What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last Dragon Princess
Her birth was an act of treason.
But now she’s their last hope.
Born with the marks,
She must choose the next King,
And stand against the Gods
On this world, the created have turned against their Creators. War has raged for generations – the Creators fight to regain their power over the Hisgeii, and the Hisgeii strive to escape enslavement and claim the world as their own. Some Hisgeii are born with intricate, branching red marks on their backs. The marked men are called Shifters and can transform into dragons with magical abilities specific to their caste. The female marked are called Breeders and are treated as royalty amongst the Hisgeii.
Danu is one such Breeder, though her markings came with a steep price. She has recently come of age, and in order to become Queen, the Council has commanded her to choose a mate to be her King.
Danu is of the last generation of Hisgeii with any hope to defeat their would-be enslavers. With time running out, she must navigate the heated political climate, learn what it means to be a marked member of the lowest caste, decipher the complex and torrid history of the war between the Hisgeii and the Creators, differentiate between outright lies and mere twisted stories of ancient legend, fight alongside a flock of dragon Shifters against powerful aliens believed to be immortal gods, deal with a rogue Shifter whose body bares unusual scars, and unite with a mate to decide on the future of her people.
Seems easy enough… except she has only two weeks to do it.
“The Last Dragon Princess” follows Danu as she seeks to lead her people, find her place, and choose a love to balance her as she takes the throne. Fans of dragon shifter fantasy, reverse harems, Greek mythology, and fast-paced adventures loaded with romance and political intrigue will love this unexpected and one-of-a-kind epic novel.
This is a standalone novel with NO cliffhangers!
But now she’s their last hope.
Born with the marks,
She must choose the next King,
And stand against the Gods
On this world, the created have turned against their Creators. War has raged for generations – the Creators fight to regain their power over the Hisgeii, and the Hisgeii strive to escape enslavement and claim the world as their own. Some Hisgeii are born with intricate, branching red marks on their backs. The marked men are called Shifters and can transform into dragons with magical abilities specific to their caste. The female marked are called Breeders and are treated as royalty amongst the Hisgeii.
Danu is one such Breeder, though her markings came with a steep price. She has recently come of age, and in order to become Queen, the Council has commanded her to choose a mate to be her King.
Danu is of the last generation of Hisgeii with any hope to defeat their would-be enslavers. With time running out, she must navigate the heated political climate, learn what it means to be a marked member of the lowest caste, decipher the complex and torrid history of the war between the Hisgeii and the Creators, differentiate between outright lies and mere twisted stories of ancient legend, fight alongside a flock of dragon Shifters against powerful aliens believed to be immortal gods, deal with a rogue Shifter whose body bares unusual scars, and unite with a mate to decide on the future of her people.
Seems easy enough… except she has only two weeks to do it.
“The Last Dragon Princess” follows Danu as she seeks to lead her people, find her place, and choose a love to balance her as she takes the throne. Fans of dragon shifter fantasy, reverse harems, Greek mythology, and fast-paced adventures loaded with romance and political intrigue will love this unexpected and one-of-a-kind epic novel.
This is a standalone novel with NO cliffhangers!
365 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2018
19 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 8, 2018
The Last Dragon Princess is easily one of my favourite debut novels I have ever had the pleasure in reading, offering an empowering spin on the princess and reverse harem (i.e. female MC with multiple male suitors) narratives.
The novel opens with a “coming of age ceremony”, whereby the most powerful Shifters (i.e. those who possess the ability to shape-shift into dragons) display their abilities and strength to prove themselves worthy of the Warrior title, and the Breeders (i.e. females who are naturally able to birth Shifter offspring) prepare themselves for marriage.
As the youngest and last Breeder able to produce Shifters, the novel’s protagonist, Danu, is responsible for the fate of her people, the Hisgeii. Following the conclusion of the ceremony, she is to be the new Queen and must select one of the recently appointed Warriors to be her King.
These Warriors are:
- Fenrir, her childhood crush with the exotic blue eyes
- Hagen, an honest and noble Shifter whose natural leadership abilities makes him the most logical choice for the position
- Aegir, a Shifter led by impulse and his hunger for battle
- Pan, flirtatious, playful and widely regarded as the most attractive of the group.
There is also the mysterious Garm, an older Warrior, whose political ideology has left him an outcast within his own society. With his put-on accent and shifty activities, Danu is unable to trust him and quickly suspects his involvement with the recent disappearance of several respected Warriors.
What is immediately about this novel is the way in which it challenges traditional gender roles. While the “marked” women in Hisgeii society are expected to be breeders and nurturers for future generations - any titles merely serving as figureheads - the “marked” men are hailed as the protectors and heroes, leaving little room for these barriers to be crossed. Danu, however, refuses to be confined by these expectations and soon resists the passivity trained into her as a Breeder. I feel that this offers a strong and positive message to the young female readership who will engaging with the narrative.
Hisgeii’s caste system further alludes to the issues of class-based stereotyping and prejudice. As Sparks (the lowest caste), Danu and her twin brother, Lares, are perceived to be lesser than those of higher castes and (without giving too much away) it later becomes apparent just how ingrained this inequality is within Hisgeii society.
In addition to lovers YA Fantasy, I also recommend this novel to readers who appreciate science-fiction elements interwoven in with traditional fantasy narratives, as well as those who are interested in Greek Mythology. In regards to the latter, much of Hisgeii lore is rooted in Greek Mythology and as you get further on into the novel, you will come across an interesting take on some of its most well known and recognisable myths.
The novel opens with a “coming of age ceremony”, whereby the most powerful Shifters (i.e. those who possess the ability to shape-shift into dragons) display their abilities and strength to prove themselves worthy of the Warrior title, and the Breeders (i.e. females who are naturally able to birth Shifter offspring) prepare themselves for marriage.
As the youngest and last Breeder able to produce Shifters, the novel’s protagonist, Danu, is responsible for the fate of her people, the Hisgeii. Following the conclusion of the ceremony, she is to be the new Queen and must select one of the recently appointed Warriors to be her King.
These Warriors are:
- Fenrir, her childhood crush with the exotic blue eyes
- Hagen, an honest and noble Shifter whose natural leadership abilities makes him the most logical choice for the position
- Aegir, a Shifter led by impulse and his hunger for battle
- Pan, flirtatious, playful and widely regarded as the most attractive of the group.
There is also the mysterious Garm, an older Warrior, whose political ideology has left him an outcast within his own society. With his put-on accent and shifty activities, Danu is unable to trust him and quickly suspects his involvement with the recent disappearance of several respected Warriors.
What is immediately about this novel is the way in which it challenges traditional gender roles. While the “marked” women in Hisgeii society are expected to be breeders and nurturers for future generations - any titles merely serving as figureheads - the “marked” men are hailed as the protectors and heroes, leaving little room for these barriers to be crossed. Danu, however, refuses to be confined by these expectations and soon resists the passivity trained into her as a Breeder. I feel that this offers a strong and positive message to the young female readership who will engaging with the narrative.
Hisgeii’s caste system further alludes to the issues of class-based stereotyping and prejudice. As Sparks (the lowest caste), Danu and her twin brother, Lares, are perceived to be lesser than those of higher castes and (without giving too much away) it later becomes apparent just how ingrained this inequality is within Hisgeii society.
In addition to lovers YA Fantasy, I also recommend this novel to readers who appreciate science-fiction elements interwoven in with traditional fantasy narratives, as well as those who are interested in Greek Mythology. In regards to the latter, much of Hisgeii lore is rooted in Greek Mythology and as you get further on into the novel, you will come across an interesting take on some of its most well known and recognisable myths.
December 1, 2018
Guys, this book!!!! I'm so glad I agreed to review it and I can't wait see what else we get from this debut indie author. The Last Dragon Princess begins as a new adult fantasy romance with dragon shifters, but then it takes some turns that I didn't expect and absolutely loved! It is a book about resistance, love, and forging your own destiny. It is full of political intrigue, thrilling twists, strong world-building, and in the latter part of the book, takes a rather violent turn in a very satisfying way. While I would be thrilled to get more from this world, it works as a standalone novel. So if you're worried about a cliffhanger ending, have no fear!
The story follows Danu, a young woman born to the lowest caste in her society, but with markings that promote her to royalty as a Breeder able to birth male dragon shifters. Her people, the Hisgeii, have long been at war with the Creators and she is now their last hope. Danu must select a husband, so we see her develop different kinds of relationships with several men through the course of the book, but I felt all of it was handled very well. Danu begins the book as a very naive and too-trusting young woman in a culture with strictly gendered role delineations. Both of which made me a little nervous, but it all worked out to my satisfaction by the end of the book.
I don't want to elaborate too much because of spoilers, but I also loved the scientific element of the world-building here! The author has a degree in biology and by the end of the book, it really shows in a compelling way. While some of this is clearly magical, I love it when books make an effort to include an element of scientific realism where appropriate, and we get that here. In terms of content, while Danu does develop multiple relationships, some of which contain a physical element, there is a "fade to black" approach rather than explicit sex scenes. As I mentioned, there is a good bit of violence and death. Overall, it took a few chapters for me to really get into this, but once I did, I was completely hooked! I loved the direction it took and look forward to reading more from the author. Definitely recommend as a strong indie option. I did receive a copy for review from the author. All opinions are my own.
The story follows Danu, a young woman born to the lowest caste in her society, but with markings that promote her to royalty as a Breeder able to birth male dragon shifters. Her people, the Hisgeii, have long been at war with the Creators and she is now their last hope. Danu must select a husband, so we see her develop different kinds of relationships with several men through the course of the book, but I felt all of it was handled very well. Danu begins the book as a very naive and too-trusting young woman in a culture with strictly gendered role delineations. Both of which made me a little nervous, but it all worked out to my satisfaction by the end of the book.
I don't want to elaborate too much because of spoilers, but I also loved the scientific element of the world-building here! The author has a degree in biology and by the end of the book, it really shows in a compelling way. While some of this is clearly magical, I love it when books make an effort to include an element of scientific realism where appropriate, and we get that here. In terms of content, while Danu does develop multiple relationships, some of which contain a physical element, there is a "fade to black" approach rather than explicit sex scenes. As I mentioned, there is a good bit of violence and death. Overall, it took a few chapters for me to really get into this, but once I did, I was completely hooked! I loved the direction it took and look forward to reading more from the author. Definitely recommend as a strong indie option. I did receive a copy for review from the author. All opinions are my own.
September 12, 2018
I was recently offered an opportunity to read an advance copy of The Last Dragon Princess by Cynthia Payne. It's a good time to read about dragon royalty considering that Netflix is releasing their original animated series The Dragon Prince later this week. The Last Dragon Princess currently has a release date of October 2nd. I think it will have a lot of appeal to people who enjoy dragon lore. It's not exactly written in the format of a fairy tale, but it instead incorporates Greek mythology and a lot of fantasy style world building. I think it would be most enjoyed most by people who liked stories such as The Handmaid's Tale and Game of Thrones. Though not nearly as explicit, the book incorporates similar themes of conquering kingdoms and using women as a tool to continue important lineages.
The Last Dragon Princess takes place in a world of people known as "hisgeii." Those among them who are "shifters" have the ability to transform into dragons at will. Danu, the main character, is a "breeder," meaning that she is the only person can produce more shifters, but she is also the last of her kind. Without her, the hisgeii would lose their ability to turn into dragons, making shifters extinct. Just like any other story involving politics, the shifters are divided into a caste system and judged based on their ranking. Danu is the lowest form of shifter called a spark, so she struggles to earn the respect she deserves as the last breeder, which is normally a renowned position. All of the decisions Danu makes must revolve around the well-being of her people and their future because she represents their last hope. This is not a character-drive story. Danu has little desire to be free and accepts her responsibility with little to no regard of her own selfish desires.
The reason I don't consider this story a fairy tale is that fairy tales about princesses generally contain simple and straightforward romances. The princess always knows exactly who she wants to be with, and the two lovers fight for each other against all odds, usually resulting in a happy marriage. Danu spends most of the story being confused about which of the shifters she wants to give her heart to. Anyone who marries her would become king, so all of the male shifters pursue her regardless of their personal feelings, and she has trouble figuring out which ones genuinely care about her and which ones just want power, causing her to form many misplaced crushes. Even it was obvious to me who she was going to end up, I wouldn't consider this book particularly romantic. There was virtually no buildup to her final decision at the end of the book. Even her choice of who to marry in the first few chapters had absolutely nothing to do with love. It was instead about protecting her people from political corruption by picking the shifter most worthy to be king.
I did not find Danu very easy to relate to, but I don't think that took away from my overall enjoyment of the story. Her selfless willingness to do anything to ensure the future of the hisgeii shifters was admirable, but her flightiness of what she wanted on a personal level made it hard to root for her as a character. The book's plot picked up the most in the final few chapters when it introduced Greek mythology and hinted at the history of how hisgeii gained the ability to transform into dragons. I think Danu would have been a lot more interesting to read about if she knew how to transform into a dragon at the beginning of the story because that was one of the most interesting aspects of her world. It was all right to read about her riding her male companions when they transformed, but it wasn't the same as reading about it would it would be like first-hand, which was only expanded upon briefly at the end.
I think The Last Dragon Princess has the potential to be a beloved tale for the proper audience. As someone who prefers fairy tales and straightforward romance, there were things in it that I had difficulty relating to. Still, it was a very well-written book with a fully fleshed out fantasy world bursting with compelling original dragon mythology. Anyone who is a fan of dragons would love this book. The inclusion of Greek mythology was a clever twist that helped to make an unfamiliar world feel a little more familiar by incorporating stories that most people are already aware of. It's also a great book for people who enjoy reading about political corruption in fantasy worlds. If any of these things sound like they appeal to you, be sure to keep an eye out for its release next month!
The Last Dragon Princess takes place in a world of people known as "hisgeii." Those among them who are "shifters" have the ability to transform into dragons at will. Danu, the main character, is a "breeder," meaning that she is the only person can produce more shifters, but she is also the last of her kind. Without her, the hisgeii would lose their ability to turn into dragons, making shifters extinct. Just like any other story involving politics, the shifters are divided into a caste system and judged based on their ranking. Danu is the lowest form of shifter called a spark, so she struggles to earn the respect she deserves as the last breeder, which is normally a renowned position. All of the decisions Danu makes must revolve around the well-being of her people and their future because she represents their last hope. This is not a character-drive story. Danu has little desire to be free and accepts her responsibility with little to no regard of her own selfish desires.
The reason I don't consider this story a fairy tale is that fairy tales about princesses generally contain simple and straightforward romances. The princess always knows exactly who she wants to be with, and the two lovers fight for each other against all odds, usually resulting in a happy marriage. Danu spends most of the story being confused about which of the shifters she wants to give her heart to. Anyone who marries her would become king, so all of the male shifters pursue her regardless of their personal feelings, and she has trouble figuring out which ones genuinely care about her and which ones just want power, causing her to form many misplaced crushes. Even it was obvious to me who she was going to end up, I wouldn't consider this book particularly romantic. There was virtually no buildup to her final decision at the end of the book. Even her choice of who to marry in the first few chapters had absolutely nothing to do with love. It was instead about protecting her people from political corruption by picking the shifter most worthy to be king.
I did not find Danu very easy to relate to, but I don't think that took away from my overall enjoyment of the story. Her selfless willingness to do anything to ensure the future of the hisgeii shifters was admirable, but her flightiness of what she wanted on a personal level made it hard to root for her as a character. The book's plot picked up the most in the final few chapters when it introduced Greek mythology and hinted at the history of how hisgeii gained the ability to transform into dragons. I think Danu would have been a lot more interesting to read about if she knew how to transform into a dragon at the beginning of the story because that was one of the most interesting aspects of her world. It was all right to read about her riding her male companions when they transformed, but it wasn't the same as reading about it would it would be like first-hand, which was only expanded upon briefly at the end.
I think The Last Dragon Princess has the potential to be a beloved tale for the proper audience. As someone who prefers fairy tales and straightforward romance, there were things in it that I had difficulty relating to. Still, it was a very well-written book with a fully fleshed out fantasy world bursting with compelling original dragon mythology. Anyone who is a fan of dragons would love this book. The inclusion of Greek mythology was a clever twist that helped to make an unfamiliar world feel a little more familiar by incorporating stories that most people are already aware of. It's also a great book for people who enjoy reading about political corruption in fantasy worlds. If any of these things sound like they appeal to you, be sure to keep an eye out for its release next month!
October 4, 2018
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Last Dragon Princess is a young adult standalone fantasy romance by Cynthia Payne. I really loved so many things about The Last Dragon Princess. I love dragon shifters, I loved the detailed world that Cynthia Payne created, I loved the large cast of characters (some more than others) and I really loved that this was a completely standalone novel. Don't get me wrong, I love series, but every once in a while it is really nice to be able to start and finish a story within one novel.
Fans of fantasy novels that feature rich world, and lots of secrets and court politics will really enjoy The Last Dragon Princess. I loved all of the layers to this story. In The Last Dragon Princess we meet Danu, who is one of the few remaining breeders- or a woman who can birth a dragon shifter, left in the kingdom. There are plenty of secrets that surround Danu and some of the other characters in the book, but I will let you discover them for yourself. Danu is offered up to have her mate selected by the council to become their next Queen. They need a breeder that can produce more powerful dragon shifters because their country is at war with a much more powerful enemy, called the Creators.
Through trying to pick her mate, Danu uncovers more secrets and is quickly immersed in a very high stakes adventure. I loved how the story kept growing and growing as we learned more about the world and the players. The Last Dragon Princess is a book that honestly kept getting better and better. There are five main dragon shifters present in the story. The only one I really liked was Garm. I wanted to like some of the other guys more, and I really wish that I did. (I think that would have made everything just a bit more interesting) but I really didn't. Fenrir was just way too surface level and full of himself. Hagen was ok but he was too much of a follower, Aegir was just....no, and Pan. Well Pan is adorable but he is just not my type. I liked Garm the more I got to know him, and ultimately I loved Garm. I will explain more of what I mean in this spoiler, but be warned...it IS a spoiler.
Cynthia Payne really, really impressed me with this story. I loved The Last Dragon Princess, and honestly, I can't wait for more novels from her. I love the way she creates a fantasy world. The Last Dragon Princess was interesting from start to finish. I think fans of fantasy romances will really love this standalone epic fantasy.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Fans of fantasy novels that feature rich world, and lots of secrets and court politics will really enjoy The Last Dragon Princess. I loved all of the layers to this story. In The Last Dragon Princess we meet Danu, who is one of the few remaining breeders- or a woman who can birth a dragon shifter, left in the kingdom. There are plenty of secrets that surround Danu and some of the other characters in the book, but I will let you discover them for yourself. Danu is offered up to have her mate selected by the council to become their next Queen. They need a breeder that can produce more powerful dragon shifters because their country is at war with a much more powerful enemy, called the Creators.
Through trying to pick her mate, Danu uncovers more secrets and is quickly immersed in a very high stakes adventure. I loved how the story kept growing and growing as we learned more about the world and the players. The Last Dragon Princess is a book that honestly kept getting better and better. There are five main dragon shifters present in the story. The only one I really liked was Garm. I wanted to like some of the other guys more, and I really wish that I did. (I think that would have made everything just a bit more interesting) but I really didn't. Fenrir was just way too surface level and full of himself. Hagen was ok but he was too much of a follower, Aegir was just....no, and Pan. Well Pan is adorable but he is just not my type. I liked Garm the more I got to know him, and ultimately I loved Garm. I will explain more of what I mean in this spoiler, but be warned...it IS a spoiler.
Cynthia Payne really, really impressed me with this story. I loved The Last Dragon Princess, and honestly, I can't wait for more novels from her. I love the way she creates a fantasy world. The Last Dragon Princess was interesting from start to finish. I think fans of fantasy romances will really love this standalone epic fantasy.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
January 12, 2020
Overall rating: 8/10
Things to know about this book THERE ARE DRAGONS, so honestly, it’s just ridiculous if you don’t read it. Furthermore, it’s a debut novel, and I’m pretty sure it’s actually self-published, and that just impresses me further! Oh, and the cover is one of the most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen!!!
Now about this wonder: Danu is a Breeder, a woman capable of birthing male Shifters. Shifters are men who can shift to a dragon form and back and are also the only ones standing between the Hisgeii, the society of our heroes, and the Creators, immortal gods who have been an ever-present threat since the Hisgeii escaped their enslavement. Our story follows Danu as she comes of age, being the last Breeder of the Hisgeii, forever, who is subsequently, destined to be Queen and choose the next King. However, she is of the lowest cast of the societies, and, supposedly, cannot actually birth powerful Shifters, only ones of her own cast.
Overall, this book was wholly enjoyable because of MANY factors: Danu was a lovely main character, she wasn’t just a little girl who stayed at home while the burly dragons took care of stuff, but she also wasn’t your typical YA heroine that does EVERYTHING her superiors tell her not to do (yes I’m looking at you Katniss!) At some point in the book, she is asked to pick a King from the group of Shifters, which allows us to get to know all the supporting characters, who all seem one dimensional at first, but then flourish into well-rounded ones as times goes on! There were a few typos, they weren’t massive and don’t stop you from enjoying the story, but I think it’s important to talk about them!
Moreover, the magic system is well thought of and quite enjoyable, however, it’s also extremely fresh and imaginative. Of course, this sounds like a wonderful thing, but it creates one problem: you get SO MUCH exposition in the first couple of chapters that it honestly took me a while to actually get into it! Regardless, the second you are in it YOU ARE IN IT FOR GOOD! It’s an absolute page-turner! (aka I laid down with it at 21:15 and went to sleep at 2 am when I finished the book ajajajaj)In addition, the romance isn’t overpowering at all! It’s not that you don’t care about who Danu will end up with (I was definitely shipping!!!) however, you literally FORGET about the romance, there is an imminent alien invasion, romance is absolutely put on the back burner, but in a wonderful way!
As a conclusion: READ THIS BOOK NOW PLEASE, honestly, it’s wonderful and it just NEEDS to get to be well known, it's just too good to be true, pleaseeee just read it!!!
November 18, 2018
The Last Dragon Princess is a young adult, fantasy novel by Cynthia Payne. I was honored to be a beta reader for an earlier draft, and I purchased and reread it in order to review the official version of the book.
The story centers on a young woman named Danu, a so-called Breeder. Breeders are Hisgeii (aka people) with special marks whose sons will be special. The sons, known as Shifters, can transform into dragons. Depending on the parents' caste, the dragon will be born with certain powers. As the story starts, Danu's people are trapped within one city of her world, hemmed in by the approach of an enemy known as the "creators." Creators subjugated the Hisgeii until the people overthrew them and cast them into the far side of the world. Danu, the last Breeder of the Hisgeii, is about to take her vows when the council requests she choose the next king from the Shifters and marry him. Danu, unaware she was to become queen and choose the next king, is quite taken aback and overwhelmed by her newfound duties.
And this is only the first chapter.
This novel has many interesting elements which come together elegantly into a cohesive story. There's the reverse-harem aspect of Danu choosing a king, action sequences with the creators, a few romantic encounters, and dragon demonstrations and fighting aplenty. There's also intrigue: court politics, assassination attempts, and tricky alliances. About two-thirds through the book, the narrative takes a curious twist which I believe most readers won't see coming but will enjoy. After this turn of events, the tension mounts to an action-packed conclusion. Kudos to the author for an end that is both satisfying and complete.
The Last Dragon Princess is a worthwhile purchase. It has all of the elements of a great fantasy adventure: a charismatic main character, a detailed and descriptive setting, and, of course, dragons. So if you're looking for a dragon story with romance and suspense, look no further.
The story centers on a young woman named Danu, a so-called Breeder. Breeders are Hisgeii (aka people) with special marks whose sons will be special. The sons, known as Shifters, can transform into dragons. Depending on the parents' caste, the dragon will be born with certain powers. As the story starts, Danu's people are trapped within one city of her world, hemmed in by the approach of an enemy known as the "creators." Creators subjugated the Hisgeii until the people overthrew them and cast them into the far side of the world. Danu, the last Breeder of the Hisgeii, is about to take her vows when the council requests she choose the next king from the Shifters and marry him. Danu, unaware she was to become queen and choose the next king, is quite taken aback and overwhelmed by her newfound duties.
And this is only the first chapter.
This novel has many interesting elements which come together elegantly into a cohesive story. There's the reverse-harem aspect of Danu choosing a king, action sequences with the creators, a few romantic encounters, and dragon demonstrations and fighting aplenty. There's also intrigue: court politics, assassination attempts, and tricky alliances. About two-thirds through the book, the narrative takes a curious twist which I believe most readers won't see coming but will enjoy. After this turn of events, the tension mounts to an action-packed conclusion. Kudos to the author for an end that is both satisfying and complete.
The Last Dragon Princess is a worthwhile purchase. It has all of the elements of a great fantasy adventure: a charismatic main character, a detailed and descriptive setting, and, of course, dragons. So if you're looking for a dragon story with romance and suspense, look no further.
dnf
January 20, 2021 DNF 34%
Hahahaha I won’t lie the author got me in her dedication to her husband ...damn that was so sweet , and the dragon image after ... i looked to that photo for about 3 minutes trying to understand what was bothering me , and the thing is the dragon in the image doesn’t has horns hahaha damn how can a dragon don’t have horns? And who said dragons must have horns ? So complicated...
The world building in this book is really interesting don’t let you guessing or lost , I’m liking the introduction, we can see that Danu is ...f*cked because she is a spark and Breeder what apparently means she can’t bear shifters sons and this is bad for a Breeder , like really REALLY bad , we can see too that their...
People is dammed with their crumbling numbers of Warriors being lost.
Omg how the things wasn’t looking bad enough ...now is a plot , and our dumb girl Danu didn’t even saw that coming, I’m really worried for this lack of intelligence of ou female lead . And of all that “Warriors” boys , and the keyword is BOYS I like more Garm the spark rogue hahahaha damn I always pick the “dark horse” .
But one thing I don’t understand, the guy can shift in a dragon and he is a Spark too ...so why all the bullying with the Sparks ? I thought they were cast aside because ...idk they couldn’t turn , The main thing is he can be a f*cking DRAGON !!! And ok that Garm speak Spark dialect or whatever but...damn that is hard for me to understand hahaha English isn’t my first language and the guy speak all weird I’m like “WTF is he saying?” .
Hahaha he is so arrogant!!! I already love him f*ck me and by bad taste in man .
F*ck this girl is dumb...the guy just want to be king and she thinks he likes her ....damn I really hope she grows a brain . I’m not really liking Danu , everything she does is so ....argh I’m rolling my eyes every time she speaks or thinks ....aaaaaaargh she’s getting in my nerves really...
See? You don’t need even all your brain power to know this Calmus guy is rotted ...damn , the guy is practically ordering her to marry who he wants and plotting to take control of the “Crown” or whatever, she is so dumb that doesn’t even start thinking his actions are weird .
Well... my conclusion is I’m only still reading this book because of Garm , see? Even he know that Danu is a dumb stupid shi*. The girl is so ...I don’t know ,ignorant to everything ? and just fallows what everyone tell her to fallow , I don’t really know how is she going to have a Harem ? Like females that have a Harem must be ...different than she is . Is this even a RH ? Or I’m just having a delirious thought that I read this was a RH in some place? But I won’t lie I’m really impressed with Danu’s capacity of not stealing a glance to the Warriors dicks hahahaha seriously the guys are always naked!!!
Uh gurlll !! now the things are getting more interesting . Ok ...the girl has something that suspiciously look like a harem ... she kissed Fenrir , Hagen and Pan , we can’t forget she has the hots for my lovely Garm too .
F*ck this is one of these book that skips the sex scenes...you know this is really depressing seriously...and ...this now makes sense why she doesn’t look at the guys dicks...and that is my limit hahaha the storyline of the book is fun and all but Danu isn’t likable and doesn’t even has sex scenes what makes all look so childish, I’m not saying all good book has sex scenes but for the story and all of this book , the girl is called Breeder for gods sake !! And The book doesn’t has sex scenes ? ... I’ll stop here in 34% .
Hahahaha I won’t lie the author got me in her dedication to her husband ...damn that was so sweet , and the dragon image after ... i looked to that photo for about 3 minutes trying to understand what was bothering me , and the thing is the dragon in the image doesn’t has horns hahaha damn how can a dragon don’t have horns? And who said dragons must have horns ? So complicated...
The world building in this book is really interesting don’t let you guessing or lost , I’m liking the introduction, we can see that Danu is ...f*cked because she is a spark and Breeder what apparently means she can’t bear shifters sons and this is bad for a Breeder , like really REALLY bad , we can see too that their...
People is dammed with their crumbling numbers of Warriors being lost.
Omg how the things wasn’t looking bad enough ...now is a plot , and our dumb girl Danu didn’t even saw that coming, I’m really worried for this lack of intelligence of ou female lead . And of all that “Warriors” boys , and the keyword is BOYS I like more Garm the spark rogue hahahaha damn I always pick the “dark horse” .
“Garm ignored Pan and made a wide circle. When he spoke, he addressed the colosseum audience at large.
“What say you?” he cried at his highest volume. “Should I drow my name into de hat? Win the heart of de fair lady? Is it time for a Spark Warrior King?”
But one thing I don’t understand, the guy can shift in a dragon and he is a Spark too ...so why all the bullying with the Sparks ? I thought they were cast aside because ...idk they couldn’t turn , The main thing is he can be a f*cking DRAGON !!! And ok that Garm speak Spark dialect or whatever but...damn that is hard for me to understand hahaha English isn’t my first language and the guy speak all weird I’m like “WTF is he saying?” .
“De ayes have it, Cally.” He turned, blew a kiss towards Danu, then shifted into his dragon form and flew away from the thousands cheering his name”
Hahaha he is so arrogant!!! I already love him f*ck me and by bad taste in man .
“But… none of the young men had ever shown anything more than a casual friendliness to her either. Especially Fenrir. Directly across the table, with his golden blond hair and bright blue eyes so exotic amongst the Hisgeii, he was soliciting eye contact from her in an unmistakably flirtatious way. He would flicks his glance her way and add a little knowing smile when she met his eyes. A tiny surge of hope “blossomed inside Danu—was it at all possible that he, too, had been harboring feelings he’d been forced to hide?”
F*ck this girl is dumb...the guy just want to be king and she thinks he likes her ....damn I really hope she grows a brain . I’m not really liking Danu , everything she does is so ....argh I’m rolling my eyes every time she speaks or thinks ....aaaaaaargh she’s getting in my nerves really...
“Danu’s eyes went wide. Calmus? Execute Pyrrha? Calmus had always been nothing but kind to Danu, helping to guide her when the other higher castes shunned or merely tolerated her. Danu couldn’t imagine Calmus being so cruel as to execute anyone, especially Danu’s friend and mentor”
See? You don’t need even all your brain power to know this Calmus guy is rotted ...damn , the guy is practically ordering her to marry who he wants and plotting to take control of the “Crown” or whatever, she is so dumb that doesn’t even start thinking his actions are weird .
“Are you sure of that, Mom? Are you sure you can trust her? Because I don’t. She’s too friendly with Calmus, and he with her, clearly.”
“She’s just a girl, Garm.”
“If that’s true, if she’s not in on it, then she’s as stupid as she looks. And that’s even more dangerous.”
Well... my conclusion is I’m only still reading this book because of Garm , see? Even he know that Danu is a dumb stupid shi*. The girl is so ...I don’t know ,ignorant to everything ? and just fallows what everyone tell her to fallow , I don’t really know how is she going to have a Harem ? Like females that have a Harem must be ...different than she is . Is this even a RH ? Or I’m just having a delirious thought that I read this was a RH in some place? But I won’t lie I’m really impressed with Danu’s capacity of not stealing a glance to the Warriors dicks hahahaha seriously the guys are always naked!!!
“His chest was pressed against hers, his nose nearly touching her nose. Every molecule in her body yelled for her to roll her hips out, urge him on…”
Uh gurlll !! now the things are getting more interesting . Ok ...the girl has something that suspiciously look like a harem ... she kissed Fenrir , Hagen and Pan , we can’t forget she has the hots for my lovely Garm too .
F*ck this is one of these book that skips the sex scenes...you know this is really depressing seriously...and ...this now makes sense why she doesn’t look at the guys dicks...and that is my limit hahaha the storyline of the book is fun and all but Danu isn’t likable and doesn’t even has sex scenes what makes all look so childish, I’m not saying all good book has sex scenes but for the story and all of this book , the girl is called Breeder for gods sake !! And The book doesn’t has sex scenes ? ... I’ll stop here in 34% .
September 6, 2018
The Last Dragon Princess is quite lengthy and could be read by ages 14 and up.
This is set in an alien like world where the people are separated not by race, but by shifter type. Some are born with red markings on their backs that means they are shifter for makes and breeder for females. Danu is the last breeder, so even though she is a lowly spark, she will become Queen.
First of all, it's unfortunate that the cover isn't shown, because it is beautiful. This story has a lot going on. There is action and adventure. Danu knows she is a lowly spark, so is very unsure of herself. So Danu is really growing up, and go ding herself through this story. She learns about being deceived, heart break, trust, aggravation, true love, and who she really is. I really like the story about how this race originated.
I think the author has written woven complex plot with several interesting characters. My one complaint would be the multitude of charaters, but they don't all have to be remembered.
This book is well worth reading.
This is set in an alien like world where the people are separated not by race, but by shifter type. Some are born with red markings on their backs that means they are shifter for makes and breeder for females. Danu is the last breeder, so even though she is a lowly spark, she will become Queen.
First of all, it's unfortunate that the cover isn't shown, because it is beautiful. This story has a lot going on. There is action and adventure. Danu knows she is a lowly spark, so is very unsure of herself. So Danu is really growing up, and go ding herself through this story. She learns about being deceived, heart break, trust, aggravation, true love, and who she really is. I really like the story about how this race originated.
I think the author has written woven complex plot with several interesting characters. My one complaint would be the multitude of charaters, but they don't all have to be remembered.
This book is well worth reading.
December 1, 2019
I can't remember how this book came onto my radar. It could have been a youtube review, a goodreads list, or just generally searching around for romantic fantasies, particularly ones available on KU. I only wish I could remember so that I could disregard any future advice from that source, because WOW this book was a mess. I finished it (admittedly with some judicious skimming in the last half), but me giving up was a close thing.
As described in the book blurb, this has an interesting concept. The reality of it is a weird, convoluted, often incoherent pile of nonsensical backstory/world-building, jarring plot points, and inconsistent characters. Somehow, it managed to have a quickly-paced plot that dragged in a far-too-long book by virtue of often making no sense. The repetitive cadence of the sentences made them drag. Conflicts get tossed out and resolved within a short period, which largely did away with any possibility of good foreshadowing or sense of convergence as the end closed in. This included an early, underdeveloped antagonist who . The big reveal related to the eventual "Big Bad" was a confusing mix of —which I followed just fine, but it really didn't work for me.
There was one character that I liked somewhat (Garm), and he was my motivation for skimming to the end. Unfortunately, the whole resolution .
1.5 stars rounded up, wherein it gets that extra .5 star simply because I was interested enough to rush through this insanely-long book to see how the crazy ended.
As described in the book blurb, this has an interesting concept. The reality of it is a weird, convoluted, often incoherent pile of nonsensical backstory/world-building, jarring plot points, and inconsistent characters. Somehow, it managed to have a quickly-paced plot that dragged in a far-too-long book by virtue of often making no sense. The repetitive cadence of the sentences made them drag. Conflicts get tossed out and resolved within a short period, which largely did away with any possibility of good foreshadowing or sense of convergence as the end closed in. This included an early, underdeveloped antagonist who . The big reveal related to the eventual "Big Bad" was a confusing mix of —which I followed just fine, but it really didn't work for me.
There was one character that I liked somewhat (Garm), and he was my motivation for skimming to the end. Unfortunately, the whole resolution .
1.5 stars rounded up, wherein it gets that extra .5 star simply because I was interested enough to rush through this insanely-long book to see how the crazy ended.
Read
October 27, 2021I don't think it's fair to give a star rating for books I'm DNFing anymore, so I'll just say this-
For a first book? Pretty well written. For a first story? Erm...could've...been...better?
I don't know what I was expecting, but I thought I saw it advertised on Inkitt as a dragon romance, and then I saw a review by KRIMSON ROGUE, you know, the guy that made a ton of videos just on Twilight alone...so I thought, "Okay. It has to at least have a cohesive plot".
While it's not fair for me to judge the story since I stopped halfway, I can judge the worldbuilding, characters, and dialogue. It's only fair.
Worldbuilding seemed very half-buried in mystery, whether to be revealed at a later date or at the end of the book, I'm not sure. I don't know what the purpose or point is to this reverse harem, dragon shapeshifting edition of the bachelorette, but the characters all seemed one-note. Distant. Not really human, not really people to get to know. The types of characters who only go as far as their boasted personality trait. You know- funny fuck boi, the cool mysterious guy who sneaks into your room at night, the tall and imposing OBVIOUS choice for anyone BUT our protagonist.
I couldn't seem to figure out why this was necessary in this world? I mean, I guess breeders are going extinct, but...pardon my crude gutter mind....wouldn't this mean that...anyone and everyone who's a dragon would quality as said 'husband'? Why even get married?
Might've been an interesting choice to go the WHITHER approach, where she has multiple husbands so she can give birth to multiple different types of dragons, but...the caste system doesn't seem to make sense, either. Why are the fire-dragon clan (Sparks) the poor and lowly ones? You'd think they would be the more powerful?
But then, there are other breeders in this story so maybe I read wrong or missed something.
Also, why was her brother entered in this...selection? Was that just a part of the 'you've become a man' ceremony? What's the point if 'becoming a man' means you're supposed to be selected for a breeder?
She's very easy to WOO, and that IMO doesn't make her likeable. NoT BeCAuSe sHe'S a HOE. Simply because to me, it's more entertaining if it's a kind of...cat and mouse game. Although, where there seemed to be issues and conflicts, they're brushed of in the following few pages instead of using said conflict to heighten the tension or change the main character's perspective somehow.
Also. Can we cut it out with the vanilla protagonist? I'm kind of tired of the martyr routine, where woman are set up to suffer just because we have a vagina. Like, patriarchal society or not, that is a POWERFUL thing. Not...just vagina, but how women have used powers of seduction in the past, or worked behind the scenes to weave rumors in gossip to ruin a reputation, get a royal beheaded, like, did NONE of you take HISTORY??? There's SO MUCH we could be putting to play, here.
The selection of dragon lovers are...annoying. Boring. I don't know, big abs and sweaty bicep descriptions were never really something to turn me on in a novel, so...maybe it's just me.
The plot started to get interesting when the protagonist threw a curveball and chose differently, but then the creators were brought back into the scene and I was reminded why I think this war is above and beyond STUPID, especially for this kind of world.
Dragons fight the creators to keep them at bay, I guess? From human civilizations. They have battle scars or commit suicide because they're tired of being...hurt?
Yawn.
Where's the passion? Where's the drive? What EXACTLY is the goal in mind for this last existing civilzation?
The main senator...I guess, I forget what he's called. Politicians are always the bad guys. He's storing food in hopes of surviving the upcoming apocalypse he has planned, and it was insinuated he intends to take the MC for himself, or just with him and maybe her new husband, to start their own civilization? By exterminating the current one.
Brilliant! Give the guy a Nobel!
WTF? Why? Why would you throw away the last remnants of humanity? What makes you think you can control ACTUAL DRAGONS into doing what you say?
It's just...it's stupid. Like, if the creators ARE all powerful, they could've easily wiped everyone out. Maybe they turn out to be the good guys in the end, I don't know. Don't care. The book could have a good point but I have too massive of a library to get through without wasting my time sloshing through something I'm bored with just to see how it ends.
For a first book? Pretty well written. For a first story? Erm...could've...been...better?
I don't know what I was expecting, but I thought I saw it advertised on Inkitt as a dragon romance, and then I saw a review by KRIMSON ROGUE, you know, the guy that made a ton of videos just on Twilight alone...so I thought, "Okay. It has to at least have a cohesive plot".
While it's not fair for me to judge the story since I stopped halfway, I can judge the worldbuilding, characters, and dialogue. It's only fair.
Worldbuilding seemed very half-buried in mystery, whether to be revealed at a later date or at the end of the book, I'm not sure. I don't know what the purpose or point is to this reverse harem, dragon shapeshifting edition of the bachelorette, but the characters all seemed one-note. Distant. Not really human, not really people to get to know. The types of characters who only go as far as their boasted personality trait. You know- funny fuck boi, the cool mysterious guy who sneaks into your room at night, the tall and imposing OBVIOUS choice for anyone BUT our protagonist.
I couldn't seem to figure out why this was necessary in this world? I mean, I guess breeders are going extinct, but...pardon my crude gutter mind....wouldn't this mean that...anyone and everyone who's a dragon would quality as said 'husband'? Why even get married?
Might've been an interesting choice to go the WHITHER approach, where she has multiple husbands so she can give birth to multiple different types of dragons, but...the caste system doesn't seem to make sense, either. Why are the fire-dragon clan (Sparks) the poor and lowly ones? You'd think they would be the more powerful?
But then, there are other breeders in this story so maybe I read wrong or missed something.
Also, why was her brother entered in this...selection? Was that just a part of the 'you've become a man' ceremony? What's the point if 'becoming a man' means you're supposed to be selected for a breeder?
She's very easy to WOO, and that IMO doesn't make her likeable. NoT BeCAuSe sHe'S a HOE. Simply because to me, it's more entertaining if it's a kind of...cat and mouse game. Although, where there seemed to be issues and conflicts, they're brushed of in the following few pages instead of using said conflict to heighten the tension or change the main character's perspective somehow.
Also. Can we cut it out with the vanilla protagonist? I'm kind of tired of the martyr routine, where woman are set up to suffer just because we have a vagina. Like, patriarchal society or not, that is a POWERFUL thing. Not...just vagina, but how women have used powers of seduction in the past, or worked behind the scenes to weave rumors in gossip to ruin a reputation, get a royal beheaded, like, did NONE of you take HISTORY??? There's SO MUCH we could be putting to play, here.
The selection of dragon lovers are...annoying. Boring. I don't know, big abs and sweaty bicep descriptions were never really something to turn me on in a novel, so...maybe it's just me.
The plot started to get interesting when the protagonist threw a curveball and chose differently, but then the creators were brought back into the scene and I was reminded why I think this war is above and beyond STUPID, especially for this kind of world.
Dragons fight the creators to keep them at bay, I guess? From human civilizations. They have battle scars or commit suicide because they're tired of being...hurt?
Yawn.
Where's the passion? Where's the drive? What EXACTLY is the goal in mind for this last existing civilzation?
The main senator...I guess, I forget what he's called. Politicians are always the bad guys. He's storing food in hopes of surviving the upcoming apocalypse he has planned, and it was insinuated he intends to take the MC for himself, or just with him and maybe her new husband, to start their own civilization? By exterminating the current one.
Brilliant! Give the guy a Nobel!
WTF? Why? Why would you throw away the last remnants of humanity? What makes you think you can control ACTUAL DRAGONS into doing what you say?
It's just...it's stupid. Like, if the creators ARE all powerful, they could've easily wiped everyone out. Maybe they turn out to be the good guys in the end, I don't know. Don't care. The book could have a good point but I have too massive of a library to get through without wasting my time sloshing through something I'm bored with just to see how it ends.
February 18, 2023
Overall rating: 8/10
Things to know about this book THERE ARE DRAGONS, so honestly, it’s just ridiculous if you don’t read it. Furthermore, it’s a debut novel, and I’m pretty sure it’s actually self-published, and that just impresses me further! Oh, and the cover is one of the most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen!!!
Now about this wonder: Danu is a Breeder, a woman capable of birthing male Shifters. Shifters are men who can shift to a dragon form and back and are also the only ones standing between the Hisgeii, the society of our heroes, and the Creators, immortal gods who have been an ever-present threat since the Hisgeii escaped their enslavement. Our story follows Danu as she comes of age, being the last Breeder of the Hisgeii, forever, who is subsequently, destined to be Queen and choose the next King. However, she is of the lowest cast of the societies, and, supposedly, cannot actually birth powerful Shifters, only ones of her own cast.
Overall, this book was wholly enjoyable because of MANY factors: Danu was a lovely main character, she wasn’t just a little girl who stayed at home while the burly dragons took care of stuff, but she also wasn’t your typical YA heroine that does EVERYTHING her superiors tell her not to do (yes I’m looking at you Katniss!) At some point in the book, she is asked to pick a King from the group of Shifters, which allows us to get to know all the supporting characters, who all seem one dimensional at first, but then flourish into well-rounded ones as times goes on! There were a few typos, they weren’t massive and don’t stop you from enjoying the story, but I think it’s important to talk about them!
Moreover, the magic system is well thought of and quite enjoyable, however, it’s also extremely fresh and imaginative. Of course, this sounds like a wonderful thing, but it creates one problem: you get SO MUCH exposition in the first couple of chapters that it honestly took me a while to actually get into it! Regardless, the second you are in it YOU ARE IN IT FOR GOOD! It’s an absolute page-turner! (aka I laid down with it at 21:15 and went to sleep at 2 am when I finished the book ajajajaj)In addition, the romance isn’t overpowering at all! It’s not that you don’t care about who Danu will end up with (I was definitely shipping!!!) however, you literally FORGET about the romance, there is an imminent alien invasion, romance is absolutely put on the back burner, but in a wonderful way!
As a conclusion: READ THIS BOOK NOW PLEASE, honestly, it’s wonderful and it just NEEDS to get to be well known, it's just too good to be true, pleaseeee just read it!!!
October 8, 2018
4.5 Stars
This book is absolutely amazing. If you enjoy a good paranormal fantasy then it's a must-read. The story is set in a world of dragons and Creators. It's full of mystery, action, and adventure. It revolves around one breeder and a flock of dragon shifters or warriors, as they are called sometimes. Their job is to fight Creators and keep them from enslaving Hisgeii.
The story starts when young breeder, Danu, and young shifters come off age. They will now enter society and do their duty. As a breeder, Danu must ensure the continuation of shifter's next generation. Although she is nervous about her role and what it entails, she has learned enough to deal with it. However, councilman Calmus has a surprise for her, at the last minute he changes the rules of the game. He pronounces her as their breeder queen and the one who would marry her would become king. That has never happened before. It's bound to ruffle some feathers and cause chaos in this small community. As Danu tries to make up her mind about her next step she finds out things that she probably shouldn't have. In order to make the right decision, she would now lose somethings that are precious to her. No matter what happens next, one thing is for sure, Danu has the best interest of her people at heart and she would do anything to protect them and ensure their survival.
Things get more complicated when the creators come looking for them. It turns out that there is a lot which they don't know about themselves as well as their worst enemies. Divided by castes, will these people be able to stand against an enemy so powerful that even their best warriors don't stand a chance against them... unless there is another way to defeat this time old foe? One thing is for sure, it's going to get far more complicated than it ever was, but maybe this is their chance to reclaim their true identities and finally be able to live in peace.
This story made me imagine primitive Roman society. The story is quite engaging and characters are all well-developed. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend to all fans of dragon-shifters, this one is definitely an original and interesting take on dragons, where they came from, and how they live.
P.S. Can I just say that the book cover is absolutely gorgeous and goes well with the story?
P.P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book for which I'd like to thank the author. It has been a great read for me.
This book is absolutely amazing. If you enjoy a good paranormal fantasy then it's a must-read. The story is set in a world of dragons and Creators. It's full of mystery, action, and adventure. It revolves around one breeder and a flock of dragon shifters or warriors, as they are called sometimes. Their job is to fight Creators and keep them from enslaving Hisgeii.
The story starts when young breeder, Danu, and young shifters come off age. They will now enter society and do their duty. As a breeder, Danu must ensure the continuation of shifter's next generation. Although she is nervous about her role and what it entails, she has learned enough to deal with it. However, councilman Calmus has a surprise for her, at the last minute he changes the rules of the game. He pronounces her as their breeder queen and the one who would marry her would become king. That has never happened before. It's bound to ruffle some feathers and cause chaos in this small community. As Danu tries to make up her mind about her next step she finds out things that she probably shouldn't have. In order to make the right decision, she would now lose somethings that are precious to her. No matter what happens next, one thing is for sure, Danu has the best interest of her people at heart and she would do anything to protect them and ensure their survival.
Things get more complicated when the creators come looking for them. It turns out that there is a lot which they don't know about themselves as well as their worst enemies. Divided by castes, will these people be able to stand against an enemy so powerful that even their best warriors don't stand a chance against them... unless there is another way to defeat this time old foe? One thing is for sure, it's going to get far more complicated than it ever was, but maybe this is their chance to reclaim their true identities and finally be able to live in peace.
This story made me imagine primitive Roman society. The story is quite engaging and characters are all well-developed. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend to all fans of dragon-shifters, this one is definitely an original and interesting take on dragons, where they came from, and how they live.
P.S. Can I just say that the book cover is absolutely gorgeous and goes well with the story?
P.P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book for which I'd like to thank the author. It has been a great read for me.
November 1, 2018
The Last Dragon Princess
Cynthia Payne
Sep 2018
367 pages, Kindle, paperback
Debut novel, Fantasy YA
Provided, author
✭✭✭✭✭
The cover is very attractive and colorful. Reds and purples are always good for a dragon species book. The artwork is lovely.
The story is a good one, too, with a complex plot that has twists we don’t see until we’re on top of them. The world building is excellent and totally different from any I’ve encountered before. This is fantasy with a touch of sci-fi. Maybe reminiscent of McCaffrey and her Dragons of Pern series in a slight way. And then there’s the mythology of it all with the gods in miniature. I loved that the gods were child-sized. Usually, the gods are larger than life.
Being the last and least of her kind puts Danu in a unique position. Then she finds out there is more to her than any of them knows and she is the biggest and strongest of her kind. But it takes the sacrifice of her twin brother to bring it about. She’s not sure it’s worth it.
The characters are well done. Each one is an individual and quite unique. Each has their own personality and their own focus.
The pace was good with the varied crises the community faced. The Coming of Age Ceremony to choose a new King. The rot in the Council. Calmus and his perfidy. The loss of the strong warriors of the flock. The lack of cooperation of the higher castes. The food shortage. The field fungus. And the Creators. The tension was constant and sometimes peaked a bit more than at others until the ultimate confrontation and Danu’s collapse.
Who is Danu to trust? Garm? A Spark by caste, so not a strong Warrior, a rogue, and outlaw in love with Danu. Pyrrha? Garm’s mother and like a mother to Danu? A breeder past her prime who only wants to see Garm and Danu happy together. Or Calmus? The Councilman in charge. And Danu’s father! Conspiring against her to take control and worse.
Definitely a really good book, especially for a debut novel!
Highly recommended!
Cynthia Payne
Sep 2018
367 pages, Kindle, paperback
Debut novel, Fantasy YA
Provided, author
✭✭✭✭✭
The cover is very attractive and colorful. Reds and purples are always good for a dragon species book. The artwork is lovely.
The story is a good one, too, with a complex plot that has twists we don’t see until we’re on top of them. The world building is excellent and totally different from any I’ve encountered before. This is fantasy with a touch of sci-fi. Maybe reminiscent of McCaffrey and her Dragons of Pern series in a slight way. And then there’s the mythology of it all with the gods in miniature. I loved that the gods were child-sized. Usually, the gods are larger than life.
Being the last and least of her kind puts Danu in a unique position. Then she finds out there is more to her than any of them knows and she is the biggest and strongest of her kind. But it takes the sacrifice of her twin brother to bring it about. She’s not sure it’s worth it.
The characters are well done. Each one is an individual and quite unique. Each has their own personality and their own focus.
The pace was good with the varied crises the community faced. The Coming of Age Ceremony to choose a new King. The rot in the Council. Calmus and his perfidy. The loss of the strong warriors of the flock. The lack of cooperation of the higher castes. The food shortage. The field fungus. And the Creators. The tension was constant and sometimes peaked a bit more than at others until the ultimate confrontation and Danu’s collapse.
Who is Danu to trust? Garm? A Spark by caste, so not a strong Warrior, a rogue, and outlaw in love with Danu. Pyrrha? Garm’s mother and like a mother to Danu? A breeder past her prime who only wants to see Garm and Danu happy together. Or Calmus? The Councilman in charge. And Danu’s father! Conspiring against her to take control and worse.
Definitely a really good book, especially for a debut novel!
Highly recommended!
February 2, 2019
So, for those who know me, they know I adore dragons. Like its crazy how much I love them. Borderline obsessive even. So, you give me a book centered around them, and you’ve got a book that I’ll stick it out with you. Even if the going gets a little tough. Well, The Last Dragon Princess (LDP from here on out), is one of those books.
LDP centers around our titular character, Danu, a Breeder whose role is to birth forth new Warriors (male members of the society who can shift into dragons). She’s of age, as are the newest (and almost last) batch of Warriors, and this coming of age ceremony comes with an all new caveat. Danu must choose the next King as her husband in order to usher in one last generation of defense against the oppressive “Creators.” Danu cares little about anything more than she cares for her people and her duty to those people. To see her journey from a meek, polite Breeder, to her ending role is such a ride.
I will say that the romantic possibilities presented in the book are a bit underwhelming, due to the lack of efficient fleshing out. I didn’t care enough about a lot of the characters, because I didn’t learn enough about them. There are quite a few presented, but not enough time to get to them all. So, when injuries, or deaths occur, the impact is lost on me.
However, the dragons and their powers are interesting. The lore and world-building, while a bit exposition-dumpy at times, is engaging as well. The mixture of Greek mythology and new mythology is different. It was fun to learn more about the all-powerful “Creators,” and their motions. Will I return if there is a sequel? Honestly, I’m not too sure. The pacing was a little slow, and the characters didn’t click with me enough that I feel pressed to continue to follow them. I did enjoy the ride for the most part though.
LDP centers around our titular character, Danu, a Breeder whose role is to birth forth new Warriors (male members of the society who can shift into dragons). She’s of age, as are the newest (and almost last) batch of Warriors, and this coming of age ceremony comes with an all new caveat. Danu must choose the next King as her husband in order to usher in one last generation of defense against the oppressive “Creators.” Danu cares little about anything more than she cares for her people and her duty to those people. To see her journey from a meek, polite Breeder, to her ending role is such a ride.
I will say that the romantic possibilities presented in the book are a bit underwhelming, due to the lack of efficient fleshing out. I didn’t care enough about a lot of the characters, because I didn’t learn enough about them. There are quite a few presented, but not enough time to get to them all. So, when injuries, or deaths occur, the impact is lost on me.
However, the dragons and their powers are interesting. The lore and world-building, while a bit exposition-dumpy at times, is engaging as well. The mixture of Greek mythology and new mythology is different. It was fun to learn more about the all-powerful “Creators,” and their motions. Will I return if there is a sequel? Honestly, I’m not too sure. The pacing was a little slow, and the characters didn’t click with me enough that I feel pressed to continue to follow them. I did enjoy the ride for the most part though.
October 3, 2018
Holly Hell what a book! This is a phenomenally well written and thought out book. It was such a joy to read. It had this wonderful flow to it and I had a hard nearly imposable to put down. Hence me writing this review at the crack of dawn. This is the first book by ____, but you cannot tell. This book is amazing.
This is Danu's story. I know I normally tell you the other character, but I will not tell you her love interest as it needs to be a surprise. Needs some mystery left to the story. Danu has just two weeks to pick a husband and the future king. There are so many to choose from. And her adviser wants her to pick Hagen and her heart wants Pan, but he dose not want to be king. Then there is Gram. He is a spark and they feel he should not king the upper class says. But she is so torn by all seven to choose from. Who she picked was such a surprise. I just sat there going wow. Did not see that one coming. And the worst of it is there is a war and the creators are preparing to kill them. So do the fight or wait? But when she looses the person she cares about the most, she looses it and man are you in for a surprise. I wish their was more to the story about her life with the father of her children. As I hated for it to end.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book, please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it when you do; they value your opinions too.
This is Danu's story. I know I normally tell you the other character, but I will not tell you her love interest as it needs to be a surprise. Needs some mystery left to the story. Danu has just two weeks to pick a husband and the future king. There are so many to choose from. And her adviser wants her to pick Hagen and her heart wants Pan, but he dose not want to be king. Then there is Gram. He is a spark and they feel he should not king the upper class says. But she is so torn by all seven to choose from. Who she picked was such a surprise. I just sat there going wow. Did not see that one coming. And the worst of it is there is a war and the creators are preparing to kill them. So do the fight or wait? But when she looses the person she cares about the most, she looses it and man are you in for a surprise. I wish their was more to the story about her life with the father of her children. As I hated for it to end.
Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book, please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it when you do; they value your opinions too.
October 11, 2018
I waited a bit to write this review because I needed to mull over my thoughts on this novel. So good first, this is a book worth reading, it had a great storyline, the suspense was real, the characters motives were on point. Honestly it was a five star book overall. Loved the end and the beginning, and read the whole book in a sitting. That being said, it was rather short for the topic at hand. While the rushed courting & insta love was annoying, the reasons for it were apparent within the story so it made since. The characters all had a role to fulfill, and it was gotten across to me well. Tension was built up perfect, and relations between all the characters were great.
September 17, 2018
I really enjoyed the storyline of this book and I would definitely recommend it to any fans of YA fantasy/science fiction. I think the character development of Danu and Garm was great. The story kept me hooked and wanting to know what was going to happen.
I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 because although I loved the overall story, I felt it was a little rushed. I wish it was closer to 300 pages and had given more information about the setting and the fact that we are on another planet in a world of aliens. I also wish there was more development in terms of her choices of husband/King. She seemed to get over Her infatuation with Fenrir, make friends with Hagen, and fall in love with Pan in the blink of an eye. I actually flipped back and reread to see if I had missed something when she was all of a sudden head over heels for Pan. I like the choices she made with each of them, just would have enjoyed a slower build up and more information as the story unfolded.
I recommend this book and would definitely read a sequel if it was ever written!
I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 because although I loved the overall story, I felt it was a little rushed. I wish it was closer to 300 pages and had given more information about the setting and the fact that we are on another planet in a world of aliens. I also wish there was more development in terms of her choices of husband/King. She seemed to get over Her infatuation with Fenrir, make friends with Hagen, and fall in love with Pan in the blink of an eye. I actually flipped back and reread to see if I had missed something when she was all of a sudden head over heels for Pan. I like the choices she made with each of them, just would have enjoyed a slower build up and more information as the story unfolded.
I recommend this book and would definitely read a sequel if it was ever written!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2018
I was recently asked to give a review on The Last Dragon Princess and I love it. It gives a whole new view to a reverse hareem. Danu is what is known as a spark breed.meaning she is pretty much nothing. None of her children would be able to be anything more than a spark. Or so she thought as things go along and she meets Garm who convinces her she needs to see things she goes with him they find notes from their predecessor and in reading and translating her mentor finds that Dani is in fact more than just a breeder. Her marks say she is a breeder but she can't shift or so they think. There were twists and turns and events that happened it kept me trained to the pages just to see what would happen next ...If you love shifter novels and dragons you will absolutely absolutely want to read this book. If you want sex of any kind your out of luck not much was really said about sex. However this book can stand on its own with out that I will recommend to people I know !! Very good read !!
February 6, 2019
The Last Dragon Princess started off slow, with the regular drama you would expect from a fantasy book about one princess and many suitors. But very soon, the story became an all-out, desperate fight for survival full of betrayal, death, and breath-taking dragons. Danu's growth is a journey, and there are many lovable characters along the way!
I've never been a fan of dragon shifting, but Danu's story made me excited to follow her strange yet beautiful culture and to see her keep hope alive for her people. Her world is made of meaningful detail and interesting deconstruction of mythology. My favorite scene involved fire and a windstorm...I won't go into it for spoilers, but it was so powerful! The Last Dragon Princess comes highly recommended.
I've never been a fan of dragon shifting, but Danu's story made me excited to follow her strange yet beautiful culture and to see her keep hope alive for her people. Her world is made of meaningful detail and interesting deconstruction of mythology. My favorite scene involved fire and a windstorm...I won't go into it for spoilers, but it was so powerful! The Last Dragon Princess comes highly recommended.
February 2, 2022
Well... that was a laugh.
The premise of this story sounded cool and fun but the resolution was not done well.
The worldbuilding was confusing; the plot was a mess and all over the place; the romance... what romance? (also I read the synopsis again after I started and saw reverse harem on it... what reverse harem?); and the main character was too naive and dumb for her "develop" to be believable.
I laughed a lot reading this book... not because the book was funny, but because it was... not good. That's the only reason why I gave 2 stars, because I kept laughing.
If the author at least had given us a good romance between Danu and Garm, I think the story could have been more bearable, alas...
The premise of this story sounded cool and fun but the resolution was not done well.
The worldbuilding was confusing; the plot was a mess and all over the place; the romance... what romance? (also I read the synopsis again after I started and saw reverse harem on it... what reverse harem?); and the main character was too naive and dumb for her "develop" to be believable.
I laughed a lot reading this book... not because the book was funny, but because it was... not good. That's the only reason why I gave 2 stars, because I kept laughing.
If the author at least had given us a good romance between Danu and Garm, I think the story could have been more bearable, alas...
September 16, 2018
As with any new series with a world so different from outs I struggled to understand what was going on. I don't mean it as a bad thing though, because it was so new and interesting I was trying as fast as possible to understand this new world because WOW. This book is so awesome and different and I loved it. Danu's journey into adulthood and finding out how everything really worked was awesome. This book is so good that it felt as if I was in the middle of everything and I was a part of it all. I loved following this journey from sweet naive you innocent to sweet daring brave young leader. This book was so awesome I really hope there are more book in this world.
October 6, 2018
I have a problem with That review as I Would Love to give this book 5 stars but I cant...
World building was Great and really intriguing. This is a whole New world/history created.
Characters are well developer and for sure not one dimensional - They will give you a thoughts all over The place!
I took one star as I was Lost at The begining (First few chapters are ok, but this one took too long in introducing Pepper hierarchy - what each cast mean to The character.
Have I mentioned That There are Also Gods and sexy Dragons? No.... so now I do so!
World building was Great and really intriguing. This is a whole New world/history created.
Characters are well developer and for sure not one dimensional - They will give you a thoughts all over The place!
I took one star as I was Lost at The begining (First few chapters are ok, but this one took too long in introducing Pepper hierarchy - what each cast mean to The character.
Have I mentioned That There are Also Gods and sexy Dragons? No.... so now I do so!
September 17, 2018
I loved this book. I started it one day and finished it the next because I absolutely could not put it down. The story line was brilliant. I am a 12 year old YA reader so I completely understand the Greek references and how they tie in. This is a masterpiece in YA. I do think that the story line could have been taken further though. Give me more books in this world and I will be over the moon.
December 16, 2021
this one ended up surpassing my expectations. i loved the plot and how the castes are defined into the world-building and how magical individuals are considered higher up, and the mc is in kind of a weird place. there's romance, politics, fantasy, and more and Payne does a really good job weaving it all together but also having twists that surprise you along the way.
November 16, 2018
I wasn't sure about this book for the beginning, but it got better as it went along, and by the end I was completely hooked. The worldbuilding was very intriguing, and it felt like a surprising mix of science fiction and fantasy, with a strange (but enjoyable) incorporation of Greek mythology.
September 25, 2018
Amazing characters and plot. Keeps you engaged. Can't wait to see other books in the future!
January 14, 2020
Really good for a first book. I didn't like everything in it but was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
November 24, 2022
More 3 and half stars but the weak climax and the weak villains hurt the story a lot.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews