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Transference #1
The Dragon's Price
Fans of Julie Kagawa’s Talon and Renee Ahdieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn will devour this action-packed fantasy adventure about a girl who chooses to surrender herself to a deadly dragon rather than marry an enemy prince.
When two warring kingdoms unified against a deadly menace laying waste to both their lands, they had to make a choice: vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon.
Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.
As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .
If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?
There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.
When two warring kingdoms unified against a deadly menace laying waste to both their lands, they had to make a choice: vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon.
Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.
As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .
If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?
There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2017
36 people are currently reading
6866 people want to read
About the author
Bethany Wiggins
7 books760 followersBethany Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid student. Seriously! She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn't until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction--not the Bible
Once upon a time, Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel. Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write. Since then she has penned SHIFTING (2011), STUNG (2013), and CURED (2014).
Once upon a time, Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel. Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write. Since then she has penned SHIFTING (2011), STUNG (2013), and CURED (2014).
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February 22, 2017
Look, I'll be honest: I didn't have the highest expectations when I picked up The Dragon's Price. But I was willing to give it a shot because Wiggins' other books received a lot of praise and, you know,
dragons.
Unfortunately, the book is as formulaic as this genre gets. A princess called Sorrowlyn is being forced to marry one of the heirs of a neighboring kingdom to keep peace, or else she must sacrifice herself to a fire dragon. But, really, it's a badly-concealed romance masquerading as fantasy adventure.
The pact that says Sorrowlyn must marry to protect the kingdoms from the dragon made absolutely no sense - no thought is given as to why a marriage between these two kingdoms would do anything to appease a dragon. This immediately establishes the world and its customs as undeveloped and ill-conceived, and everything political/dramatic exists as a vehicle for romantic angst.
Super special Sorrowlyn refuses to marry the heir of the neighboring kingdom and must face the dragon. However, at the last minute, the youngest heir - the hunky Golmarr - joins her, believing she has a better chance of defeating the dragon with him at her side. Spot the love interest, anyone?
This formula is familiar, but it really only forms the base of the novel's problems. There are two far bigger issues. One being that the main story feels over by 25% into the book. By that point, Sorrowlyn has already and escaped her abusive father. What follows are a couple hundred pages of romancing and kissing, with a few subplots thrown in to try to convince the reader that there's more at stake than Sorrowlyn and Golmarr's hormones.
Spoiler: there isn't.
And perhaps more troubling is the romance itself. Sorrowlyn is a lily-white princess from a kingdom known for its finery, for being civilized and respectable. The heirs from the other kingdom have long black hair and dark skin described in various food metaphors from "caramel" to "toasted bread", and are a savage race, in touch with nature (they feel very reminiscent of Native American peoples, to a discomfiting degree).
At times, Sorrowlyn dismisses them with:
And at other times she portrays Golmarr as an exotic - insert food metaphor for skin colour here - hero. Either way, it's troubling.
An all-round unimpressive and problematic read.
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Unfortunately, the book is as formulaic as this genre gets. A princess called Sorrowlyn is being forced to marry one of the heirs of a neighboring kingdom to keep peace, or else she must sacrifice herself to a fire dragon. But, really, it's a badly-concealed romance masquerading as fantasy adventure.
The pact that says Sorrowlyn must marry to protect the kingdoms from the dragon made absolutely no sense - no thought is given as to why a marriage between these two kingdoms would do anything to appease a dragon. This immediately establishes the world and its customs as undeveloped and ill-conceived, and everything political/dramatic exists as a vehicle for romantic angst.
Super special Sorrowlyn refuses to marry the heir of the neighboring kingdom and must face the dragon. However, at the last minute, the youngest heir - the hunky Golmarr - joins her, believing she has a better chance of defeating the dragon with him at her side. Spot the love interest, anyone?
This formula is familiar, but it really only forms the base of the novel's problems. There are two far bigger issues. One being that the main story feels over by 25% into the book. By that point, Sorrowlyn has already and escaped her abusive father. What follows are a couple hundred pages of romancing and kissing, with a few subplots thrown in to try to convince the reader that there's more at stake than Sorrowlyn and Golmarr's hormones.
Spoiler: there isn't.
And perhaps more troubling is the romance itself. Sorrowlyn is a lily-white princess from a kingdom known for its finery, for being civilized and respectable. The heirs from the other kingdom have long black hair and dark skin described in various food metaphors from "caramel" to "toasted bread", and are a savage race, in touch with nature (they feel very reminiscent of Native American peoples, to a discomfiting degree).
At times, Sorrowlyn dismisses them with:
I shudder at the thought of associating with these barbarians.
And at other times she portrays Golmarr as an exotic - insert food metaphor for skin colour here - hero. Either way, it's troubling.
An all-round unimpressive and problematic read.
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February 7, 2017
I will admit to being completely wary about this book. It was only until a friend pushed it on me by sending me photos of the swoony dialogue that made me request it.
And man, she was right.
Love love love Sorrowlynn. Sure, she starts out as a pampered princess, but that quickly changes. I truly loved that she took control of her destiny when it came time. As for Golmarr, I don't even know where to start. He's swoony af, but more importantly, he trusts Sorrowlynn completely. He doesn't try to save her, he treats her as an equal and just adores her. I couldn't get enough of them.
The fantasy plot line isn't hard to follow. There aren't eleventy billion characters or countries. Plus there are dragons. I was captivated from the first page and seriously started dragging my feet when the ending was coming.
I know it'll be a book I reread often and I can't wait for the next book.
**Huge thanks to Crown Books and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**
And man, she was right.
Love love love Sorrowlynn. Sure, she starts out as a pampered princess, but that quickly changes. I truly loved that she took control of her destiny when it came time. As for Golmarr, I don't even know where to start. He's swoony af, but more importantly, he trusts Sorrowlynn completely. He doesn't try to save her, he treats her as an equal and just adores her. I couldn't get enough of them.
The fantasy plot line isn't hard to follow. There aren't eleventy billion characters or countries. Plus there are dragons. I was captivated from the first page and seriously started dragging my feet when the ending was coming.
I know it'll be a book I reread often and I can't wait for the next book.
**Huge thanks to Crown Books and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**
February 21, 2017
*** Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Dragon's Price by Bethany Wiggins
Book One of the Transference series
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 21, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Fans of Julie Kagawa’s Talon and Renee Ahdieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn will devour this action-packed fantasy adventure about a girl who chooses to surrender herself to a deadly dragon rather than marry an enemy prince.
When two warring kingdoms unified against a deadly menace laying waste to both their lands, they had to make a choice: vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon.
Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.
As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .
If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?
There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.
What I Liked:
The Dragon's Price is the first novel by Bethany Wiggins that I've read. I've seen her other Young Adult novels but they never caught my eye like this book. I'm a huge fan of YA fantasy, especially any fantasy dealing with dragons. "Good" dragons, "bad" dragons, I don't care. This novel is the first of a trilogy, and it follows the story of Princess Sorrowlynn.
Princess Sorrowlynn is the fourth and last daughter of the king and queen of Faodara. The Faodaran princesses are required to sacrifice themselves to keep an ancient spell at bay. The spell holds the fire dragon in the mountain; the sacrifice is to marry the heir of the throne of Anthar, or be fed to the dragon. On the day of the Mountain Binding, Sorrowlynn shocks everyone and chooses to be fed to the fire dragon, rather than marry the 42-year-old heir of the Antharian throne. But everyone is even more shocked when Prince Golmarr, the youngest prince of Anthar and the Antharian that has made her feel most comfortable since they arrived at her home, follows her down into the mountain. Golmarr is not a barbaric Antharian like Faodarans are taught to believe - in fact, he is kind and noble. Sorrowlynn and Golmarr must face the fire dragon, or die trying.
One of the things that sticks out the most to me is Sorrowlynn's character development, from start to finish. In the beginning, she is a scared, soft, weak girl (sorry!). She is terrified of the Mountain Binding, and she doesn't know how to stand up for herself. Her parents hate her, because her fate is to die by her owns hands. She doesn't want to marry the heir of Anthar, but she also doesn't want to be fed to the dragon. And she certainly doesn't want to be trapped in a lonely, miserable, sheltered life with her parents, who abhor her.
But after she is lowered into the cave of the mountain, things start to change. She and Golmarr fight to stay alive, and Sorrowlynn, while still a weak, soft girl, slowly becomes stronger. She is no longer a pampered, scared princess - she shows more assertion and backbone, and she stops cowering in fear when her and Golmarr's lives are in danger. By the end of the book, she is so much stronger (both mentally and physically), and she is ready to take on all the dragons in the world to find what she is looking for (not going to spoil that!).
While this book is written exclusively in Sorrowlynn's first-person POV, Golmarr is easily as important to the story as Sorrowlynn. Golmarr and Sorrowlynn interact a little bit before the Mountain Binding, and there is mutual affection. Golmarr goes after her in the mountain to protect her and slay the dragon for her. Golmarr is such a sweetie! He is honorable and completely selfless - such a gentleman. He is incredibly courageous and would have done almost anything to protect Sorrowlynn. To me, Golmarr steals the show, and he is the character that the story most benefited from having. I liked Sorrowlynn, but I adored Golmarr. He is a warrior, a horse lord, a prince, and an honorable man.
The fantasy world is nothing really new, but the author does a good job of creating and describing all of the parts and pieces to the setting, the history, and the magic. At first I was a little confused about why the Mountain Binding was necessary, but the history of the spell and the fire dragon was explained in detail within the story. There are six (I think six?) kingdoms that are all at odds (you know the deal), and there are different dragons that are not at peace with humans. The fire dragon is contained by the mountain and a spell shared by the Faodaran and Antharian people, but there is also the glass dragon, in the Glass Forest - this dragon becomes important.
On that note, we do get to understand why the series is called the Transference series! That's really important in the story. I don't want to say why though! The dragons are NOT human-friendly dragons, and that is important too.
I don't want to get into too much detail in terms of the plot, because things will get spoiler-y in a hurry. BUT I will say that Golmarr and Sorrowlynn are not trapped in the mountain with the fire dragon for the entire book. In fact, they're there for about half of the book. The second half of the book is more interesting to me, though there is a lot of important development (character, plot, romance) while under the mountain.
There is romance, and it's sweet! Golmarr is a sweetheart and Sorrowlynn is a kitten with claws. Their personalities mesh well together - Sorrowlynn clearly is no docile girl (despite seeming weak), and Golmarr is a fierce yet kind warrior prince. The romance develops pretty quickly, but the physical side of things is very slow-burn. There were a lot of swoony moments in the second half of the book! I like how honest and open with each other the pair was. Also: no love triangle! (Something I like mention in all of my reviews, if there is a love triangle or not.)
The climax is something that you see coming, and there was a little bit of dread mixed into my anticipation of the climax. The ending is a bit cruel but also hopeful at the same time. This book is part of a trilogy, so I understand why the book ended the way it did. It isn't a permanently cruel ending, so I'm (mostly) fine with it. It could have been worse.
Overall, I liked the book! There were some things that I didn't love, which I'll discuss below.
What I Did Not Like:
One of the first things I noticed was that there is some seriously cheesy dialogue in this book. It wasn't all of the dialogue, all of the time, but you notice it when you see it and it's cringe-worthy. I was a little surprised by how much cheesy dialogue there was! This is the author's fourth book, but the writing felt like that of a debut author (though, that's not quite fair of me to say, because some debut authors have BEAUTIFUL writing. Stephanie Garber, for example!).
I also didn't love the ending, as I mentioned above. I'm not going to fuss over it because I know it's not permanent, but still, it was a little bittersweet. You can't see me but I'm pouting right now. If the author messes up ____... I'm going to be very upset. Ugh, trilogies!
Would I Recommend It:
Yes and no - I have a love/hate relationship with YA trilogies. YA trilogies are the worst because there are cliffhangers and messy plots and sometimes even messy romances, and everything drags out over three books, which could be three or more years or waiting.
In this book's case, I do highly recommend this book. This series though? I might wait to binge-read the books when they all publish. This one ends on a cliffhanger, and I imagine book two will as well. I really do not like YA trilogies anymore!
But like I said, I do recommend this book. It was great, and it felt fairly short so it was a quick read. Plus, evil dragons? We find a lot of "good" dragons in YA literature, but not necessarily bad ones. I thought that was a cool aspect!
Rating:
4 stars. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this series! In book two, I would like to see more evil dragons, more history on the dragon's magic, and a looooot more kissing between Golmarr and Sorrowlynn.
August 25, 2016
Ok so not going to lie I'm not a big fan of the cover but PLEASE don't let that stop you from reading this AMAZING book! This story has it all! Dragons, battles, romance (oh man the romance swoons), and an amazing cast of characters! I can't believe how hard I fell for this story! I need book 2 now!!! !!!
February 15, 2017
I was SO pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn't sure what to expect and I got more than I expected plus there were many things that were just unexpected! This is the first book I've read by this author and by the time I was done with the book I was dying for book two. Which is so important, don't you think?
So this story is about a pretty pampered Princess who never really ever.... like ever, was allowed to leave her room, Sorrowlynn (I actually love the name). So when she has reached the age for the binding she is let out so she can meet the side and person she is to be wedded to. However when she is supposed to offer her hand in marriage to the prince of the neighboring kingdom, she chooses to offer herself as a sacrifice to the dragon that has been a prisoner for centuries instead of giving herself to marriage to this kingdom where she has heard nothing but horrible stories about. I really like her she is beyond sheltered and yet not stupid. Ignorant and naive-yes but very likable. She has a backbone which I LOVE in my female characters yet she isn't mean or horrid, she is defiant and strong. But, I also appreciated her flaws of small mindedness (which wasn't exactly her fault) and other flaws. I liked her from the start. So when she decides to be fed to the dragon in hopes of being able to slay the dragon and hopefully gain its treasure, I was skeptic of how this girl as going to possibly achieve this but then again where would the story be!
Then comes Golmarr, who decides to join Sorrowlynn down in the dragon's cave. Things progress quickly and this adventure wouldn't be as awesome without him. I 
LOOOOOVED Golmarr he is everything I love in my male characters, kind, smart, perceptive, strong, brave etc. a perfect male character. I so appreciated how the author wrote such a good guy and yet didn't take away from his manliness, you know? I loved how their friendship progressed and what he eventually came to be in the overall scheme of things in the story.
The idea of this story was fantastic and new concepts were brought to me which I greatly love and appreciate, there were new things that I thought were brilliant! The twists and turns and story building were great and it made me immediately want to reach for book two when I was done.
The romance was a little quicker than I prefer it but at the same time I understand why and it wasn't horribly back that it was a turn off, so over all in that department it was good.
Overall the world building was fantastic, the idea and storyline was brilliant and I loved this book, to me this is a must own! I can't wait to read book two and see what more this author has up her sleeve!
Sexual Content: mild
Language: mild
Violence: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
*A HUGE thank you to Netgalley and Crown Books for this ARC which I got in exchange for an honest review*
Want to read
March 24, 2016A fantasy YA trilogy about the transformation of a sheltered princess who chooses death by dragon instead of a forced marriage to a rival horse lord, and ends up vanquishing the fire-breather, absorbing his power and incurring the wrath of his fellow dragons.
holy SHIT
February 16, 2017
Thank you, Random House Children's, for sending me an ARC of this book (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
...These days that test you to your core, they will refine you, beat out your weaknesses, and turn you into the best version of yourself that there is. —King Marrkul
I was actually quite hesitant to read this book. One of my trustworthy online friends gave it one star, so I wasn't that excited when the publisher granted my request. However, the premise of the novel intrigued me; I really wanted to know why a princess would surrender herself to a dragon instead of marrying a so-called barbarian. The latter phenomenon hinted at a Feminist ideology that successfully drew me in like a moth to a flame.
Nearly every chapter of this book was so fun to read. The writing style was simple yet beautiful, the world-building was comprehensible, and the plot was delightfully fast-paced. As a bonus, the female protagonist had an ironically cute name: Sorrowlynn. Given all of these factors, I did not have a difficult time immersing myself in the story.
The magic system was another thumbs-up for me. I don't want to spoil anyone, so let's just say that the nature of Sorrowlynn's magic is related to the title of this series (Transference). Compared to most of the heroines I had encountered in YA fantasy, Sorrowlynn was definitely special. She was physically weak, but her unique abilities made her a force to be reckoned with. I can hardly wait to read the sequel and see her become stronger.
Ultimately, my main problem with this book was the romance. Every time I updated my reading progress, I found myself complaining about Sorrowlynn and Golmarr's constant flirting. Initially, I didn't mind their coquettish banter, but I eventually found it annoying, if not sickeningly sweet. Looking back, approximately 33% of the dialogue was dedicated to proclamations of love and desire, regardless of time and circumstance. Seriously, the characters had time to flirt even when their lives were in grave danger. With that in mind, I was somehow able to understand why other readers did not enjoy this book.
All things considered, The Dragon's Price met (and even exceeded) most of my expectations. I would highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a quick and entertaining fantasy book. If the sweetness of the characters gets to you, simply roll your eyes to relieve your stress. Trust me. It works.
...These days that test you to your core, they will refine you, beat out your weaknesses, and turn you into the best version of yourself that there is. —King Marrkul
I was actually quite hesitant to read this book. One of my trustworthy online friends gave it one star, so I wasn't that excited when the publisher granted my request. However, the premise of the novel intrigued me; I really wanted to know why a princess would surrender herself to a dragon instead of marrying a so-called barbarian. The latter phenomenon hinted at a Feminist ideology that successfully drew me in like a moth to a flame.
Nearly every chapter of this book was so fun to read. The writing style was simple yet beautiful, the world-building was comprehensible, and the plot was delightfully fast-paced. As a bonus, the female protagonist had an ironically cute name: Sorrowlynn. Given all of these factors, I did not have a difficult time immersing myself in the story.
The magic system was another thumbs-up for me. I don't want to spoil anyone, so let's just say that the nature of Sorrowlynn's magic is related to the title of this series (Transference). Compared to most of the heroines I had encountered in YA fantasy, Sorrowlynn was definitely special. She was physically weak, but her unique abilities made her a force to be reckoned with. I can hardly wait to read the sequel and see her become stronger.
Ultimately, my main problem with this book was the romance. Every time I updated my reading progress, I found myself complaining about Sorrowlynn and Golmarr's constant flirting. Initially, I didn't mind their coquettish banter, but I eventually found it annoying, if not sickeningly sweet. Looking back, approximately 33% of the dialogue was dedicated to proclamations of love and desire, regardless of time and circumstance. Seriously, the characters had time to flirt even when their lives were in grave danger. With that in mind, I was somehow able to understand why other readers did not enjoy this book.
All things considered, The Dragon's Price met (and even exceeded) most of my expectations. I would highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a quick and entertaining fantasy book. If the sweetness of the characters gets to you, simply roll your eyes to relieve your stress. Trust me. It works.
February 23, 2017
2/5 stars
The insta-love was bad in my personal opinion. Which wasn't helped due to the fact I didn't love these characters. Also, I felt extremely bored reading this book which I was sad about since I wanted to love this story, certain things kept me interested but overall it was a struggle. It just wasn't for me and although I was anticipating it SOOO badly it did fall flat.
*Got an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
The insta-love was bad in my personal opinion. Which wasn't helped due to the fact I didn't love these characters. Also, I felt extremely bored reading this book which I was sad about since I wanted to love this story, certain things kept me interested but overall it was a struggle. It just wasn't for me and although I was anticipating it SOOO badly it did fall flat.
*Got an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
February 15, 2017
Originally Posted On The Sassy Book Geek
****Thank you to Random House Kids for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review****
This was a big disappointment for me since I was expecting to really love this book, honestly, it was just sort of a big mess. This book is basically one big insta-love romance that just so happens to be in a fantasy world….
The Plot
The overall premise of the story is interesting and, come on, who doesn’t love the promise of dragons? Unfortunately the ONLY interesting thing in the story were the dragons and even then they weren’t that great. Other than that the plot was boring more than half the time and it was predictable, NOTHING new or original at all.
Everything that happens in this story is too convenient and entirely unbelievable even for fantasy. Princess Sorrowlynn is unskilled in anything not necessarily even very clever and yet an event in the story MAGICALLY makes her so. Really? You had to magically make your character skilled and clever? She couldn’t have any skills beforehand or slowly develop some? Needless to say the rest of the plot was similar with everything falling into place conveniently rather than with any work.
Generally I don’t mind the writing in stories but this was…..terrible. The dialogue was cringe-worthy and way too simplistic, overall it didn’t feel like I was reading Young Adult but more like Middle Grade because of how immature the writing felt. This was one of the bigger issues I had with this book which just goes to show the writing can really make or break you, in this case it broke it.
I can’t really tell you why I felt compelled to finish this book other than I was a little curious to see where the story would go since I had no idea what direction it was going in but also because I wanted to give a full review on this ARC. Honestly I think the only truly interesting parts were with the dragons and their “treasure”, that was it.
One other random thing that bothered me is the Antharian people are essentially a rip-off of the Dothraki from the A Song of Ice and Fire series. They have dark, tanned skin, long black hair which represents their status as a warrior, they come from grasslands, and they are known for their love of horses. I’m sorry but that is EXACTLY what the Dothraki are!
Overall the story is bland, boring, unoriginal, and unexciting. I had to skim through some parts because I was so bored and could have cared less what happened to anyone or anything.
The Characters
All of the characters are very flat and two dimensional, there’s virtually NO development whatsoever especially since what development there is is done over the course of minutes rather than slow, realistic development over the course of a few days or weeks. I didn’t like any of them!
Princess Sorrowlynn is NOT a badass, fantasy heroine so if you’re here for that you will not be finding it! She’s unskilled and honestly makes some very drastic, stupid decisions such as choosing to be fed to a dragon over being married to a “barbarian”. She also turns out to be quite the “special snowflake”….
Golmarr is one of the Antharian princes and was kind of interesting but he, too, makes stupid decisions. For one, he made Sorrowlynn believe she would have to be a sister wife to his brother and would she would not be treated well which ultimately made her choose the dragon. What a great guy!
The rest of the characters were just as boring and badly written, I’m sorry but I cannot get behind characters that have dialogue this painful to read through!
The Romance
Insta-Love to the max! I haven’t seen it this bad in a while but this is pure, 100% insta-love folks. The romance feels so forced too and there is zero chemistry between the characters but that can be just because the dialogue isn’t that great. No slow-burn romance here at all.
In Conclusion
I did not like this book and I’m really sorry to say that since I was really looking forward to this book. There was nothing in here redeemable for me so it’s a bit of a total loss.
What I Liked:
-The dragons and their interesting concept of treasure
What I Didn’t Like:
-The writing was awful including the dialogue
-The characters were flat and undeveloped
-Everything in the plot was way too convenient
-Major insta-love
Recommend
I can’t say I’d recommend reading this since there are so many better YA Fantasy books out there.
****Thank you to Random House Kids for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review****
This was a big disappointment for me since I was expecting to really love this book, honestly, it was just sort of a big mess. This book is basically one big insta-love romance that just so happens to be in a fantasy world….
The Plot
The overall premise of the story is interesting and, come on, who doesn’t love the promise of dragons? Unfortunately the ONLY interesting thing in the story were the dragons and even then they weren’t that great. Other than that the plot was boring more than half the time and it was predictable, NOTHING new or original at all.
Everything that happens in this story is too convenient and entirely unbelievable even for fantasy. Princess Sorrowlynn is unskilled in anything not necessarily even very clever and yet an event in the story MAGICALLY makes her so. Really? You had to magically make your character skilled and clever? She couldn’t have any skills beforehand or slowly develop some? Needless to say the rest of the plot was similar with everything falling into place conveniently rather than with any work.
Generally I don’t mind the writing in stories but this was…..terrible. The dialogue was cringe-worthy and way too simplistic, overall it didn’t feel like I was reading Young Adult but more like Middle Grade because of how immature the writing felt. This was one of the bigger issues I had with this book which just goes to show the writing can really make or break you, in this case it broke it.
I can’t really tell you why I felt compelled to finish this book other than I was a little curious to see where the story would go since I had no idea what direction it was going in but also because I wanted to give a full review on this ARC. Honestly I think the only truly interesting parts were with the dragons and their “treasure”, that was it.
One other random thing that bothered me is the Antharian people are essentially a rip-off of the Dothraki from the A Song of Ice and Fire series. They have dark, tanned skin, long black hair which represents their status as a warrior, they come from grasslands, and they are known for their love of horses. I’m sorry but that is EXACTLY what the Dothraki are!
Overall the story is bland, boring, unoriginal, and unexciting. I had to skim through some parts because I was so bored and could have cared less what happened to anyone or anything.
The Characters
All of the characters are very flat and two dimensional, there’s virtually NO development whatsoever especially since what development there is is done over the course of minutes rather than slow, realistic development over the course of a few days or weeks. I didn’t like any of them!
Princess Sorrowlynn is NOT a badass, fantasy heroine so if you’re here for that you will not be finding it! She’s unskilled and honestly makes some very drastic, stupid decisions such as choosing to be fed to a dragon over being married to a “barbarian”. She also turns out to be quite the “special snowflake”….
Golmarr is one of the Antharian princes and was kind of interesting but he, too, makes stupid decisions. For one, he made Sorrowlynn believe she would have to be a sister wife to his brother and would she would not be treated well which ultimately made her choose the dragon. What a great guy!
The rest of the characters were just as boring and badly written, I’m sorry but I cannot get behind characters that have dialogue this painful to read through!
The Romance
Insta-Love to the max! I haven’t seen it this bad in a while but this is pure, 100% insta-love folks. The romance feels so forced too and there is zero chemistry between the characters but that can be just because the dialogue isn’t that great. No slow-burn romance here at all.
In Conclusion
I did not like this book and I’m really sorry to say that since I was really looking forward to this book. There was nothing in here redeemable for me so it’s a bit of a total loss.
What I Liked:
-The dragons and their interesting concept of treasure
What I Didn’t Like:
-The writing was awful including the dialogue
-The characters were flat and undeveloped
-Everything in the plot was way too convenient
-Major insta-love
Recommend
I can’t say I’d recommend reading this since there are so many better YA Fantasy books out there.
January 10, 2017
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Wonderful high fantasy story filled with adventure, great characters and cute romance. I think this was a very promising start to what I think is going to be an amazing series.
Opening Sentence: Today is my sixteenth birthday.
The Review:
Princess Sorrowlynn has one duty to her kingdom and that is to offer her hand in marriage to the prince of a neighboring kingdom or if she chooses she can offer herself as a sacrifice to the dragon that has been a prisoner for centuries! She has lived a very sheltered life and no one expects her to choose the dragon but that’s exactly what she does! As she is lowered to her supposed death the young prince she rejected follows her in hopes of being able to slay the dragon and gain its treasure! But what is the dragons treasure and is it something you really want to possess??
Sorrow was such a wonderful heroine that I connected with instantly. I loved how optimistic she was despite the terrible upbringing she had. She is strong, intelligent, kind, and brave. She was also stubborn and small minded at times but her faults made her a more realistic character. She grows so much throughout the book and I really enjoyed reading her story!
Golmarr had me at hello and I honestly fell madly in love with him. He is funny, charming, heroic, and of course unbelievably hot!!!! He is also very kind hearted and I loved how open minded he was! He didn’t cower from danger and he was willing to risk his life for a girl he barely knew. I loved how he was with Sorrow. Their romance developed a little quicker then I would have preferred but I still loved it! Golmarr has definitely become a new favorite book boy!!!
The Dragon’s Price is an epic fantasy filled with adventure, romance and dragons!!! I had pretty high expectations for this because I was a big fan of Wiggins other books and luckily it did not disappoint! The idea was unique, the world building was beautiful and the writing was wonderful! There were a few times where I felt things were a little rushed and the ending was a horrible cliffhanger. Also, I really don’t like the cover! But overall, I felt like this was a very promising start to what I hope will be a great series! If you are a high fantasy fan or if you like dragons you should definitely check this one out!!!
Notable Scene:
I clear my throat. “I, princess Sorrowlynn of Faodara…” I look at my father, at the anger burning behind his pale blue eyes, then turn and look at the nine sons a King Marrkul. But I pause on Golmarr’s worried face then stop on Ingvar, and all I can think of are his massive hands touching me moments after they’ve been on his wife. With that thought, I know which fate I shall choose. “I, Princess Sorrowlynn of Faodara, humbly submit to give my life,” I say, my voice strong, “to the fire dragon instead of giving it to the Antharian heir.”
FTC Advisory: Crown Books for Young Readers provided me with a copy of The Dragon’s Price. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Wonderful high fantasy story filled with adventure, great characters and cute romance. I think this was a very promising start to what I think is going to be an amazing series.
Opening Sentence: Today is my sixteenth birthday.
The Review:
Princess Sorrowlynn has one duty to her kingdom and that is to offer her hand in marriage to the prince of a neighboring kingdom or if she chooses she can offer herself as a sacrifice to the dragon that has been a prisoner for centuries! She has lived a very sheltered life and no one expects her to choose the dragon but that’s exactly what she does! As she is lowered to her supposed death the young prince she rejected follows her in hopes of being able to slay the dragon and gain its treasure! But what is the dragons treasure and is it something you really want to possess??
Sorrow was such a wonderful heroine that I connected with instantly. I loved how optimistic she was despite the terrible upbringing she had. She is strong, intelligent, kind, and brave. She was also stubborn and small minded at times but her faults made her a more realistic character. She grows so much throughout the book and I really enjoyed reading her story!
Golmarr had me at hello and I honestly fell madly in love with him. He is funny, charming, heroic, and of course unbelievably hot!!!! He is also very kind hearted and I loved how open minded he was! He didn’t cower from danger and he was willing to risk his life for a girl he barely knew. I loved how he was with Sorrow. Their romance developed a little quicker then I would have preferred but I still loved it! Golmarr has definitely become a new favorite book boy!!!
The Dragon’s Price is an epic fantasy filled with adventure, romance and dragons!!! I had pretty high expectations for this because I was a big fan of Wiggins other books and luckily it did not disappoint! The idea was unique, the world building was beautiful and the writing was wonderful! There were a few times where I felt things were a little rushed and the ending was a horrible cliffhanger. Also, I really don’t like the cover! But overall, I felt like this was a very promising start to what I hope will be a great series! If you are a high fantasy fan or if you like dragons you should definitely check this one out!!!
Notable Scene:
I clear my throat. “I, princess Sorrowlynn of Faodara…” I look at my father, at the anger burning behind his pale blue eyes, then turn and look at the nine sons a King Marrkul. But I pause on Golmarr’s worried face then stop on Ingvar, and all I can think of are his massive hands touching me moments after they’ve been on his wife. With that thought, I know which fate I shall choose. “I, Princess Sorrowlynn of Faodara, humbly submit to give my life,” I say, my voice strong, “to the fire dragon instead of giving it to the Antharian heir.”
FTC Advisory: Crown Books for Young Readers provided me with a copy of The Dragon’s Price. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
February 17, 2017
3.5 / 5 Fangs
The Dragon's Price was a fast paced, addictive, romantic, and exciting book. I thought this was a very promising start to a new YA fantasy series!
The main character, Sorrow, was a likable main character. I thought she was brave, determined, and loyal. She also had flaws, which made it easy for me to relate to her. I liked how easy it was for me to grow attached to her throughout the book. My only issue was with Sorrow's character was that she conveniently had things happen to her that really benefitted her, which seemed a little too easy. However, I am excited to learn more about her and she her grow even more as the series goes on!
Golmarr was another major character, and I adored him. Golmarr was fierce, sexy, brave, charming, kind, and so much more. I liked his character as soon as he was introduced! I quickly fell in love with him and I was wishing I could marry him! He made me swoon so many times during the book. He reminded me of a younger and less intense version of Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones and I LOVED IT.
The romance between Golmarr and Sorrow was adorable. I thought their romantic moments were extremely swoon-worthy. It was easy to see how much they cared for each other and respected each other. My only issue with their romance was that I couldn't believe how quickly they connected at the very beginning of the book. It seemed liked they were willing to do A LOT for each other, even though they had just met. That made their romance feel a bit fast paced and sort of like insta-love, even though they clarified they were just friends at first.
I really enjoyed the fantasy elements of this book, especially the dragons. The dragons added a really exciting and fascinating aspect to this book. I thought the overall plot of this book was interesting as well, and I never felt like there were boring chapters. This book kept me captivated the entire time. I was able to predict the ending of this book, but it still left me extremely excited to read the next book! This book was a promising start to what I hope will be an awesome YA fantasy series.
3.5 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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The Dragon's Price was a fast paced, addictive, romantic, and exciting book. I thought this was a very promising start to a new YA fantasy series!
The main character, Sorrow, was a likable main character. I thought she was brave, determined, and loyal. She also had flaws, which made it easy for me to relate to her. I liked how easy it was for me to grow attached to her throughout the book. My only issue was with Sorrow's character was that she conveniently had things happen to her that really benefitted her, which seemed a little too easy. However, I am excited to learn more about her and she her grow even more as the series goes on!
Golmarr was another major character, and I adored him. Golmarr was fierce, sexy, brave, charming, kind, and so much more. I liked his character as soon as he was introduced! I quickly fell in love with him and I was wishing I could marry him! He made me swoon so many times during the book. He reminded me of a younger and less intense version of Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones and I LOVED IT.
The romance between Golmarr and Sorrow was adorable. I thought their romantic moments were extremely swoon-worthy. It was easy to see how much they cared for each other and respected each other. My only issue with their romance was that I couldn't believe how quickly they connected at the very beginning of the book. It seemed liked they were willing to do A LOT for each other, even though they had just met. That made their romance feel a bit fast paced and sort of like insta-love, even though they clarified they were just friends at first.
I really enjoyed the fantasy elements of this book, especially the dragons. The dragons added a really exciting and fascinating aspect to this book. I thought the overall plot of this book was interesting as well, and I never felt like there were boring chapters. This book kept me captivated the entire time. I was able to predict the ending of this book, but it still left me extremely excited to read the next book! This book was a promising start to what I hope will be an awesome YA fantasy series.
3.5 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
March 20, 2017
I really don't know where to start or how to feel about this book, so I am going to go ahead and break it down into parts and generalize I guess? I was on a fantasy kick and had got this one for review and despite it not rating high on goodreads, I was like, well it's here, it's about dragons? WHY NOT?
Hoo boy, this book and I were just off to a rocky start from the beginning
Lack of World building - Like this book just barely had any of it okay? It's a fantasy book, set in a world and we don't know much about it and it just felt like we were told this is how it is and we are supposed to accept it. There is a ton of other races mentioned in this book, but we don't know much about them or why they are at war and the things we learn feel like bits and pieces of a bigger picture.
So we got these two kingdoms that are bound by a promise a vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon. Apparently it's because many years ago a war waged and a dragon was released and now to keep the dragon bound by magic, this needs to happen every time there is an heir. There is a clause apparently because the horse lord heir does not have to take one of the Faodaran, they can reject them, feed an animal in place as a sacrifice and move on with their life until the next heir comes along. Or, the princess can reject the proposed marriage - should it come - and be fed to the dragon.
So Sorrowlynn (named because she was predicted to die by her own hand) does not want to marry the savage/barbaric horse tanned skinned horse lord and chooses the dragon instead - because she did not get the memo that ANY of the heirs can propose marriage.
Two things wrong here
One, as you might have figured Sorrowlynn is a white proper princess and the horse lords are tan skinned and are called savage/barbaric people... - sigh- am I the only one who sees racism here? I'm starting to wonder if this is the reason this book got the reviews that it did. I wanted to give it a benefit of the doubt, but every time she spoke of the horse lords, Sorrowlynn had a racism pouring out of her. Barbaric and savage were words used one too many times. Also, I think the author is a fan of game of thrones because this sounds a lot like Daenerys inspired storyline here?
So apparently Sorrowlynn binds herself to being dragons yummy yummy food before the young horse lord Golmarr steps forward and proposes marriage. Oh but when she learns that he can do that - even thought he hinted it prior - she is like oh okay I can live with that? Too late, you are bound and dragon food. Maybe Golmarr shouldn't have spoken in riddles, since intelligence is not her strongest asset. Oh, but you know what is? Her virginity. If she wasn't a virgin no one would want her and the royal family would go to war over it...Okay? Even thought the king absolutely does not like her very much, for reasons. So she is lowered into the mountain and Golmarr decides to throw his life on the line and help save the princess who was nothing but vicious towards him.
After a lot of walking and a lot of thoughts of suddenly wanting to kiss Golmarr we get to the special part of the book
Sorrowlynn who has no experience what so ever with combat, get's lucky and slays the dragon. Not only giving herself the special kind of snowflake status, but inadvertently stealing his thunder and destiny.. Like thanks, you know? I get it, girl power and all that, but it was still kind of blah.
I felt like Sorrowlynn had zero personality. The only thing she was good at for most of the book is looking down at people. This is why I did not understand half the time why people were so willing to sacrifice their lives for her.
Overall, I felt like the writing was lacking a bit. It reads like a younger than Young Adult but there were a lot of subjects that read more adult. Lot's of mentions of her special her virginity is and how Golmarr could not wait to marry her so he can take her to bed, ugh... Also, I found some inconsistency in the story but I cannot go into it without complete spoilers. Okay moving on.
The only reason I gave it two stars because the ending made me sort of happy, heh.This review was originally posted on Night Owl Book Cafe
Hoo boy, this book and I were just off to a rocky start from the beginning
Lack of World building - Like this book just barely had any of it okay? It's a fantasy book, set in a world and we don't know much about it and it just felt like we were told this is how it is and we are supposed to accept it. There is a ton of other races mentioned in this book, but we don't know much about them or why they are at war and the things we learn feel like bits and pieces of a bigger picture.
So we got these two kingdoms that are bound by a promise a vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon. Apparently it's because many years ago a war waged and a dragon was released and now to keep the dragon bound by magic, this needs to happen every time there is an heir. There is a clause apparently because the horse lord heir does not have to take one of the Faodaran, they can reject them, feed an animal in place as a sacrifice and move on with their life until the next heir comes along. Or, the princess can reject the proposed marriage - should it come - and be fed to the dragon.
So Sorrowlynn (named because she was predicted to die by her own hand) does not want to marry the savage/barbaric horse tanned skinned horse lord and chooses the dragon instead - because she did not get the memo that ANY of the heirs can propose marriage.
Two things wrong here
One, as you might have figured Sorrowlynn is a white proper princess and the horse lords are tan skinned and are called savage/barbaric people... - sigh- am I the only one who sees racism here? I'm starting to wonder if this is the reason this book got the reviews that it did. I wanted to give it a benefit of the doubt, but every time she spoke of the horse lords, Sorrowlynn had a racism pouring out of her. Barbaric and savage were words used one too many times. Also, I think the author is a fan of game of thrones because this sounds a lot like Daenerys inspired storyline here?
So apparently Sorrowlynn binds herself to being dragons yummy yummy food before the young horse lord Golmarr steps forward and proposes marriage. Oh but when she learns that he can do that - even thought he hinted it prior - she is like oh okay I can live with that? Too late, you are bound and dragon food. Maybe Golmarr shouldn't have spoken in riddles, since intelligence is not her strongest asset. Oh, but you know what is? Her virginity. If she wasn't a virgin no one would want her and the royal family would go to war over it...Okay? Even thought the king absolutely does not like her very much, for reasons. So she is lowered into the mountain and Golmarr decides to throw his life on the line and help save the princess who was nothing but vicious towards him.
After a lot of walking and a lot of thoughts of suddenly wanting to kiss Golmarr we get to the special part of the book
Sorrowlynn who has no experience what so ever with combat, get's lucky and slays the dragon. Not only giving herself the special kind of snowflake status, but inadvertently stealing his thunder and destiny.. Like thanks, you know? I get it, girl power and all that, but it was still kind of blah.
I felt like Sorrowlynn had zero personality. The only thing she was good at for most of the book is looking down at people. This is why I did not understand half the time why people were so willing to sacrifice their lives for her.
Overall, I felt like the writing was lacking a bit. It reads like a younger than Young Adult but there were a lot of subjects that read more adult. Lot's of mentions of her special her virginity is and how Golmarr could not wait to marry her so he can take her to bed, ugh... Also, I found some inconsistency in the story but I cannot go into it without complete spoilers. Okay moving on.
The only reason I gave it two stars because the ending made me sort of happy, heh.This review was originally posted on Night Owl Book Cafe
February 18, 2017
Where has this book been all my life.
I love it when a book captures my attention from the first page. The writing was gripping and the characters were compelling. There was action from the beginning and I just flew through it. The premise sounded right up my alley with a princess sacrificing herself to a dragon instead of being forced into marriage. Little did she know a Prince would follow her into the dragon cave to help her escape. I love dragon stories and this book didnt disapoint.
I was also living for that cute romance. It wasnt insta love which I really appreciated. Golmarr has made onto my small list of book boyfriends which is saying something because Im really picky. He was just so caring and the furthest thing from controlling. He would let her take charge. He was protective but encouraged her to be independent. I appreciated having a love interests of color. I also really loved getting to know his family.
Despite being mistreated by her parents her whole life, Princess Sorrowlyn was brave and headstrong. If sacrificing yourself to a dragon isnt brave I dont know what is. She has been shunned by her family and her people as Suicide Sorrow since birth because she was prophecized to die by her own hand. I loved her spirit and her urge to rebel against how shes been taught to behave. I loved reading from her perspective because I connected with her easily.
I love all the other characters as well, especially Enzio. I even felt bad for the dragon but I thought those visions and all that knowledge was exciting. I dont think theres any part of this book that I didnt like. I was just so completely immersed in the story I didnt want it to end. I felt like I was there in the dark cave and beautiful glass forest. I was shocked in the best possible way with some of the twist and turns. I think I might spontaneously combust if I have to wait a year for the sequel.
I love it when a book captures my attention from the first page. The writing was gripping and the characters were compelling. There was action from the beginning and I just flew through it. The premise sounded right up my alley with a princess sacrificing herself to a dragon instead of being forced into marriage. Little did she know a Prince would follow her into the dragon cave to help her escape. I love dragon stories and this book didnt disapoint.
I was also living for that cute romance. It wasnt insta love which I really appreciated. Golmarr has made onto my small list of book boyfriends which is saying something because Im really picky. He was just so caring and the furthest thing from controlling. He would let her take charge. He was protective but encouraged her to be independent. I appreciated having a love interests of color. I also really loved getting to know his family.
Despite being mistreated by her parents her whole life, Princess Sorrowlyn was brave and headstrong. If sacrificing yourself to a dragon isnt brave I dont know what is. She has been shunned by her family and her people as Suicide Sorrow since birth because she was prophecized to die by her own hand. I loved her spirit and her urge to rebel against how shes been taught to behave. I loved reading from her perspective because I connected with her easily.
I love all the other characters as well, especially Enzio. I even felt bad for the dragon but I thought those visions and all that knowledge was exciting. I dont think theres any part of this book that I didnt like. I was just so completely immersed in the story I didnt want it to end. I felt like I was there in the dark cave and beautiful glass forest. I was shocked in the best possible way with some of the twist and turns. I think I might spontaneously combust if I have to wait a year for the sequel.
March 6, 2017
Oh my this book was awful. It's like eating candy. You know it's bad for you yet you kept eating it anyway. That's how I felt about this book. It was horribly written and so cheesy and outlandish yet I kept reading anyway because it was slightly entertaining
The Dragon's Price has such an alluring tale, a girl who chooses to be fed to a dragon rather than marry a foreign prince. But that plot is so misleading. This book is slightly sexist and racist and mind-numbingly boring.
The characters are not levelheaded at all. You'd think being raised as nobles they'd have poise and think before they act, but everything in this book is so emotionally charged. They don't consider anything but their base desires, and it was so confusing as the main characters were both nobility and are supposed to think of their kingdoms and upbringing... And of course they fall deeply and irrevocably in love in a few days. The cheesy lines made me want to hurl this book across the room.
The lackluster writing, cringe-worthy dialogue, and boring characters made this book hard to read and even harder to enjoy. Don't waste your time on this book; I'm not even going to waste my time writing a thorough review for this disastrous novel.
The Dragon's Price has such an alluring tale, a girl who chooses to be fed to a dragon rather than marry a foreign prince. But that plot is so misleading. This book is slightly sexist and racist and mind-numbingly boring.
The characters are not levelheaded at all. You'd think being raised as nobles they'd have poise and think before they act, but everything in this book is so emotionally charged. They don't consider anything but their base desires, and it was so confusing as the main characters were both nobility and are supposed to think of their kingdoms and upbringing... And of course they fall deeply and irrevocably in love in a few days. The cheesy lines made me want to hurl this book across the room.
The lackluster writing, cringe-worthy dialogue, and boring characters made this book hard to read and even harder to enjoy. Don't waste your time on this book; I'm not even going to waste my time writing a thorough review for this disastrous novel.
February 20, 2017
3.5 Fangs
I'm always on the lookout for a good fantasy and dragons are always interesting to me.
In The Dragon's Price, Princess Sorrowlyn of Faodara has to make a choice now that she is of age. The peace between her reign and Antharian's kingdom is at stake. Years ago, the two kingdoms were at war and one of them used a dragon as a weapon. When the dragon got out of control and before he could destroy both kingdoms, it was captured and secured in a cave. A spell keeps the dragon in the cave. It's also responsible for the Faodora kingdom to only have daughters while the Antharians heirs would all be males. When of age, the Faodora regents will offer their daughter to the Antharian heir. For the most part, the Antharian have refused the Faodora women during the ceremony.
Sorrowlyn doesn't want to marry an Antharian barbarian. She also doesn't want to stay in her kingdom. Her father hates her and he's happy to punish her when he believes she has done something he doesn't approve of. When Sorrowlyn was born a prophecy said that she would die by her own hand. Most of her life she has been nothing more than a prisoner in her own room when all she wants is her freedom.
When Sorrowlyn decides she rather give herself to the dragon than marry a barbarian, she seals her fate but not before Golmarr, Prince of Antharian, joins her in the cave.
I enjoyed The Dragon's Price. I thought it was interesting to find out what the real treasure the dragons possessed was.
The two main characters were likable. Sorrow had to leave her home for her character to develop. She had to learn how to fight and survive on her own. She also had to learn that not because Golmarr came from a different kingdom with different customs, he was truly a barbarian.
Golmarr was easy to adore. Once he decided to join Sorrow in the cave and he was willing to fight the dragon, he became a true hero. He was born to protect and defend yet, he treated Sorrow as his equal. He listened to her and respect her decisions.
I'm hoping we don't have to wait too long for the next book.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I'm always on the lookout for a good fantasy and dragons are always interesting to me.
In The Dragon's Price, Princess Sorrowlyn of Faodara has to make a choice now that she is of age. The peace between her reign and Antharian's kingdom is at stake. Years ago, the two kingdoms were at war and one of them used a dragon as a weapon. When the dragon got out of control and before he could destroy both kingdoms, it was captured and secured in a cave. A spell keeps the dragon in the cave. It's also responsible for the Faodora kingdom to only have daughters while the Antharians heirs would all be males. When of age, the Faodora regents will offer their daughter to the Antharian heir. For the most part, the Antharian have refused the Faodora women during the ceremony.
Sorrowlyn doesn't want to marry an Antharian barbarian. She also doesn't want to stay in her kingdom. Her father hates her and he's happy to punish her when he believes she has done something he doesn't approve of. When Sorrowlyn was born a prophecy said that she would die by her own hand. Most of her life she has been nothing more than a prisoner in her own room when all she wants is her freedom.
When Sorrowlyn decides she rather give herself to the dragon than marry a barbarian, she seals her fate but not before Golmarr, Prince of Antharian, joins her in the cave.
I enjoyed The Dragon's Price. I thought it was interesting to find out what the real treasure the dragons possessed was.
The two main characters were likable. Sorrow had to leave her home for her character to develop. She had to learn how to fight and survive on her own. She also had to learn that not because Golmarr came from a different kingdom with different customs, he was truly a barbarian.
"I will follow you to the end of the world"
Golmarr was easy to adore. Once he decided to join Sorrow in the cave and he was willing to fight the dragon, he became a true hero. He was born to protect and defend yet, he treated Sorrow as his equal. He listened to her and respect her decisions.
"You make me feel things I've never felt before, and you make want things I never thought I would want."
I'm hoping we don't have to wait too long for the next book.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
March 3, 2017
2.5 stars and a DNF at 31% because these dumb dumbs deserve to be fed to the dragon.
YEAH, YOU ARE. GET IT, GIRL.
THE VERDICT
This book was only slightly less than subpar, but there are a few reasons why I gave up after Chapter 10:
1) Little tolerance to continue with mediocre books
2) The romance, characterizations, and plot development were juvenile and distractingly painful
3) These kids spent something like seven chapters wandering around in a cave, talking about their feelings and searching for the dragon
4) DRAGONS. Every time.
When he cuts, the muscles in his arm tighten beneath his warm golden skin. I study him, the way his body moves, the bulge of his bicep leading to angular shoulders, the dip of his collarbone, which slopes up to his neck and his mouth. I study his lips, and my blood grows warmer. They are framed by black stubble and naturally curve up at the corners. My gaze wanders to his nose, which is long and narrow, and quite nice, and then I look at his eyes.
He’s staring at me, his cheeks slightly pink. “Now you’ve seen a man without his shirt on.” His pale eyes turn predatory as he leans toward me, and for a heartbeat, his gaze lowers to my lips. “Was it as scandalous as you imagined it would be?”
His hands press against my back and I hug him tighter, pulling against his bare skin. My body stiffens. I am hugging a man who is not wearing a shirt.
YEAH, YOU ARE. GET IT, GIRL.
THE VERDICT
This book was only slightly less than subpar, but there are a few reasons why I gave up after Chapter 10:
1) Little tolerance to continue with mediocre books
2) The romance, characterizations, and plot development were juvenile and distractingly painful
3) These kids spent something like seven chapters wandering around in a cave, talking about their feelings and searching for the dragon
4) DRAGONS. Every time.
March 5, 2017
Let me make something perfectly clear: THIS IS A ROMANCE.
THIS IS A ROMANCE.
THIS IS A ROMANCE.
THIS IS A ROMANCE.
THIS IS A ROMANCE.
THIS IS A FUCKING ROMANCE.
Got it? Good. This is not a book about dragons. In fact, dragons make an appearance exactly three times in this entire book. Yes, three. THREE. IN THREE HUNDRED PAGES. Literally the rest of the book is ooey gooey, in your face, vomit-inducing romance.
If you dig romance, you'll love it.
Me? I am not a fan of romance as most of you probably know. I don't mind it if it's background noise. But this romance actually took over the story. I wanted a high fantasy about dragons, "for fans of Julie Kagawa's Talon." This book doesn't even deserve to be in the same room as Talon. Also, WHERE WAS THE ACTION? The only real action was in the three scenes with the dragons. Action-packed my arse. (Y'know, for being only 304 pages this book seemed awful long.)
Reasons I was looking forward to this book:
-DRAGONS. Duh.
-I loved Stung by Bethany Wiggins
-It was compared to Talon by Julie Kagawa (should have taken that with a grain of salt)
-I love high fantasy of course
-Did I mention dragons?
Things I liked about this book:
-Dragons, duh
-The concept of "transference"
-Mayanchi (aka baby dragons with acid blood)
....... *crickets chirping* Yep that's about it.
Things got really sketchy after the transference for me, at least for a minute. First of all, it pisses me off that there is NO sacrifice when magic exists. Oh, you got horribly maimed? No prob, magic can fix that! Oh, someone died? Magic can fix that too! Second of all, she suddenly became "beautiful" afterward? Seriously? Her hair "changed from kinky curls to glossy waves of brown." Eye roll. Then her scars that she was embarrassed by disappeared. So her legs were "perfect." EYE. ROLL. And then she started glowing....in the dark. (But only just that once, apparently? Because it was never mentioned again?) Oooookaaaay. And then this happened:
I put my other hand on his other cheek so I am holding his face, then use my thumbs to gently pull his chin down so his mouth is wide-open. Moving my face directly about his, I summon all the good things I am made of - love, innocence, agency, joy, and a thousand other things - and then exhale them into his open mouth. They float out of me as a trickle of light, brighter even than the sunlight warming my shoulders, and pool at the back of his throat. I have to force myself not to recoil from the shock of seeing a part of me enter him.
Golmarr (and don't even get me started on that name) and Sorrow meet twice - yes, twice - and then he proposes to her and she says yes but it's too late because she already said she'd rather be eaten by a dragon. So what does he do? He of course throws himself into the dragon cave with a complete stranger so she wouldn't have to die alone. Perfectly logical.
After the fire dragon scene (yes, only one scene. And the premise is BASED ON HER FACING THE FIRE DRAGON GUYS.) it get so heavily involved in romance that I very nearly DNFed. I probably should have, because honestly I didn't miss much. Some shoddy flashbacks of the wizard that have nothing to do with anything because I feel like maybe the whole destiny hoopla was going somewhere but then just gave up. The plot couldn't tell which direction it wanted to go so it just settled on more romance. In between dragon scenes, my reading experience was punctuated by heavy sighs - lots of them - and so much eye rolling that I feared my retinas were going to detach.
He unbuckles my wide leather belt and pulls it from my waist.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
He grins and drops the belt and dagger to the ground, and his eyes turn fierce. "Making sure you don't stab me for what I'm about to do to you." I gasp. "Also, you won't feel my hands on you through that leather, and I won't be able to feel you," he adds, his voice a deep rumble. "A kiss isn't only about your lips on mine. It is about your hands touching me and my hands touching you, about my body against yours."
In one week you've bewitched me with your magic, Princess Sorrowlynn."
"No one has ever made me feel the way you do."
Oh, and I saw the ending coming a mile and a half away.
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
January 6, 2018
you can read my review here as well
---
first read of 2018! hurrah
real rating: 3.5 stars.
the dragon's price was a fun, short novel that you can easily fly through. it has its moments, but i also found the writing to be a bit... childish at times. some of the dialogue, especially for the dragons, really didn't make them seem like ancient creatures with a wealth of knowledge. same went for some of the characters--i just couldn't imagine someone saying what they were. their dialogue was a bit more colloquial than i've encountered in other high fantasy novels, though.
for the most part, i did like princess sorrowlynn. in the beginning though, she felt like one of those special snowflakes--the only princess not as beautiful as her sisters, the only treated poorly and unfairly than them, all that nonsense. a lot of that stuff where she just isn't like everyone else in her family, maybe even amongst all nobility. despite that, hers is an interesting character and i did like watching her grow throughout the novel.
the romance was... a bit amusing. you can tell there's an attraction almost immediately and it only grows throughout the book. i will admit at times it was... awkward? but it was still kind of cute, with sorrow figuring out how to deal with her feelings and sudden desires and fighting her proper upbringing.
the book ended on a pretty interesting note, so i'm excited to see where book 2 takes these characters!
---
first read of 2018! hurrah
real rating: 3.5 stars.
the dragon's price was a fun, short novel that you can easily fly through. it has its moments, but i also found the writing to be a bit... childish at times. some of the dialogue, especially for the dragons, really didn't make them seem like ancient creatures with a wealth of knowledge. same went for some of the characters--i just couldn't imagine someone saying what they were. their dialogue was a bit more colloquial than i've encountered in other high fantasy novels, though.
for the most part, i did like princess sorrowlynn. in the beginning though, she felt like one of those special snowflakes--the only princess not as beautiful as her sisters, the only treated poorly and unfairly than them, all that nonsense. a lot of that stuff where she just isn't like everyone else in her family, maybe even amongst all nobility. despite that, hers is an interesting character and i did like watching her grow throughout the novel.
the romance was... a bit amusing. you can tell there's an attraction almost immediately and it only grows throughout the book. i will admit at times it was... awkward? but it was still kind of cute, with sorrow figuring out how to deal with her feelings and sudden desires and fighting her proper upbringing.
the book ended on a pretty interesting note, so i'm excited to see where book 2 takes these characters!
December 18, 2016
absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! Easily one of my most favorite books ever! I cannot wait to read the sequel! The synopsis of this book does not do it justice....there is so much more to this book! Full review to come.....
November 19, 2016
*ARC received from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
4.5 Stars
This was a great book. It had romance, fighting, and, of course, dragons. Sorrow has the choice of offering herself in marriage to the 'barbarian' horse clan or being fed to the dragon. To everyone's surprise she chooses the dragon. But, what do you know, horse prince Golmarr to the freaking rescue. I loved him from the very start. He's funny, genuine, loyal, and fierce. How can you not fall in love with that combo? I liked that Sorrow lost most of her insecurities throughout the story. She became a warrior and did many things that were unbecoming of a 'proper' princess and I loved it. The romance was adorable. It was easy to see how they fell for one another and why they were ready to sacrifice so much for each other. There were many battles, fights, and all around action. It ends on a cliffhanger, but I've got hope that everything is gonna be just fine. Anxiously awaiting book 2.
4.5 Stars
This was a great book. It had romance, fighting, and, of course, dragons. Sorrow has the choice of offering herself in marriage to the 'barbarian' horse clan or being fed to the dragon. To everyone's surprise she chooses the dragon. But, what do you know, horse prince Golmarr to the freaking rescue. I loved him from the very start. He's funny, genuine, loyal, and fierce. How can you not fall in love with that combo? I liked that Sorrow lost most of her insecurities throughout the story. She became a warrior and did many things that were unbecoming of a 'proper' princess and I loved it. The romance was adorable. It was easy to see how they fell for one another and why they were ready to sacrifice so much for each other. There were many battles, fights, and all around action. It ends on a cliffhanger, but I've got hope that everything is gonna be just fine. Anxiously awaiting book 2.
dnf
December 7, 2017Chapters read: 1
Yeahhhhhhhhh no. The names are so so so bad, which is always a sign in fantasy that I'm not going to like the book (seriously, the heroine is named Sorrowlynn—I am eagerly anticipating her debut country album), and the first scene is so clearly ripped from GOT with Daenerys being sold off to the Dothraki. And the chapter ends with this brilliantly clever line: "For the first time since birth, my name fits. I fight to keep the tears at bay." This is not a Christina book.
Yeahhhhhhhhh no. The names are so so so bad, which is always a sign in fantasy that I'm not going to like the book (seriously, the heroine is named Sorrowlynn—I am eagerly anticipating her debut country album), and the first scene is so clearly ripped from GOT with Daenerys being sold off to the Dothraki. And the chapter ends with this brilliantly clever line: "For the first time since birth, my name fits. I fight to keep the tears at bay." This is not a Christina book.
December 13, 2017
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
*MY FOURTH BEST BOOK OF 2017.*
Part of me feels bad for rating this book as highly as I did, as I know technically it has a lot of potential problems, and I would be lying if I said I didn't see why a lot of people had problems with this book. But the other part of me genuinely liked this book and thought that it was unique, fast-paced, and enjoyable.
I liked seeing the main character grow from a spoiled, useless princess at the start to a triumphant, useful warrior who thinks quickly and acts for herself. At first she sees her potential future family and her future husband as just a bunch of 'barbarians', but as the book continues, she realizes they're good people who are willing to fight for what they want. She even states this later on in the book.
I liked seeing the romance blossom between her and her fiance, especially the part where he told her that her scars weren't ugly, and that in his kingdom, scars are seen as being something to be proud of, which cheers her up.
I liked the whole angle with the dragons and how it seems each one is related to a different element. We meet the fire dragon and glass dragon in this book, and while the fire dragon is vanquished rather early on, I did like seeing what its true treasure was-slaughtering each dragon gives the killer all their knowledge and powers, and the main character now has extensive knowledge beyond her years from the fire dragon.
The action in the book was really well-done, and I liked seeing them defeat both the fire dragon and the glass dragon later on, which made the book end on a cliff-hanger, and yes, I am VERY excited for the second book.
I liked the Transference plot-line, which was the name of gaining a dragon's power, and that not every power is a good thing. I can't wait to see the rest of the dragons throughout the series.
Also, a few people said the princess' fiance's family were modeled after Native Americans, but personally, I didn't see that. They reminded me more of Mongolians. They didn't live in a mountainous terrain, but everything else about their culture, such as their houses, their clothes, etc. reminded me of Mongolians. The main character is obviously supposed to be a British Victorian, and the other group of people they spend time with in the middle are modeled after Romanians. Just my observations though.
That cover is hideous though and a huge part of the reason why I didn't want to read this. I thought this was a weird self-published book at first, but nope. The author's other book covers look just fine, so why does this look so bad? Hopefully the second and third covers will look much better. The cover makes sense, but there's way better ways to make a cover than to just Photoshop and slap some stuff on there.
Overall, I didn't really think I would like this, and even put it off for so long because of all the negative reviews surrounding it. But boy am I glad I gave it a chance, since it was really good.
*MY FOURTH BEST BOOK OF 2017.*
Part of me feels bad for rating this book as highly as I did, as I know technically it has a lot of potential problems, and I would be lying if I said I didn't see why a lot of people had problems with this book. But the other part of me genuinely liked this book and thought that it was unique, fast-paced, and enjoyable.
I liked seeing the main character grow from a spoiled, useless princess at the start to a triumphant, useful warrior who thinks quickly and acts for herself. At first she sees her potential future family and her future husband as just a bunch of 'barbarians', but as the book continues, she realizes they're good people who are willing to fight for what they want. She even states this later on in the book.
I liked seeing the romance blossom between her and her fiance, especially the part where he told her that her scars weren't ugly, and that in his kingdom, scars are seen as being something to be proud of, which cheers her up.
I liked the whole angle with the dragons and how it seems each one is related to a different element. We meet the fire dragon and glass dragon in this book, and while the fire dragon is vanquished rather early on, I did like seeing what its true treasure was-slaughtering each dragon gives the killer all their knowledge and powers, and the main character now has extensive knowledge beyond her years from the fire dragon.
The action in the book was really well-done, and I liked seeing them defeat both the fire dragon and the glass dragon later on, which made the book end on a cliff-hanger, and yes, I am VERY excited for the second book.
I liked the Transference plot-line, which was the name of gaining a dragon's power, and that not every power is a good thing. I can't wait to see the rest of the dragons throughout the series.
Also, a few people said the princess' fiance's family were modeled after Native Americans, but personally, I didn't see that. They reminded me more of Mongolians. They didn't live in a mountainous terrain, but everything else about their culture, such as their houses, their clothes, etc. reminded me of Mongolians. The main character is obviously supposed to be a British Victorian, and the other group of people they spend time with in the middle are modeled after Romanians. Just my observations though.
That cover is hideous though and a huge part of the reason why I didn't want to read this. I thought this was a weird self-published book at first, but nope. The author's other book covers look just fine, so why does this look so bad? Hopefully the second and third covers will look much better. The cover makes sense, but there's way better ways to make a cover than to just Photoshop and slap some stuff on there.
Overall, I didn't really think I would like this, and even put it off for so long because of all the negative reviews surrounding it. But boy am I glad I gave it a chance, since it was really good.
February 9, 2017
My full review of this title can be found
here
on The Book Hookup.
*Disclaimer: An e-copy of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
I started this book as one of those books just to read before bed one night until I fell asleep, except that I fell completely under its spell from the very beginning and read straight through the night until I finished it after 3AM. I couldn't stop swiping the pages on my kindle, even when my blinks turned into three-minute-long catnaps. I don't normally give up my sleep for anything, so you know this book had to be something special.
Loved the characters, especially Golmarr! He is one swoony, charming dude! And so funny! I fell in love with him so hard. I also fell in love with them falling for each other. Aside from our two MC's, there were also some really great secondary characters, particularly Golmarr's family. Unique plot with some interesting magical elements I've not ever seen before! I'm all in for this series. I need the next book now, please and thank whoever makes it possible as soon as possible!
Teaser Quote:
♥ A very special thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
*Disclaimer: An e-copy of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
I started this book as one of those books just to read before bed one night until I fell asleep, except that I fell completely under its spell from the very beginning and read straight through the night until I finished it after 3AM. I couldn't stop swiping the pages on my kindle, even when my blinks turned into three-minute-long catnaps. I don't normally give up my sleep for anything, so you know this book had to be something special.
Loved the characters, especially Golmarr! He is one swoony, charming dude! And so funny! I fell in love with him so hard. I also fell in love with them falling for each other. Aside from our two MC's, there were also some really great secondary characters, particularly Golmarr's family. Unique plot with some interesting magical elements I've not ever seen before! I'm all in for this series. I need the next book now, please and thank whoever makes it possible as soon as possible!
Teaser Quote:
He cups the side of my face in his hand and runs his callused thumb over my bottom lip. My breath catches in my throat as I stare into his eyes. Taking my hand, he places it against his chest, in the space where his shirt hangs open, so my palm is flat against his warm skin. I can feel his heart beating slow and steady. "I want you to feel what you do to my heart when I kiss you, Sorrowlynn." With those words, my blood begins pumping so fast that my head starts to spin.
He puts both of his strong hands on my hips, and I can feel them there, warm and firm through the lightweight fabric of my skirt. Moving his face down to meet mine, he pauses and looks into my eyes, his lips hovering above my own. "You're going to want to hold on," he whispers.
– quote taken from the eARC of The Dragon's Price at 68%
♥ A very special thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
April 25, 2017
This was just a fun book! It does have a young adult feel but is well written and doesn't have that teen stupidity that turns me away from teen books. This was just a very different, fast paced, action packed book that I could not put down. I am looking forward to the 2nd and will love rereading this when all three are out. Hopefully she can keep the same feel of this book. I was so surprised by the formula of this books, most dragon books are written in the same way, this is so different! I loved that about it. There is some serious action and fighting I don't want to give anything away but there is lots of blood and death and fighting. There is some great kisses and tension between the hero and heroine and it is a pg13 feel. There is some make out scenes but it is not detailed and there is no sex only talk of a wedding night. I think my 17 year old would love it.
February 16, 2017
Let's look at the cover.. *looks at it* ... or rather lets not!
It's - well kindly put- not exactly going to draw all the cover sluts out there.
BUT please simply ignore it. Because the book is much better than the cover leads to believe (a cover slut like me anyway)
I can proudly and rather smugly say, that I chose this book, due to the summary.
I've never read anything by Wiggins so I wasn't sure what to expect.
The entire book is told from Sorrowlynn's POV in first person. And at the beginning I wasn't sure if I am going to enjoy it, because I wasn't quite sure about the writing style. But very soon I was pulled in by the story and totally captivated. I am not quite sure how I feel about the writing style. I can't say I adore it but neither do I dislike it. I am however not able to put my finger on what exactly doesn't quite work for me. I am admittedly fussy about writing style, so I am guess in it is a case of it wasn't you, it's me...
But this is the only thing, I can say that isn't quite fantastic!
Because the storyline is great. It's fast paced, has quite a few nice twists and is surprising, in that it strays from the usual usual, when you least expect it. The romance as example. I thought- yet here we go, a full on insta-everything coming our way... But that doesn't happen. Rather, from attraction comes companionship, friendship and love. I couldn't wait for the first kiss!!
The character building absolutely shines. I think I love this books so much because of it. In my mind it is completely character driven. Yet in fact it really isn't. We get to know the two MCs pretty well. And I changed my mind about them both - at first in fact I was not a fan of Sorrow to say the least. But somehow, she endeared herself to me. In fact I very quickly sympathised with her. I like Golmarr way better from the beginning, but I didn't expect the depth of his characters we got to see so fast.
I am totally in love with both of them and I am desperate to see what happens for them next.
But my biggest surprise was the dragons and their character building. It's so brilliant. They feel like alien beings and yet I get them! So well done.
I feel like I understand and know the support cast, which is extensive.
Which brings me to the world building. I simply adore it! It's brilliant. I love the different kingdom's, how we discover their histories. I love their different cultures and enjoyed the different realms.
As the story unfolds we get to discover past reasons, the truth about dragons and more. It's so well done. I ended putting the book aside for a day before reading the last chapters. I simply didn't want it to end.
The idea of the transference is simply genius. Add all the little details Wiggins carefully constructed and we have this amazing and intriguing world! Just brilliant
So for me this is a MUST read fantasy. A good storyline, great character building and fabulous world building make this a wonderful start of the series
Can't wait for the next book
4.5 stars
It's - well kindly put- not exactly going to draw all the cover sluts out there.
BUT please simply ignore it. Because the book is much better than the cover leads to believe (a cover slut like me anyway)
I can proudly and rather smugly say, that I chose this book, due to the summary.
I've never read anything by Wiggins so I wasn't sure what to expect.
The entire book is told from Sorrowlynn's POV in first person. And at the beginning I wasn't sure if I am going to enjoy it, because I wasn't quite sure about the writing style. But very soon I was pulled in by the story and totally captivated. I am not quite sure how I feel about the writing style. I can't say I adore it but neither do I dislike it. I am however not able to put my finger on what exactly doesn't quite work for me. I am admittedly fussy about writing style, so I am guess in it is a case of it wasn't you, it's me...
But this is the only thing, I can say that isn't quite fantastic!
Because the storyline is great. It's fast paced, has quite a few nice twists and is surprising, in that it strays from the usual usual, when you least expect it. The romance as example. I thought- yet here we go, a full on insta-everything coming our way... But that doesn't happen. Rather, from attraction comes companionship, friendship and love. I couldn't wait for the first kiss!!
The character building absolutely shines. I think I love this books so much because of it. In my mind it is completely character driven. Yet in fact it really isn't. We get to know the two MCs pretty well. And I changed my mind about them both - at first in fact I was not a fan of Sorrow to say the least. But somehow, she endeared herself to me. In fact I very quickly sympathised with her. I like Golmarr way better from the beginning, but I didn't expect the depth of his characters we got to see so fast.
I am totally in love with both of them and I am desperate to see what happens for them next.
But my biggest surprise was the dragons and their character building. It's so brilliant. They feel like alien beings and yet I get them! So well done.
I feel like I understand and know the support cast, which is extensive.
Which brings me to the world building. I simply adore it! It's brilliant. I love the different kingdom's, how we discover their histories. I love their different cultures and enjoyed the different realms.
As the story unfolds we get to discover past reasons, the truth about dragons and more. It's so well done. I ended putting the book aside for a day before reading the last chapters. I simply didn't want it to end.
The idea of the transference is simply genius. Add all the little details Wiggins carefully constructed and we have this amazing and intriguing world! Just brilliant
So for me this is a MUST read fantasy. A good storyline, great character building and fabulous world building make this a wonderful start of the series
Can't wait for the next book
4.5 stars
July 6, 2017
I'm dead. My mind is dead. My heart is dead. My body is dead. In a good way...even though I'm filled with sorrow 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️💔💔💔💔(in a good way of course😊)
When you read something that makes you feel so many strong emotions you fall in love with everything regarding those words. The characters are your family that you'd die for and cry for. The places are your home. The animals and even the innamate objects (those swords, the daggers and that bed! bfs for life) are your friends. And the one who made them all become so alive in your hearts is like your long lost family that you finally found.
The book was super super awesome!
Plz read the book and then read the reviews! I'm so happy I didn't read any of the reviews here and went with the most trusted of reviews....from my sister of course!❤️
I loveed loved loved everything. Love how there was no unnecessary drama. And loved how open the characters were with each other! So refreshing. And of course! Bad ass herion! Heck ya! Girl power! And dragons! 😍 The characters, the emotions, the words! Oh my lord! His way with words 😭❤️😍...Everything was nicely put together👌🏿(These words can't even compare to the awesomeness. Forgive me😭)
The feelings are so deep, you can't help but tear up. Mind blown. Right now I'm just staring at the ceiling like my life just ended. I don't know how I'm suppose to live till February of..2018!!!! I still feel like 2017 just started so Im about to go cry in a sad little corner until it's 2018💔
Dear Bethany Wiggins, thank you for granting us the greatest gift a reader can ever hope for...an amazing new family..❤️
I'd recommend this to all my reader friends! except...maybe my 14 year old little sis because I'll always think she's too innocent..but no worries I can't keep her away from something so awesome for too long!;)
Now excuse me while I go find that lucky corner...
When you read something that makes you feel so many strong emotions you fall in love with everything regarding those words. The characters are your family that you'd die for and cry for. The places are your home. The animals and even the innamate objects (those swords, the daggers and that bed! bfs for life) are your friends. And the one who made them all become so alive in your hearts is like your long lost family that you finally found.
The book was super super awesome!
Plz read the book and then read the reviews! I'm so happy I didn't read any of the reviews here and went with the most trusted of reviews....from my sister of course!❤️
I loveed loved loved everything. Love how there was no unnecessary drama. And loved how open the characters were with each other! So refreshing. And of course! Bad ass herion! Heck ya! Girl power! And dragons! 😍 The characters, the emotions, the words! Oh my lord! His way with words 😭❤️😍...Everything was nicely put together👌🏿(These words can't even compare to the awesomeness. Forgive me😭)
The feelings are so deep, you can't help but tear up. Mind blown. Right now I'm just staring at the ceiling like my life just ended. I don't know how I'm suppose to live till February of..2018!!!! I still feel like 2017 just started so Im about to go cry in a sad little corner until it's 2018💔
Dear Bethany Wiggins, thank you for granting us the greatest gift a reader can ever hope for...an amazing new family..❤️
I'd recommend this to all my reader friends! except...maybe my 14 year old little sis because I'll always think she's too innocent..but no worries I can't keep her away from something so awesome for too long!;)
Now excuse me while I go find that lucky corner...
September 13, 2016
I've been a bit worn out on YA books for several years now. In many ways (imo), the genre has devolved into one-note plot lines dead set on selling you a trilogy--even if that means turning partial stories into books and pretending that making you wait 18 months or a couple years to finish the story is something that should be an acceptable industry standard.
But guess what: Every book should contain a full story. Even if the story is part of a continuing saga, each book should stand alone and have a beginning, middle, and an end as you journey with the protagonists.
This is the beginning of the reasons why I loved The Dragon's Price. It's an actual story (beginning a saga) with characters I am genuinely interested in, and a premise that opens the mind and makes me want to learn more.
Bethany Wiggins moves the story along quickly. Her protagonist, Sorrowlynn, doesn't have much time to breathe, so neither do we. Sorrowlynn is strong (but needs to get stronger), smart (with a whole lot more to learn), and doing the best she can (although experience is teaching her that her "best" is sometimes wrong). She's a great protagonist to take a ride with. It was a pleasure to start and finish this book on the same day. I don't even think I stopped to eat or anything. I just moved once when it started to rain outside, then kept on reading.
So, yeah, count this as one of the books that doesn't make me give the stink eye at the YA genre. It's a well-written book that takes you on a worthy journey, and I have to give that five stars and my thanks. :)
But guess what: Every book should contain a full story. Even if the story is part of a continuing saga, each book should stand alone and have a beginning, middle, and an end as you journey with the protagonists.
This is the beginning of the reasons why I loved The Dragon's Price. It's an actual story (beginning a saga) with characters I am genuinely interested in, and a premise that opens the mind and makes me want to learn more.
Bethany Wiggins moves the story along quickly. Her protagonist, Sorrowlynn, doesn't have much time to breathe, so neither do we. Sorrowlynn is strong (but needs to get stronger), smart (with a whole lot more to learn), and doing the best she can (although experience is teaching her that her "best" is sometimes wrong). She's a great protagonist to take a ride with. It was a pleasure to start and finish this book on the same day. I don't even think I stopped to eat or anything. I just moved once when it started to rain outside, then kept on reading.
So, yeah, count this as one of the books that doesn't make me give the stink eye at the YA genre. It's a well-written book that takes you on a worthy journey, and I have to give that five stars and my thanks. :)
April 4, 2018
And so I've kept my promise and read the book again before reading Dragon's curse and I'm 100% sure that I'll read it again before the final book!😁 Well honestly I'm not sure if I'll ever stop rereading this series😂❤
I love it , I love it , I love it!
OMG! I love it so much!
Where can I get myself a Golmarr? My list of book boyfriends just keep on increasing! 16% of the book and I'm already falling for him! <3
This book needs to be hyped up more! The premise , the characters , the magic - everything was so well written I could see the things as it happened!
And that ending! I knew it would happen but why?! Oh God , I want the next book in my hand so badly- I just can't wait! This is definitely a book I would have no qualms about picking it up again. Definitely gonna reread it before the next book comes out :D
I love it , I love it , I love it!
OMG! I love it so much!
Where can I get myself a Golmarr? My list of book boyfriends just keep on increasing! 16% of the book and I'm already falling for him! <3
This book needs to be hyped up more! The premise , the characters , the magic - everything was so well written I could see the things as it happened!
And that ending! I knew it would happen but why?! Oh God , I want the next book in my hand so badly- I just can't wait! This is definitely a book I would have no qualms about picking it up again. Definitely gonna reread it before the next book comes out :D
November 5, 2016
Loooove!
* Great world building. Loved the differences between the two kingdoms.
* Draaaagons! (Although, )
* Sweet romance.
* I loved the MC and the goals she developed for herself. (Finding strength, independence, etc.)
* The whole 'transference' idea == so cool! Even when it
I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 purely because it was missing a little X factor for me that I can't quite pinpoint. But it was still an awesome book that I really enjoyed!
* Great world building. Loved the differences between the two kingdoms.
* Draaaagons! (Although, )
* Sweet romance.
* I loved the MC and the goals she developed for herself. (Finding strength, independence, etc.)
* The whole 'transference' idea == so cool! Even when it
I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 purely because it was missing a little X factor for me that I can't quite pinpoint. But it was still an awesome book that I really enjoyed!
March 24, 2017
My love for this book surprised me. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of it, otherwise I would not have read this one, which would have been awful. I had seen others enjoying it. Yet because of this cover I never thought to try the book. But then I got it in the mail, and I had to try it. And gosh, how much I loved this story.
I'm so glad I got this ARC. So glad I was able to read this book. Because I enjoyed it so much and I'm so happy that I have read it. Eee. I didn't really think that I would love this. I hoped I would enjoy it, but didn't think I would like it that much. I'm so so glad I was wrong. I liked the writing right away, which was awesome.
Gosh, how am I supposed to wait until next year for book two? That's going to be torture. Because the ending for this book was pretty evil and heartbreaking and I need to know what happens next so badly. Ugh. Okay, the ending wasn't that bad, but it was still so rude, and I need the next book right away. Hmph. There is just so much about this book that I enjoyed. Eee. The writing was just perfect. and the characters were so so amazing. Oh, how I loved reading about them all. They were all written so well. And I loved that. So thrilled that I loved this main girl so much. Sorrowlynn was amazing. Fierce and brave yet so gentle and scared too. Adored her. Her father and mother were the worst parents ever. But I liked the small glimpse of her three older sisters.
Getting to know Sorrowlynn was the best thing. I loved everything that I learned about her. She's just the best. The plot in this book is about these two kingdoms that have had this deal for so many years to keep a dragon safely locked up. Because of this deal, Sorrowlynn has to marry someone from this other place. Or get fed to the dragon, if she refuses. Which was so interesting to read about. I loved how Sorrowlynn worked through it all, trying to decide what she should do. She really, really did not want to get married.
But then she meets one of the princes from this other place. And she likes him right away. And oh, I liked their first meeting a lot. They just clicked right away and it was awesome and a bit hilarious too. So cute. But Sorrowlynn still doesn't want to get married, because she thinks she has to marry his very much older brother. And so she says she's choosing the dragon. Until the boy, Golmarr, says he chooses her. And she agrees to marry him. Except, she has already chosen the dragon without knowing it. So complicated.
Which begins this amazing story. Sorrowlynn gets fed to the dragon in the mountain. And Golmarr climbs down after her, hoping to protect her, and get them both out of the mountain. Which just begins the most awesome story. I loved how Sorrowlynn and Golmarr worked together. How he teached her stuff about surviving. How they quickly grew to be friends, then more. The romance do happen a bit fast, but I loved it beyond words. It moved just fast enough. And it was so glorious. I wanted more, lol. Stunning romance.
There is just so much happening. I'm not going to describe all of it. Yet I must talk about a few moments. Like, there are dragons in this book. And gosh, they are dark and vicious and I loved reading about them. There is this pretty brutal scene happening inside the mountain with one dragon and Sorrowlynn which broke my heart a little with how brutal it was. A bit too much, yet so perfect too, and I liked those scenes a lot. Especially how Sorrowlynn changed after that. What she got from the dragon. Ahh. So, so interesting.
Not going to say anything more about that. Just that it is all kinds of exciting and different and I loved it beyond words. I need to know more about it all. I need to know what happens next. And oh, the romance. I adored Sorrowlynn and Golmarr together. They were so perfect. Sniffs. Stunning romance. Only wished there had been a bit more heat, though. But still, so lovely. There was this girl near the end of the book, and oh, how I hope she and Sorrowlynn becomes friends in book two. I think I can see it happening, lol.
I'm pretty sure that I'm giving this book five stars. I was a bit unsure in the beginning, because I worried a bit, but then it just kept getting better and better and I ended up enjoying this book so much. I'm giving it five stars because I loved it. I loved every part of it. I loved the story. I loved the characters so much. And the romance was the most perfect thing. I even loved that evil ending. I don't think there will be drama in book two, which I love even more. There was just nothing I disliked about this one. Eee. I loved it tons.
If you haven't read this book yet, you really must. Because behind this not so pretty cover, lol, there is an amazing story. The best romance. Brutal dragons. This book was just so awesome. I loved The Dragon's Price beyond words. The romance is incredible. The story is exciting, interesting and everything I wanted. I cannot wait to read the next books. Eee. They are going to be amazing. Just wish I didn't have to wait so long. Huge thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC to review while I was in Chicago. <3
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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2017/0...
I'm so glad I got this ARC. So glad I was able to read this book. Because I enjoyed it so much and I'm so happy that I have read it. Eee. I didn't really think that I would love this. I hoped I would enjoy it, but didn't think I would like it that much. I'm so so glad I was wrong. I liked the writing right away, which was awesome.
Gosh, how am I supposed to wait until next year for book two? That's going to be torture. Because the ending for this book was pretty evil and heartbreaking and I need to know what happens next so badly. Ugh. Okay, the ending wasn't that bad, but it was still so rude, and I need the next book right away. Hmph. There is just so much about this book that I enjoyed. Eee. The writing was just perfect. and the characters were so so amazing. Oh, how I loved reading about them all. They were all written so well. And I loved that. So thrilled that I loved this main girl so much. Sorrowlynn was amazing. Fierce and brave yet so gentle and scared too. Adored her. Her father and mother were the worst parents ever. But I liked the small glimpse of her three older sisters.
Getting to know Sorrowlynn was the best thing. I loved everything that I learned about her. She's just the best. The plot in this book is about these two kingdoms that have had this deal for so many years to keep a dragon safely locked up. Because of this deal, Sorrowlynn has to marry someone from this other place. Or get fed to the dragon, if she refuses. Which was so interesting to read about. I loved how Sorrowlynn worked through it all, trying to decide what she should do. She really, really did not want to get married.
But then she meets one of the princes from this other place. And she likes him right away. And oh, I liked their first meeting a lot. They just clicked right away and it was awesome and a bit hilarious too. So cute. But Sorrowlynn still doesn't want to get married, because she thinks she has to marry his very much older brother. And so she says she's choosing the dragon. Until the boy, Golmarr, says he chooses her. And she agrees to marry him. Except, she has already chosen the dragon without knowing it. So complicated.
Which begins this amazing story. Sorrowlynn gets fed to the dragon in the mountain. And Golmarr climbs down after her, hoping to protect her, and get them both out of the mountain. Which just begins the most awesome story. I loved how Sorrowlynn and Golmarr worked together. How he teached her stuff about surviving. How they quickly grew to be friends, then more. The romance do happen a bit fast, but I loved it beyond words. It moved just fast enough. And it was so glorious. I wanted more, lol. Stunning romance.
There is just so much happening. I'm not going to describe all of it. Yet I must talk about a few moments. Like, there are dragons in this book. And gosh, they are dark and vicious and I loved reading about them. There is this pretty brutal scene happening inside the mountain with one dragon and Sorrowlynn which broke my heart a little with how brutal it was. A bit too much, yet so perfect too, and I liked those scenes a lot. Especially how Sorrowlynn changed after that. What she got from the dragon. Ahh. So, so interesting.
Not going to say anything more about that. Just that it is all kinds of exciting and different and I loved it beyond words. I need to know more about it all. I need to know what happens next. And oh, the romance. I adored Sorrowlynn and Golmarr together. They were so perfect. Sniffs. Stunning romance. Only wished there had been a bit more heat, though. But still, so lovely. There was this girl near the end of the book, and oh, how I hope she and Sorrowlynn becomes friends in book two. I think I can see it happening, lol.
I'm pretty sure that I'm giving this book five stars. I was a bit unsure in the beginning, because I worried a bit, but then it just kept getting better and better and I ended up enjoying this book so much. I'm giving it five stars because I loved it. I loved every part of it. I loved the story. I loved the characters so much. And the romance was the most perfect thing. I even loved that evil ending. I don't think there will be drama in book two, which I love even more. There was just nothing I disliked about this one. Eee. I loved it tons.
If you haven't read this book yet, you really must. Because behind this not so pretty cover, lol, there is an amazing story. The best romance. Brutal dragons. This book was just so awesome. I loved The Dragon's Price beyond words. The romance is incredible. The story is exciting, interesting and everything I wanted. I cannot wait to read the next books. Eee. They are going to be amazing. Just wish I didn't have to wait so long. Huge thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC to review while I was in Chicago. <3
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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2017/0...
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