A Shade of Dragon

A Shade of Dragon #1

by Bella Forrest

Following the success of the million bestselling A Shade of Vampire series, Bella is back with a brand new story! 

Curl up with Prince Theon this Christmas...

Nineteen year old Penelope "Nell" O'Hara is geared up for the worst Christmas of her life. The guy she's been dating just dumped her for her best friend, and all she has to look forward to over the break is a stay in Beggar's Hole--a tiny frozen town on the coast of Maine--with her retired father, his latest masseuse girlfriend and her brattish fourteen year old son. 

But one night, after storming out of dinner to take a brooding walk among the rocks, a misstep on the ice causes Nell's Christmas to take rather a different turn...  She would have died, were it not for a mysterious, heat-exuding hero arriving out of nowhere to scoop her up in his arms, and warm and dry her body. 

Coming to, Nell finds herself staring up into a pair of deep gold eyes. Eyes belonging to a man who is quite unlike any she's seen before. His features are chiseled yet sensual, exotic but somber, like something beautiful and wild threatened by extinction. All of six and a half feet tall, and two hundred plus pounds of pure muscle, her savior introduces himself as Theon Aena. His mere touch sends heat surging through her body, reaching down into her fingers and toes, even fluttering from her hair follicles, and his proximity to her brings about strange shudders of pleasure.

After a twist of fate causes her to cross paths with Theon again, Nell's drab, frozen Christmas soon spirals into a firestorm of passion, romance, revelations, and danger... 

Let Theon warm up your fireplace too this Christmas! Buy A Shade of Dragon now!

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult, Vampires

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2015

About the author

UPDATE MARCH 11, 2024:

BELLA IS BACK!

*** New, updated online store at https://BellaForrest.com

*** New books coming soon

*** Possible Film/TV series coming soon

*** Stay up to date by joining our e-mail list at https://BellaForrest.com/join

###

Bella Forrest is a lover of fantasy, romance, action, and mystery infused stories with twists you don’t see coming. She has sold over fifteen million books since her first novel was published in 2012.

Check out her website for a full list of her books: https://BellaForrest.com

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BellaForrest...

Here's a list of some of Bella's books:

DARKLIGHT

Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
Darktide (Book 5)
Darkbirth (Book 6)
Darkfall (Book 7)
Darkwilds (Book 8)
Darkhunt (Book 9)

A LOVE THAT ENDURES (Trilogy)
A Love that Endures 1
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3

HARLEY MERLIN AND THE SECRET COVEN

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn's Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie (Book 16)
Finch Merlin and the Legend of the Luminary
Persie Merlin and Leviathan's Gift (Book 18)
Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere (Book 19)
Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters (Book 20)
Persie Merlin and the Dying Song (Book 21)

THE CHILD THIEF

The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

Hotbloods (Book 1)
Hotbloods (Book 2): Coldbloods
Hotbloods (Book 3): Renegades
Hotbloods (Book 4): Venturers
Hotbloods (Book 5): Traitors
Hotbloods (Book 6): Allies
Hotbloods (Book 7): Invaders
Hotbloods (Book 8): Stargazers

THE GENDER GAME

The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE

Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

Books 1 to 7

Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

Books 8 to 16

Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero...

Books 17 to 24

Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

Books 25 to 32

Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

Books 33 to 41

Season 6: A Gift of Three

Books 42 to 50

Season 7: A Call of Vampires

Books 51 to 59

Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

Books 60 to 68

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

Books 69 to 77

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A Shard of Soul (Book 85)
A Break of Seals (Book 86)

Season 11: A Shade of Mystery
A Shade of Mystery (Book 87)
An Isle of Mirrors (Book 88)
A Sanctuary of Foes (Book 89)
A Ruler of Clones (Book 90)
A Gate of Light (Book 91)
A Dawn of Worlds (Book 92) ➜ Coming soon!

Reviews

[Nathalie* · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This had major potential .. I saw all the high ratings and was so excited ... It was meh! How he talked not so good. They barely talked to each other but yet there in love .. NAH!

[Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shade of a Vampire series is amazing, and this comes from that. Loved when the Dragon Shifters were introduced into the Shade, so was really glad when I seen there was this book, learning more about these awesome shifters.

This is a great book, and guess you could read this without reading the other series, but I do recommend the other series for sure too.

Paranormal lovers like me will love this series too.
Can't wait for boo 2, hate waiting, lol

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always a great book. I wasn't sure if id like the dragons too much, but once I got a few chapters in I starter to love them. Great job Bella Forrest.

[Jenn]

An easy read

This was a quick and easy read but I have to say that I'm disappointed on how the book went after Nell was taken by the enemy.

[Laurielu Bona Fide Reflections · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I read the entirety of this book was because my interest in Theron, the Fire Dragon, since he was introduced in the Shade of Vampire series. His romantic interest, Nell, is lackluster, two dimensional and the opposite of adroit.

[Dirty Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Wear my necklace Stars


Shade of dragon… what to say what to say?
I discovered this author in shade of vampire and she was amazing and was able to really show the characters .. in shade of dragon I felt a little let down with it all. The book is about the dragon prince Theon and his mate that he found “Nell” now I LOVE the characters real name of Penelope but that’s neither here nor there. This romance takes place over the course of Christmas break. However it is not really written as you typical Christmas love story. The series will have 3 books so that may change my future thoughts.
For me it was a good book and it portrayed the dragons as almost alien in nature as Theon did not know what an ambulance was. It was a quick read albeit very long winded and a lot of time was spent to let the reader know the 7 day romance should be a forever. I didn’t think any of our characters were as developed as I think they could be. It was very YA in nature and the characters felt very immature. I never felt the “mate” connection you get in typical paranormal. I know the book ended at the plots development which gave us a cliffhanger that makes you really upset with the story. Which is crazy since the book is like 450 pages. .. 7 days … 450 pages… like omg some stuff needed to be cut out .
The story needed more. This is only my 2nd dragon shifter story and both were told with completely different stories. I think if you go into this book with a YA notion and knowing its gunna be packed with a lot of buildup and no end you would rate the book higher than I did.
I guess the moral of the story is I wanted less pages or more story …
I would tell you more about the story.. but then whats the point of reading such a long book since the story is not very long.

[Cherylbestlife · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't understand all of the five star reviews??? What happened? This didn't feel like the same author who wrote the "A Shade of Vampire" series. This book Shade of Dragon, was boring. The pace was very slow, and I didn't feel the same chemistry between the two main characters as with Derik and Sofia, from Shade of Vampire. I started skimming over pages, waiting for the book to get better, but it didn't. This was not in the same league as Shade of Vampire. The Dragon Prince didn't feel like the same character from Vampire series. I was disappointed. I don't have any interest in reading the other Dragon books. Bring on the next Shade of Vampire!

[Katelyn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

At this point it is pretty clear that I just love anything Bella writes! None of her books have ever gotten below a 3.5 from me I believe. Not much to say about this because it will spoil all the books before it, even though you technically can read this as a stand alone trilogy, but it was great! Her books are just so easy for me to get into and I remember everything so well. I know everyone has a list of authors who just click with them, and for me, one of them is Bella Forrest, along with others :)
Another great read in "A Shade of Vampire" series!

[DeAnna F-S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read as always

All Bella's book are amazing and captivating. Her imagination soars as she thoughtfully describes each scenario and pulls us deeper into her world. Always leaving us wanting more and never failing on that promise for it to come. This book is no different as it takes us into a different world of the shade. Dragons! Need I say more?!?!?!

[Judy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

COMPLETELY CAPTIVATING !!!
A Shade of Dragon
Series: A Shade of Dragon
Designation: Book One of Three, NOT a Standalone, Does Contain Cliffhanger
Author: Bella Forrest
Reading Platform: Kindle Unlimited Edition
Steam Level: Sweet
My Rating: FIVE DRAGO-LICIOUS STARS*****
Magnificent! Bella Forrest has once again stunned her fans with A Shade of Dragon, her second mesmerizing trilogy spin-off of her bestselling series, A Shade of Vampire. After reading the first book in Forrest's A Shade of Vampire series several years ago, I joined millions of fellow readers worldwide and became a diehard fan and official Shaddict who now eagerly await each new release. This release is the eagerly anticipated first book in Forrest's A Shade of Dragon trilogy and she totally knocked it out of the park - again! The dragons of the Hearthlands were first introduced in Rose and Caleb's story, A Shade of Vampire 13: A Turn of Tides and became popular recurring secondary characters in the series. As a result of the mass popularity of the dragons, Ms Forrest paid homage to her readers by giving us A Shade of Dragon, proving once more that she always listens to her fans. The story is exceptionally well crafted and well written in the first person with multiple points of view. I was immediately drawn into the story and by the end of the first two chapters, I was totally smitten which was largely due, in part, to the intriguing, captivating and well developed cast of supernatural and human characters. I fell in love with the two protagonists from different realms, young fire dragon Theon Aena, Prince of the Hearthlands, and Penelope "Nell" O'Hara, nineteen year old human college student. Each started the adventure as young, inexperienced and somewhat naive in the ways of the world but quickly matured to become strong, intelligent adults in the face of adversity and tragedy, all the while becoming a courageous and wise hero and heroine worthy of the title King and Queen. Even the villains of the story were engaging, warranting quite a bit of dislike from the reader. Yes, I'm guilty of shaking my fists and totally hating the bad guys of this story. But isn't that the indication of a great book? We become so involved in the story, get so caught up in the lives of the characters that we rail against any injustice, all the while cursing the villains. Isn't that the true definition of entertainment? At least it is for me and I was most assuredly entertained. If you love young adult fantasy filled to the brim with supernatural creatures, mystifying magic, spine-tingling adventure, heart-stopping danger, heartbreaking angst and heartwarming romance, then you will surely love this story. Follow Prince Theon Aena and Nell O'Hara as they search for love and happiness only to discover that sometimes, one's destiny is not written in the stars and more importantly, fate is only what we make it. What did I like about this book and this series? Everything! What didn't I like? Not a darn thing! Would I recommend it? You bet and I am! Will I read this author again? You better believe it, just as soon as she releases her next book! This book does NOT contain graphic language or explicit sex. Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!

[J.E. Benoit · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’ve got to start giving me some answers here.”

His thumb brushed my cheek. “I will,” he swore, so close that his warmth insulated me from the eddies of freezing wind. So close that I smelled the fire and leather and salt crackling in his aura. “Let me just have these little moments with you before things get … harder.” Theon’s golden eyes burned into mine. “These are the moments I live for.”

Cue dreamy sigh! We met Theon in Rose’s story in the Shade of Vampire series and I’m sure many readers (such as myself) were intrigued by his story, especially after leaving The Shade to go in search of his mate. Well not one to disappoint, Bella Forrest has granted our wishes and released this spinoff series to finally give us his story! And I will say that while it took me a little while to get into this one, and I’m still a little lukewarm on Nell, Theon himself did not disappoint! I can definitely see why the dragons consider themselves masters of the art of romance.

The first half, or so, of the book I wasn’t sure what to think. It started off a little slow and felt like a bunch of random information was being thrown at us about Nell and her life, I found it hard to keep it all straight. And I wasn’t really sure I liked her personality all that much, but once she met Theon, I started to connect to the story more and I really loved all of their interactions. We’ve got Nell who is a total cynic on the topic of love after witnessing the disastrous love lives of her parents and Theon who is hopelessly romantic and a perfect gentleman. It was cute seeing Theon’s influence start to open Nell’s eyes and get her thinking that maybe love isn’t so bad. My favorite thing was how formal Theon was and the many charming and sweet moments that his unfamiliarity with our world created.

The last 30-40% of the book was much more exciting for me and felt more like Bella’s other books where danger and adventure abounds. The stakes are raised as truths are revealed and things are really setting up for quite a lot of action in the next book I think. There was also another little twist in there that I am very interested to see how it plays out, I think it’s sure to create some drama! I thought this was a good start and I am looking forward to continuing this journey and I hope that we get more of Theon’s POV in the next book!

[Ms. Cyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to find out that your best friend and casual boyfriend are seeing eachother. Poor Nell. Her luck changes though when she almost drowns and meets the man of her dreams. Theon is very strange but honorable and very hot, literally. Nell sure has a lot to deal with if she decided to keep him. I love these two pure characters. They're young and naive and they want to do the right thing but fate has other plans.

[Raven_Blake (dreamy addictions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review Also Posted Here:Dreamy Addictions

Well, it was good to read but wasn’t that incredible. I picked this up when I was feeling bored so I didn’t had any expectations. Honestly, the book was somewhat boring and the plot didn’t excited me much. It didn’t lived up to its synopsis which sounded very intriguing. The MC’s in this book are very dull which is the biggest downer and the romance between them was quite normal and wasn’t that interesting. I didn’t enjoyed the writing but apart from that everything was ok but not the best.

Penelope Nell O’ Hara wasn’t really that much of a great protagonist and she seemed too naive and quite stupid sometimes. There’s not much depth in her character and I can’t connect with her. Theon Aena is a hot male protagonist in the plot. He is a total gentle man and talks like he was from regency era which didn’t impress me much by the way. At the beginning, he oozed a mysterious persona that made me interested in him but as the story progressed I started to lose interest in him. I hated the insta-love and the romance between Nell and Theon seemed awkward and forced sometimes.

The plot was not bad but could be much better. The story moved in a slow pace which is something I always hate in a book. The last ten percent of the book was the only part I enjoyed reading. Even though it was written by a best selling author, the writing seemed immature and I didn’t like it a bit.

Despite so many issues, I don’t hate it because I think it’s not entirely bad but needs more work. The book ended with a interesting twist and I might read the sequel just to find out what’s going to happen next. Finally, I’m not sure If I could recommend it but if you are into paranormal romances then give this a try.

[Emma Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Theons character especially as it feels like he comes from a different time not a different world. It was an enjoyable read and was intriguing to finally caught up with the dragon shape-shiftier.

Nell was an intersing character, a young women who is both smart and strong. I liked her character as she doesnt believe until she see's. which made the story more entertaining and funny with some of the stuff Nell came out with.

Their was a major spin on the book which had me in shock from which i couldnt believe. Well done Bella definitly another brilliant book with keeping it enjoying able and entertaining.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok once again

I find my self immediately swept up. absolutely love Shade of a vampire. Not I find myself swept up in Shade of the Dragon. what of Nell and Theon. How big of a wrench does Michelle throw into the mix? Love this book. Started it read t. he first chapter had to set it a side .picked it imagining the evening I couldn't put it down .. thanks Bella Forrest for sharing you talent with us.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Say what?it's a sexy dragon

I really was enjoying the book and then it ended can't wait to see which one is Theon 's true mate?and how he can save the day ? and who will help him ? and really what's up with the stuck up girl? As always I can't wait till the next book and also never wanting the story to end. Truly waiting at the edge of my seat

[Tanisha Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Read

We got to know more about Theon but there's some gaps for my taste like what happened after he left The Shade. Was it because he couldn't have Rose? His "abilities" were a little over the top for my taste but overall it was a good read. I will keep reading because the plot is what hooked me and I want to see who Theon ends up with.

[Billy Fowler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smh

I was very disappointed.....this was so boring I didnt finsh....shade of vampire is great....not this...dont waste ur money on it

[Wordaholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

It ended too quickly for me to come to like any character. I started this one because of promising storyline and great reviews. It was like having hot chocolate in a small coffee cup.

[Melanie Sears · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did not like the female lead, Nell. She's weak and immature. She needed her parents positive opinions about her new love interest before she would allow herself to pursue the dragon man. Up until that time she was close- minded about everything he told her and freaked out when he said anything that did not coincide with her mainstream beliefs.Then all the sudden (after speaking with her parents), she believed everything he told her and did not freak out even when he turned into a dragon in front of her. I don't know why a handsome dragon man would fall for her. The story line was just ok. I may read the next book in the series just to see if Nell finds a spine and evolves or if the dragon man comes to his senses and finds out he doesn't love her after all.

[Asha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed with the writing for this book. I’m an avid Bella reader and while her writing is normally predictable and (sorry) simple, this book was even simpler, as though she wasn’t really trying to have any valuable content, just quickly dish out another book. There was so much room for a stronger story line, more meaningful conversations between the characters, and more realistic reactions. I’ll read part 2, just unfortunately with lowered expectations.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down - Human girl meets dragon prince.

I would have given 5 stars but there were some awkward grammatical spots AND it has a cliffhanger ending. I get that it's a trilogy, but there are lots of series out there that don't REQUIRE you to read multiple books in order to finish the story. I like the 2 main characters, though not the so-called best friend. Although I resent the cliffhanger, I will be reading the next book.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book and characters. Wish there was more history/depth there. Didn’t have much basis building the relationship between Theon and Nell but you were rooting for them regardless. Story had enough action to keep you sucked in. Hated the cliffhanger ending! I guess I’ll be searching for the next book in this series...

[Fly FreeBird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t even with this book!! It pissed me off in so many ways. God! I wanted to kick Nell’s ass so bad for acting like a little baby!! Anyways if I keep writing about how am feeling I will never stop and the only reason I gave this book 3 stars because of THEON. I freaking love his character on this book.

Note to self:
Don’t finish the series or you will hate your life.

[Sonja Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so

The first few chapters were like pulling teeth if it was not that I love this author I would have put the book down. It is written in a higher fashion of words more grammar sufficient and honestly it makes it harder to read, however about 1/4 threw the book it got interesting so I’m glad I waited out the boring chapters and I’m ready to kill the next book

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting yet confusing.

This is a wonderful book but it is very confusing. Though I'm not much for confusion I will continue with this series in hopes that the confusion is erased.

[Lisa Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

well as i was so pleased with the shade of vampire series i though i would give this a whirl and i wasnt disappointed very good opening to the series with lots of information to process so cant wait to see where the series goes

[Maria Banales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice

I like the story line so far for the dragon prince, but I think it’s lacking a little bit of the flair that you had in the Shade Series.. But I’m still interested enough to keep reading the next book in the series..

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 of the Shade of Dragon is great.

The 1st in the story of the Dragon world tells how the Prince of the Dragon world comes to find a mate to the coast of the US. How the 2 meet and the ensuing story developed will keep you reading.

[Marsha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This doesn't often happen to me, but I actually didn't bother to finish it, I didn't even get that far in to the story. I just couldn't get into the story. Believe me I tried.