Courting the Dragon Mage

by Jordan Dugdale

In a land ravaged by war and magic, Lyra finds herself in the midst of danger when a mage hexes her with a monstrous curse and leaves her with clear instructions on how to break

Kill the dragon mage and eat his heart.
The catch? He also has to be in love with her when she kills him.

Problem is, Alistair is well known by the people as a monster, a mage afflicted with dragon sickness and a strong craving for human hearts. Infiltrating the castle (and his heart) will be no easy feat, but it's one Lyra is determined to conquer. The fate of her happiness depends on it.

Everything Lyra is taught to believe is put to the test when Lyra manages to find her way into Alistair's castle and she discovers Alistair is not the mage her people paint him to be. Instead, he's harboring dark secrets that could actually change the course of the war. Suddenly, her task becomes more complicated.

Lyra is left
Who are the true villains of this story?

Genres: Romantasy, Fantasy, Spicy, Romance

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2025

About the author

Fantasy author under various sub-genres. I love writing morally grey heroes, complex character romances, and found families while elevating lgbtqia voices

Reviews

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not really a fantasy person but this book, had me from the beginning. I 10/10 recommend this book. I loved the twist and turns in this book.

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Kaitlyn wentworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Review✨
One thing Jordan’s gonna do, is knock it out of the park. Every. Single. Time. Why choose(FFM), dragon shifter MMC, curses, and the lost princess? Between the nods the Howl’s Moving Castle, and this also existing at the same time as A Flowers Fatal Thorn (I’m a sucker for interconnected stories) even the subtle nods to her other series Tidings of Misfits. I was here for every single bit of this story. Jordan kills it every time.

[Lauren Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more! That was such an amazing book! I absolutely loved the aspect of polyamory. While it wasn’t one of the main focuses of this book it was still enjoyable to read. The world itself was incredible I couldn’t put it down!

[Leah Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although it felt a little disjointed at times it was entertaining and I liked that Alistair as absolutely awful at physical combat and that Val and Lyra were the kick ass FMCs.

[Sufia Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally good - different plot which was a bit refreshing - I wasn't sure how it would end but I was happy with it. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series

[Alexandria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥✨ It’s PUB DAY, babes! ✨🔥
The realms have been officially romanced Courting the Dragon Mage is OUT NOW, kicking off the Romancing the Realms romantasy collection with claws, curses, and chaos.

If you're craving a feral, fae touched, poly slow burn with dragon fire and dangerous magic, THIS. IS. IT.

Let me just say: eating a mage’s heart has never sounded this emotionally complex, morally messy, or weirdly hot.

Lyra’s cursed.
Alistair’s the monster she’s supposed to kill.
But he’s also arrogant, swoony, and quietly tragic and suddenly her death mission turns into a feelings problem.
Add in Valencia (soft menace with a worship kink and hands of sin) and you’ve got a spicy, FFM romantasy that’s all claws, curses, and complicated longing.

💔 War.
🔥 Dragon sickness.
🖤 Found family.
👑 Kingdom-shattering secrets.
💋 Poly yearning & healing through pleasure.

Lyra is a fierce, flawed heroine who’s just trying to survive a world that’s stacked against her while battling a curse, keeping her brother safe, and resisting the pull of two people she should be running from.
Instead? She's falling.

✨ Favorite vibes:
— “Quiet, little flower. Your heart is beating like a caged bird.”
— Alistair being feral and tender in the same breath.
— Valencia and Lyra = ✨soft touch, sharp teeth energy✨
— The holy trinity of angst, steam, and found family.

This book is tragic and tender, dark and divine and I was feral for every twist.

If you're into magic heavy, curse laced romantasy with swoony dragons, sacred smut, and queerness woven through every chapter, get your claws on this one.

💘 Why Choose (FFM)
🐉 Dragon Shifter
🧙 Mages & Magic
🌕 Fae & Fox Spirits
🖤 Worship Kink
💥 Tragedy, Curses, Slow Burn
⚔️ Soft war wives + dangerous pillow talk

👑 Romancing the Realms is HERE to steal your heart (and maybe feed it to a dragon) and Courting the Dragon Mage is the feral start we deserve.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wild ride of a story; a fantasy romance with lots of secrets and mystery and spice sprinkled in.

I have never dipped my toe into FFM before, and this was a great novel to do so.While it didn't take full control of the story, you definitely dont miss anything with this trio in their romance, I absolutely adored the introduction to each character and seeing everything unwrap throughout.

The story will grip you, I stayed up way too late reading this because I could not put it down. I will say that it is quite tragic in that there is an illness, war, and sacrifice, but it's told in such an amazing way that it did not overtake the story overall. I so enjoyed the banter and spice, but also the absolute heart of Lyra. She is such an amazing character with so much depth, I loved living in her mind for this story because she is so complex in how she lives her life and how she navigates her relationships.


I was lucky enough to receive an arc of this amazing novel and am leaving a review of my own thoughts and feelings.

[bek.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great fantasy romance this was!
We have our main FMC Lyra who is caring for her little brother who is sick with the plague. Lyra then meets this mysterious man who is our MMC Alistair who ends up being a dragon mage. Lyra is then cursed and to break this curse she must kill him but he has to love her before she kills him. Alistair is known to the people as a monster who is inflicted with dragon sickness. Lyra realises once she finds his castle that he isn’t what everyone says he is. This then makes Lyra question everything she knows.

This was such a good read! The world building was so easy to follow and gripping. Even amongst a war, plague, dragon sickness and sacrifice, it was great to see our FMC Lyra really push herself to overcome it and that she did!

This was my first book I’ve read by Jordan Dugdale and I don’t think it will be my last. I really enjoyed this.

✨ WHAT TO EXPECT ✨
- FFM
- Dragons
- Howls Moving Castle x Beauty and the Beast
- Curse
- Magic
- faeries & mages
- War
- Family sacrifice
- a touch of spice 🌶️


Special thank you to Jordan Dugdale for an ARC. I had fun reading this. This is my honest review with my own thoughts and feelings.

[Jesslynxreay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book! It has a lot going on. There’s humans and mages and fae. Kingdoms, war, plague. Lyra gets cursed and must betray the dragon mage (who has his own issue) to save her brother and break the horrible curse. She ends up working with him and a cursed princess. They’re trying to break their curses, end the war, fix the plague, save her brother who has this plague, stop the bad mages. They go on adventures, get in some situations, a lot happens! Definitely not a dull moment here. Lyra ends up falling for the dragon mage and princess. The author finds a clever way to solve the curse problems and dragon mage’s issue, and live HEA. I’m a little sad at what happened, but everything has its price right? Anyway, great introduction to this romancing the realms series, really looking forward to reading the other books the other authors have coming out soon.

[Stephanie Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

We get an interesting trio of main characters in this book (yes, there is FFM), yet only the POV of Lyra and Alistair are provided. Funny enough, I didn't feel like I was missing much from Val's perspective because the other two were so well-rounded in their interactions.

There was a lot of tragedy in this story: war, plague, dragon sickness, curses, outrunning the grand mage, and the sacrifice of family. Throughout all of these hardships, though, we see Lyra thrive and strive for a world that makes her heart happy.

I was really hoping to get some more backstory on the dragon sickness Alastair endured and the significance of Rahf, but overall, it was a very well written magical story.

Thank you to the author for the ARC opportunity!

[Eren Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why Choose FFM
Dragon Shifter
Everyone has a curse
Mages & Magic
Faeries
Worship Kink
A little dash of spice

Why Choose FFM
Dragon Shifter
Everyone has a curse
Mages & Magic
Faeries
Worship Kink
A little dash of spice

Courting the Dragon Mage was good. I loved the touch of Rogue I got from the FMC with the curse that is swiftly laid upon her. This book is well written and wonderfully crafted. The pacing was good, and I loved that it's not your typical why choose with MMF or MFM type relationships and instead we get two FF involved. If you're looking for something familiar but also different pick it up.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this but even the promise of a FFM 'Why Choose?' wasn't enough to get me to stick with it. Important details seemed to be glossed over to let Lyra get away with anything. She gets beaten to shit in the fighting pits and people just let her shrug off her bruised face like it's nothing. Her father hasn't been to see her sick brother because no one who's had contact with the illness is allowed in the castle but Lyra can bring flowers in because she's ✨️the only florist they trust to get the job done✨️ There's suspending disbelief to read fantasy books and then there's just poor writing, and this feels heavily on the latter side of things. DNF at Ch4.

[Tanisha FantasyBooksandBudgets · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like why choose fantasy you need to check this book out!

I really loved the FFM in the why choose. It was a refreshing read and different than the usual. I enjoyed the characters and the effort put into getting to know them both individually and as a group dynamic.

I love a good story with a curse, and this one did not disappoint. The pacing is well done. It keeps you very entertained and wanting to know how it all plays out.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love romantasy books and this one was absolutely amazing. I both love and hate everything Lyra went through, but I'm so happy that she was able to get her happily ever after even though she won't be able to be a part of her brother's life anymore. But I'm so happy that everything worked out in the end.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much heartbreak— but Lyra, a strong and determined heroine, never stops reaching for a better world. The magic and emotion in this story hit hard. Beautifully tragic and quietly powerful.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨️ARC Review✨️

Lyra, Val, and Alistar completely stole my heart! Lyra, as a secret fighter determined to save her sick brother, she navigates the challenges of being a flower shop owner while dealing with the haunting curse of the touch of death. Her journey is as captivating as it is emotional. The relationship between her and Val creates a thrilling, dangerous duo. The chemistry between all three creates this electrifying yet sweet dynamic that keeps you glued to the pages!

And let’s not forget Alistar! He’s an incredibly talented mage, but his adorable clumsiness adds the perfect touch of levity to the intensity surrounding him. I was on the edge of my seat with all the unexpected plot twists—seriously, the ending was wonderful.

Alistar’s house is practically a character in itself, bursting with secrets and layers just waiting to be explored. I can't help but wish I could uncover more of its story. This book is an absolute gem!

[Ellie Dugdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went "this one's spicy right?" and Jordy flipped it open to the exact page while twiddling her fingers and giggling maniacally

[Alba Dorado · Rating 5 out of 5]

infinite stars. By the way, when I marked quotes that need of pages-context for true understanding: It's my sign.