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From the bestselling author of the Blood Curse Series...

Mina Louvet is a fighter, a human with a powerful will to survive in a world dominated by warlocks, soul-eaters, and shifters. Identified by the king’s witch as one of the rare, invaluable females in Dragons Realm who can give birth to a dragon’s son, she was stolen from her parents as a child and taken to the Keep to be reared in the ways of the Ahavi. As one of the few, the elect ~ the Sklavos Ahavi ~ Mina is expected to feed her master’s fire, reanimate his blood, and above all else, give him strong dragon offspring: children who will one day rise to power. But Mina, to her great misfortune, is far too intelligent for her own good: She has a stubborn sense of justice, and she is wholly incapable of blind submission.

Dante Dragona is as cunning as he is lethal, as methodical as he is dangerous, and as terrifying as he is powerful. As the eldest of three dragon princes, he is destined to succeed his merciless father to the throne of Castle Dragon. But first he must do his duty to the Realm by governing one of its harsh, unforgiving districts and claiming a Sklavos Ahavi. Hardened by the sadistic abuse he endured as a child and shaped by the tragic suicide of his twin, the prince lives only to fulfill his obligations to the monarchy: to maintain law and order in a bestial land, to contain its magical inhabitants, and to keep the kingdom safe from its mortal enemies, the Lycanian shifters across the sea. Like all primordial dragons, he rules with an iron fist, dominates with absolute power, and punishes with fire. Those who oppose him die a swift and brutal death ~ subject, enemy, or slave ~ the Realm has no tolerance for weakness.

When the iron resolve of a dragon prince clashes with the stubborn will of a slave, bonds will be broken, alliances will be tested, and a kingdom will be set ablaze.

DRAGONS REALM by Tessa Dawn

347 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2015

206 people are currently reading
1685 people want to read

About the author

Tessa Dawn

31 books885 followers
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Tessa Dawn grew up in Colorado, where she developed a deep affinity for the Rocky Mountains. After graduating with a degree in psychology, she worked for several years in criminal justice and mental health before returning to get her master’s degree in nonprofit management.

Tessa began writing as a child and composed her first full-length novel at the age of eleven. By the time she graduated high-school, she had a banker’s box full of short-stories and novels. Since then, she has published works as diverse as poetry, greeting cards, workbooks for kids with autism, and academic curricula. Her Dark Fantasy/Gothic Romance novels represent her long-desired return to her creative-writing roots and her passionate flair for storytelling.

Tessa currently splits her time between the Colorado suburbs and mountains with her two children and “one very crazy cat.” She hopes to one day move to the country where she can own horses and what she considers “the most beautiful creature ever created” -- a German Shepherd.

She is a member of NINC; SFWA; and RWA(PAN).

Writing is her bliss.

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5 stars
565 (30%)
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528 (28%)
3 stars
446 (24%)
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200 (10%)
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110 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
Profile Image for Kelly.
185 reviews32 followers
November 11, 2015
3.5

Dragons Realm is a new book by Tessa Dawn. I have read ALL of her Blood Curse series and loved almost every one of them. (LOVE Saber!! My favorite still) I love her writing. In Dragons Realm the writing was no different, She does a really good job with the details, the gore, the violence, and the dark side of her characters.

Which brings me to how the women were treated in the story.... There is some slapping, aftermath of rape, a whipping (I thought Tessa did really well here), some kicking, basically they are slaves/really really under appreciated in this era. (Which kicked in all my WTF vibes).

With that being said this story is a HFN. Noooooooooooooooooo! Is there going to be a second book? I don't know. Usually I stay away from those books because I like my HEA... A LOT. I like the completeness it offers. I can close a book after its done and think Woooo what a ride! Grab a glass on wine, start interacting with my family again. Then...On to the next couple! Not here. I was so hoping this would end differently. It was such a big lie fest from all ends at the end of the story. The poor kids not knowing, Mina not even getting to be with Dante like a happy couple, Damian/Matthais for having to put his life on hold for them. Cassidy .. living with your man! Yeah so he doesn't love her or like her, supposedly he doesn't have sex with her but he is living with her as husband and wife, (and probably feeding off her!) poor Mina. It sucks, I wanted it to be HEA... I am selfish like that. Oh and the sex was kinda lame - Yea I am selfish like that too!

The good ----
Thank goodness for Damian (the real one) getting what he deserved! I really hated that guy.
I really enjoyed the building relationship with Dante and Mina throughout the story.
I liked the unexpected twists and turns in the story - some of them I didn't even see coming!

Yes I did like the book. If ever Tessa decides to make a second book for this one I would read it, just so I hopefully get a HEA. This review is only my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hollie.
1,680 reviews
November 16, 2015
The blurb on this book had me sold. I couldn’t wait to read this. Here is my breakdown:

The pros:
* A creative and intriguing storyline - definitely one of a kind
* Great character depth
* Paranormal beings galore (dragons, shifters, witches, and many more)
* Loved the cover
* The story had a great "dark" vibe to it

The cons:
* Way over priced at $5.99
* The ending flat out sucked - I did not like the execution of this story - it ended with a HFN (if you can really even call it that) but certainly not a HEA. I went into this read expecting it to be a standalone. Nothing in the blurb indicated this was part of a series, but there were still some major issues unresolved upon completion.
* The romance was lacking - to be honest I didn’t find any of the interactions between the hero and heroine to be passionate

Upon completion, I have to say I was disappointed. The writing was great, but the story had too many missing pieces. It did have great potential, and easily could have been a solid 5 star read had it felt more like a complete story.
Profile Image for Ira.
1,155 reviews129 followers
November 26, 2019
3.6 stars.

I read this book, after I’ve read the second book in the series.
I know, silly me.
So, more review in book #2.
Profile Image for Pamela J. (Fantasy Book Nook) .
20 reviews26 followers
March 3, 2016
My biggest issue with this book is it had so much potential in terms of storyline/premise but ended up being a book I couldn't even finish. Normally I like darker books with very mature adult situations but this was completely unrealistic. If you like books like 50 shades where the male romantic interest is uber dominant/possessive/forcing sexuality then this if or you. If you're like me and entitled abusive males who for some reason the lead falls in love despite little dialogue and relationship building disgusts you, than stay away.
Profile Image for  Patches Braz.
160 reviews
November 11, 2015
When I see the Name Tessa Dawn on a book, I know without a doubt I am in for an epic ride.
Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Suspenseful, Descriptive all rolled into 1 book.
I am never disappointed and am pulled into all over her books as if I was a character right there in the book watching as everything brilliantly unfolds. This one wow, it was as if I was sitting on the sidelines or walking next to each character.
I did have a jaw dropping, heart fell to bottom of feet and had to put my kindle down , walk around just to get my bearings back!! Than race through to see that ooops gotcha moment. But it never came. Dang Tessa, I was so not expecting that and the no save was full on brilliant!

I Highly Recommend
Profile Image for Tracy T..
1,023 reviews24 followers
November 27, 2016
I enjoyed this story. But I feel like it could be a prequel to what is going to be a great series like Tessa Dawn's Blood Curse series, which is amazing!

I liked Dante, he was strong, powerful and handsome. I would have liked him to be a little bit easier on Mina at times, he is Alpha extreme for sure. I also like Mina, but I would have liked her to be a stronger character. Strong females are so much better than meek ones and at times she was a bit too meek for my taste. She grows a little. The two had some good chemistry, it did feel real and not forced. There is one very very mild sex scene. Which is fine with me, I want my characters to have chemistry and sex without it being explicit or erotica. Tessa Dawn does not disappoint there.

I enjoyed the story line and plot. However, I am still on the fence with the epilogue and how the relationship went. Don't worry they get a HEA its just different, I don't want to give away any spoilers.

There is lots and lots of dialogue which is always great for me. I love lots of dialogue in my stories.

As for the narration, I think Mikael Naramore did a very very good job. He has a sexy voice. He reads with emotion. The women sound like women and everyone gets their own distinct voice. I will definitely listen to him again.

If you have not listened to the Blood Curse Series by Tessa Dawn you should. They are amazing fantastic stories. I am a huge fan of Tessa Dawn for sure. Her writing is wonderful.
Profile Image for Carrie (Badass, Alpha-male, Cowboy Connoisseur ).
148 reviews215 followers
November 2, 2015
Each time a Tessa Dawn book comes out I cannot wait to devour it. Dragons Realm is no different. This story is filled with so many amazing characters, exceptional story lines and amazing world building, I was immediately transported into the world of she created. With a strong willed heroine and a dragon Prince named Dante that was ..well...fearsome, demanding, proud and above all things loyal. You cannot go wrong.

For anyone who likes dark fantasy you definitely do not want to pass up Dragons Realm. Tessa Dawn has branched out into a new genre of alphas and she hit it out of the park.
Profile Image for C.L. Riley.
Author 22 books183 followers
Read
November 1, 2015
Tessa Dawn does it again!

Every book I read by Tessa Dawn is better than the last. Dragons Realm kept me entertained from the first page to the last. I hated for the story to end. The intrigue, action, and romance were superb, combined with incredible characters and I was blown away by her creativity and writing finesse. I am eagerly waiting for her next book.
Profile Image for Heather.
76 reviews4 followers
September 1, 2016
I love nothing more than a smart, sexy fantasy novel. I enjoy getting immersed in worlds and imagination of authors. My biggest pet peeve with fantasy romance genre and romance in general is when authors perpetuate this myth that all women want to be ravished (aka emotionally and sometimes physically violated) by a dark angry prince that only through her subservience can the woman turn into a good man or at least someone to be with passionately.

This book was awful. The writing was juvenile and switched between terrible casual language "what the heck" and dumb interpretations of how someone might have talked at a Renn Faire one time. The main characters are not redeemable and mostly just seem to either be emotionally and physically abusive (the men) or simpering morons who the author seems to think have "spirit" while being treated like slaves.

I couldn't even finish this book. I really wanted to enjoy it and tried through half of it to get beyond the poor writing and enjoy the story but unfortunately it became too much to deal with and I had to consider the couple of dollars wasted on Amazon as a sacrifice to the book gods. Yuck.
Profile Image for Julie .
19 reviews
November 13, 2015
With an author like Tessa Dawn you know you are in for an epic ride! Make no mistake, this book is not for the faint of heart. There are dragons, soul eaters, shape shifters and witches that make up this world known to us now as Dragons Realm. There is deception, violence, suspense, war, romance, hope, and love that make you either hate or love the characters in this book. And Oh Boy! do you ever wish you could take out a few of the characters in this book as well as fall in love with a few too. Tessa you have thoroughly teased all of my senses with this book and I am looking forward to your new Dragon series!
Profile Image for Erika.
66 reviews4 followers
December 13, 2015
The concept of this book has potential, but it missed the mark. The modern dialogue in a medieval setting was amateurish writing, at best. And the heroine! ANNOYING and a waste of a character without a backbone or brain, too emotional and not enough logic. I'm disappointed.
Profile Image for Tanya.
241 reviews20 followers
November 12, 2015
I did not like this book , not because of bad writing. I liked the world building ... I just could not get over the chauvinist view of the male characters
Profile Image for Maria Itliong.
198 reviews33 followers
March 7, 2016
I hope she'll write more about Dragons or write a second boon about Dragons Realm, I did enjoy reading this book hopefully they'll be a second book....
Profile Image for Anikó.
72 reviews
December 6, 2015
[***SPOILERS AHEAD!!! READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL!***]








I had hopes for this book as I have had for so many that I've taken a chance on and this book was just like the others. It disappointed me. There were so many things wrong with the world here. Enslavement of women is the first and foremost subject of this book. They are just playthings, property to be doled out as the king sees fit and nothing anyone says or does can change what he says; he's a soulless dictator. Actually, not that I think about it, he's kinda like Hitler. I thought that the main character, Mina Louvet, would somehow fight the fact that this was a grave wrong that needed to be righted, but that did not happen, not even the mention of doing something about it was made. What's especially saddening is that Mina finds comfort with the system and doesn't fight it. It was just a fact. This book is just full of this subject. There's no getting around it. It's terrible. There was even the unnecessary capture of Mina's little sister, Raylea. Not only was this sort of disorienting because it was obviously only put into the book as a draw for Mina to come out of the tent to confront the slavers so that it would eventually lead to Dante and Mina making love, it was only mentioned once in a while. It wasn't really an important draw of the story. There were also the gross results that we had to read about at the end of the story of what she had gone through and that she had become complacent in her kidnapping and torture/rape. That was downright horrible.

One thing to point out is that I'm was under the impression that this was supposed to be slightly reminiscent of Dracula, but that certainly is not the case. Except for the blood drinking, the only other connecting factor would be the obvious name choices.


So, going back to the King being Hitler, he had a CASTLE full of women slaves that he and his sons used for their own pleasure. Near the end of the book, to "wake the dragon," prisoners were sacrificed (murdered) so that he could turn into his full dragon. And this was done with smiles on everyone else's faces. His sons were no better. One of the sons, Damian, liked to beat and rape the Sklavos Ahavi, the chosen "brides" (*cough* slaves *cough*) that would bear ONLY sons to the dragon sons, and did so knowing it wasn't allowed. Not only was this done, but the supposedly sensible brother says that nothing can be done about it because his brutality is needed to reign a certain region. The king was obviously fine handling all four regions of his kingdom before and after his sons were born. He's done so up until this point, so why is there a need to keep this brother alive? Let me tell you. Damian is alive for the purpose of having his *supriiiise!!* half-brother Matthias, introduced near the story's end, as the replacement for Damian's soul. Matthias was ALSO introduced as Mina's love interest before all of the slave-bride shit began, ALSO DONE NEAR THE END OF THE BOOK. It's done to continue the story.



One GOOD surprise that came from this book was Damian's secret alliance with the Lycanians. It was truly the only good surprise that happened in this book as it was in the characters capacity of ruthlessness and came from the need to usurp his father and take control of the kingdom.

What happens after the discovery of Damian's discovered treason is nothing short of flabbergasting. First of all, Dante was perfectly fine leaving Mina in an abusive relationship with his brother even though he "loved her so very much!!!" He doesn't act on his anger or save Mina until he discovers that Damian was a traitor and that is the reason he saves Mina and her UNBORN CHILD. HIS UNBORN CHILD. He doesn't touch his brother for any reason other than his status as a traitor. Matthias soul is than transplanted into Damian's body, therefore fusing their souls and otherwise taking care of the abusive aspect that was the main worry.

Now we have a problem. Mina and Matthias/Damian are still mated (wedded) but Mina only ever has a true "mating" relationship with Dante, for whom she bears three children out of wedlock and who call Dante their uncle and Matthias/Damian their father, but then the actual relationships are more like a father between the children and Dante and an uncle between the children and Matthias/Damian. Matthias/Damian is (are?) okay to date in the meantime since he (they?) cannot be husband and wife with Mina because she's secretly with Dante. Dante's mate is alright to mate with the king because Dante has no use for her, but she's a convenient placeholder and doesn't give him any problems and he needs her to get pregnant somehow because his father, the King, is complaining about no sons being produced, but Dante isn't going to do it, so he drugs his "mate" and lets the King, his FATHER, get her pregnant. All so that she doesn't get replaced because Dante already knows how to deal with her, so replacing her would be too bothersome and this is all fine and dandy with the participants andOHMYGODTHEATROCIOUSNESS!!!

WHAT IS THIS AND WHY IS IT OKAY!?!?!

The names in this book for certain regions and for certain characters were not well thought out. The slavery, rape, and brutality to women done in this book was appalling. I liked where the book started because it had potential to become something more and "rise from the ashes," but it didn't, it quickly made a dive bomb and demolished everything within a ten-thousand mile radius. UNDERSTAND!! I REALLY wanted to like this book, I thought it had great potential when I was reading the first few chapters, but after a while, it became obvious that this wasn't going to get any better and that nothing was going to be done to "right the wrongs" that happened in this book. In that respect, it was very disappointing. The world sounded just as intriguing as the concept, but none of it was honored by the events of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jacqueline Miller.
209 reviews
November 14, 2015
Wow!

What a great book... with action, excitement, betrayal, deceit and evil everywhere. Who do you trust? Anything can get you killed...what you say or don't say or what you do. Three trained slaves for three Dragon Prince's. I don't want to be a spoiler because it's such a good book and there's an amazing twist in the story that I didn't see coming. I don't know if this is a standalone as it left you wondering if there was more to come.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance novels. Adults 18+ due to the content.

Happy reading.
Profile Image for Carlotta.
6 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2016
I really hated this. This is the story of a woman who barely escapes one disgusting abusive raping alpha prick by falling into the arms of his slightly less abusive brother, settling in for the long haul and calling it good.
Profile Image for Cici.
170 reviews9 followers
December 28, 2019
I just didn’t like it. I felt nothing for Dante and I thought Mina was weak and annoying.
Profile Image for Anna-Marie Buchner.
928 reviews7 followers
November 3, 2015
“Don’t Forget to Breathe”

Dragon’s Realm by Tessa Dawn

Prepare to enter the fantastical world of Witches, Warlocks, soul-eaters, shifters and dragons in this dark fantasy about a Dragon King Dmitri Dragona and his three sons Dante, Damian and Drake.
An intense read of betrayal, deception, cruelty, greed, power and romance. The action in some scenes will literally have you holding your breath. Her character and world building were impeccable. My God Tessa Dawn is a genius with an imagination 2nd to none. The twists throughout the story so totally blindsided me I had to take a smoke break and I’m not kidding. Nothing and I mean nothing was remotely predictable. Every corner had a surprise.
We all know she favors the vamps as she shows us in Blood Curse so Dragon Realm took me by surprise. This is a must have read and what a perfect introduction to her up and coming series Patheon of Drgaons. Check out her backstory for yourself just follow this link http://tessadawn.com/readers/podbacks.... This is a complete standalone read and if I could give her 10***** I would. Thank you Tessa for another great story.
Profile Image for Mita.
172 reviews56 followers
November 23, 2015
It speaks to the utter awesomeness of this book when too many times to count there is that moment of freak out, asking the question of "WHAT IN ALL HOLY HELL IS THIS RIDICULOUSLY BADASS AWESOMENESS THAT I AM READING???!?!?!"
Blood, intrigue, harsh realities and an unyieldingly stubborn strength makes this book, it's story, and it's characters worth all the time spent reading and gasping and awing over it.
Dragons, shifters, shades, warlocks, mages, humans, and one intrinsically strong woman countering, weighing, and balancing a broken, hard, loyal beast.
There is war and fighting, abuse, and hatred, love and heroism, all told with such skill that make this book, possibly, one of the best books you will ever read.
Absolutely Recommended
Profile Image for Katie.
222 reviews
January 8, 2020
I had a hard time getting past the rape fantasy feel of the first half of the book. The main male character not only ignores the main female’s continuous requests for him not to touch her, he insists that it is his right. He tells her that when she says no, it “awakens his dragon.” The author further describes Mina as feeling like her soul as being drained after the first sexual encounter.

A weak story line and weird vibe in the first half of the book did not make up for the semi-redeeming strengthening of the story in the second half. I also struggled with how often the author used the words “primordial” and “preternatural.” However, with that being said, if you need a book to play a drinking game to, this is the book for you.
Profile Image for Sean Jorgensen.
25 reviews
March 13, 2020
This book is the offspring of a half-decent attempt at a fantasy novel non-consensually fornicating with a romance novel. Fails at both, and the “romance” scenes when not awkward were downright eye rolling and gag-worthy. The fantasy is unimaginative and nearly forgettable. Setting the bar extremely low for fantasy romance if that’s even a thing.
Profile Image for Doris.
838 reviews32 followers
February 7, 2016
While I absolutely loved her Blood trilogy, this one left me a bit disappointed. The story itself was good and it had great characters but the ending??? I realize that she leaves it for us to imagine or maybe there is to be more but I would of wanted a bit more conclusion.
Profile Image for Saucy Sierra.
532 reviews85 followers
November 4, 2015
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!! #1 in my 2015 books right now! We need a sequel soon!!!!!!!!!!!! I know there is other work from the author but whoa!
Profile Image for Mayra.
84 reviews2 followers
November 4, 2015
Another hit for Tessa...be prepared for a rollercoaster ride through fighting betrayal and love....Tessa does not dissapoint in her new series...anxiously waiting the folowing book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews

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