Amalia finds herself at the mercy of a ruthless king who wishes to see her dead, in a new world she thought only existed in fairytales. Punished for a crime she didn't commit, she is sent to the Forgotten Lands, abandoned kingdoms of treacherous landscapes and nightmarish creatures, where survival is a distant hope.
Accompanied by a group of enigmatic dragon shifters, Amalia's journey begins. Among them are those who would see her perish, loyal to the king's dark will. Yet, there are others who sense a deeper connection to her, whispering of a bond that could alter the realm's fate forever.
As Amalia navigates the perilous terrain, she must decipher friend from foe while harnessing the inner strength she never knew she possessed. With each step, the line between ally and adversary blurs, forcing her to confront her own heart and the mysterious powers she begins to unlock.
In a world where trust is as fragile as the wings of the dragons she travels with, Amalia must fight not only for her right to live but also to unravel the secrets that bind her to these mythical beings. As the king's shadow looms ever closer, Amalia's quest becomes more than just a battle for survival—it transforms into a journey of destiny, love, and the power of the human spirit.
A Dragon So Savage is a tale of courage, betrayal, and the transformative magic of love in the face of insurmountable odds. Will Amalia find the strength to rise above her fate, or will the king and Forgotten Lands claim her as their own?
I received an advanced listening copy of this audiobook and am grateful for the opportunity to listen early and review. Here is my honest review.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. I loved so many things about it but it also took me forever to get through.
Do you ever read a romantasy book and wish the MC would call the men out on their bs? This one does! And it's so refreshing! Almost every time I wanted to yell a retort at a character, the MC actually said what I was thinking. And there were so many funny moments in this book. There was so much worldbuilding and lore built into this story, and it was delivered organically. It was fascinating and the descriptions were so clear, it was like I was really there.
And I loved the little animal sidekick that showed up later in the book!
Here's the things that dragged the story down for me: I listened to the advanced listening copy. The dual narration was fun. I loved the female narrator...but the male narrator annoyed me. To vary the voices, he seemed to just deepen his voice or speak QUIETER! It was so hard to understand/hear him and I had to skip back quite a bit. But I could tolerate the volume issue. My biggest issue was the pacing. I kept asking myself why it was taking me so long because the story is actually really interesting. But it took a while to get going to the main task. And then that kind of veers and changes once it feels like progress is finally being made. Some people like lingering in the fantasy settings for a while and just experiencing the world so I know that's somewhat a me problem.
Overall, if you like dark broody shadow guys, strong willed FMCs, hanging out in a fantasy world, and a dynamic plot that keeps you on your toes at every turn, you are going to like this book. There are some things in this story that I did not expect and I'm really curious to know how the characters deal with them in book 2.