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The Dragon and the Scholar #3
Dragon's Rival: The Dragon and the Scholar, Book 3
Having abandoned his friends and family and taken to the skies, Ewan hides himself in the Wilderlands, away from humans. However, an unexpected attempt on his life and a warning from another dragon lead him to suspect that not all is right in Regone.
Ewan returns to his homeland to attend his brother's wedding and discover the source of the bounty on his head. Once there, the dragon prince finds that Ryan of Westshire has been using his absence to court the Lady Shannon.
With unknown forces working to undermine his brother's throne and his own heart torn between his love for Shannon and the desire to see her happy, Ewan must choose once and for all. Is he a dragon or a man?
Ewan returns to his homeland to attend his brother's wedding and discover the source of the bounty on his head. Once there, the dragon prince finds that Ryan of Westshire has been using his absence to court the Lady Shannon.
With unknown forces working to undermine his brother's throne and his own heart torn between his love for Shannon and the desire to see her happy, Ewan must choose once and for all. Is he a dragon or a man?
Audible Audio
First published July 31, 2014
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About the author
H.L. Burke
96 books568 followersBorn in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and was always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.
An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
She is the author of a four part fantasy/romance series entitled "The Dragon and the Scholar," the Award Winning (2016 Realm Award for Young Adult Fiction) Nyssa Glass Steampunk series, and MG/Fantasy "Cora and the Nurse Dragon," among others .
Sign up for her monthly newsletter at www.hlburkeauthor.com
http://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-Burke/e/B...
An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
She is the author of a four part fantasy/romance series entitled "The Dragon and the Scholar," the Award Winning (2016 Realm Award for Young Adult Fiction) Nyssa Glass Steampunk series, and MG/Fantasy "Cora and the Nurse Dragon," among others .
Sign up for her monthly newsletter at www.hlburkeauthor.com
http://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-Burke/e/B...
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 2, 2016
This is the third in the series The Dragon and the Scholar, and the story is blossoming now. It’s focused more on the personal elements than the background plot, but I found this more interesting anyway. The on-again off-again sort-of romance between dragon-prince Ewan and scholar Shannon has reached a critical point, and Ewan’s rival Ryan, another prince, is there waiting for Shannon when things fall apart. Everything depends on Ewan: will he admit his love for Shannon or deny it all to give her a chance of happiness with Ryan?
I’m not generally a big fan of characters who say and do things to protect another character ‘for their own good’. It’s presumptuous and disrespectful not to allow them to make their own decision. But in this case, Ewan has been enchanted (or cursed, perhaps) by an evil sorceress, now dead, to take the form of a dragon permanently. If Shannon chooses to be with Ewan, she gives up all possibility of a sexual relationship and children. There’s also the problem that dragons live longer lives than humans. That’s a heavy price to pay, and Ewan’s actions to push her towards Ryan are very understandable in that context. The tragedy of Ewan’s situation adds a darker shade to an otherwise rather lighthearted story.
The background plot is nothing wildly original, just the usual conspiracy to take over the kingdom. One of the weaknesses of this series, to my mind, is that the characters fall too neatly into the good guy/bad guy boxes. I really like a hero with foibles, or a villain who has some redeeming qualities. That’s how people are in real life, and it makes the story so much more realistic if the characters aren’t simple black or white, but have at least some hint of grey about them. But that’s a personal preference, not a major criticism.
Fortunately, the background shenanigans never come close to overwhelming the story, which focuses firmly on the two principle characters and their troubled romance. A reader would have to have a heart of stone not to root for these two likable characters to get back together, and the author elegantly contrives to ensure that Ryan isn’t left too broken-hearted, either. Very nicely done. Four stars.
I’m not generally a big fan of characters who say and do things to protect another character ‘for their own good’. It’s presumptuous and disrespectful not to allow them to make their own decision. But in this case, Ewan has been enchanted (or cursed, perhaps) by an evil sorceress, now dead, to take the form of a dragon permanently. If Shannon chooses to be with Ewan, she gives up all possibility of a sexual relationship and children. There’s also the problem that dragons live longer lives than humans. That’s a heavy price to pay, and Ewan’s actions to push her towards Ryan are very understandable in that context. The tragedy of Ewan’s situation adds a darker shade to an otherwise rather lighthearted story.
The background plot is nothing wildly original, just the usual conspiracy to take over the kingdom. One of the weaknesses of this series, to my mind, is that the characters fall too neatly into the good guy/bad guy boxes. I really like a hero with foibles, or a villain who has some redeeming qualities. That’s how people are in real life, and it makes the story so much more realistic if the characters aren’t simple black or white, but have at least some hint of grey about them. But that’s a personal preference, not a major criticism.
Fortunately, the background shenanigans never come close to overwhelming the story, which focuses firmly on the two principle characters and their troubled romance. A reader would have to have a heart of stone not to root for these two likable characters to get back together, and the author elegantly contrives to ensure that Ryan isn’t left too broken-hearted, either. Very nicely done. Four stars.
February 28, 2021
Love it!! I could always use more Edmond but this was so good. Dragon Prince Ewan is a protective older brother to King Edmond and protective to all those close to him.
A few new characters popped up and brought a lot of mystery to this book. My heart ached for Prince Ryan throughout pretty much the entire book. I’m excited to start the final book which also makes me sad cause I don’t want it to end.
A few new characters popped up and brought a lot of mystery to this book. My heart ached for Prince Ryan throughout pretty much the entire book. I’m excited to start the final book which also makes me sad cause I don’t want it to end.
December 13, 2014
The dragon/prince, Ewan may no longer be denying his feelings for Shannon to himself, but he is to her. And he refuses to really speak about them to any of his friends either. He still feels like he is doing what's best for the both of them by staying out of the way. After returning to Regone, Ewan tells Shannon that he doesn't love her. Shannon, crushed and heartbroken, falls into Prince Ryan's arms. She agrees to marry him, but they decide not to tell anyone besides King Riley, Ryan's father, until after King Edmond's marriage to Brighid (Ryan's sister).
Meanwhile, there have been strange goings on. New servants and such have been appointed to the king in Regone. A man named Donovan has been watching with interest and questions what is going on. Because of his questions, he loses his position in the palace guard and his life is in danger. He must find someone who he can trust, and someone who has influence with the king. Ewan is that someone.
In Westshire, King Riley has employed two "alchemists" who seem to be doing some shady work for him. Whatever they are concocting is nothing good. Will, a stable boy, has been closely watching the palace along with the king and his son. There is an uprising in the making and he is gathering intel for his superiors. What he doesn't count on is owing Prince Ryan his life. Will wants nothing more than to despise Riley, and Ryan as well if he turns out to be anything like his father, but can't seem to find it in himself to feel that way about the prince.
It will take all of them, along with their friend Martin, to keep Regone safe from King Riley's treachery. He is always scheming, and him playing nice only makes everyone more nervous. It wasn't that long ago that he wanted to kill King Edmond.
Shannon is in danger of marrying someone she doesn't love. Ewan's very life is in danger by an unknown source. Donovan and his wife are almost killed, and Will too. Even Regone itself is in danger. The stakes are high...
This is another great novel in The Dragon and the Scholar series! Yes the stakes are high! Ewan must make his decision once and for all about Shannon, who is in love with him. Ryan wants a chance at making Shannon happy and is willing to make her his princess and one day queen. Although Shannon would be a fine queen, she isn't sure that kind of life is for her, but she is very fond of Ryan. The cards are laid on the table for them in this book and the end is fantastic, but still very surprising!
Will is a new character we are introduced to and he has secrets of his own. These secrets go deep and not all of them come to light yet, but I have a feeling we will be seeing more of him in the next book. He is just a young man, but a wild and somewhat troubled one.
Donovan is not a new character, but he plays a much bigger part in this book. He is an honorable man, but questions authority too much for the liking of his superiors and loses his job. A watchful man that will end up being an unlikely hero.
Poor Martin is exhausting his resources and himself trying to find a cure for Ewan's curse. There is a glimmer of hope....
This story had some very complex parts and separate happenings that all end up twining together nicely! An easy 5 stars!
Meanwhile, there have been strange goings on. New servants and such have been appointed to the king in Regone. A man named Donovan has been watching with interest and questions what is going on. Because of his questions, he loses his position in the palace guard and his life is in danger. He must find someone who he can trust, and someone who has influence with the king. Ewan is that someone.
In Westshire, King Riley has employed two "alchemists" who seem to be doing some shady work for him. Whatever they are concocting is nothing good. Will, a stable boy, has been closely watching the palace along with the king and his son. There is an uprising in the making and he is gathering intel for his superiors. What he doesn't count on is owing Prince Ryan his life. Will wants nothing more than to despise Riley, and Ryan as well if he turns out to be anything like his father, but can't seem to find it in himself to feel that way about the prince.
It will take all of them, along with their friend Martin, to keep Regone safe from King Riley's treachery. He is always scheming, and him playing nice only makes everyone more nervous. It wasn't that long ago that he wanted to kill King Edmond.
Shannon is in danger of marrying someone she doesn't love. Ewan's very life is in danger by an unknown source. Donovan and his wife are almost killed, and Will too. Even Regone itself is in danger. The stakes are high...
This is another great novel in The Dragon and the Scholar series! Yes the stakes are high! Ewan must make his decision once and for all about Shannon, who is in love with him. Ryan wants a chance at making Shannon happy and is willing to make her his princess and one day queen. Although Shannon would be a fine queen, she isn't sure that kind of life is for her, but she is very fond of Ryan. The cards are laid on the table for them in this book and the end is fantastic, but still very surprising!
Will is a new character we are introduced to and he has secrets of his own. These secrets go deep and not all of them come to light yet, but I have a feeling we will be seeing more of him in the next book. He is just a young man, but a wild and somewhat troubled one.
Donovan is not a new character, but he plays a much bigger part in this book. He is an honorable man, but questions authority too much for the liking of his superiors and loses his job. A watchful man that will end up being an unlikely hero.
Poor Martin is exhausting his resources and himself trying to find a cure for Ewan's curse. There is a glimmer of hope....
This story had some very complex parts and separate happenings that all end up twining together nicely! An easy 5 stars!
January 31, 2025
Content:
Profanity: high mild. There were multiple uses of B******, H***, and D****. Probably just shy of a dozen altogether, but it was more than the previous two books.
Violence: high mild. There are a few incinerations from dragon flame, burned husks of people. There is also a death by stabbing in the neck. It wasn't gory, but it was more intense than previous books.
Sexual: low moderate. There is a lot of talk of love-making in this one, both in and out of marriage, as well as talk of illegitimate children. There is also talk of prostitutes and paying for sex. Breeding is language often used. There is an after-sex scene. Two people in bed after the fact, but talking of what they felt. The kissing involves tongue. Implied nudity.
SIGH.
It's now official. No more H.L. Burke for me. The deed is done, I've deleted all her books from my kindle that I was at least going to skim.
The tone of this killed me. It's almost 3 a.m. and I can't sleep because I'm unsettled. Her books are touted as clean, but not the squeaky clean I prefer when I label a book as 'clean'. There's a lot of heaviness in them, and she seems to enjoy focusing on deviant sexual behaviors in her books. King Riley gets around, Martin fesses up to preferring one-night-stands, and Ryan admits he just dived into intimacy with the girl he loved because he knew he couldn't marry her....but he loved her.
There is a pervasive focus on sexual relationships in this, both immoral and within the bounds of marriage.
I find that I'm far from entertained or happy after reading this. I had to push through the last half. It was so gritty and awful and there wasn't a lot about the moral implications. They'd say they were praying to God one second, then they were all, HORMONES.
To say I am upset is understating things. Characters I started out liking, I now wish to erase from my brain.
I read to find hope and happiness. This was all lust, greed, power-mongering, and just depressing.
I'm done.
Profanity: high mild. There were multiple uses of B******, H***, and D****. Probably just shy of a dozen altogether, but it was more than the previous two books.
Violence: high mild. There are a few incinerations from dragon flame, burned husks of people. There is also a death by stabbing in the neck. It wasn't gory, but it was more intense than previous books.
Sexual: low moderate. There is a lot of talk of love-making in this one, both in and out of marriage, as well as talk of illegitimate children. There is also talk of prostitutes and paying for sex. Breeding is language often used. There is an after-sex scene. Two people in bed after the fact, but talking of what they felt. The kissing involves tongue. Implied nudity.
SIGH.
It's now official. No more H.L. Burke for me. The deed is done, I've deleted all her books from my kindle that I was at least going to skim.
The tone of this killed me. It's almost 3 a.m. and I can't sleep because I'm unsettled. Her books are touted as clean, but not the squeaky clean I prefer when I label a book as 'clean'. There's a lot of heaviness in them, and she seems to enjoy focusing on deviant sexual behaviors in her books. King Riley gets around, Martin fesses up to preferring one-night-stands, and Ryan admits he just dived into intimacy with the girl he loved because he knew he couldn't marry her....but he loved her.
There is a pervasive focus on sexual relationships in this, both immoral and within the bounds of marriage.
I find that I'm far from entertained or happy after reading this. I had to push through the last half. It was so gritty and awful and there wasn't a lot about the moral implications. They'd say they were praying to God one second, then they were all, HORMONES.
To say I am upset is understating things. Characters I started out liking, I now wish to erase from my brain.
I read to find hope and happiness. This was all lust, greed, power-mongering, and just depressing.
I'm done.
March 21, 2016
I dearly love both Shannon and Ewan and Ryan has certainly grown into a strong personality in this installment and I loved newcomer Will. H.L. Burke certainly knows how to make a fantasy world come to life and you can easily picture the kingdom from the castle, to the peasant houses. But why four stars and not five? Honestly I always tend to get bored by political intrigue and this certainly had a healthy supply of Ryan’s father trying to outmaneuver everyone. And I always get irritated when people outright lie, as Ewan did to Shannon repeatedly which just seemed cruel. Then there’s the problem of everyone (Ryan and Ewan) deciding they knew what was best for Shannon without asking her, and when she found out, I expected her to hit the roof for trying to railroad her life (I honestly expected her to turn on both of them and head back to the Academy until they got over themselves), but instead it was like she had lost her previous strong backbone and just went along with everything they said (not to mention weeping all over the place like a total basket case rather than standing up and fighting). But in all, it is well worth seeing Ryan grow into a stronger character and the ending on this installment is fantastic and worth the wait. And of course this is a needed rung before the final installment.
November 10, 2021
Dragon's Rival is my favorite book in the series. It's the third book and well-balanced with romance, interesting characters, and a gripping plot.
Will is an intriguing new character in the story. He's young, resourceful, and inquisitive. But who is he really?
Shannon desires motherhood. But what will it cost her? What will Ewan, the dragon prince, do when he faces death? How will Donovan respond when he realizes just how dangerous it is to seek the truth? How will Ryan respond when he discovers that his father, King Riley, has been keeping a secret from him?
Everyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, and romance will enjoy this book thoroughly. I first read an ARC a few years ago and this time I listened to the audiobook. I recommend both!
Will is an intriguing new character in the story. He's young, resourceful, and inquisitive. But who is he really?
Shannon desires motherhood. But what will it cost her? What will Ewan, the dragon prince, do when he faces death? How will Donovan respond when he realizes just how dangerous it is to seek the truth? How will Ryan respond when he discovers that his father, King Riley, has been keeping a secret from him?
Everyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, and romance will enjoy this book thoroughly. I first read an ARC a few years ago and this time I listened to the audiobook. I recommend both!
August 3, 2014
This is another wonderful novel in the Dragon and the Scholar series--I had a hard time putting it down! Dragon's Rival has a captivating plot, good pacing, and well-developed characters. I would have given it a 5/5 if not for the many mentions of "lovemaking" (no graphic scenes, but that word crops up a lot).
If you like fantasy, dragons, romance... all of the above... this is a very fun series to read! Definitely start with book one, which sets the stage for the rest of the books in the series and is my favorite of them so far.
If you like fantasy, dragons, romance... all of the above... this is a very fun series to read! Definitely start with book one, which sets the stage for the rest of the books in the series and is my favorite of them so far.
August 21, 2014
Sometimes I have trouble with epic fantasies because the author gets so caught up in making their created world believable they forget about the story. This is not the case with H.L. Burke. She invites her reader to climb on the dragon's back and ride with her, swooping over rich characters and plot details seamlessly. Kingdom and country are secondary to intriguing, interesting characters who pull you into their story. Enough action to keep you breathless, enough romance to bring a few tears without being too sappy. Well-written and engaging. Can't wait to read number four!
August 16, 2016
This book is about Ewan's journey toward manning up and confessing his love to Shannon.
Or not.
There's all kinds of political machinations, poisonings, backstabbings, people of questionable birth, and all those other things that make life in a medieval court so much fun. Plus, so much dragon angst. I read the whole thing in less than twelve hours, counting a break for sleep in between.
Parental warning: While there is a bed scene, it's the "cut away to later" kind. If your kids can handle the final scene of the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, they could handle this.
Or not.
There's all kinds of political machinations, poisonings, backstabbings, people of questionable birth, and all those other things that make life in a medieval court so much fun. Plus, so much dragon angst. I read the whole thing in less than twelve hours, counting a break for sleep in between.
Parental warning: While there is a bed scene, it's the "cut away to later" kind. If your kids can handle the final scene of the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, they could handle this.
June 2, 2016
Well book three was a well turned out fantasy tomb. The Girl got her man, but this is not the end of the tale. We still have a Dragon who wants to be a full time man, and a prince with a four year old whom has never been seen. So what happens next? Book four which happens to be the same size as the first three. And yes I am already into it!
December 13, 2014
Wow! I loved this story! I was sad when it I ran out of pages. I liked how the love story panned out... Well written. Eagerly awaiting the last installment. I love how like a best friend the mc seams to me, now much I care about her.
December 27, 2015
I don't have as much to say in this review as I did in the last two. Still an amazing, fantastical read. H. L. Burke's writing is captivating and I can't wait to finish Ewan's and Shannon's story, even though I spent most of this book yelling at the characters. ;)
March 25, 2016
This third installment in The Dragon and the Scholar series was a non-stop, nail-biting read as the author adds more conflict and new characters to keep the plot fresh and twisty-good. I love Ewan and Shannon even more, and I even like Martin more in this one! Can't wait to read the finale!
October 5, 2014
Another satisfying installment of The Dragon and Scholar series! I love these characters, although there were times when I wished I could reach through the page and shake some sense into them. :-)
May 4, 2015
The most romantic book in the series
June 15, 2015
Amazing!!!
This book proves that a great fantasy need not be 600 pages. The plot... WOW. Will is my new favorite character.
This book proves that a great fantasy need not be 600 pages. The plot... WOW. Will is my new favorite character.
December 27, 2020
Though Shannon and Ewan aren't on great terms for most of this book, it was really interesting to hear the dynamic between him, Ryan, and Shannon. The plot was really interesting too, and left me wondering what would happen next for a while. I don't think this book was as heavy on the foreshadowing as the first two, but man is it irritating how many issues could've been avoided if everyone communicated honestly haha. But that's the same as in life, and there were clear reasons why some of them didn't spill everything sooner. I think this book really helped flesh out all the characters even more, and even though Ewan is infuriatingly stubborn for much of this, I can really sympathize with him and understand why. I really like Ryan as a character, and honestly think he would've been amazing for Shannon if it wasn't for her relationship with Ewan. Will was a great addition too. The ending was great, and I was smiling like an idiot at the wall for the last bit. I received a free review copy of this book.
November 5, 2017
I'm continuing to enjoy this series, but I have to admit Dragon's Rival didn't hold quite the same charm for me as the first two books. I think it's because one of my favorite aspects of The Dragon and the Scholar saga has been the interactions between Shannon and Ewan, and this book had far less due to the physical and emotional distance between them. But it still had the fun characters and great world-building that I associate with Burke's books, and an interesting mystery to solve. I felt like the ending was a little rushed, but it was otherwise very satisfying :) I'm looking forward to seeing how the author closes out the series!
July 15, 2017
I am going to blame the author for the several sleepless nights I had this week while reading this book. I became so engrossed in the story, trying to will it back in the direction I wanted it to go that I could not put it down. The author skillfully places hints about the outcome of the story throughout the course of the book and at the same time continued to make that outcome seemingly impossible. Then in the latter part of the book, she skillfully brings all the foreshadowing into reality in a way that is both expected and surprising at the same time. Bravo! Well done!
October 23, 2017
For a fantasy book this certainly had sufficient reality that matches the selfishness of some of today's men and/or women. Thankfully the author balances this out with strong characters to leave the reader with positive images to emulate. Really enjoy her style of writing.
December 18, 2018
Really enjoyable
Parts of this book were very authentic and moving. Despite obvious fantasy, the human sentiments were spot on and tug at the heart strings. Beautiful and nothing dropped me out of the story.
Parts of this book were very authentic and moving. Despite obvious fantasy, the human sentiments were spot on and tug at the heart strings. Beautiful and nothing dropped me out of the story.
May 30, 2019
Ahhh, how can you leave it at that?! Well written and engrossing. I'm immediately starting book 4!
September 2, 2019
I love how this story gets better and better. I have moments of teariness and moments if smiles. Such a great love story.
July 23, 2025
Good work looking forward to finishing this series.
March 22, 2017
Great third volume of the series.
January 2, 2017
Reader thoughts: The plot continues, but it doesn't feel like it progressed much in this book.
Someone tries to kill Ewan. That's half the plot. Most of what happens in this book is Ewan telling Shannon he doesn't love her, Shannon agreeing to marry Ryan, and about 7 scenes with different people telling Ewan and Shannon that Ewan really DOES love her, only he won't admit it. Ewan is convinced Shannon will be happier with Ryan (a human), and he won't give her the chance to decide for herself.
Maybe Ryan IS better for Shannon. He is willing to let her pick for herself. He says, "I have said my piece to her. That is all I can do. I ask you do do the same and let her decide." Only Ewan lies instead, and this whole book is based off that (plus somebody who tries to kill Ewan).
My favorite line is when Donovan's wife drops a basketful of eggs. He says, "Patty, Patty, you shouldn't have put all fo those in one basket." Ha!
I do like the addition of Will. I wasn't sure whether to trust him at first, but he's growing on me. Sometimes, people just need to feel appreciated. He kept things from seeming boring (since he brought the sneaking and intrigue side of things).
Chapter twenty-one had some weird formatting issues. Some paragraphs (or parts of a paragraph) were in a different font size. Maybe it's just the combined kindle edition (four books in one).
Writer thoughts: I don't think it's wrong to build a plot off of lies and character romance. I do think it was more repetitive than it had to be, though. Several conversations felt like near repeats, and that isn't necessary.
Ryan tells Ewan, "You do love her! Why would you lie?"
Martin tells Ewan, "You do love her! Why would you lie?"
Donovan tells Ewan, "You do love her! Why would you lie?"
Ewan explains himself over and over again that he can't make Shannon happy in dragon form. This sounds self-sacrificing and noble, until about the fourth time he's explaining. One (or two) scenes would have been enough to get the point across.
Someone tries to kill Ewan. That's half the plot. Most of what happens in this book is Ewan telling Shannon he doesn't love her, Shannon agreeing to marry Ryan, and about 7 scenes with different people telling Ewan and Shannon that Ewan really DOES love her, only he won't admit it. Ewan is convinced Shannon will be happier with Ryan (a human), and he won't give her the chance to decide for herself.
Maybe Ryan IS better for Shannon. He is willing to let her pick for herself. He says, "I have said my piece to her. That is all I can do. I ask you do do the same and let her decide." Only Ewan lies instead, and this whole book is based off that (plus somebody who tries to kill Ewan).
My favorite line is when Donovan's wife drops a basketful of eggs. He says, "Patty, Patty, you shouldn't have put all fo those in one basket." Ha!
I do like the addition of Will. I wasn't sure whether to trust him at first, but he's growing on me. Sometimes, people just need to feel appreciated. He kept things from seeming boring (since he brought the sneaking and intrigue side of things).
Chapter twenty-one had some weird formatting issues. Some paragraphs (or parts of a paragraph) were in a different font size. Maybe it's just the combined kindle edition (four books in one).
Writer thoughts: I don't think it's wrong to build a plot off of lies and character romance. I do think it was more repetitive than it had to be, though. Several conversations felt like near repeats, and that isn't necessary.
Ryan tells Ewan, "You do love her! Why would you lie?"
Martin tells Ewan, "You do love her! Why would you lie?"
Donovan tells Ewan, "You do love her! Why would you lie?"
Ewan explains himself over and over again that he can't make Shannon happy in dragon form. This sounds self-sacrificing and noble, until about the fourth time he's explaining. One (or two) scenes would have been enough to get the point across.
December 1, 2016
Well, my annoyance at Ewan is mixed, now. He still makes the major break-up decision for Shannon with a cold lie, but we see his pain and determined resignation. Both he and Prince Ryan become deeper characters in this installment. Ryan makes a couple important discoveries about his own family, and we learn that his father's tyranny has led to a brewing rebellion in Westshire. Meanwhile, Riley's deadly schemes to annex Regone are difficult to prove until it's almost too late, as Ewan isn't quite sure enough to trust Ryan, nor ready to trouble Edmond as he eagerly prepares to get married.
I like the way commoners such as ordinary guardsmen can be valued and perceptive friends or aides, or scheming traitors with or without a cause.
I'll give a bit of a spoiler and say that there is a bittersweet happy ending among all the shake-ups this time, making these 3 stars more like 3.5. As we head into the last volume, Ewan is resigned no longer, and I think we're going to be seeing more of other dragons... and possibly even some fay, who left the human realms long ago.
One formatting comment: several times, turning a page swallowed a line or three, and I had to adjust the font size to make the missing words show up. I later realized, upon noticing some mid-word gaps that were caused by odd kerning rather than actual extraneous spaces, that random bits were in a slightly larger type. The two problems are probably related, but I don't know what causes either.
I like the way commoners such as ordinary guardsmen can be valued and perceptive friends or aides, or scheming traitors with or without a cause.
I'll give a bit of a spoiler and say that there is a bittersweet happy ending among all the shake-ups this time, making these 3 stars more like 3.5. As we head into the last volume, Ewan is resigned no longer, and I think we're going to be seeing more of other dragons... and possibly even some fay, who left the human realms long ago.
One formatting comment: several times, turning a page swallowed a line or three, and I had to adjust the font size to make the missing words show up. I later realized, upon noticing some mid-word gaps that were caused by odd kerning rather than actual extraneous spaces, that random bits were in a slightly larger type. The two problems are probably related, but I don't know what causes either.
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