CAPTIVATING, RIVETING AND DIVINELY ENTERTAINING !!!
Title: Dragon Betrayed
Series: Immortal Dragons
Designation: Prequel, Should Be Read As First In Series, No HEA
Author: Ophelia Bell
Reading Platform: Kindle Edition
My Rating: Five Sinfully Sexy Stars*****
Where do I begin? I should probably start by saying that I've been a loyal reader and fan of Ophelia Bell for several years and truly adore every book she's ever written and Dragon Betrayed is no exception. That being said, I must admit, this is probably one of the hardest reviews I've ever written and not because I felt the book was bad or poorly written. In fact, it's just the opposite. Dragon Betrayed is a dark, imaginative, unique, compelling, intense, sensual, erotic and exceptionally well crafted story with a beautifully written third person narrative. The dialogue is seductive, well executed and flows effortlessly. It contains every component needed to make it not just a good story, but a great one, including a cast of magnificent characters. They literally explode from the pages, capture your imagination and completely steal your heart, the kind of characters who remain in your mind long after you finish the book. But there are two things this story is not.....it's not traditional, and it's about as far from ordinary as you can get. Quite simply, it's extraordinary as well as necessary. In all my years of reviewing books, I don't think I've ever used the word necessary to describe a story but in this case, it fits perfectly. Please allow me to explain. Dragon Betrayed is being released as the prequel for Bell's Immortal Dragons Series but originally, there were two books published prior to this one: Dragon Blues and Dragon Void. Both were fabulous stories, but Ophelia Bell is never satisfied with anything other than perfection. So to improve the series for her fans, Bell wisely decided to go back to the drawing board, pull the first two books, release a new, more in depth prequel that sets the stage for the entire series, then completely revamp, expand and reintroduce the first two books. It's bloody brilliant! Ophelia Bell is a naturally gifted storyteller and wordsmith who excels at creating vivid, richly detailed worlds and populating them with intriguing, well developed characters. She is also incredibly talented at writing the most exquisitely erotic love/sex scenes I've ever read. They simply take my breath away. Before you start this book, make sure you have a box of tissue to wipe your tears as well as a large glass of ice water to cool you down. You'll definitely need both. But be forewarned, as I said, it's not your traditional love story. Although it does contain heated attraction, fiery passion and steamy romance with elements of Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism, it's NOT a love story and definitely NOT your typical boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, then boy and girl live happily ever after. If you're looking for a story that concludes with a nice, tidy happily ever after, this is not it. But every story whether it be happy or sad, has a beginning just as every villain is made not born....made by events that are often heartbreaking and life changing. And this book is the saga of one such couple, one man damaged by emotion and corrupted by his lust for power, and one immortal dragon woman who must suffer the pain of betrayal, accept the consequences of her actions and bear the burden for the welfare of her entire species. This is the beginning, where a beloved mighty warrior was once a hero... and became a cruel, malevolent enemy. Dragon Betrayed is the story of the once human Nikhil and the immortal blue dragon Belah. And a word of warning, my lovelies, this is one heck of a wild ride!
When reviewing a book, there are several questions I always ask myself in order to determine my rating. First, did I like this story, did I love it, or did I hate it? I'm not a professional reviewer but I do know what I like, what I love and what I don't and I loved this story. Yes, at times, it was difficult to read but isn't that evidence of a great story....becoming so engrossed that the characters become real in your mind with you experiencing their happiness and heartache??? It is for me. And this story ripped my heart to pieces. I read the first two books of this series (which are being expanded and re-released) and quite literally hated Nikhil or rather, I hated the character portrayed as the villain. Although I'm fairly sure I'll still dislike him in future books, at least now I see him in a different light, have a much better understanding of how and why he became the bad guy. Even a villain deserves to have his story told, especially if he was once a good guy. We all know heartbreak can adversely influence a person, sometimes resulting in devastating consequences. Heck, wars have been fought over love. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, as a result of reading this book, I now better understand and accept the entire premise for this series. I'm totally fascinated by it and want to read more.
Second, what didn't I like about this story? Quite honestly, not a darn thing. It was well crafted, well developed, well written and well edited. Once I began reading, I was immediately drawn into the story, held completely enthralled with my heart fluttering wildly in my chest while the pages flew as did the time.
Third, would I recommend this book? You bet and I am but only for adult readers since it does contain explicit sexual content. After all, this is an Ophelia Bell book we're talking about and if you've previously read any of her books, you already know Bell writes the steamiest, dreamiest sex scenes -EVER! No spoilers from me but if you enjoy fast paced, beautifully written stories filled to brim with heart-stopping danger, heart-pounding drama, heartbreaking angst, heated attraction, fiery passion and mind-blowing sex, then this is definitely the book for you!
Fourth, will I read this author again? Absolutely! Just as soon as she releases her next book!
And finally and most importantly, was I entertained? Good gracious yes, completely and totally entertained! I loved it! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!