Hunted by the Dragon Shifter

by Courtney Whims

A lot of factors make waking up naked in a puddle of blood worse.

Such as not remembering if it’s your blood or someone else’s.

Lyra and Marcella both wake up this way—unable to remember who they are and where they are.

Surrounded by dragon artwork in a gilded castle, they find themselves competing with twenty-eight other women for the chance at marrying Cyrus--the Dragon Land's king. A man whose white eyes are haunting enough to chill the blood in their veins. Despite his otherworldly beauty, there’s a way his figure glides within the shadows. Hinting of something sinister…and an eons-old secret.

The group of women begin to dwindle as they enter deadly trials set to test their compatibility with Cyrus. While it should be a comfort to know they’re closing in on a potential engagement, Lyra and Marcella notice something odd. Women are beginning to disappear outside of the trials. And no one knows why. As time goes on, their out-of-sync reflections and shifting shadows might not just be a hallucination.

They’re being hunted.

Rediscovering their pasts may be the key to not only finding love, but surviving. Or it could be the final nail in their coffins. Because secrets never die—they’re just buried in a grave.



-----


Hunt or be hunted…

Immortal Hunters is a collection of dark romantasy standalones—each novel can be read in any order, but once the hunt begins, it won’t stop.

Hunted by the Demon’s Vow by A.N. Caudle

Hunted by the Dragon Shifter by Courtney Whims

Hunted by the Dead King by Mallory Benjamin

Hunted by the Fae Duke by Kris K. Haines

Hunted by the Fae King’s Shadow by Shaylin Gandhi

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Romance, Fiction, Dark

406 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2026

Reviews

[meggthereader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one because the story was there, but the ending left me so confused and asking so many questions. The beginning really had me and then it kinda just took a really weird turn for me. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I read the first books and knew that this was going to end on a cliffhanger as well. While I was a little confused with the ending, I still the characters, the suspense, and the storyline with the trials also had me on the edge of my seat as well!

*Thank you to the author, Courtney Whims for the ARC!*

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this. It started off well enough - giving The Bachelor vibes but with deadly trials and something that isn’t quite as meets the eye. I was looking forward to the multi view POV.

It starts off quite confusing - which I put down the POV characters memories being wiped and therefore we the reader are in the same position. However the constant switching of POV and lack of information which is clearly crucial to the story was quite infuriating.

The pacing felt really slow - it quickened up about 70% of the way through but that’s when I felt the whole story just lost its way. We completely lost one character with no explanation. And after something big happened to her too. The other two main characters didn’t even mention where they went or seemed that bothered.

I know this was part of a bigger series but i was under the impression it could be read as a standalone. I think to get the most appreciation from it you probably needed to read the other books.

The ending wasn’t complete too indicating that reading another book would lead to conclusions or answers that were very much left unanswered.

Thank you to the author for this advanced copy but unfortunately this wasn’t for me.

[Courtney Whims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever seen a love triangle with two FMCs instead of two MMCs? Welp. Here ya go!

[d_uhreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I meant it when I said my heart is yours…whether you wish to keep it, or slay it.”

Waking up with no memory, forced to compete in a sick game for marriage, hunted by the Dragon shifter...

Are you ready for the hunt ?!

From the first turn of the page, you will be thrown into a wickedly intoxicating read! Equal parts of explosive heat and mind twisting mystery.

Loved!

[Sam Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fab read - I really enjoyed it. ✨️💜
It truly kept me guessing all the way through. Full of mystery and intrigue, you're never quite sure who to trust or believe! It took me a few chapters to get my head around what was happening but then I was hooked.

It’s a great dark romantasy that keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through!
Told through duel POV from two of the women who are competing in the trials to win the hand of the dragon shifter King Cyrus. Think The Bachelor x deadly trials but all the women competing have had their memories wiped!
There's mystery all the way through - every time I thought I'd worked something out, there was a twist! Nothing is quite as it seems. There's a love triangle - you don't find out who ends up with King Cyrus until the end. And if that's not enough to convince you to read it - there are also dragon butterflies! 😍💜

✨️HBTDS is a talented a prequel to Of Flames and Fallacies and Of Blood and Bane - the first two books in The Arterian trilogy. It's recommended you read it after Of Blood and Bane.

✨️The Immortal Hunters collection is such a fantastic set of books. They are all stand alone and can be read in any order. This is such a fab read - I really enjoyed it. ✨️💜

[AnnieTheBookDragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off, the dedication already had me in a chokehold with tears pouring down my face.

Courtney Whims is an auto-buy author for me. She is absolutely a musician with words. They flow and blend so beautifully together into a masterpiece you can see, hear, and feel in the corners of your mind and the depths of your soul. Her writing things like “…his shadow crawling across the floor as if it too fears him…” can put you right in the room, seeing and feeling what the characters are.

This book was an amazing prequel to the Arterian trilogy that filled in some backstory on Cyrus (who I could not stop picturing as Matt Smith/Daemon Targaryen). It turned the ruins of Vitalis into a vibrant, luscious castle with beautiful grounds and gardens. I had no idea how badly I wanted a dragon butterfly until this book!

The love triangle was fantastic and the spice level was perfect for the story. A vicious version of The Bachelor that included deadly trials and constantly questioning who to trust. That bonus ARC chapter was 😈

We also got the answer to exactly WHY Cyrus kept shackles in his room 😆

One of my favorite quotes:
“You’ll find me in the stars”✨

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good fantasy romance story. I liked the way this book started, as the scenario in the beginning with the two FMC was super intriguing. I feel like after that opening the story was a little slow to build and it did take me a little bit to grasp the “why” of everything that was going on.

This story is about a group of women who wake up with no memories and are forced to compete in trials for a chance to win the King’s hand in marriage.

I think I just struggled because I didn’t understand the reasoning behind a lot of what was going on from the start, which made it hard to connect to the story and the characters.

Maybe reading the other books in the series will make things make more sense, so I’m curious to pick up more in this series.

Read this if you like:
✨Love triangle
✨Deadly trials
✨Dragons
✨Multiple POVs
✨Interconnected standalone

Thank you @grimm_and_co and the author for the gifted copy of the book.

[Deanna Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunted by the Dragon Shifter by Courtney Whims was such an addictive romantasy read for me. Two women wake up covered in blood with no memories, and from there it turns into a chaotic mix of dragon shifters, deadly competitions, dark secrets, and “trust nobody” energy ✨

Honestly, it gave me darker fantasy Bachelorette vibes with hidden meanings and manipulation behind every interaction, which kept me hooked the entire time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

As someone who enjoyed Of Flames & Fallacies and Of Blood & Banes, I had a lot of hope going into this book. I went in relatively blind and I think that was a plus for me. I knew it would be set in the same world but other than that I had no idea what I was getting into.

The plot was really fun. It was essentially the bachelor but make it with a dragon shifter and women who have no memories and might die from trials. It was addicting right off the bat and kept me interested.

I really enjoyed our two FMC's, Marcella and Lyra. I don't know who I liked more, the colder Marcella, or the warmer Lyra. They worked well together and their differences added to the plot and deepened our understanding of their motivations.

I liked our MMC Cyrus, although, it can be argued that Devin is also an MMC. I was intrigued by the mystery of both of them from their introductions. I liked how everything was revealed over time to us and we got deeper into their minds. I liked the interactions between all the characters and the differences in those interactions; it was built up very well. Also, the mystery to all of them was well done.

The love in this book was sweet but chaotic and messy. It really keeps you guessing in terms of who will end up with who. Keeps you on your toes. I was SO conflicted all throughout and it was so messy wondering who liked who, who had a past with who, who I wanted to end up with who. It was rough out here for my little romantic heart, but I ended up liking where everything went. I have learned that Courtney love's messiness in her love stories and getting us super conflicted on who we like.

I liked the little easter eggs throughout of the stories that have already been told with Of Flames & Fallacies and Of Blood & Banes. It makes me want to re-read Of Flames & Fallacies and Of Blood & Banes so I can see if any of these characters are mentioned there and have a freak out. I know a few of them are, but I need a refresher!

I ended the book wanting more of all of the characters, especially Lyra and wanting to know what happens to her, and don't even get me started on who Marcella runs into at the end. I want to know more and be around them more. So, I hope that in future Arterian books we get to see these characters in some way again and see how their stories ended. (I might not be remembering things, and we might have already gotten these answers, just blame my goldfish brain if that is the case).

Thank you so much Courtney for the ARC! I am excited to see the next installment for the Arterian Series whenever we get it!

[Hira Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this was a prequel for the Arterian series, I already knew I was going to love it. And I was right!! I know Courtney says you can read them in any order, but if you can, pleaseeeee read OFAF and OBAB first. There were so many little easter eggs that had me going AHA, and I definitely would have missed them if I hadn’t read OBAB.

This was just so fun. It’s basically the Bachelor with magic and a dragon shifter. I really liked our MCs. The triple POV worked so well here. It made everything more immersive, especially with Lyra and Marcella slowly piecing together their lost memories.

Like the main series, I loved the love triangle. I was genuinely rooting for both of them as we got to know them. I liked how different they were, and the fact that they were willing to trust each other and work together even without clear memories.

Cyrus was complex and mysterious, and that really came through in his POVs. His yearning for one of the FMCs in particular was actually really cute. It was fun getting to know him more after hearing about him in OBAB.

The mystery of all the weird things happening kept me hooked the entire time. Every few chapters I was like what the hells is going on now. The world building was haunting and beautiful, and at times it gave me Inception vibes where I was questioning everything. Like are they dreaming?? Is this real??

The last 20% had me fully on edge, especially because my brain was working overtime trying to connect everything back to the main series. And the epilogue had me just staring at a wall (iykyk)

I am so eager to get my hands on book three. Idk how you do this to me Courtney, but you have a reader in me for life.

[Sarah J Stebbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 (very very good) I will say I really liked it and it was a great read, up until the end.

Update: I have read books 1-2 of the Aterian series now and I HIGHLY recommend reading them first as doing so made the end of this less frustrating. Im also hopeful we will get more backstory tidbits when book 3 releases.


Thanks so much for the privilege of being able to read the eARC of this book. It is truly appreciated.

I enjoyed the mystery of the book. There were so many questions, secrets, twists, and it all kept me on my toes. I kept reading because I wanted to know more. I figured out a few things, but the twists kept me from fully committing, lol. The main characters, and several of the side characters, were all interesting. I really enjoyed how the two FMCs, in particular, grew through the crazy situation. Devin started as a character I liked, but quickly became one I questioned. King Cyrus was so, understandably, secretive and yet his genuineness and quiet nature drew me to him. In the end, nothing was as it seemed and yet exactly as it seemed at the same time.

My issues:

I wanted to read and rate this by release date. I knew this was connected to another series, but did not realize it is recommended to read that one first, though it is also stated it can be read whenever. Im sure I could have still done so, but I wanted to rate the book on release day so I chose to read this first. Admittedly, this is more of a ME issue than a book issue. However, since this is connected to an incomplete series I have to assume (hope) the characters and events of this will come into play in book 3. I say that because this book leaves a few, major, things hanging and has a full on cliffhanger as well as a result. As this is supposed to be a standalone I was left feeling frustrated. I have read other standalone, but connected, novels in series before that ended without the major unanswered questions and cliffhanger this book had. I plan to read the connected series next and maybe that will help this book settle better.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read by Courtney Whims, and I have very mixed feelings about it. This is the second installment in the Immortal Hunter Series, and it was advertised as a standalone, so I went into it expecting the story to feel complete on its own. However, the ending left me confused, so I went back to the beginning to see if I had missed something. That is when I realized the book is also connected to another series as a prequel and is recommended to be read as the third book in the Arterian Series. While I wish this connection had been made clearer upfront, it still left me intrigued and wanting answers.

I really enjoyed the opening and the overall concept. It immediately drew me in with its memory-loss element, women competing in trials for the chance to marry the king, and the use of multiple POVs. There is a lot here that feels compelling and engaging at first glance. However, the slower pacing in the beginning, while clearly intentional to reflect the FMC’s confusion, made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story early on.

Around the 70% mark, the pacing picks up significantly, and the plot becomes much more engaging. That said, I am not thrilled with how Marcella, Lyra’s, and Devin’s storyline ended, which made the reading experience feel somewhat disjointed for me.

Thank you to Courtney Whims for the gifted eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Leslie Faulkner · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I would bring down the stars for you.”

Oh my! Thank you so much, Courtney Whims, for choosing me to read the arc! I was instantly hooked by the plot. Women wake up in a castle with no memories, in a pool of blood, to discover they are a part of a deadly trial to win the hand of King Cyrus of the Dragon Land.

I was in suspense the entire time, and got so excited when Lyra and Marcella started to regain their memories and put the pieces together. Their friendship dynamic was so interesting to see unfold.

I’m an absolute sucker for the trials and games trope, and the trials were BRUTAL. The mistrust between the characters, the secrets, and the anticipation for betrayal was very well done.

The spice was EXCELLENT. SHE blindfolds HIM? Say less. I am SAT! Also, Lyra and Devin?! CALLED IT! Devin, the king’s right hand, was my favorite character, naturally. 😏

My only wish is to learn more about what happened to Devin, Lyra, and the other women after they run away. I hope that we get more!

[GheridenTheBookBard · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ 4.75 out of 5
🌶️ 3 out of 5

Hunted by the Dragon Shifter was an automatic read for me. At this point Courtney Whims could probably announce a grocery list and I’d still read it. She just doesn’t let me down.

Marcella, Lyra, and a bunch of other women wake up covered in blood with zero memory of how they got there. Then they find out they’re basically competing for King Cyrus in deadly trials. Very The Bachelor but make it dragons and survival games. I was hooked pretty fast.

I really liked how everyone slowly gets pieces of their memories back as the story goes on. It kept me curious the whole time trying to figure out what was actually happening.

The characters were probably my favorite part though. I liked the contrast between all of them and how different their personalities felt.

Pacing was super smooth. It grabs you right away and honestly never really slows down.

Worldbuilding was great too. The settings and trials were easy to picture, and I loved the little ties back to the Arterian series.

Overall, another hit from Courtney Whims for me.

[Brooke Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a prequel to the Arterian trilogy but I highly suggest reading it after book two!
Book one Of Flames and Fallacies
Book two Of Blood and Banes
Book three, release date coming soon.

I was lucky and got to beta read this for Courtney and loved it!! Then she took feedback and suggested and made changed and wow!! She made this so incredible!

She added so much more information and really fleshed out parts of the story that truly helped so much! I don’t always enjoy a reread but I loved every second of this one and it was neat seeing the changes to it.

I loved meeting Cyrus finally and getting more back story on him! Marcella and Lyra also were really good characters, I enjoyed all their chapters equally.

I really enjoyed the bachelor vibes with trials and mystery sprinkled in.

The ending has me so ready for book three!!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
1st person multi POV

This book had such a strong premise with deadly trials, dragon shifters, memory loss, and a competition to marry a king.

What I enjoyed most was the tension of the trials and the mystery surrounding both FMCs’ lost memories. Lyra and Marcella’s dynamic was one of the highlights for me as I also loved seeing their friendship develop despite the chaos around them.

That said, this book did leave me pretty conflicted. The beginning was intriguing, but the pacing felt slow for much of the story. While I understand the mystery and memory loss was intentional, I spent part of the book feeling disconnected and like I was missing too much key information.

Overall, the book had an interesting concept, deadly trials, dragon shifters, and plenty of intrigue.

Thank you to the author for the ARC.

[Jessica A · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
Really enjoyable read, fairly quick paced, and lots of twists and turns! I went into this blind having never read anything by this author and also didn’t know it’s technically a prequel to other books. I felt like the storyline was original and refreshing. I’m definitely going to check out the rest of the series. My only mild critique is that HBTDS is supposed to be a standalone book that is also part of the Immortal Hunters series, but because it’s a prequel book to a completely different series it ends on a rather large cliffhanger. To call this a standalone story is rather misleading IMO. I’m not going to dock any stars for it because the story itself was very good, but I do think other readers should be aware that they won’t get full closure at the end of this book.

[Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review: This book is a part of a collection of other authors under the same title of “hunted by the…” but this is a novella in the Of Flames and Fallacies universe by the author, Courtney Whims. (This is the third book in the reading order.)

It’s been a hot minute since I read the first two books so I’m not entirely sure where we are in the timeline of this universe but we are placed in the Dragon Lands where 30 women are fighting to become queen to King Cyrus (who has a REALLY big secret!!!). But at the beginning, they are all without their memories. Over time, they get glimpses back as they go through trials. We are focused mainly on Lyra and Marcella as are two leading ladies and through their flashbacks, we learn more about who they are and their connection to how they got into this competition.

Without spoilers, I had my favorite and was close to the end result but never would have guessed what happened with the other lady. There are politics, romance, action, all the things. And of course, a huge cliffhanger! (Unfair!!!!!!) a must read!

[Melissa Mejia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of receiving this has an e-ARC and voluntarily will be giving my honest review. Wow just wow. This book is action packed full of tense and mysterious twists and turns!! This kept me at the edge of my seat!! This was well written and kept me trying to guess what was going to happen and that ending 😬…. Absolutely loved it!! Please make sure to check your triggers as there are some dark areas….

“A lot of factors make waking up naked in a puddle of blood worse.

Such as not remembering if it’s your blood or someone else’s.”

[The Dragon Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review

I loved Of Flames & Fallacies and Of Blood & Banes, so I went in with high hopes, and it delivered.

The premise hooked me straight away, The Bachelor theme, dragon shifter King finding a wife/Queen amongst hopeful bachelorette’s with their memories wiped. Throw in some deadly trials, ‘disappearing contestants’ and devious side characters, TV producers would love to be able to reach this level of WHOA!

Shout out to the cuteness of Dragon-Butterflies

The MFC’s were definitely the stars in this story, Marcella and Lyra were both strong in different ways and worked really well together, their dynamic added a lot to the story. I loved the mystery around them and how everything unfolded, the twists kept me guessing. Every time I thought I had it figured another twist dropped and I was back to square one.

The little callbacks to Of Flames and Fallacies and Of Blood and Banes were so fun and definitely made me want to reread them both!

Thank you Courtney for the ARC, I’m excited for the next book in The Arterian Series.

[⋆˚ AnnabelleBookish ˚⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dearest Courtney, you have retained and elevated your number 1 position as my all time favourite author. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book sucked me in, had me flipping through pages of the your other books, frantically trying to figure out pieces of the puzzle. I NEED MORE!!!!

Well down beautiful lady, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this eARC. This prequel has cemented in my obsession with this series. I can’t wait to see what the next book brings. I have so many theories!

[Lauryn Munro · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

I loved the concept of this book! It was such a gripping read, I can’t wait to continue with the series! The only thing that bothered me was that the MMC has white eyes and white long hair, it just gave me the creeps/the ick so I chose to ignore that bit of info hahah. Otherwise, perfection! I loved that I was on the edge of my seat until the very end with all of the plot twists!

[Zully - My Romantasy Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE UNHINGED WAS THIS!?!? HAHAHAHA

I was like “OMGOMGOMG” and “WHAT IS HAPPENING!!??” 90% of the book!! 😂 That was so good! This was an unhinged, unexpected, fun read!

It was a wild ride. 😂🫶🏻 and I have SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Thank you Courtney Whims for the ARC.
All thoughts are my own.

[A Johnson]

This was super confusing - the memory loss, the random visions, the flashes of… the monster/dragon? It was not for me. This is standalone that is part of the Arterian series.

Very disappointing to DNF this one.

DNF 40%

[Kate groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that was gooooood!!! Both books so far in the standalone series has been fantastic! This one had me confused with why there were POVs of 2 women. I DO feel like they made Lyra’s end pretty bland and confusing but the rest fantastic! 4.5⭐️s and will be reading the next one!

[Raechel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Full review coming soon

[Mary Breeggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The suspense in this book kept me reading. Wondering who would end up with who and how the story would unfold. I’ve read both Of Flames and Fallacies and Of Blood and Banes and the Easter eggs through out this book slowly tugged on my bird size brain and memory. I’m hoping we find out what happened to Lyra, one of our FMCs, in the next Arterian book. I’m also anxious to hear how it plays out for Marcella and want to know more about our hooded figure at the end. Maybe we already know him but again, bird sized brain. Cyrus .. that has to have more to it. His descendants maybe? Oh and the egg!! Can’t forget that! The story flowed really well and kept me on my toes.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a beta read, and again with an ARC. I was impressed the first time, and loved it even more the second! Courtney never ceases to amaze me, and the way I was able to read this twice within just a few months says a lot. 👏🏻 I am even more excited for book 3 in the Arterian series - this is the perfect prequel (that you need to read after OFAF and OBAB)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunted by the Dragon Shifter review- ARC reader 📖

Firstly thank you to Courtney for gifting me my first ever ARC edition of a book. I was so excited when I received the email to say I'd been selected! I've been obsessed with the first two books of the Arterian Series - Of Flames and Fallacies and Of Blood and Banes - and was hooked from the first book, speeding through it in a day I'm pretty sure! Then waiting for the release of book 2 which I read just as quickly! I was also lucky to be part of her kickstarter campaign for special edition copies, including her amazing talent of her illustrations, which I'm excited to open the package of these books once I'm back from being away. I love supporting indie authors and if I had any good ideas for books, I'd have loved to be an author myself. Courtney you're very creative and I've loved the series so far.

Now, about Hunted by the Dragon Shifter. I admit going into the read, I deliberately went in blind, only knowing that it's based in the same world. Other than that, I didn't read the blurb as I wanted an authentic experience and didn't want anything spoiled if I starting looking into it or stumbling upon any ARC reviews before I'd read it.

I enjoyed the opening of the book, setting the scene with the two FMCs waking up covered in blood -quite the opener I must say. Both had lost their memories and are told they'd been entered into a competition for the King's hand, along with multiple other women of the kingdom. A bloodier and intenser version of The Bachelor. I enjoyed the multi POVs too and the differences between the two FMCs, with Marcella being more blunt and colder in the beginning, and Lyra being more delicate and warm. Throughout the book the two begin working together to figure out where the missing participants are and slowly piecing together how they both came to be part of the trials, with their memories slowly coming back.

There also is of course an MMC, King Cyrus, who is all mysterious but kind throughout the book. Leaving you wondering what his secrets are and why he's making these women compete in trials to become queen. Why would a queen need to be able to fight for their lives? Why does the king not want to know about what happens in the trials? Or tell anyone what happens to the missing women from the trials? Thankfully you aren't left in the lurch and do find out what happens to them!

Now, you could consider there to be three MMCs, rather than just one if you include Devin the king's secondhand man, and the dragon shifter. Which it does include their POVs as you get further into the story.

I did like the links to the Arterian series that were sprinkled in, although I probably would have benefit from a re-read first as I've been reading a fair few books since I've read them! But I did genuinely enjoy this book. I rated it 4 out of 5, as it was a little slow in the beginning and took me a little to connect with the characters, but once I did I read it pretty quickly. Then there were a few times I did prematurely guess some plot points, which I both enjoy if I figure things out early, but also don't at the same time when certain points are predictable. There was still plenty of mystery and intrigue, and leaving it on a cliffhanger on where the different characters are at in the story, so hopefully we find out more in the Arterian series.

I rated the Arterian two books 5 stars in comparison as I enjoyed more of a quest style book and loved the banter between FMC and MMC and interactions with Daeja and Katerina throughout. Whereas this I'd categorise as more of a fantasy mystery. There isn't as much of the tension or banter which I love in books, and is often why I choose to read them. So that's why for me it was a 4 rather than 5 like the other two books. But I did still enjoy it and genuinely appreciative for receiving an ARC copy. Chapter 52 was also a lovely ARC bonus haha. I would have still gotten a copy when the book comes out in May if I didn't receive and ARC edition as I genuinely love Courtney's work! Thank you again! I'm counting down for book 3 in the Arterian series though.

[Megan Lee ❤️ Bushey · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY EASTER EGGS!! 👀 ✍️ 📝

Courtney Whims is the Taylor Swift of authors!
Let it be known!!!
The amount of Easter eggs in the story had me writing notes, annotating and flipping through my past notes like a mad woman!!! 🤪
Anybody who knows me…knows that Courtney is one of my all time favorite authors and I absolutely adore her Arterian Series ( Book 1 Of Flames & Fallacies and Book 2 Of Blood & Banes …Book 3 Of Fire & Fates coming soon)
I mean I ate those books up and I will own every copy she releases!!!
She is an instant add to cart author for me.
Hunted By The Dragon Shifter is a prequel to The Arterian Series. I as a member of her content team, am lucky enough to receive the perk of being an ARC reader for her as well.
Reading this book makes me think of the bachelor x hunger games with dragons concept!
You have TWO FMCS and ONE MMC.
The story starts with a group of women being put in a competition to win the hand of our MMC.
They go through trials that have deadly consequences where only the elite make it out alive to the next round. They have personal one on one time with him to get to know him. The MMC then chooses who stays and who goes roses and all 👏🏻 🌹
Things aren’t always what they seem and if you have read any of Courtney’s books, let’s just say you know a good plot twist is always around the corner! 👀
My personal favorite parts of reading this book was the intertwined easter eggs and references to The Arterian series!!
I giggled trying to untie and figure out who is who and what was what from the series! I do believe we will see some of the Easter Eggs that were placed unfold in the third book of The Arterian Series (IYKYK 🤌🏻) and I can’t wait to find out! 🤫
I also LOVED the tiny flying dragons!! Omg to see those on a big screen one day 🥹 they sound adorable!! I would love to see them in some character art!! (Hint Hint 😂)
There are definitely some very explicit chapters so definitely check triggers.
The Arterian series definitely still holds number one spot in my heart from her🥰 but I enjoyed the mystery of this read and interconnection as well!
This can be read as a standalone… But my personal recommendation after reading it would be to read books 1 and 2 from the Arterian series first then this book to grab those Easter eggs AND then the release of book 3 in the Arterian series!
(May I just add that I actually HIGHLY recommend reading The Arterian series in general as well if you have not as it is TOP TIER!!!)
This was an arc for me so this will be releasing on May 7, 2026!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you to Courtney Whims for the opportunity to ARC 🥰