The Dragon Master

Dragon #3

by Allyson James

Carol Juan doesn't really believe that her grandmother's friends are dragons, though she'll admit that Caleb and Malcolm are unusual. But when a Fire Dragon, a very rare creature who can not only take human form but turn himself into pure flame, seeks her out, she has to put her disbelief behind her. The arrogant and wild Seth teaches Carol not only about fire dragons, but about her own latent mage powers that pulled him instinctively to her. The secret of the Fire Dragon might help Carol win the day or be the means to her destruction.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Dragons, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Adult

281 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 2, 2008

About the author

Allyson James writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and erotic romance (paranormal and futuristic). She is a nationally bestselling author, a multiple RITA nominee, an RT Award winner, and a Prism winner. She also writes romance (paranormal and historical) as Jennifer Ashley. See Allyson's website for current and upcoming books. See also Allyson's GoodReads bookshelves for all books under all pseudonyms.

Reviews

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Nov08

Now where can I get a dragon of my own? Especially one that turns into a mouth-watering specimen of masculine beauty? Ah well, I guess I’ll just have to settle for Allyson James’ dragon men and her latest book “The Dragon Master”.

This is her third (and final?) dragon book set in modern day San Francisco. Her dragons live in ‘dragonspace’ and only cross into the human world on rare occasions or when called by certain individuals of power who have learned the dragon’s real name. When in the human world, they normally appear as men since the magic has mostly left the human world and humans no longer believe in them. James provides each different color of dragon with different personalities and powers, and then weaves these threads into a very entertaining, readable, and super hot story!

Carol, or Li Mei, doesn’t believe in magic or dragons or ghosts or anything else she can’t see, feel, and touch. She’s worked hard to Americanize herself and has poured her soul into first her studies and now her business. So when she’s accosted by a naked man who claims to be a dragon and accuses her of ‘calling and enslaving’ him, she’s pretty sure he’s a loony even if he is the most gorgeous thing she’s ever seen. But it will take a lot less than 24 hours for Carol to realize that the world is a much different place than she thought, that there’s something inside of her trying to get out, and that a whole bunch of people suddenly want to kill her. Now if she and her dragon man can just stay alive long enough for her to figure this out, she’ll be happy.

Seth is a fire dragon and possesses more magic than the other dragons who have apparently become ‘trapped’ in the human world. Although he’s only ever been enslaved once before, it’s not something a dragon forgets and he’s furious. But there are a few things that are very different about this calling. First, the Dragon Master is a woman! Second, she keeps insisting that she didn’t ‘call’ him. Third, he’s in a human male form. And fourth, the feelings and emotions thrumming through this form are pretty strange, and WOW doesn’t the Dragon Master smell good? Uh, she feels pretty good too, and why does he feel the need to protect her? Now if he can just figure out if this is more of her sorcery…or something totally new to this dragon.

This hero and heroine have some pretty big conflicts to deal with. There’s the whole force vs. free will thing going on not to mention that he’s really large and scaly and she’s—not. Neither one really knows what love is and because of some other plot devices, they really have to figure it out on their own. And speaking of plot, I enjoyed the twists and turns of this one and, as always, appreciate the light humorous touches. Some events and motives I figured out beforehand, but there were just as many that came as quite the surprise. But even with a collapsed time span, the story and the relationship proceed at a measured pace with gradually increasing tension. And the tension and sexual interactions between our hero and heroine are red hot (get it? Fire dragon, red hot?) from the first.

I like Allyson James writing. I also like the historical and contemporaries she writes under the name Jennifer Ashley. If “The Dragon Master” is the last of her dragon stories, I’ll be a little sad. I read all three and even though they were written in the same world with some recurring characters, I still found each book just different enough to keep me coming back for more. But on the plus side, she does provide a peek at an upcoming paranormal series which will see its first release in January 2009. I guess I can wait until then…grudgingly.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I was so excited when I saw this book in the bookstore. I bought it and read it in an evening. Good characters and plot, with the addition of the characters from previous books in the series.

[MelissaB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this third entry in the Dragon series. This series is interesting because it has such a different setting and culture - Chinatown in San Fransisco, so we see a lot of Chinese-Americans. I think the dragon shapeshifters are pretty cool, I like their different personalities. This isn't my absolute favorite paranormal series but it is a good one that is fun to read.

[Cindyg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series got better with each installment. I really got in to Seth and Carol's story. Both very likeable characters. Felt for Carol cause she had no idea what she was and the extent of her powers. Nicely done Allyson. And what wasn't to love about Seth. Go ahead pick up this series, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[MaggieReadsRom · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Seth is summoned by an imprisoned Dragon Master to do his bidding, practical and non-believer Carol Juan's own Dragon Master powers are unlocked and Seth is called to her instead. Higher powers have brought Seth and Carol together to prevent the unleashing of an ancient evil power onto the world. They don't always see eye to eye but there's definitely something more and powerful between them and they know they have to band together in order to succeed in saving the world and the people they love.

Carol is a workaholic. She's tough, successful, smart but also compassionate, she doesn't believe in all the magical mumbo jumbo her grandmother tries to fill her head with even if her best friend is a silver dragon married to a golden dragon and she can count a black dragon and a Japanese god among her friends. She simply doesn't believe in the supernatural. She likes things that are tangible and can be logically explained. At least she does until Seth comes into her life and unlocks her own supernatural powers she never knew she possessed.

Seth is a fire dragon, the most powerful of all dragons. He is protective, solitary-minded and outspoken. He has something candid and endearing in his behavior and his perception of the human world that is so unknown to him. For Seth all human sensations are new. The concept of subtlety is unknown to him, he is direct and blunt and speaks his mind the way he sees things. Through his eyes I saw everyday things we all take for granted come to life.

I followed Seth in his discovery of the human world and his mate and I followed Carol in her discovery of the powers she never wanted to believe in and her acceptance of them inside herself. With the recognition of her newfound power that gives her control over others she also discovers that the tight control she had on her own life and emotions has disintegrated.

The supporting cast of characters consists of all the primary characters from the previous books, some important secondary characters from the previous books and a few new secondary characters. Special and important roles are reserved for Lisa, Caleb and Malcolm. I loved the bantering between the male dragons, especially when Caleb was present. It had a high entertainment level. So did Axel, the funny demon-god from book 1, whenever he made an appearance in the book with his quirky sense of humor. I'm still hoping for his book one day.

Some of the characters are not who or what they seem to be. The fine line between good and evil and the alliances made are not cut-and-dry clear. Different motives and interests are weaved into the intricate plot and what made the characters well-rounded and far from shallow was that they weren't all the stereotypes of good or evil. With every advance into the book small facts were revealed to show that not all bad guys are true evil and not all good guys are without selfish interests. Right and wrong aren't unconditionally attached to respectively good and bad.

Once more I was captivated by another one of Allyson James' dragon stories. I just couldn't tear myself away from the book and wanted to keep reading on and on. I instantly relived the vibe of the first two books in this series. I had no trouble picking up where I had left off with Lisa, Caleb, Malcolm and Saba. Again ancient oriental mythology, culture, and historical traditions are embedded into the story and merged with the plot, creating a romance novel of paranormal fiction that is full and rich. The plot was original, masterful and set up in a great way. Gradually unfolding and revealing linked subplots that were interlaced with the main story-arc.

With THE DRAGON MASTER Allyson James has expanded her world of dragons with another intricate and intriguing layer, enchanting me further with magical storytelling and masterful world building.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since her parent’s death when she was a young girl, the heroine’s life has been dedicated to numbers and profit. Never one to put any stock in ancient customs or talk of dragons and magic, the heroine stubbornly refused to entertain talk of anything not guaranteed to make her money. Until she meets the hero. Coming face to face with a very real and very pissed off dragon is something the heroine never counted on but here she is. He seems to think she's summoned him across the gateway- enslaved him with her powerful magic. He wouldn't listen when she claims to know nothing of magic or who called him but from that night her life as she knows it has forever changed. The hero, an elusive and antisocial fire dragon, is beyond furious to find himself once again the slave of a dragon master. He escaped his last master when the evil man died and now he's prisoner to another master, albeit a better looking one. She claims innocence and though the hero is raging mad, he can see she is obvious ignorant of both the magical world and of her own deeply seeded by powerful abilities. Another strange sensation is to feel protective of this woman, to feel attracted to her as well.

Now the heroine must come to terms with the fact that not only is she this powerful dragon master but she's also being hunted by an old and secret Order who want her either dead or captured. Battling both her desire to free the hero from his cage and the voice inside her head urging her to use him, to use all dragons for her own gain, the heroine is torn between acts of kindness and acts of selfishness. She can't help herself from calling upon her magic and it makes her a risk to those she cares about. The dragon race are prideful and free creatures- free men, she has no right to control them but that's what she is compelled to do. At the end of the day she has no way of knowing if the hero’s feelings are based on true emotion or the chains that surround him. She must find a way to set him free and hope that somehow, he can find it in his heart to forgive her and return.

I was pretty entertained by this book, I must say. The main reason behind this enjoyment was the heroine. In fact, it was the heroines very conflicting behavior. She was a kind person but she was also a very selfish person. Not her fault. She was raised to believe magic exists yes, but not that she herself possessed this power inside. As such, she's suddenly sprung into this world without any true grasp on her abilities. They are rather dark gifts, telling her, urging her to use the dragons despite any pain or heartache it should cause them. And on many occasions, despite her best intentions, she does in fact end up betraying her friends and most of all betraying the hero. She was at war with herself and though most times she could be understood- if not entirely forgiven for these misdeeds, it still cast her in an almost anti-heroine light. As such, I- like the characters around her- couldn't decide whether she could be trusted. I really liked that aspect about this book. The hero could be called a rather basic alpha male but there were times he was almost saint like in his forgiveness towards the heroine. He was otherwise a bit predictable but none the less likeable. The whole story was a bit flat in terms of excitement and intrigue but it was that constant battle for the heroine’s characters that set this apart.

[AlohaMyPikachu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest, this book didn't really thrill me as much as the first two in the series. I just couldn't connect with Carol or Seth. The fact that for two novels Carol was a disbeliever of magic and dragons made it hard to believe that all of a sudden she was this powerful dragon master who wielded more magic than even the silver dragon. The silver dragon, if I may add, we know from previous books is pretty damn strong.

With that being said, I still enjoyed the book. AJ's writing is excellent and I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've read thus far. I'm already working on other books by this author and highly recommend this series as well as the stormwalker series.

[Angels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this series you can't help but, fall in love with all the characters that interact with one another.Another fast pace easy read.When reading the story you just get that happy feeling and a smile spreads on your face Found it to be fun loving and the two main character falling in love was nice to see as neither were working for a life mate and that is exactly what they found in the sacrifice's they endured to conquer love between a human and dragon...

[Angels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this series you can't help but, fall in love with all the characters that interact with one another.Another fast pace easy read.When reading the story you just get that happy feeling and a smile spreads.on your face Found it to be fun loving and the two main character falling in love was nice to see as neither were working for a life mate and that is exactly what they found in the sacrifice's they endured to conquer love between a human and dragon...

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

อันดับแรกเลยที่แม็กซ์มีปัญหากับหนังสือเล่มนี้ก็คือ เรามีความรู้สึกว่า อลิสันไม่ได้วางแผนที่จะเขียนเล่มนี้เลยตั้งแต่ต้น มันเหมือนกับว่าเธอวางแผนจะเขียนแค่สองเล่ม (Dragon Heat และ The Black Dragon) ซึ่งจากที่แม็กซ์ค้นข้อมูล ก็รู้ว่าตอนที่เซ็นต์สัญญากับเบิร์คเลย์ฉบับแรกนั้น อลิสันก็ขายหนังสือในชุดนี้ไปแค่สองเล่มเท่านั้น และอาจะเป็นได้ว่าชุดนี้ค่อนข้างฮิต จึงมีการให้เธอเขียนเรื่องต่อ และเธอก็เขียนเรื่องนี้ขึ้นมา แต่อย่างที่บอกค่ะ มันไม่ใช่เล่มที่วางแผนมาตั้งแต่ต้น ดังนั้นแม็กซ์จึงรู้สึกถึงความไม่สม่ำเสมอของเนื้อเรื่องมากเลยค่ะ

คาโรล ฮวน ที่แม้จะชื่อเหมือนชาวสแปนิช แต่ก็เป็นคนอเมริกันเชื้อสายเอเชีย พบว่าตัวเองเผชิญหน้ากับชายร่างเปลือยเปล่าที่ข่มขู่ให้เธอบอกเหตุผลที่เธอ เรียกตัวเขามายังโลกมนุษย์ เซ็ธเป็นมังกรไฟที่มีพลังอันน่าทึ่ง เขาไม่พอใจนักที่ตัวเอกกลายเป็นเหยื่อของผู้ควบคุมมังกรอีกครั้ง หลังจากที่โชคดีหนีไปได้เมื่อหลายร้อยปีก่อน

ปัญหาก็คือ คาโรลไม่ใช่คนที่เรียกเซ็ธมายังโลก ความจริงคือ เธอไม่รู้ด้วยซ้ำว่าตัวเองสืบทอดเชื้อสายของผู้ควบคุมมังกร แต่การมาของเซ็ธก็เป็นการปลุกพลังแฝงอันนี้ในกายของเธอให้ตื่นขึ้น จากคนที่ไม่เชื่อเรื่องเหนือธรรมชาติ คาโรลพบว่าตัวเองกลายเป็นศูนย์กลางของมัน และมีความสามารถในการควบคุมมัน เพราะแม้แต่มังกรที่ทรงอำนาจที่สุด ก็ยังตกอยู่ภายใต้การควบคุมของเธอได้

คาโรลเป็นตัวละครที่ปรากฎขึ้นมาในหนังสือชุดนี้ทั้งสองเล่ม แต่ในช่วงเวลาที่เธอมีบทบาท แม็กซ์ไม่รู้สึกว่าเธอมีความพิเศสอะไรซ่อนอยู่เลยสักนิด มันเป็นไปได้นะคะว่าคนแต่งอาจจะวางแผนเรื่องให้กับคาโรลอยู่แล้ว เพียงแต่เรารู้สึกว่า เจ้าความเป็น "ผู้ควบคุมมังกร" ของเธอ มันโผล่ขึ้นมาแบบซะงั้น (คือไม่มีที่มาที่ไป)

เรื่องนี้เป็นความขัดแย้งในตัวเองของคาโรล ที่พลังในกายผลักดันให้เธอแสวงหา และควบคุมมังกรให้มากที่สุด ในขณะที่ตัวตนที่เธอเป็นกลับรู้สึกว่าการกระทำนั้นมันน่ารังเกียจ แต่คาโรลก็ไม่มีทางเลือก เมื่อความจริงปรากฎว่า ปีศาจกำลังจะหลบหนีออกจากที่คุมขังได้แล้ว และเซ็ธเป็นเครื่องมือสำคัญของผู้ควบคุมมังกรในการจัดการกับปีศาจนั้น ภาระทั้งหมดจึงตกมายังเธอ ในกระทำในสิ่งที่เธออาจจะต้องเสียใจทีสุดในชีวิต โดยเฉพาะเมื่อเธอ และมังกรไฟของเธอผูกพันกันมากกว่าแค่มนตร์ตราที่ผูกพวกเขาเอาไว้

สำหรับเรื่องนี้แม็กซ์โอเคกับตัวละครทั้งสองคนนะคะ ไม่ถึงกับประทับใจ ส่วนหนึ่งเพราะเราติดภาพของคาโรลตอนที่เธอออกมาในสองเล่มแรก ที่เราไม่รู้สึกว่าคาแร็คเตอร์ของเธอน่าสนใจขนาดจะต้องมีเรื่องเป็นของตัว เอง เราคิดว่าเธอเป็นตัวละครทีน่าเบื่อ แม้ในเรื่องนี้จะมีการเล่าภูมิหลัง และทำให้เธอน่าสนใจขึ้น แม็กซ์ก็ยังอดนึกถึงภาพเดิม ๆ ของเธอในหัวไม่ได้ ในกรณีนี้ไม่ใช่ว่า อลิสันเปลี่ยนแปลงคาแร็คเตอร์ของคาโรลจากหน้ามือเป็นหลังมือหรอกนะคะ เธอยังคงเป็นเหมือนเดิมพอสมควร แต่เจ้าความรู้สึกว่า อลิสันไม่ได้วางแผนสำหรับการเขียนเรื่องนี้ขึ้นมาก็ค้างคาใจในรำคาญอยู่ เรื่อย

เซ็ธเป็นมังกรไฟที่รักสันโดษและชอบอยู่คนเดียว การถูกเรียกมาในโลกมนุษย์เป็นการทรมานที่เขาไม่ชอบอย่างรุนแรง แต่การได้เจอกับคาโรลเริ่มทำให้เขาเปลี่ยนใจ เซ็ธก็เช่นเดียวกับคาเล็บที่เรามีปัญหากับคาแร็คเตอร์ของเขา เพราะทั้งคู่มีพื้นฐานเป็นมังกรมากกว่ามนุษย์ ทำให้หลายครั้งเรารู้สึกว่า ตัวตนที่แท้จริงของเขาไม่ใช่มนุษย์ แต่เป็นมังกร (ในเรื่องของคาเล็บ เราคิดว่าตอนจบค่อนข้างลบล้างอาการติดขัดอันนี้ของเราได้พบสมควร โดยเฉพาะเมื่อเฉลยว่าแท้จริงแล้วลิซ่าเป็นใคร) แต่ในเล่มนี้ เซ็ธไม่เคยมีเซ็กส์มาก่อน (เคยแต่มีตอนที่ร่างเป็นมังกร) และมีคาโรลเป็นคนแรก ความรู้สึกของแม็กซ์ตอนที่อ่านน่ะมัน "ยี้" พอควรนะคะ ไม่รู้ว่าเป็นเพราะตัวเองคิดมากไปไหม แต่เรานึกตลอดว่า ร่างที่แท้จริงของเซ็ธก็คือมังกรนะ ไม่ใช่คน

ความเป็นผู้ควบคุมมังกรของคาโรล และพลังอันไม่มีขีดจำกัดของเธอเป็นสิ่งที่ขัดใจแม็กซ์มาก เพราะมันลบล้างสิ่งที่อลิสันเขียนไว้ในสองเล่มแรกทั้งหมด ไม่มีการพูดถึงผู้ควบคุมมังกรในสองเล่มแรกเลย และเมื่อถูกพูดถึงก็กลายเป็นว่า นี่คือคนที่มีอำนาจมากที่สุด เรารู้สึกเหมือนคนแต่งพยายามจะทำให้ตัวละครทุกเรื่องของเธอเป็นคนที่ทรง อิทธิพลมากที่สุด แต่การทำอย่างนั้น มันก็เป็นการทำลายตัวตนของตัวละครตัวอื่นของเธอที่เธอเขียนขึ้นมาก่อนแล้ว (สปอยล์) เพราะลิซ่า ก็เคยเป็นตัวละครที่ทรงอำนาจมากที่สุดมาก่อนเช่น แต่ในเล่มนี้คาโรลสามารถควบคุมคนคนนั้นได้อย่างง่ายดาย

เราอยากให้เล่มนี้เป็นเล่มสุดท้ายในชุด เพราะคิดว่าอลิสันหมดมุขที่จะเขียนเรื่องในซีรี่ย์ชุดนี้แล้ว

คะแนนที่ 57

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

the world building was interesting but because i read this as a stand alone book rather than going into the series, i don't think i was as invested in the characters as i should've been. fast read though!

[Adriane Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Jes Jester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool series 💗

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in the series. I'm sad that the series ended, but I'm glad that it ended on a high note. James handled some tough subject matter deftly and still made the book romantic.

[Danielle Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an excellent read! I stayed up all night long to read this!

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...


Sexy dragons, mysterious mages, naked men and ferocious magical battles all take turns at amazing and astounding a reader in this rich and vibrant world created by Ms. James.

First off, this is absolutely a standalone read. Why do I say that? Because this is the first book in the series that I’ve read and I wasn’t lost or confused or felt left out. It definitely whet my appetite for more of these sexy, macho and alpha dragons and from the sounds of it, two others preceded this one. If they are as good as The Dragon Master is, I’m in for a nail-biting treat.

This story is filled with suspense, drama, dark and furious action, populated with enough varied and eccentric characters to keep a reader fascinated. The dialogue is easy flowing and sounded believable to the characters. I noticed how the dragons spoke a bit differently than modern day speech which enhanced their flavor of ‘otherness’. It was a good touch. They seem to be not from Earth but not separated from it either. It’s like there was this door in the space time continuum that long ago was easier to breach and they used to visit Earth. Nowadays there needs to be a person with special magical abilities to open the ‘door’. From the sounds of it, that was one of the dragon stories I missed, which I’m on the lookout for. For the purpose of this story, it’s a done deal and that skill is used in crucial moments, to track, to reconnect, and to heal. It’s an exciting plot component.

The darkness comes in the form of the threat from a secret organization. They are twisted, and criminal and extremely obsessed about succeeding in their quest at all costs. Only two people stand in their way and they are Carol, the heroine, and Seth, the dragon and hero. However, the first order of business is for Carol and Seth to overcome their differences, scales notwithstanding, learn to trust and believe in the intentions of the other and discover the strengths and weaknesses in their relationship. One thing's for sure, their sexual compatibility is explosive. The author wrote those scenes effectively, they were seductive, sensual, romantic and scorching hot. They were a pleasure to read and were crucial to the plot. It’s a fire thing.

It’s not all stress and mayhem however. There are quiet moments of reflection, of loving and of learning. There is the sense of family and connection and yet, although it takes place in the United States, because it’s in Chinatown, it has an exotic feel as well. It was a good mix of modern day life mixed with ancient heritage and beliefs. At first they clash but as Carol learns to accept her new reality, they align themselves so I figure she’ll eventually be able to function in both worlds. It won’t be easy but it’ll be worth it with Seth at her side. Certainly the heroine’s personality grows and matures after the adventures she experiences in this book and a lot of the catalyst for change comes from the hero. Loving him brings more than just power, it gives her a future. It’s a wonderful thing.

One of the aspects of this book that I greatly enjoyed was the not knowing. The author presented so many fascinating and unusual ideas and concepts and her writing brought them to vivid life to the point that I couldn’t stop reading. Every chapter had its own hook, its own special revelation that kept me on the edge of my seat. Because I had to know, had to find out, had to make sure Carol and Seth were going to safe, I found this story completely engrossing and couldn’t put it down. Ms. James has an amazing writing skill.

Whether you’re a fan of dragons, paranormal romances, romantic suspense or just naked alpha men, The Dragon Master is an marvelous adventure story that delivers a wonderful happy ever after. It has so much going for it and has such an incredible amount of detail to enrich a reader’s reading experience, it’s a must read. I may have chosen the book initially because of the cover and blurb, but I’ll be going back for more because of the quality of content and writing. I had a great experience.

[☂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

❤❤ ¾

At the end of my review for book #2 I hoped for sparks from book #3. I guess you could say that I got them since Seth, our newest dragon hero, is a fire dragon. Hot! Literally. Our heroine is Carol - straight laced, business-minded, non-believing, calm Carol. Raised by her grandmother Ming Ue, after her parents died in a car crash, Carol went to college, earned her MBA and turned Ming Ue's Dim Sum into a chain of profitable restaurants. She hears the constant talk of magical places and mystical dragons from her loved ones but she doesn't believe in any of it until the day she's accosted in an alley by a naked, fire wielding dragon. Seth, the fire dragon, is angry and accuses Carol of being a Dragon Master, capable of enslaving him. Enthralled, Seth has no choice but to obey Carol's every demand but he doesn't have to like it or her and he'll do whatever he can to break the bond of the Dragon Master.

What I liked about this book was that Seth is attracted to Carol immediately. She's a curiosity to the dragon mind and his human body seems to really like her too. Now, I complained about farfetchedness in my last review but whatever, I totally dig intense, instant attraction, especially when Seth is nearly a caveman in attitude. But I do have a complaint. Again it relates back to an early gripe over the character's reactions. On page 20, after two brief and scary encounters Seth licks Carol's lips and Carol's response is "Yum. Dragon", no I'm kidding it's, "Why did you do that?" Lady! You don't believe in the paranormal and a naked, albeit gorgeous, fire breathing man-dragon is accosting you in your house and just licked your lips after two very angry encounters and you simply ask why? Seriously? Carol is supposed to be strong and level headed but this is a calmness beyond belief. So my problem with the dialogue and character reactions began quite early in this book and didn't let up.

This one had a really cool, twisty storyline. Not that the other books didn't have their own cool storyline but this one was the best idea, though it's an echo of book one's plot. Anyway, in outline form this one would win but in execution I'm sorry to say that this one was just as drab as the others. This story offered a bit more emotion (Carol's past, the sacrifice) but it came too late to save it. As I mentioned, I really love Jennifer Ashley's work (aka Allyson James) so I'm sad to report that I didn't care for this series. I liked the end. No, not the last few pages or the final sentence, just the end. When it was over.

[Felicia (Ferishia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very brief thoughts:

Out of all three books in this series, I enjoyed this one the most. Seth's character was both more and less complicated than Caleb the golden dragon or Malcolm the black dragon. As a fire dragon, he was more powerful and magical than the others. He retained more of his dragon wildness, even when in his human form.

Carol seem almost too stiff and rigid. But she was also focused and determined once she's made up her mind about something. She balanced out Seth's wildness, and Seth shook some of her rigidity so she could relax some.

Lot of action and interaction with the previous book characters. And lots of smexy times. :) This story seemed a little darker than the others, especially the shocking twist at the end.

If you are into dragons and shifters, this is a good series to check out.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the setting of this series - San Francisco's Chinatown, it's people and their beliefs or lack thereof, is a very integral part of the story line. This another series where order is very important...

In Dragon Heat, the heroine finds the guest room in the apartment she inherited from her grandmother contains a 'door' to the world of dragons. Not to mention the TV-watching golden dragon...

The Black Dragon brings back Malcolm and Saba, both introduced in the first book. Who knew dragons would need a good programmer?

It's pretty tough being a Dragon Master when you have no training, no interest and no belief in either magic or dragons...

Dragon series:
#1 Dragon Heat
#2 Black Dragon
#3 The Dragon Master

[Vero · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars.
Unfortunately this didn't work so well for me. I didn't feel any kind of sympathy or connection with the MCs, they fell instantly in love, being "mates", and on top of everything a wonderful pregnancy after a ten day acquaintance. Yuck, insta-love at its finest.

What I also dislike: Like in some fantasy/urban/shifter series, here in the first book someone nearly all-mighty is introduced (here: the silver dragon). Then further down the lane, someone even more all-mighty is created (here: the dragon master). So it becomes like a contest and gets blown out of all proportion with demon-gods and gods thrown in the mix. This gets boring. And it seems that more time is spent on world-building than character and relationship development.

[Korynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A romance with an Chinese-American heroine, what a nice change. So this is the third volume in a series of dragon romances in which this volume is about Carol who keeps having a sexy naked man insist that he is a dragon enslaved by her. Soon enough she can't stop thinking about him. Eventually, the truth comes out, she is a Dragon Master, but dark subplots are occurring. It's a pretty straightforward person with latent special powers, sexy man enslaved by her powers by accident, oo they enjoy sex, but does he really love her, so maybe she should let him go... kind of plot. There's some definite power/control/dominance to their sex.
Overall, a kind of angsty romance.

[July · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in this series was pretty good. It was about Seth a Fire Dragon who has magic. He is called from Dragonspace by a Dragon Master. He thinks Carol is the one who summoned him. But she has know idea what he is talking about. After awhile you find out that her mother was a Dragon Master and she also did not know she was one. That is very dangerous. Seth and Carol take quite a journey in this book. I must say I enjoyed this book very much. All the characters from the last two books are in this book.

[Timmysparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I started this book I wondered who the main character were going to be. I was really glad it was Carol because she didn't believe in dragon and magic at all and it turned out she was a dragon master. Seth was so wonderful. He was oblivious to human ways yet he adapted so quickly. The Order of the Black Lotus were just creepy and annoying. I hate all they put Carol and her family through. I like how all the characters from this book and all the previous books in the series came together to defeat the demon-god and his minions. I really loved this series.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

the final book in this trilogy involves our super compentent, highly driven Carol and a Fire Dragon named Seth, who btw, was minding his own business in dragonspace when he was sucked into the Human world again. His last experience on this plane did not make him all that pleased to return. Carol was also less than pleased since it was her "magic" that dragged him to her...who knew? not only did she have magic, but she was something that all dragons feared.

[Missyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. This one is about Seth (firedragon) & Carol. She was a minor character in the first 2 books & Seth is a new character. Most of the others are in this book. Some action, sex, & plenty of humor. Seth is summoned by the old dragon master & Carol calls him away & to her insteasd. Seth& Carol battle their attraction to each other, & keeping the demon-god from getting lose. Nice ending.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Dragons series, which is proving to be a pretty good series. The characters are all well written with just the right amount of humor coming into play. These are some hot sex PR books so be warned. I wish it had gone on and not ended with this book. I hope to find that other books by the author are as good as these ones.

[Stacie]

This is the story of a woman named Carol who does not believe in dragons until one appears on the alley behind her grandmother's restaurant. A dragon master has pulled him into the human world. They have to work together to stop a dangerous mage from taking Seth's powers.

[Nibrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the characters. A few twists, but fairly straight forward story. Wish I had read it sooner (so that I remembered all the details from the previous 2 stories.) Loved Lisa & Caleb's two little ones!

[Donna Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The whole concept of dragons becoming human when they enter our plane is pretty cool. I love dragons. I am looking forward to reading more books by Allyson James. Definitely on my reread list.

[Kimchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

not as bad as i thought it was going to be. it seems different tnan the others and the plot is somewhat of a mystery so liking it so far.