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The Dragons of Ascavar #1
Wings of Stone
The sexy warrior whisked her away to his dangerous world of magic and mystery.
Now she’s not sure she can ever go back.
Doctor Gabrielle Rojas knows her Jane Doe patient shouldn’t heal this fast or have a blood type that doesn’t exist. She also knows that Tarek, the sexy stranger who claims he’s her next of kin, is out of his damned mind.
But she can’t deny her own eyes when she watches him turn into a dragon and fly out the window with her patient. There’s no mistaking his gleaming scales and massive wings, and her day only gets weirder when he calls her to dig a couple of bullets out of his delicious backside.
Meddling in the affairs of dragons lands Gabrielle in a dungeon in the magical land of Ascavar, where dragons rule and magic burns bright.
With war on the horizon for his people, Tarek swears to take Gabrielle home to her safe, normal life. But her healing touch soothes his wounded heart, and he soon realizes that this is one promise he can’t keep.
As passion binds them together, both dragon and doctor must ask… can they ever go back?
Wings of Stone is the first book of the Dragons of Ascavar series, a fantasy romance series featuring enchanting romance, heart-pounding adventure, and incredible worlds you won’t want to leave behind. Each book is a standalone with a HEA, forming one epic story that unfolds over the series.
Now she’s not sure she can ever go back.
Doctor Gabrielle Rojas knows her Jane Doe patient shouldn’t heal this fast or have a blood type that doesn’t exist. She also knows that Tarek, the sexy stranger who claims he’s her next of kin, is out of his damned mind.
But she can’t deny her own eyes when she watches him turn into a dragon and fly out the window with her patient. There’s no mistaking his gleaming scales and massive wings, and her day only gets weirder when he calls her to dig a couple of bullets out of his delicious backside.
Meddling in the affairs of dragons lands Gabrielle in a dungeon in the magical land of Ascavar, where dragons rule and magic burns bright.
With war on the horizon for his people, Tarek swears to take Gabrielle home to her safe, normal life. But her healing touch soothes his wounded heart, and he soon realizes that this is one promise he can’t keep.
As passion binds them together, both dragon and doctor must ask… can they ever go back?
Wings of Stone is the first book of the Dragons of Ascavar series, a fantasy romance series featuring enchanting romance, heart-pounding adventure, and incredible worlds you won’t want to leave behind. Each book is a standalone with a HEA, forming one epic story that unfolds over the series.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2017
907 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 29, 2020
Wings of Stone by J. D. Monroe
The Dragons of Ascavar, book 1. Fantasy romance.
Tarek is a guardian of a portal between the human world and the dragon home world. When the princess doesn’t return to the gate on time he tracks her down at the hospital where she lays unconscious and injured. Doctor Gabriella Rojas immediately knows Tarek is not just a man concerned for a patient, but much more. When the hospital is attacked, Gabby trusts Tarek when he turns into a dragon and asks for her help.
Wonderful world building with a strong female lead. The human doctor is a powerful force in the dragon shifters world. A love story that crosses worlds.
A bit of a cliffhanger for the worlds under threat of war, but the story of this couple is complete.
Very low heat level.
Excerpt for Gabrielle:
“ for the first time in decades, maybe her entire life, Gabrielle Rojas needed someone to rescue her. She was about as damsel-in-distress as it got at the moment, and the only person who could savor was a strapping hunk of a man. Not quite a knight in shining armor, but a dragon-man in a precariously short loincloth would have to do.”
Excerpt that I found amusing:
“They had rounded another spiral of the stairs, passing a familiar archway when she realized where they were. She lunged forward to grab Kaldir’s muscular forearm. He tensed and looked back at her. “It’s here,” she blurted, breathing hard. He’d been about to run past it, which confirmed that even dragon men wouldn’t ask for directions.”
Excerpts from Wings of Stone by J. D. Monroe
The Dragons of Ascavar, book 1. Fantasy romance.
Tarek is a guardian of a portal between the human world and the dragon home world. When the princess doesn’t return to the gate on time he tracks her down at the hospital where she lays unconscious and injured. Doctor Gabriella Rojas immediately knows Tarek is not just a man concerned for a patient, but much more. When the hospital is attacked, Gabby trusts Tarek when he turns into a dragon and asks for her help.
Wonderful world building with a strong female lead. The human doctor is a powerful force in the dragon shifters world. A love story that crosses worlds.
A bit of a cliffhanger for the worlds under threat of war, but the story of this couple is complete.
Very low heat level.
Excerpt for Gabrielle:
“ for the first time in decades, maybe her entire life, Gabrielle Rojas needed someone to rescue her. She was about as damsel-in-distress as it got at the moment, and the only person who could savor was a strapping hunk of a man. Not quite a knight in shining armor, but a dragon-man in a precariously short loincloth would have to do.”
Excerpt that I found amusing:
“They had rounded another spiral of the stairs, passing a familiar archway when she realized where they were. She lunged forward to grab Kaldir’s muscular forearm. He tensed and looked back at her. “It’s here,” she blurted, breathing hard. He’d been about to run past it, which confirmed that even dragon men wouldn’t ask for directions.”
Excerpts from Wings of Stone by J. D. Monroe
December 17, 2017
Gabrielle is an emergency room doctor who is taking care of a Jane Doe when a large and very attractive man not only put some kind of spell over everyone else in the hospital, but tries to take her patient away. Unbeknownst to her, Jane Doe is a princess in the dragon realm and the man is Tarek, a dragon warrior who has come to find her.
I liked this (but didn't love it) but it dragged towards the end of the book. About 25% of the story was filler and unnecessary. 3.5 stars
*KU loan
I liked this (but didn't love it) but it dragged towards the end of the book. About 25% of the story was filler and unnecessary. 3.5 stars
*KU loan
March 13, 2019
Six stars!!! Gabby is a doctor. When a mysterious man appears, turns into a dragon, and flies away with her patient, she gets swept up into an epic battle to save his parallel magical world. Absolutely phenomenal world-building. Richly detailed, yet not overpowering. This is a very visual book. The magic and fantasy world of Wings of Stone is so well-crafted the story is totally believable. The H/h get their HEA, but there is a story arc that continues throughout the series.
Read
March 5, 2018The one thing I love about dragon romance stories is the pure fantasy of it. They can be called urban fantasies or paranormal romances, but let's be honest, if it involves swords, citadels, and your typical renaissance setting, it's fantasy pure and simple. This is important because world building is essential to a good fantasy story, and I have to say, Monroe nails it.
You can read my full review here: http://www.literaryescapism.com/50666...
You can read my full review here: http://www.literaryescapism.com/50666...
March 20, 2019
Fascinating dragon romance
Really enjoyed the world this author has created. I liked the strong heroine, too, and the beta hero. Totally loved the kick-ass queen. Kinda hoping she gets her own book.
Will definitely continue reading this series!
Really enjoyed the world this author has created. I liked the strong heroine, too, and the beta hero. Totally loved the kick-ass queen. Kinda hoping she gets her own book.
Will definitely continue reading this series!
Read
July 22, 2020strong female lead, check. hunky male lead turned on by feminine strength, check. intregue, check. action, check. sweet romance, check. hot scenes, check. oh and one last thing. Dragons!!!
I really enjoyed the hell out of this book. I loved that love healed and conquered all, not sex.
I really enjoyed the hell out of this book. I loved that love healed and conquered all, not sex.
Want to read
November 21, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/21/2020)! 🎁
August 28, 2024
I’ve always enjoyed reading fantasy/paranormal romances with dragons, and I couldn’t wait to dive into J.D. Monroe’s Wings of Stone, which is the first book in her Dragons of Ascavar series. This book had everything I crave in a fantasy romance: fantastic world-building, well-developed characters, and a storyline that had hooked me from the beginning.
The FMC, Doctor Gabrielle Rojas, is taking care of a Jane Doe patient recovering from extensive injuries when a strange, beautiful man who says he’s related to the patient demands to take her patient away from her. Gabrielle doesn’t trust the man, and she’ll do anything to protect her patient, even if it means taking on not only the strange man but also others who aren’t human at all but dragons.
Wings of Stone is the first book I’ve read by J.D. Monroe, and it definitely won’t be my last. I was hooked from the first page and had a hard time putting down the book because I needed to finish it. J.D. Monroe gave me not only a strong MMC who was trying to save the princess of his kind, but she gave me a kickbutt heroine who was willing to take on everyone around her, even if she was only human. I’ve always been a fan of strong female leads, and Gabrielle is one FMC I’ll never forget. She not only took on the MMC, Tarek, but she also had to face the Queen (her patient’s mother), who thought Gabrielle was a spy at first.
I loved the MMC, Tarek, as well. He was trying to find out who attacked the princess and get her back home to the Queen. He was also falling for Gabrielle, even though he shouldn’t since she’s human. He becomes very protective of her, especially when Gabrielle is thrown into his world.
This book focuses a lot on the conflict with the dragons and trying to figure out who attacked the princess, so there are many action-packed scenes. I was here for both the action and the romantic plot between the characters.
The story does leave one question unanswered: Who was behind the attack on the princess, and why did the Queen almost attack the wrong flight of dragons? The dragons that hurt the princess were taken care of, but I’m left not knowing who they are.
Overall, a fantastic start to this series, and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series. I give this book 4.5 stars and highly recommend it to readers who love reading Fantasy Romance with Dragon Shifters.
Check out all my book reviews at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog
The FMC, Doctor Gabrielle Rojas, is taking care of a Jane Doe patient recovering from extensive injuries when a strange, beautiful man who says he’s related to the patient demands to take her patient away from her. Gabrielle doesn’t trust the man, and she’ll do anything to protect her patient, even if it means taking on not only the strange man but also others who aren’t human at all but dragons.
Wings of Stone is the first book I’ve read by J.D. Monroe, and it definitely won’t be my last. I was hooked from the first page and had a hard time putting down the book because I needed to finish it. J.D. Monroe gave me not only a strong MMC who was trying to save the princess of his kind, but she gave me a kickbutt heroine who was willing to take on everyone around her, even if she was only human. I’ve always been a fan of strong female leads, and Gabrielle is one FMC I’ll never forget. She not only took on the MMC, Tarek, but she also had to face the Queen (her patient’s mother), who thought Gabrielle was a spy at first.
I loved the MMC, Tarek, as well. He was trying to find out who attacked the princess and get her back home to the Queen. He was also falling for Gabrielle, even though he shouldn’t since she’s human. He becomes very protective of her, especially when Gabrielle is thrown into his world.
This book focuses a lot on the conflict with the dragons and trying to figure out who attacked the princess, so there are many action-packed scenes. I was here for both the action and the romantic plot between the characters.
The story does leave one question unanswered: Who was behind the attack on the princess, and why did the Queen almost attack the wrong flight of dragons? The dragons that hurt the princess were taken care of, but I’m left not knowing who they are.
Overall, a fantastic start to this series, and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series. I give this book 4.5 stars and highly recommend it to readers who love reading Fantasy Romance with Dragon Shifters.
Check out all my book reviews at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog
June 9, 2019
Meh, the story was good but I didn't feel anything. Will not continue with the series.
February 10, 2018
My first dragon shifter book. Couldn't have picked a better one. This one has the love of a man/dragon for his leader - and then you watch him fall in love with the doctor. Fighting to save his homeland, guarding it with everything he's got - this is an action packed love story.
January 7, 2021
Meh
*****Spoilers*****
More like a 2.3 or some partial credit. I didn't really enjoy it but also didn't dislike it. The story starts off interestingly enough but it tapers off after that and I lost interest. Gabby seems to be a very capable doctor and Tarek an honorable dragon but I wasn't really moved by their story so I remained uninvested and impatient for the book to get to the end.
*****Spoilers*****
More like a 2.3 or some partial credit. I didn't really enjoy it but also didn't dislike it. The story starts off interestingly enough but it tapers off after that and I lost interest. Gabby seems to be a very capable doctor and Tarek an honorable dragon but I wasn't really moved by their story so I remained uninvested and impatient for the book to get to the end.
November 24, 2020
Did not keep my interest.
November 23, 2020
Almost clean paranormal romance
My Rating System
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good, won't read again
2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it
1 star--didn't finish, it was so awful
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Cliffhanger: the war isn't over, but Tarek and Gabrielle have a happy ending
Summary
Dr Gabrielle Rojas has a Jane Doe in the ER who's healing rapidly. When Gabby checks Jane's vitals, Jane gives her a vision of the dragons who hurt her. While Gabby's trying to make sense of that, a man comes in, claiming to be Jane's brother, but the nurse is acting weird, so Gabby will not allow him near her patient. She gets another vision of Jane, as a child, playing with this man. She infers she can trust him. Then two other people attack, Tarek transforms into a dragon, and Gabby helps him get Jane away to safety. Tarek, however, gets shot twice, so takes refuge at a motel to rest, and calls Gabby for help. The dragons attack again, he fights them while she drives Ashariah to the gate between their worlds. Gabby gets taken prisoner.
Evaluation
This is not the typical fated mate that most paranormal romances are; however, the hand between Tarek and Gabby develops quickly, though believably. Gabby has a good plan for new or stressful situations: assess, plan, execute. She uses it continually as an ER doctor. I also think Gabby has a logical reaction to all the fantasy she gets dropped into: if I'm dreaming, enjoy; if I'm not dreaming, assess, plan, execute, and figure it out later when there's time. Gabby has great presence of mind, convictions, and loyalty. Tarek has wounds from ten years ago that haven't healed. The story has good pacing, with ups and downs and suspense as the storyline proceeds. The book is the beginning of a war, and I'm curious enough to read book 2 because it's in Kindle Unlimited; I don't know if I would buy it. I'm not satisfied with how the story ends because I still have questions (see Critique below); I've read the summaries of the rest of the series, and I don't think they provide answers. I could be wrong, though, so I'll try one more book.
Recommendation
To whoever likes paranormal romances with a long story arc vaguely addressed in the first novel of the series.
Favorite Quotes
If she was going to have a daytime hallucination, her caffeine-saturated brain could have at least had the decency to give her a hot tub romp with the Chippendales or something else equally unbelievable as a dragon.
Twenty-four hours ago, she’d been aimlessly watching Netflix and walking on the treadmill in her living room before her shift. Now she was embroiled in a dragon turf war, entrusted with the safe passage of their princess.
Independent twenty-first century women most certainly objected to a big, albeit gorgeous, man proclaiming they were *his* [to protect]. “I don’t,” she said quietly. To hell with the twenty-first century.
“There is no shame in taking pride in your gifts, Gabrielle. Do not diminish your flame to make others more comfortable in your shadow.”
*What would happen? Would she survive? Would Tarek survive? Would she ever get home?* But she knew that there was nothing she could control except this moment, right here and now. She could climb these damn stairs and get Kaldir to his prince. And when that was done, she’d worry about the next thing.
He’d been about to run past it, which confirmed that even dragon men wouldn’t ask for directions.
Possible Triggers (spoilers)
Sex: 1 scene, implied other scenes
Language: 1 F word, 15 Lord's name in vain, 8 S words
Violence: war, torture, racism, ambush
Critique (spoilers)
How are Tarek and Gabrielle going to make this work? They're 400 miles apart, several hours for both cars and wings.
How could Shazakh and Khazelya physically check in on her? That's 800 miles every other day for weeks, and they only stay for dinner.
Why did the author make Anna have CF? Why isn't Gabby thinking about taking Anna to the gardens?
When a dragon, Tarek communicates with Gabrielle clearly at the hospital and the motel, but not at the other times. Inconsistent.
Tarek lives for centuries, Gabrielle only for decades. She thinks about that once, but that's the only consideration this complication gets. I've been married 30 years, I'm glad he's getting old with me, and I don't like to think about one of us being alone. This should be a huge concern for both of them.
In Ashariah's vision, a kindly old face screams, "Oh my gosh, John, oh my gosh." Then Gabrielle comes back to the present in the hospital. Who is John? Who's the old face?
How has Gabby's body changed? What form of children will she and Tarek have?
Tarek should've reported on how rebuilding is going.
My Rating System
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good, won't read again
2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it
1 star--didn't finish, it was so awful
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Cliffhanger: the war isn't over, but Tarek and Gabrielle have a happy ending
Summary
Dr Gabrielle Rojas has a Jane Doe in the ER who's healing rapidly. When Gabby checks Jane's vitals, Jane gives her a vision of the dragons who hurt her. While Gabby's trying to make sense of that, a man comes in, claiming to be Jane's brother, but the nurse is acting weird, so Gabby will not allow him near her patient. She gets another vision of Jane, as a child, playing with this man. She infers she can trust him. Then two other people attack, Tarek transforms into a dragon, and Gabby helps him get Jane away to safety. Tarek, however, gets shot twice, so takes refuge at a motel to rest, and calls Gabby for help. The dragons attack again, he fights them while she drives Ashariah to the gate between their worlds. Gabby gets taken prisoner.
Evaluation
This is not the typical fated mate that most paranormal romances are; however, the hand between Tarek and Gabby develops quickly, though believably. Gabby has a good plan for new or stressful situations: assess, plan, execute. She uses it continually as an ER doctor. I also think Gabby has a logical reaction to all the fantasy she gets dropped into: if I'm dreaming, enjoy; if I'm not dreaming, assess, plan, execute, and figure it out later when there's time. Gabby has great presence of mind, convictions, and loyalty. Tarek has wounds from ten years ago that haven't healed. The story has good pacing, with ups and downs and suspense as the storyline proceeds. The book is the beginning of a war, and I'm curious enough to read book 2 because it's in Kindle Unlimited; I don't know if I would buy it. I'm not satisfied with how the story ends because I still have questions (see Critique below); I've read the summaries of the rest of the series, and I don't think they provide answers. I could be wrong, though, so I'll try one more book.
Recommendation
To whoever likes paranormal romances with a long story arc vaguely addressed in the first novel of the series.
Favorite Quotes
If she was going to have a daytime hallucination, her caffeine-saturated brain could have at least had the decency to give her a hot tub romp with the Chippendales or something else equally unbelievable as a dragon.
Twenty-four hours ago, she’d been aimlessly watching Netflix and walking on the treadmill in her living room before her shift. Now she was embroiled in a dragon turf war, entrusted with the safe passage of their princess.
Independent twenty-first century women most certainly objected to a big, albeit gorgeous, man proclaiming they were *his* [to protect]. “I don’t,” she said quietly. To hell with the twenty-first century.
“There is no shame in taking pride in your gifts, Gabrielle. Do not diminish your flame to make others more comfortable in your shadow.”
*What would happen? Would she survive? Would Tarek survive? Would she ever get home?* But she knew that there was nothing she could control except this moment, right here and now. She could climb these damn stairs and get Kaldir to his prince. And when that was done, she’d worry about the next thing.
He’d been about to run past it, which confirmed that even dragon men wouldn’t ask for directions.
Possible Triggers (spoilers)
Sex: 1 scene, implied other scenes
Language: 1 F word, 15 Lord's name in vain, 8 S words
Violence: war, torture, racism, ambush
Critique (spoilers)
How are Tarek and Gabrielle going to make this work? They're 400 miles apart, several hours for both cars and wings.
How could Shazakh and Khazelya physically check in on her? That's 800 miles every other day for weeks, and they only stay for dinner.
Why did the author make Anna have CF? Why isn't Gabby thinking about taking Anna to the gardens?
When a dragon, Tarek communicates with Gabrielle clearly at the hospital and the motel, but not at the other times. Inconsistent.
Tarek lives for centuries, Gabrielle only for decades. She thinks about that once, but that's the only consideration this complication gets. I've been married 30 years, I'm glad he's getting old with me, and I don't like to think about one of us being alone. This should be a huge concern for both of them.
In Ashariah's vision, a kindly old face screams, "Oh my gosh, John, oh my gosh." Then Gabrielle comes back to the present in the hospital. Who is John? Who's the old face?
How has Gabby's body changed? What form of children will she and Tarek have?
Tarek should've reported on how rebuilding is going.
June 8, 2017
Rating 3.5 Stars
Interesting and well-written.
• I volunteered to read and honestly review a free Kindle version.
• When I first saw the cover of this book I was initially worried about how sexual it would be. I mean, come on, how many shirtless men do you see on covers of "clean" books? But after reading another review stating the same worries and that it was unnecessary, I decided to go for it. While there were some sexual scenes it wasn't too intense or uncomfortable and there is certainly sexual tension throughout it mostly doesn't distract from the story although there may be a little too much to be considered tasteful writing.
• I didn't really care for how a huge portion of the book was spent on characters being caught up by each other's sex appeal. It felt like pretty much every page had someone gawking at a bare chest or curves, or the necessary naked bodies (because obviously clothes can'tgo in and out of existence when transforming into a dragon). While most of these scenes rang true to the characters/moments and the writing is impressive enough to make it easy to read I still feel like it could do with a little less so I took away a star.
• I took another .5 star because unfortunately I wasn't able to fully connect to the characters. One of the big reasons I had issues is that we are only TOLD how much the Gabrielle and Tarek are changed by each other's presence, we don't actually get to SEE what they were like beforehand. I would have been easier to witness the character growth if we had a chapter or two in the days of the lives of each character and how they handled their daily situations before we got thrown directly into the story. Because of that all the moments that described 'how unlike their actions and words are from what they're used to' came off as disingenuous.
•While I enjoyed the imagery and premise behind this book I don't believe I will continue the series.
Interesting and well-written.
• I volunteered to read and honestly review a free Kindle version.
• When I first saw the cover of this book I was initially worried about how sexual it would be. I mean, come on, how many shirtless men do you see on covers of "clean" books? But after reading another review stating the same worries and that it was unnecessary, I decided to go for it. While there were some sexual scenes it wasn't too intense or uncomfortable and there is certainly sexual tension throughout it mostly doesn't distract from the story although there may be a little too much to be considered tasteful writing.
• I didn't really care for how a huge portion of the book was spent on characters being caught up by each other's sex appeal. It felt like pretty much every page had someone gawking at a bare chest or curves, or the necessary naked bodies (because obviously clothes can'tgo in and out of existence when transforming into a dragon). While most of these scenes rang true to the characters/moments and the writing is impressive enough to make it easy to read I still feel like it could do with a little less so I took away a star.
• I took another .5 star because unfortunately I wasn't able to fully connect to the characters. One of the big reasons I had issues is that we are only TOLD how much the Gabrielle and Tarek are changed by each other's presence, we don't actually get to SEE what they were like beforehand. I would have been easier to witness the character growth if we had a chapter or two in the days of the lives of each character and how they handled their daily situations before we got thrown directly into the story. Because of that all the moments that described 'how unlike their actions and words are from what they're used to' came off as disingenuous.
•While I enjoyed the imagery and premise behind this book I don't believe I will continue the series.
September 10, 2017
Sweet Romantic Read With Lots of Action
Dr. Gabrielle Rojas is beautiful, conscientious, and protective of her patients. Tarek Windstriker is a hot, loyal warrior with a troubled past. The Dragon Princess is attacked, nearly killed, and ends up in a Reno hospital under Gabrielle's care. Tarek tracks The Princess to the hospital and tries to use his persuasion magic to get Gabrielle to release her to him. This does not go well since Gabby is not affected by the controlling magic and puts herself in harm's way to protect her patient. Tarek is impressed by her warrior spirit and is surprised to discover growing feelings for her. After receiving visions from the Princess, Gabby helps Tarek move her to get her away from the danger of attacking Dragons. They manage to get the Princess back to the Queen's castle, but Tarek passes out from exhaustion and wounds from the fight. Gabby is roughly dragged off to the dungeon under suspicion of harming the Princess, even though the Guards were told that she had saved the Princess's life. Tarek is ready to break some heads over Gabby's poor treatment. Their feelings for each other grow more intense, even though Tarek doesn't see how a love between the two species could work out. Gabby helps the Princess out of a nightmare, advises about the attack on the castle keeps the Queen from plunging into war with the wrong nation. Tarek heroically battles and destroys enemy dragons that threatened the Queen and harmed Gabby. Their love mutually maximizes and is resolved in a very nice manner. I look forward to another book.
Dr. Gabrielle Rojas is beautiful, conscientious, and protective of her patients. Tarek Windstriker is a hot, loyal warrior with a troubled past. The Dragon Princess is attacked, nearly killed, and ends up in a Reno hospital under Gabrielle's care. Tarek tracks The Princess to the hospital and tries to use his persuasion magic to get Gabrielle to release her to him. This does not go well since Gabby is not affected by the controlling magic and puts herself in harm's way to protect her patient. Tarek is impressed by her warrior spirit and is surprised to discover growing feelings for her. After receiving visions from the Princess, Gabby helps Tarek move her to get her away from the danger of attacking Dragons. They manage to get the Princess back to the Queen's castle, but Tarek passes out from exhaustion and wounds from the fight. Gabby is roughly dragged off to the dungeon under suspicion of harming the Princess, even though the Guards were told that she had saved the Princess's life. Tarek is ready to break some heads over Gabby's poor treatment. Their feelings for each other grow more intense, even though Tarek doesn't see how a love between the two species could work out. Gabby helps the Princess out of a nightmare, advises about the attack on the castle keeps the Queen from plunging into war with the wrong nation. Tarek heroically battles and destroys enemy dragons that threatened the Queen and harmed Gabby. Their love mutually maximizes and is resolved in a very nice manner. I look forward to another book.
April 25, 2022
Take one honourable hero with scars (mental and physical) from the past, one courageous and caring heroine, then put them together in a luscious magical land for a slow-burn romance, and you get a book that ticks all the boxes for me every time.
Dragon shifter Tarek discovers that his princess is missing - she has been attacked and is lying in a coma in the ER department in the human world, being tended by Dr Gabrielle Rojas. After another attack on the princess in the hospital, thwarted by Tarek, Gabrielle is drawn into the world of Ascavar, where dragons rule and tensions between the Stoneflight and the Ironflight are rising.
I particularly loved the descriptions of the Stoneflight palace and the hints of the world of Ascavar - very luscious and beautiful. Tarek and Gabrielle are both very relatable and admirable characters who are driven by professional honour and compassion. Gabrielle's professional method of self-reflection even when things go badly is good advice for anybody - and her ability to see the powerful dragon queen as a grieving mother and empathise with her was a lovely touch.
This book stands well on its own and ends with a good HEA, but there are plenty of hints of more to come for exploration in the rest of the series. I hope we get to see more of the world of Ascavar in more detail.
Dragon shifter Tarek discovers that his princess is missing - she has been attacked and is lying in a coma in the ER department in the human world, being tended by Dr Gabrielle Rojas. After another attack on the princess in the hospital, thwarted by Tarek, Gabrielle is drawn into the world of Ascavar, where dragons rule and tensions between the Stoneflight and the Ironflight are rising.
I particularly loved the descriptions of the Stoneflight palace and the hints of the world of Ascavar - very luscious and beautiful. Tarek and Gabrielle are both very relatable and admirable characters who are driven by professional honour and compassion. Gabrielle's professional method of self-reflection even when things go badly is good advice for anybody - and her ability to see the powerful dragon queen as a grieving mother and empathise with her was a lovely touch.
This book stands well on its own and ends with a good HEA, but there are plenty of hints of more to come for exploration in the rest of the series. I hope we get to see more of the world of Ascavar in more detail.
June 16, 2017
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Gabrielle is an ER doctor with a pretty boring life until the night she ends up dealing with a Jane Doe who heals much quicker than is humanly possible. When the handsome Tarek Windstriker turns up to claim Jane Doe, Gabrielle does not expect to be caught up in the middle of a dragon fight!
Suddenly Gabrielle is caught up in a war between dragon queens and finds herself falling for someone she really shouldn't.
Wings of Stone is full of excitement, fantasy, action and romance. It features handsome dragons and powerful magic.
Fantasy is a genre I read regularly but I've not read many dragon based stories but after reading this I think that will change.
I thought the story was well paced, the writing was good and the characters engaging.
Well worth a read!
Gabrielle is an ER doctor with a pretty boring life until the night she ends up dealing with a Jane Doe who heals much quicker than is humanly possible. When the handsome Tarek Windstriker turns up to claim Jane Doe, Gabrielle does not expect to be caught up in the middle of a dragon fight!
Suddenly Gabrielle is caught up in a war between dragon queens and finds herself falling for someone she really shouldn't.
Wings of Stone is full of excitement, fantasy, action and romance. It features handsome dragons and powerful magic.
Fantasy is a genre I read regularly but I've not read many dragon based stories but after reading this I think that will change.
I thought the story was well paced, the writing was good and the characters engaging.
Well worth a read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2024
It's OK, though a lot of things never get answered, and judging by the blurb of the second book in the series, they never will. Also, why is this called "wings of stone"? Why are the dragons the "Stoneflight"? None of them have Powers remotely related to stone, and this Is never explained. There are, apparently, several other flights, but we only know the Ironflight and some other that the queen wiped out Lanister style. They're super racist against everyone who isn't a Dragon, and I just found myself wishing the humans and "lesser" shifters would rebel like they did against the Ironflight, and that's who is behind the attacks and the framing, but no. It's some "unnatural" dragons and nobody knows where they came from or why they attacked. The action scenes are OK, and there's some very meh spice. At least the romance makes sense, tough it happened very fast.
August 28, 2017
Love The World of Ascavar
The world of Ascavar is amazing. JD Monroe's Wings of Stone is book one of his series The Dragons of Ascavar. It's a completely new world full of dragons and shapeshifters and of course the Vak, we humans. JD has even invented her own Dragon language that's used throughout the book. The phraseology is unique and interesting. The characters are bold, strong, forceful and beautiful. Book one can be read as a standalone but is clearly meant to be the opening book to a series. Tarek and Gabrielle are the main characters in book one. He is dragonbourne and she is human. Their story will keep you at the edge of your seat and you won't be able to put it down. I can't wait to read more of this series.
The world of Ascavar is amazing. JD Monroe's Wings of Stone is book one of his series The Dragons of Ascavar. It's a completely new world full of dragons and shapeshifters and of course the Vak, we humans. JD has even invented her own Dragon language that's used throughout the book. The phraseology is unique and interesting. The characters are bold, strong, forceful and beautiful. Book one can be read as a standalone but is clearly meant to be the opening book to a series. Tarek and Gabrielle are the main characters in book one. He is dragonbourne and she is human. Their story will keep you at the edge of your seat and you won't be able to put it down. I can't wait to read more of this series.
January 24, 2024
I haven't read many dragon books, usually stick to vampires and werewolves, however I liked how JD Monroe described her dragon characters. I envisioned scales like gemstones of different colors covering their strong bodies. In this series there are different type of dragons. Our main character, Tarek, can manipulate wind. He meets Gabrielle, a human, who is caring for his princess, and the adventures start when she is able to resist his mind control. Later in the book, it was revealed why she was able to do this. Deep down, I was hoping that she had something innate in her that would make her a bit more other worldly, but I liked how it was explained. The ending was very romantic with a little twist that you will have to read to find out.
December 20, 2025
"Wings of Stone" is the first book in "The Dragons of Ascavar" series by J.D. Monroe. This was an awesome dragon book. Gabrielle is trying to do her job and keep her patient safe and alive. While doing her job, Tarek shows up and says he needs to take Gabrielle's patient. Gabrielle does all she can to not allow it until Tarek shows her a world she never knew existed. The world building that J.D. wrote for this story was absolutely amazing. I couldn't get enough of this book and didn't want to put it down. The cover is what drew me in, and the storyline itself is what made me stay. I am definitely curious to see where the second book goes in this series. My favorite part was when Gabrielle made the decision of what she truly wanted.
June 10, 2017
A magical read!
A guardian...
A human...
That's thrown into the dangerous world of dragons, magic and ancient wars...
And a growing attraction between them...
Can these two souls from different worlds find love?
An enjoyable read that will leave you excited for the next chapter.
I loved reading about the world of Ascavar and its secrets and mysterious. Be prepared because when you are reading about this world, you be most definitely be transported alongside the action!
Full of dragons, magic, ancient wars, danger, lust, attraction, mystery, unknown enemies and romance.
Perfect for readers of paranormal romance/fantasy.
A guardian...
A human...
That's thrown into the dangerous world of dragons, magic and ancient wars...
And a growing attraction between them...
Can these two souls from different worlds find love?
An enjoyable read that will leave you excited for the next chapter.
I loved reading about the world of Ascavar and its secrets and mysterious. Be prepared because when you are reading about this world, you be most definitely be transported alongside the action!
Full of dragons, magic, ancient wars, danger, lust, attraction, mystery, unknown enemies and romance.
Perfect for readers of paranormal romance/fantasy.
November 30, 2020
I love a good paranormal book - hot dragons make it even better! I hadn't read any books by J.D. Monroe before but it was pretty hard to put this one down. The descriptions were very real and I could almost imagine the landscape of Ascavar myself. Tarek and Gabrielle really clicked and it was a real eye-opening experience for her to travel through the gate to Tarek's homeland and learn of the existence of the world of the dragons plus be involved in the battle that now threatens this new world when the dragons consider lowly humans so much beneath them. I immediately went to sign up for updates from the author and read her prequel that is available to read for free if you follow her.
May 11, 2021
I found this hard to get into at first. A book has to grab me straight away and this one didn't. However, I persevered and managed to finish it.
Dont get the wrong impression, this wasn't a bad book, I just felt it lacked something.
The descriptions are very good and I could easily imagine the landscapes. The main characters of Tarek and Gabrielle were likeable.
The continual mention of Tarek's 'failure' and guilt I found annoying and my interest in the story dipped in places.
Would I read the next book in the series? Possibly. Would i buy it? No.
This book left me feeling as if it could have been a great book, but somehow missed out.
Dont get the wrong impression, this wasn't a bad book, I just felt it lacked something.
The descriptions are very good and I could easily imagine the landscapes. The main characters of Tarek and Gabrielle were likeable.
The continual mention of Tarek's 'failure' and guilt I found annoying and my interest in the story dipped in places.
Would I read the next book in the series? Possibly. Would i buy it? No.
This book left me feeling as if it could have been a great book, but somehow missed out.
June 15, 2017
I was offered a copy of this book & decided to give it a go. I have been enjoying reading books involving dragon shifters & this book is another noteworthy addition to this trope.
Tarek is a bodyguard for the princess & becomes involved with a human doctor after the princess is injured. Plenty of action, sexual tension (without a lot of gratuitous sex scenes) and a great story. It is always nice when the reader can relate to the characters & J.D. does a good job of making these characters come to life.
I look forward to seeing what happens next with the Dragons of Ascavar.
Tarek is a bodyguard for the princess & becomes involved with a human doctor after the princess is injured. Plenty of action, sexual tension (without a lot of gratuitous sex scenes) and a great story. It is always nice when the reader can relate to the characters & J.D. does a good job of making these characters come to life.
I look forward to seeing what happens next with the Dragons of Ascavar.
November 24, 2020
The fact that I LOVED this story totally took me by surprise! I expected a quick read with a lot more romance, but this book quickly works it magic on you. The first 6 chapters or so, set the scene with Dr Gabrielle caring for an unknown but badly injured patient, and with Tarek searching for his dragon princess who is missing. The two worlds collide and amongst lots of drama, Gabby finds herself taken to the dragon realm... where things there are very very dangerous, especially if you're a human that no one trusts.
December 2, 2020
A Tasty Tease of A Story
Wings of Stone ( The Dragons of Ascavar Book 1)
By JD Monroe.
4 Stars on subject matter but I give it a 3 for length of the story.
When the author said at the end, I hope you enjoyed a taste of..., I was like, What? This wasn't a taste it was a tease, lol. A very curious Tease of a story that has me wanting to continue with the next book to see what happens.
Quick Read.
I have voluntarily read this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review for it. Reviewer for Nook Books and More Blog.
Wings of Stone ( The Dragons of Ascavar Book 1)
By JD Monroe.
4 Stars on subject matter but I give it a 3 for length of the story.
When the author said at the end, I hope you enjoyed a taste of..., I was like, What? This wasn't a taste it was a tease, lol. A very curious Tease of a story that has me wanting to continue with the next book to see what happens.
Quick Read.
I have voluntarily read this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review for it. Reviewer for Nook Books and More Blog.
September 12, 2022
Interesting story and characters
Hopefully in one of the stories set in this universe the dragons which attacked toward the end of this book will be better explored and explained. Maybe it ties into some of what was hinted at for the deeper history and maybe it is something new. In any case this book had a lot of action, fun characters and was a blast to read. I recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series, even though those others in the series look to be individual stories to hopefully fill out the universe a bit more vs a continuation.
Hopefully in one of the stories set in this universe the dragons which attacked toward the end of this book will be better explored and explained. Maybe it ties into some of what was hinted at for the deeper history and maybe it is something new. In any case this book had a lot of action, fun characters and was a blast to read. I recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series, even though those others in the series look to be individual stories to hopefully fill out the universe a bit more vs a continuation.
May 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this story. It has a fantastic world building, and plot with plenty of action, and just the right amount of romance.
I like the storyline Monroe has build, the mix of dragon and human worlds. It definitely pulls you in and keeps you engaged.
The main characters are amazing with great chemistry. I really enjoy how the romance build over the course of the book and it wasn’t sex at first sight kind of story.
Also this a new author for me and I am glad that I found this series. I will be definitely reading the rest in the series.
I got this on KU
I like the storyline Monroe has build, the mix of dragon and human worlds. It definitely pulls you in and keeps you engaged.
The main characters are amazing with great chemistry. I really enjoy how the romance build over the course of the book and it wasn’t sex at first sight kind of story.
Also this a new author for me and I am glad that I found this series. I will be definitely reading the rest in the series.
I got this on KU
February 5, 2022
Strange new dragon shifter series
This story starts off strange and gets even more strange the farther you read. The world building is good and the characters are likable. It is about an ER Dr who comes in contact with a man who turns into a dragon. I'm her pursuit to help her patient she helps him as well. This eventually leads her into another world on the brink of war. Well worth reading.
This story starts off strange and gets even more strange the farther you read. The world building is good and the characters are likable. It is about an ER Dr who comes in contact with a man who turns into a dragon. I'm her pursuit to help her patient she helps him as well. This eventually leads her into another world on the brink of war. Well worth reading.
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