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The Warriors of Love & Magic #3
The Dragon Hunter
Kill the dragon, or rescue his heart?
Rycard Serod's band of hunters is in dire straits. Deep in the borderlands overrun with plague, starvation, and the brutal Boa Visk armies, the hunters are out of money, out of food, and half a continent away from their winter camp, with storms close on their heels. Their only chance of survival is the bounty Rycard has accepted, the largest they've ever been offered. The downside—they'll be working for the Boa Visk. The other downside—they'll be hunting a dragon. Luckily, they don't have to kill the dragon. Just bring him back alive in all his fire-breathing, magic-wielding glory to the Boa Visk, who want him for their own dark purposes. But when Rycard finally has the dragon in his sights, he begins to question his decision. The dragon's not only a powerful beast, he can transform into a man—a beautiful, wise, honorable man, who makes Rycard's war-weary heart long for the balm of the dragon's touch.
Vorgon Graydalon will do anything to keep the humans of his valley safe, even if it means war with the Boa Visk. But the unexpected arrival of a band of hunters has endangered everything—his freedom, his people, and even his own kind, hidden away on their remote island far from the Boa Visk threat. He can't understand why Rycard, who claims to hunt monsters, would take Boa Visk gold to hunt him, the one creature who protects the humans. But when Rycard forces him to reveal his secret and shift into human form, Vorgon cannot refuse. There is too much at stake. And the way Rycard looks at him makes something wild and primitive awaken in Vorgon's heart. He's not sure if the dragon hunter will be the key to his salvation, or the key to his destruction, and that of all his kind. But after a night in the hunter's embrace, he's powerless to walk away...
Rycard Serod's band of hunters is in dire straits. Deep in the borderlands overrun with plague, starvation, and the brutal Boa Visk armies, the hunters are out of money, out of food, and half a continent away from their winter camp, with storms close on their heels. Their only chance of survival is the bounty Rycard has accepted, the largest they've ever been offered. The downside—they'll be working for the Boa Visk. The other downside—they'll be hunting a dragon. Luckily, they don't have to kill the dragon. Just bring him back alive in all his fire-breathing, magic-wielding glory to the Boa Visk, who want him for their own dark purposes. But when Rycard finally has the dragon in his sights, he begins to question his decision. The dragon's not only a powerful beast, he can transform into a man—a beautiful, wise, honorable man, who makes Rycard's war-weary heart long for the balm of the dragon's touch.
Vorgon Graydalon will do anything to keep the humans of his valley safe, even if it means war with the Boa Visk. But the unexpected arrival of a band of hunters has endangered everything—his freedom, his people, and even his own kind, hidden away on their remote island far from the Boa Visk threat. He can't understand why Rycard, who claims to hunt monsters, would take Boa Visk gold to hunt him, the one creature who protects the humans. But when Rycard forces him to reveal his secret and shift into human form, Vorgon cannot refuse. There is too much at stake. And the way Rycard looks at him makes something wild and primitive awaken in Vorgon's heart. He's not sure if the dragon hunter will be the key to his salvation, or the key to his destruction, and that of all his kind. But after a night in the hunter's embrace, he's powerless to walk away...
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2017
8 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Fox
11 books28 followersAC Fox writes m/m romance that shows us the beauty of real passion and real men, in all their glory. Alpha or beta, old or young, out or still struggling, AC’s characters prove that love–between long-time lovers or strangers on the train–truly will conquer all.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 15, 2017
2,5 stars.
This is the third story in the series, they all take place in the same world but have different characters. I liked this one a lot less than the previous two. For one thing, it was kinda boring; it didn't hold my attention all that good and I was skimming some. And secondly, I've never warmed up to one of the main characters, Ryckard. He was going to sell another person - a man, a dragon, whatever, but an innocent anyway - to be tortured to death. Sure, he regretted it after the dragon saved him and his friends but not nearly enough, in my opinion. I didn't really understand what made Vorgon fall in love with him. So, the romance part wasn't good either.
And Ryckard's friends, other hunters - meh, what a bunch of unpleasant people, why was I supposed to care if they lived or not?
This is the third story in the series, they all take place in the same world but have different characters. I liked this one a lot less than the previous two. For one thing, it was kinda boring; it didn't hold my attention all that good and I was skimming some. And secondly, I've never warmed up to one of the main characters, Ryckard. He was going to sell another person - a man, a dragon, whatever, but an innocent anyway - to be tortured to death. Sure, he regretted it after the dragon saved him and his friends but not nearly enough, in my opinion. I didn't really understand what made Vorgon fall in love with him. So, the romance part wasn't good either.
And Ryckard's friends, other hunters - meh, what a bunch of unpleasant people, why was I supposed to care if they lived or not?
December 22, 2021
**grm**
Interesting sequel, in which some scenes annoyed me, others made me smile and maybe the romance was only an after thought(almost at the end), but I still enjoyed the story. I really wish that the author gave us a real epilogue. I understand that this is a series, but each book has the feel of a stand alone story, so I think they should have added a better closure to it. We still don't know much about the Boa Visk and how the war is going, and I really hope that the 2 last books will give an explanation to many of the questions left unanswered.
Ps= I would have left the hunters to their destiny. And about the Boa Visk using hostages to avoid being hit..Well if one life can save hundreds, I would have still acted.
Interesting sequel, in which some scenes annoyed me, others made me smile and maybe the romance was only an after thought(almost at the end), but I still enjoyed the story. I really wish that the author gave us a real epilogue. I understand that this is a series, but each book has the feel of a stand alone story, so I think they should have added a better closure to it. We still don't know much about the Boa Visk and how the war is going, and I really hope that the 2 last books will give an explanation to many of the questions left unanswered.
Ps= I would have left the hunters to their destiny. And about the Boa Visk using hostages to avoid being hit..Well if one life can save hundreds, I would have still acted.
June 24, 2017
Atrocious series name. The story would've been good if it wasn't so boring.
July 8, 2021
Excellent, action packed read!
November 26, 2017
3.75 stars
The writing and editing were extremely good. Wonderful storyline. Good character development and excellent world building...but there was something missing. That "pop" that makes you slap five stars on a great story. Perhaps because the two main characters were a bit sappy. Maybe because our antagonists were noticeably underdeveloped...the readers are led to believe they are terrifying, skilled warriors but we see little evidence of that as the story progresses. I think if the author had chosen to fully develop the blood priest, it might have given the story the edge it lacked.
The writing and editing were extremely good. Wonderful storyline. Good character development and excellent world building...but there was something missing. That "pop" that makes you slap five stars on a great story. Perhaps because the two main characters were a bit sappy. Maybe because our antagonists were noticeably underdeveloped...the readers are led to believe they are terrifying, skilled warriors but we see little evidence of that as the story progresses. I think if the author had chosen to fully develop the blood priest, it might have given the story the edge it lacked.
April 20, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
A good fantasy novel is always going to catch my attention, so when I read the blurb on this one, I knew I wanted to give it a try. Not having read this author, or the other books in the series, I was a little wary. But the writing is smooth and descriptive, firmly grounding the reader in the world. And the book works just fine as a standalone, as all the stories are just in a shared world with a common enemy.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed was the way information was revealed at a steady pace. In a book like this, the urge to info dump is strong, so I really appreciated the way the author gave us everything we needed to know in a natural way. As part of the story, we are told exactly what enemies this world faces, how things work, the magic system, and the myth and lore surrounding both humans and dragons. As such, it was easy to get lost and really fall into the story, journeying along with Rycard and Vorgon.
The characters were well drawn and consistent, while still showing growth. The mantel of leadership has worn on Rycard, but he has an incredibly strong sense of loyalty. His people mean the world to him, and he takes responsibility for the choices he makes. He has no illusions as to what and how he is, but he will not back down from what he thinks is right. Vorgon is cut from the same cloth, but he has a more zen approach to how he deals with it. Together, they were a perfect complement, balancing each other out while striving for the same goal. I loved these guys, apart and together, and everything about their personalities worked for me.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
A good fantasy novel is always going to catch my attention, so when I read the blurb on this one, I knew I wanted to give it a try. Not having read this author, or the other books in the series, I was a little wary. But the writing is smooth and descriptive, firmly grounding the reader in the world. And the book works just fine as a standalone, as all the stories are just in a shared world with a common enemy.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed was the way information was revealed at a steady pace. In a book like this, the urge to info dump is strong, so I really appreciated the way the author gave us everything we needed to know in a natural way. As part of the story, we are told exactly what enemies this world faces, how things work, the magic system, and the myth and lore surrounding both humans and dragons. As such, it was easy to get lost and really fall into the story, journeying along with Rycard and Vorgon.
The characters were well drawn and consistent, while still showing growth. The mantel of leadership has worn on Rycard, but he has an incredibly strong sense of loyalty. His people mean the world to him, and he takes responsibility for the choices he makes. He has no illusions as to what and how he is, but he will not back down from what he thinks is right. Vorgon is cut from the same cloth, but he has a more zen approach to how he deals with it. Together, they were a perfect complement, balancing each other out while striving for the same goal. I loved these guys, apart and together, and everything about their personalities worked for me.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
April 26, 2017
A.C Fox is quickly becoming a go-to author for me for m/m fantasy. Excellent stuff.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews