more attempts on his life from those who want his crown but there's also a special read on as to why it has to be Tan and only Tan that he will allow into his business and personal areas.
I love how the story unfolds, it's a slow burn romance that perfectly matches the pace of the story. While most of the story moves along at a sedate pace, there are moments of action and high intensity that become quite dangerous for one or both MC's. I cannot recommend this enough and I'm excited for book two!
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
**audio review**
The narration for this book is brilliant. I really enjoyed the voices given to both MCs. I was worried as I struggled listening to The Wolf's Unlucky Fae but this has all of the emotion, tension and fun that you always get with a Michele Notaro book.

[Kobie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holy cow, this needed an editor. The grammer is fine, but good grief. In media res, please. At 36% I can't skip a few days later...because that means nothing is happening!

Plus, I'd like a little more world building...they have traffic and cars and computers and security cameras. No thanks.

DNF from boredom at 36%.

[Thurman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tanyl and Garrick were good together. I wish Garrick told Tan sooner about his problems and history. I really liked that they were about to help the Fae and find and win over his Son.
angst 3/5
heat 3/5
story 4/5
POV dual

[JB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is clearly targeting the YA crowd because the writing is really annoying and infantilised with all the “gar-bear”, “little pretty”, “dork”, “yeppers”, “holy crapola” and other cutesy diminutives.
The plot with the curse is also a bit silly.

[Manu Ortiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The start is really promising. But things kinda go downhill when the story just jumps forward in time. From weeks to months. And while I love myself powerful magic users, Tan isn't it. He just kinda uses it to no real avail.

[Toofan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Aysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Witch’s Grumpy Dragon is book one in the Brinnswick: Tales From Gauhala series and can be read as a standalone. However, The Wolf's (Un)Lucky Fae is where we are first introduced to both MCs and see them meet for the first time (although it is also in the prologue of this book).
The Ellwood Chronicles (6 books), The Brinnswick Chronicles (5 books), A Brinnswick Story series (2 books), The Wolf's (Un)Lucky Fae and this new series are all connected.

This book is set a year after Tanyl and Garrick first meet.

Tanyl is a snarky, kind death witch who runs a security company with his friends mixing technology and magic. In Wolf’s (Un)Lucky Fae, we saw Tan and Remi (his best friend) move to Gauhala to expand their security business.
Orangelica is his familiar who is a chimera - sphinx, dragon and hellhound (but mainly takes a cat form).

Garrick comes across as a grumpy king, but he is actually very sweet and cares deeply, just in a lot of pain and grief. He’s been in danger for the last 25 years and employs Tan to help him. However, they are also drawn to each because they are viramores (soulmates).

I really liked Garrick, but struggled so much with Tan. He was so judgmental towards Garrick, he decided within five minutes he didn’t like him and that Garrick was a jerk when all Garrick did was show signs of being his viramore. I hated Tan being judgmental towards Garrick before I knew what had happened to him, but after I found out I was furious.

I did like the interesting and unusual take on fated mates. Garrick instantly knows they are fated, but he doesn’t want to put Tan in danger, while Tan isn’t aware/ completely oblivious of the bond due to his upbringing.

The plot focuses mainly on their developing relationship and the dangerous situation Garrick is in which is resolved by the end of the book with a twist that I predicted.

I really liked Oakley and actually wished to see more of him and his relationship with Garrick. Roman, Garrick’s best friend, is also great and pretty funny at times.

Michele Notaro is an expert at weaving emotions and making you cry, I pretty much expect it by now, and I loved how she portrayed Garrick’s. Garrick’s situation will definitely tug on your heartstrings.

I liked the suspense and the plot. I enjoyed seeing Garrick find happiness again and I personally thought Garrick was a great king, just a bit (rightfully) lost. I do wish the main villian in this book actually had a bit more of a serious consequence than just being put in prison for a while when she’s immortal.

While I did struggle with Tan, he and Garrick were great together (eventually) and I liked seeing their relationship develop. They were both so sweet 🥰 and their chemistry was sizzling. Looking forward to the next book in this series!

This book contains triggering content such as violence, death, parental abuse, torture, betrayal, child abduction, child in danger and hurt.

🐉 MM Urban Fantasy
🌤️ Grumpy/ sunshine
💞 Fated mates
👑 Dragon king
☠️ Death witch
❤️‍🔥 Slow burn
🛏️ Forced proximity
🥰 Found family

Plot: 📚📚📚📚
Character rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
World building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎
Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Feels: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Writing style: 🖊🖊🖊🖊

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic urban fantasy, love it

Rating: 4.5🌈

The Witch’s Grumpy Dragon is the sequel we’ve been waiting for since Notaro introduced the new location and it’s characters to us in the wonderful book, The Wolf's (Un) Lucky Fae from the Fortune Favors The Fae series.

There those side characters cried out for their own stories and romances amidst a magical world that was in a societal crisis of class and speciesism.

That lead in book showed us the perspective of those, the Fae, who are a distinct lower class and Remi who is among those who try to help them.

Here the view of society is flipped, we’re seeing it from the top of the government and society. Or rather as it’s been viewed by its ruler, Dragon king shifter Garrick Von Stein, his friend/right hand Roman, and then by the one they hire to help them.

That’s Remi Ellwood’s best friend, Tanyl “Tan” Helegolor, a powerful witch with death magic. Along with his fabulous familiar, Orangelica, his bonded one, Notaro sets the reader up for a fantastic mated relationship and high new fantasy adventure.

There’s a heartbreaking story behind the King, a fated mate romance, some real magical battles that are just amazing, and a great cast of characters, past, present, and new to keep the reader totally engaged with the many storylines and relationships as they develop.

There’s a critical, very emotional divide within the society here, and the turnaround that needs to happen, by the King and in the current administration to effect change, that’s addressed in the book. Notaro is realistic in acknowledging that believable change is slow moving however forward everything else is occurring. I love it when an author keeps all the threads complete and throughly explored in the narrative. So well written.

I can’t wait for the next book to come out. That’s an intriguing pair , Anton the vampire and Keryth, a fae related to Bel, that was actually set up in Bel and Remi’s book and has a mystery about them that’s been following them throughout the series. Need it now.

I highly recommend reading this and the books I have listed below as leads to the universe. And the author, who is an auto read for me.

Happy reading!

Brinnswick: Tales From Gauhala:
- [x] The Witch’s Grumpy Dragon #1
- [ ] The Vampire's Delicious Fae #2 - Sept 9,2025

Connected series and stories:

🔷The Wolf's (Un) Lucky Fae (Fortune Favors The Fae) - Remi and Bel’s story ❤️

🔷The Enchanter’s Flame (The Ellwood Chronicles I) - Ailin and Seb’s story❤️

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

We first meet Tan and even Garrick in "The Wolf's (Un)Lucky Fae" as Tan is Remi's best friend. Garrick is the King of Gauhala where Tan moved too with Remi to open up a new security firm together.
We see Tan and Garrick meet first in Remi's POV, then this is how Tan and Garrick's book start off, with their first meeting, and it goes from there.
Tan is a sassy, wonderful bada-- witch who takes no s--t. Garrick is a scorched king with a baggy pass of messed up. Garrick has been stuck in his tower/home for years while facing assassins and other bulls---. Garrick hires Tan to become a like personal bodyguard for him. There are so many twists and turns and oh my god Garrick needs to open up a little more, even though I know why he's hesitant.
As we learned in Remi and Bel's book, fae are treated horribly, and Tan thinks that Garrick knows this and is kind of messed up as king, and when Tan brings it up one day, Garrick is shocked and heartbroken to learn the truth of his people and how people he "trusted" in his government was hurting his people. I love how fast Garrick handles this situation and starts to change things. Garrick also knows its going to take a while before there are changes and doesn't act like a naive ruler thinking it'll change over night. And Garrick starts checking in with his people more, in thanks to Tan.
We see Garrick start to open up more and see why he was King for so long before crap hit the fan 25 years ago.

My heart broke for Tan for his thoughts that he wasn't good enough for a soulmate because of who his birth family is.. Garrick was amazing for not trying to push the bond onto Tan, but also not letting Tan put himself down for Tan's awful family, because Tan is 1000% better than the family he was born into.

that plot twist though??? i kind of saw it coming, but it was still shocking. I'm glad Tan and Garrick got their happy ever after and cannot wait to read the next two books of this series!

Tan's bonded is freaking adorable and I love her so much, even though she doesn't talk.

I also listen to the audio for this and Michael Lesley did an amazing job!

[Elithanathile · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good lord, what is up with authors devolving into really shitty writing lately?!! Just because you can self-publish doesn't mean you should publish absolutely sloppy drivel and muck up what used to be an amazing, flourishing MM book community!! Now it's just saturated with garbage like this >:-o!!!

Just within the first 5% I was effectively irritated, aggravated, and repulsed by the MMC and this author's writing! The former AND the former is because Tanlyn was legitimately insufferable - he's rude, petulant, immature, and hostile toward the other MMC for no reason whatsoever, literally within 3 minutes of meeting one another, and in terms of the plotting, non-existent character development, and overall writing it makes ZERO sense, and all it accomplished is that I automatically disliked Tanlyn, refusing to root for him in ANY capacity, he was just rude and off-putting in the extreme!! Where the author comes in is that the writing comes across as incredibly sloppy, juvenile, immature, irritating, and absurdly infantile - the author has Tanlyn using words like: asshat, jerkface within two seconds of meeting Garrick and the author clearly tries to manipulate the reader by repeatedly telling us that Garrick is an asshole, when he has done nothing and is NOTHING of the sort, and it's clearly Tanlyn who's hostile, rude, and unlikeable!!! You as an author are clearly showing me something and telling me something else that completely negates what I am witnessing ... which tells me the "narration" is unintentionally unreliable, it manipulative, it's stupidly amateur, and it's really fucking obnoxious and insufferable!!! The author's writing here is JUST BAD, and all the high rankings by anyone who has read an arc are the reasons why not many trust arc readers AT ALL!!! The ratings are clearly those who are afraid to tell the truth about the really sloppy, shoddy, half-assed writing, or are people pandering to authors!!! This was just HORRIBLE!!!!

This review wasn't revised or proofread yet and it will be soon!!

[Kirstine Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Tan the witch (from Remi's security firm Magicurity from book #0) and Garrick the dragon king. Together they battle scores of assassins, a shitty ex, a powerful old curse, and some horrible laws that Garrick really should have been on top off.

Favorite parts: The sentient land of the territory, and the tower it built in the middle of the city.
All the stupid dragon nicknames Tan calls Garrick. Sadly I only remember Gar-Bear (which he uses all the time,) Sir Dragon Breath, Sir Roasts-A-Lot, and Sir Scale-ington.
And fairies being tiny, wire-gnawing pests.

Most annoying parts: Who leaked that Tan was Garrick's viramore/soulmate? Tan himself didn't even know yet when he and his familiar, Orangelica, were attacked and almost killed by the dragon assassin.

How did the bad guys get through Tan's powerful wards for the final showdown? It's theorized that they used Oakley's access, but he was still confined to the tower, and him being added to the (very short!) list of people who can pass through the wards was never mentioned. What was he and Roman doing on the roof in the first place, and why/how was Roman knocked out?

And what happened to Tan' tattoos? First:

My entire body was covered in tattooed runes, most of which Ailin had put on my skin and infused with magic. A lot of the reason I could do powerful spells was thanks to him, not that I planned on sharing that tidbit of information. That wasn’t something I was comfortable sharing with Garrick. At least not yet. Maybe one day, if we became better friends.
“How many’s a few?”
I shot him a grin and a wink. “Too many to count.”
His eyes widened a fraction. “Really? You don’t know how many you have?”
“I lost count at least ten tattoos ago, so no, I really don’t.”

...and then they were never mentioned again.