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The Legion #1
Awaken the Dragon
He’s sworn to protect the very entity she was born to kill…
Next in line for the Drakon throne, Theo Masters is the most powerful half human, half dragon in the world. Royal power is the last thing he wants, however. He lives as a human and runs the Legion Security Company. But his new client—a mysterious, beautiful human from a small African village—and the unknown danger she faces may forever change the quiet life that he’s chosen.
Shola N’Gara exists to kill the dark spirit that is attempting to demolish her people. It’s her purpose and her destiny. The gorgeous protector who taunts her with his sexy voice and body is not—especially after he shifts into a magnificent black dragon with turquoise eyes.
A rise in demon activity and the brutal murders Theo’s agents have been reporting start to add up. Someone is making a play, and it’s big enough to change the course of the world as they know it. Now Shola must choose between her destiny and her heart. And Theo must decide if standing by the woman he’s fallen in love with is worth facing his father in a battle to the death.
This book is approximately 77,000 words
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise : all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
Next in line for the Drakon throne, Theo Masters is the most powerful half human, half dragon in the world. Royal power is the last thing he wants, however. He lives as a human and runs the Legion Security Company. But his new client—a mysterious, beautiful human from a small African village—and the unknown danger she faces may forever change the quiet life that he’s chosen.
Shola N’Gara exists to kill the dark spirit that is attempting to demolish her people. It’s her purpose and her destiny. The gorgeous protector who taunts her with his sexy voice and body is not—especially after he shifts into a magnificent black dragon with turquoise eyes.
A rise in demon activity and the brutal murders Theo’s agents have been reporting start to add up. Someone is making a play, and it’s big enough to change the course of the world as they know it. Now Shola must choose between her destiny and her heart. And Theo must decide if standing by the woman he’s fallen in love with is worth facing his father in a battle to the death.
This book is approximately 77,000 words
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise : all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
Audible Audio
First published November 4, 2019
80 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Arthur
184 books918 followersAC Arthur has worked as a paralegal in every field of law since high school, but her first love is and will always be writing romance. She’s written and won awards for her acclaimed Donovans and Shadow Shifters contemporary and paranormal romance series. Under her pen name, Lacey Baker, she created the quaint small town of Sweetland and wrote the novelization for the Original Hallmark Channel Movie, A Gingerbread Romance.
After years of hosting reader appreciation events, AC created the One Love Reunion, an event designed to bring readers and authors together to celebrate their love of books.
AC resides in Maryland with her family, where she’s currently working on her next book…or watching Criminal Minds.
After years of hosting reader appreciation events, AC created the One Love Reunion, an event designed to bring readers and authors together to celebrate their love of books.
AC resides in Maryland with her family, where she’s currently working on her next book…or watching Criminal Minds.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 10, 2021
It was a little rocky for me at first and I thought this was going to be smut with a loose plot but I ended up enjoying this one once it got settled into the world and I learned a little more about the characters.
Shola N'Gara is Yoruba from the village of Mobo and she has traveled to a former Pennsylvania mining town called Burgess. She is engaged and being guarded by Legion's Security Company until her upcoming nuptials. But Shola has a secret. She is destined to kill her future husband who is a dark vampire lord.
Theo Masters is a 300 year old half human and half dragon living outside of the Far Realm. He's chosen to live a quiet life as a human having distanced himself from his royal blood long ago. His security company has been tasked with protecting Shola. And she has him ready to unleash the beast within.
This story felt a little cyberpunk and as someone who loved Dark Angel I was here for those vibes. And I hope the next books in the series expand more on how this world came to be and the technology they use. With mentions of the existence of fae, witches, werewolves, and other preternatural beings there's plenty of mythos ripe for storytelling here. I also liked how African spirituality was also included here. Shola often calls upon the goddess, Oya for blessings and guidance.
And it was steamy. I know Carina Press has different heat levels but I'm still used to my tradition published books being hot but a little subdued. Whereas Shola and Theo were free to show their unabashed love of sex. Shola is out here attempting to save her village and get some dick at the same time. And unlike previous paranormal romance I've read there's no questionable behavior blurring the lines of consent.
I started listening to this via audio but then wound up downloading the ebook too so I could understand some of the world. It's very fast-paced and a little easy to get lost if you aren't paying attention. You learn things about this world along the way instead of being given a lot of prior backstory. A quick and smutty read with a little big of fantasy to get lost in.
Also this was a Hoopla borrow for me and a few other people said they were able to find it on their Hoopla too so if you're interested I recommend checking for it there first.
Shola N'Gara is Yoruba from the village of Mobo and she has traveled to a former Pennsylvania mining town called Burgess. She is engaged and being guarded by Legion's Security Company until her upcoming nuptials. But Shola has a secret. She is destined to kill her future husband who is a dark vampire lord.
Theo Masters is a 300 year old half human and half dragon living outside of the Far Realm. He's chosen to live a quiet life as a human having distanced himself from his royal blood long ago. His security company has been tasked with protecting Shola. And she has him ready to unleash the beast within.
This story felt a little cyberpunk and as someone who loved Dark Angel I was here for those vibes. And I hope the next books in the series expand more on how this world came to be and the technology they use. With mentions of the existence of fae, witches, werewolves, and other preternatural beings there's plenty of mythos ripe for storytelling here. I also liked how African spirituality was also included here. Shola often calls upon the goddess, Oya for blessings and guidance.
And it was steamy. I know Carina Press has different heat levels but I'm still used to my tradition published books being hot but a little subdued. Whereas Shola and Theo were free to show their unabashed love of sex. Shola is out here attempting to save her village and get some dick at the same time. And unlike previous paranormal romance I've read there's no questionable behavior blurring the lines of consent.
I started listening to this via audio but then wound up downloading the ebook too so I could understand some of the world. It's very fast-paced and a little easy to get lost if you aren't paying attention. You learn things about this world along the way instead of being given a lot of prior backstory. A quick and smutty read with a little big of fantasy to get lost in.
Also this was a Hoopla borrow for me and a few other people said they were able to find it on their Hoopla too so if you're interested I recommend checking for it there first.
August 18, 2022
Awaken the Dragon by A.C. Arthur
Book 1 of The Legions. Paranormal romance.
Theo is a 300 year old half dragon shifter living as a human. He is hired to protect Shola but cannot ignore her allure. Shola knows her destiny is to kill her new husband but meeting Shola has her questioning her life’s purpose.
Secrets and twists. Pay attention because you jump right into this story without a lot of background and may get distracted by the sexy and steamy interludes. Watch out for the villain.
Complicated and hot. I doubt I will read more of this series. I prefer a lighter touch these days.
Book 1 of The Legions. Paranormal romance.
Theo is a 300 year old half dragon shifter living as a human. He is hired to protect Shola but cannot ignore her allure. Shola knows her destiny is to kill her new husband but meeting Shola has her questioning her life’s purpose.
Secrets and twists. Pay attention because you jump right into this story without a lot of background and may get distracted by the sexy and steamy interludes. Watch out for the villain.
Complicated and hot. I doubt I will read more of this series. I prefer a lighter touch these days.
November 14, 2019
Theo Masters is a powerful half human, half dragon. Living in the human realm and keeping his beast buried, he runs the Legion Security Company, protecting the world from paranormal threats. His firm is hired to protect Shola N’Gara for two weeks before she is to be married to a man she has only met once. She is from a small African village and part of a river tribe, never having left her village before. What Theo doesn’t know is that Shola has come to the western world not to marry, but to take care of a threat to her people.
Awaken the Dragon is a well-written paranormal romance. It hits all the right notes for fans of the genre: powerful alpha and strong female, prophecies and power, insta-love and meant to be’s, dark evil and brave good. Theo’s beast awakens and recognizes something in Shola the moment they meet, and their mutual attraction is off the charts right from the get go. In fact, it was so all-consuming, that at times (in the beginning of the book), I felt it was stressed a bit too much, and I wanted more actual storyline.
The story is packed with action. Someone/thing/group is after Shola, and while Theo is trying to keep her safe by keeping her locked down, Shola refuses to be caged. This puts the pair at odds for a while, adding to the tension and creating additional conflict for the pair. Through these skirmishes, we learn more about the dragons’ abilities and find out about vampires.
Narration: The story is shared via third person POV, primarily alternating between Theo and Shola, but once in a while we see things from the villain’s POV. Mr. Nixon has a soothing, calm voice, but alters to impart urgency and strong emotion. His third person narrator’s voice alters ever so slightly when shifting POV, with Shola’s POV slightly softer. He alters the dialogue to match each character’s person, age, background, etc.
Awaken the Dragon creates a new paranormal world filled with interesting mythology, some of it standard, and some of it new. It’s a solid story and romance. However, I just don’t find PNR’s my thing anymore. I like a more drawn-out romance and time in the “gray,” rather than the fated pairings. Theo and Shola are both powerful, good “people,” but overtime I started to lose interest. The romance was hot, but they didn’t have to work for it, so it didn’t feel earned or real. There is good conflict that gives the series some solid potential, and I whole-heartedly recommend to fans of the PNR genre.
Story: B-
Narration: B
Review copy provided by Tantor Audio
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Awaken the Dragon is a well-written paranormal romance. It hits all the right notes for fans of the genre: powerful alpha and strong female, prophecies and power, insta-love and meant to be’s, dark evil and brave good. Theo’s beast awakens and recognizes something in Shola the moment they meet, and their mutual attraction is off the charts right from the get go. In fact, it was so all-consuming, that at times (in the beginning of the book), I felt it was stressed a bit too much, and I wanted more actual storyline.
The story is packed with action. Someone/thing/group is after Shola, and while Theo is trying to keep her safe by keeping her locked down, Shola refuses to be caged. This puts the pair at odds for a while, adding to the tension and creating additional conflict for the pair. Through these skirmishes, we learn more about the dragons’ abilities and find out about vampires.
Narration: The story is shared via third person POV, primarily alternating between Theo and Shola, but once in a while we see things from the villain’s POV. Mr. Nixon has a soothing, calm voice, but alters to impart urgency and strong emotion. His third person narrator’s voice alters ever so slightly when shifting POV, with Shola’s POV slightly softer. He alters the dialogue to match each character’s person, age, background, etc.
Awaken the Dragon creates a new paranormal world filled with interesting mythology, some of it standard, and some of it new. It’s a solid story and romance. However, I just don’t find PNR’s my thing anymore. I like a more drawn-out romance and time in the “gray,” rather than the fated pairings. Theo and Shola are both powerful, good “people,” but overtime I started to lose interest. The romance was hot, but they didn’t have to work for it, so it didn’t feel earned or real. There is good conflict that gives the series some solid potential, and I whole-heartedly recommend to fans of the PNR genre.
Story: B-
Narration: B
Review copy provided by Tantor Audio
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
April 28, 2023
3 1/2 Stars!
February 5, 2020
This book is just so cool! A mashup of paranormal and romantic suspense that brings you dragon shifters and kickass fight sequences. Theo runs a security firm and has for all intents and purposes set aside his inner dragon, content to live in the human world and run his business. However, his newest client is drawing out all of his latent instincts. Shola has come to Pennsylvania from her African village on a secret mission: to marry the monster who is threatening her people—and kill him. She may not be a dragon but she is no shrinking violet, and she’d rather defend herself than allow Theo to flex his alpha male muscles. Definitely a new spin on the bodyguard trope—I loved it.
Read
February 11, 2023tried to finish this and just couldn't. imo, there was nothing between these characters. i didn't get it, didn't feel it.... they were pretty much just "on page". I'll try again with book 2 in the series but this one? yeah, a no go.
Want to read
August 2, 2020I mean - look at this cover. When even that awful red tone can’t distract you, you know you have to put this on your TBR.
August 18, 2021
Black love paranormal between a dragon and a demigoddess. A lot didn’t make sense to me.
November 17, 2019
I’m always interested in reading shifter romances but especially when the leads are both characters of color. There was a lot I enjoyed about this one—Shola’s Yoruba heritage, Theo’s mysterious origins as a dragon now dwelling on the human plane, Theo’s Drakon team. I’m especially interested in reading follow up stories for Theo’s team.
Alas, this story also included the villain’s POV and it always felt so heavy handed and over the top for me. The story would have been so much stronger and more compelling had it stood on its own. As it was, I lost interest in reading about halfway through and eventually circled back around to finish, just so I could see Shola rule the day. Which, she absolutely did. Shola’s actions didn’t always make a whole of sense to me, especially when she would argue with her security team or go off on her own when people are clearly trying to kill her. And I didn’t love that Theo kept a sizable secret from Shola. But I did enjoy them together and I’m sure they’ll continue to be a force to reckon with.
CW: violence, attempted murder, killing, kidnapping
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from Carina Press in exchange for an honest review.
Alas, this story also included the villain’s POV and it always felt so heavy handed and over the top for me. The story would have been so much stronger and more compelling had it stood on its own. As it was, I lost interest in reading about halfway through and eventually circled back around to finish, just so I could see Shola rule the day. Which, she absolutely did. Shola’s actions didn’t always make a whole of sense to me, especially when she would argue with her security team or go off on her own when people are clearly trying to kill her. And I didn’t love that Theo kept a sizable secret from Shola. But I did enjoy them together and I’m sure they’ll continue to be a force to reckon with.
CW: violence, attempted murder, killing, kidnapping
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from Carina Press in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2019
Awaken the Dragon is the story of Shola and Theo. Each one is guarding family secrets, each is doing what must be done to protect those they love but changes must come when they realize the heart wants what the heart wants. Their hearts want each other. Destiny has plans for Shola and she has committed her life to that plan to save her people but can she follow through if that means no Theo in her life. Theo's father is not happy with Theo's choice and the risk he has taken when it comes to Shola. Especially when it comes to going against a promise he has made to his people. Faced with these new challenges in life will they be able to save their families and be together? A.C. Arthur will keep her attention with this one from beginning to end.
December 6, 2019
L’univers n’est pas expliqué, on découvre quelques détails au fur et à mesure de la lecture, pareil pour le passé des personnages. Le couple ne m’a pas attirée plus que ça et la tendance de l’héroïne à ne pas écouter ceux chargés de sa sécurité m’a agacée.
Avis complet https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Avis complet https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 28, 2025
I found it a bit too long. But apart from that was a good story, and we have an African goddess as our fmc. loved that and the characters, too.
Great narration, but it would have been better with multiple narrators.
Great narration, but it would have been better with multiple narrators.
June 11, 2020
This book opens an exciting new world with characters I can't get enough of. I couldn't put it down and I cannot wait to read more of this series!
dnf
October 14, 2021DNF: The audiobook is not for me, I just couldn’t pay attention to the narrator’s voice.
January 14, 2020
This is the first book I’ve read by A.C Arthur and I enjoyed it very much!
Our hero, Theo, and heroine, Shola, meet when she is promised to another and there are many battles to be won. But the dragon inside Theo knows she is his, right from the beginning. Even so, he fights this instinct with all his being, while Shola is fascinated by and most definitely attracted to him. Unfortunately, this leads to distraction at inopportune moments, like when they are attacked and a murder takes place. As the story progresses, we learn Theo and Shola's secrets, while they deal with how they feel and realize there are two foes they must defeat if they are to save Shola, and both of their homes.
I love that there are so many different supernatural beings in this book, from dragons and the demonic, to goddesses and vampires. I only had one small issue, and that was when almost two full chapters centered on what happened in the bedroom, taking up a chunk of the word count I personally would have preferred was used to tell us more about the next chapter in their lives.
Having said that, it was an epic read. Those who love paranormal romance will most definitely enjoy this one.
Reviewed by Gwessie and our TOP PICK in December 2019 at The Pink Heart Society
Our hero, Theo, and heroine, Shola, meet when she is promised to another and there are many battles to be won. But the dragon inside Theo knows she is his, right from the beginning. Even so, he fights this instinct with all his being, while Shola is fascinated by and most definitely attracted to him. Unfortunately, this leads to distraction at inopportune moments, like when they are attacked and a murder takes place. As the story progresses, we learn Theo and Shola's secrets, while they deal with how they feel and realize there are two foes they must defeat if they are to save Shola, and both of their homes.
I love that there are so many different supernatural beings in this book, from dragons and the demonic, to goddesses and vampires. I only had one small issue, and that was when almost two full chapters centered on what happened in the bedroom, taking up a chunk of the word count I personally would have preferred was used to tell us more about the next chapter in their lives.
Having said that, it was an epic read. Those who love paranormal romance will most definitely enjoy this one.
Reviewed by Gwessie and our TOP PICK in December 2019 at The Pink Heart Society
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November 2, 2019Categories
Carina Press Romance Promise, Dragon, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Multicultural & Interracial Romance, Shifters, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
The Legion (Book #1)
Carina Press Romance Promise, Dragon, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Multicultural & Interracial Romance, Shifters, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
The Legion (Book #1)
November 11, 2019
A.C. Arthur is another new author for me. I’m always looking for good ones when it comes to the paranormal romance sub genre. This lady has a good track record with another shifter series so I decided to start at the beginning with first book in her new Legion series, Awaken the Dragon. This one has lots of action, several different paranormal characters and a very strong lead couple. It’s a good start to the series. We will see where this one goes.
What I liked:
Theo is a Drakon.... never heard of that before? Me either. That’s half dragon, half human. He lives as a human and has his own security business. He is also next in line for the Drakon throne which gives him even more power. Theo is a total alpha male. He’s strong, he’s determined and formidable. Oftentimes with paranormal romance you get a powerful hero but the heroine isn’t quite up to the challenge. Not in this book! Arthur really comes through by giving Theo a love interest that is in every way his equal. This bad boy deserved a great leading lady.
In the course of his daily business, Theo and his agents are tasked with protecting, Shola N’Gara of the river tribe. Shola has a specific destiny. She may not be a black dragon with gorgeous turquoise eyes like Theo but she is every bit as dangerous. I loved her spirit and her take no crap attitude. She could stand toe to toe with any of those dragons. I like a heroine who knows her own mind and can stand with her hero no matter what comes against them.
The paranormal aspect of the series was interesting and well developed. You had dragons, vampires, demigods and other assorted paranormal characters. Shifters of any kind are my favorite but dragon shifters were really cool in this world. The world itself was teeming with mystery.
There was a bit of mystery and tons of action in this one. It was a fast paced ride and didn’t slow down much. Pitting Theo against his father provides some serious conflict. Making the choice between your family and the person you love is tough no matter what the reason is or who is in the right. I thought the author did a great job with that part of the story.
What I didn’t:
The reader is dropped right into this world from the first page of the book. There isn’t a lot of backstory in the beginning and I feel like some readers may be a little overwhelmed. If you stick with it, it does get better and explains more. If you’re new to the sub genre it might not be your best choice to start out with primarily because first impressions are everything when you are trying to hook a reader.
Bottom Line:
This was a good first book. The lead couple was great and the side characters were really interesting. I’m sure we will see more of them as the series continues. I liked the Drakon” half human, half dragon concept. I’ll definitely be reading book two.
What I liked:
Theo is a Drakon.... never heard of that before? Me either. That’s half dragon, half human. He lives as a human and has his own security business. He is also next in line for the Drakon throne which gives him even more power. Theo is a total alpha male. He’s strong, he’s determined and formidable. Oftentimes with paranormal romance you get a powerful hero but the heroine isn’t quite up to the challenge. Not in this book! Arthur really comes through by giving Theo a love interest that is in every way his equal. This bad boy deserved a great leading lady.
In the course of his daily business, Theo and his agents are tasked with protecting, Shola N’Gara of the river tribe. Shola has a specific destiny. She may not be a black dragon with gorgeous turquoise eyes like Theo but she is every bit as dangerous. I loved her spirit and her take no crap attitude. She could stand toe to toe with any of those dragons. I like a heroine who knows her own mind and can stand with her hero no matter what comes against them.
The paranormal aspect of the series was interesting and well developed. You had dragons, vampires, demigods and other assorted paranormal characters. Shifters of any kind are my favorite but dragon shifters were really cool in this world. The world itself was teeming with mystery.
There was a bit of mystery and tons of action in this one. It was a fast paced ride and didn’t slow down much. Pitting Theo against his father provides some serious conflict. Making the choice between your family and the person you love is tough no matter what the reason is or who is in the right. I thought the author did a great job with that part of the story.
What I didn’t:
The reader is dropped right into this world from the first page of the book. There isn’t a lot of backstory in the beginning and I feel like some readers may be a little overwhelmed. If you stick with it, it does get better and explains more. If you’re new to the sub genre it might not be your best choice to start out with primarily because first impressions are everything when you are trying to hook a reader.
Bottom Line:
This was a good first book. The lead couple was great and the side characters were really interesting. I’m sure we will see more of them as the series continues. I liked the Drakon” half human, half dragon concept. I’ll definitely be reading book two.
December 6, 2019
Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First volume in a new series, Awaken the Dragon takes us in an American town where humans and supernatural beings live side by side without the firsts knowing of the existence of the seconds. We meet Theo who’s been hired to protect Shola until her wedding day.
The problem with this novel is that the author doesn’t explain the universe he/she imagined but lets us discover it as the story goes. But hence there are things we don’t really understand: for example at the beginning the couple is attacked by “demonics” and we learn they are attracted by people’s power but we don’t know anything else. Other example we also learn the hero comes from a parallel realm, then very late we learn there are in fact several parallel realms. It’s quite disturbing to be in the dark.
The rest is a quite classical story: we have a powerful alpha hero, surrounded by his friends just like him, and all seem to have a special and distinct power but that’s not really used in the novel. The dragon inside him (that we don’t see much by the way) feels a strong attraction to the heroine but Theo suppresses it for diverse reasons not always very clear.
The heroine is more unusual: she comes in this town from her African village to marry a man she’s never seen to fulfill a pact done by her father, but she’s got the secret mission to kill this man in order to save her people. There again it’s revealed bit by bit and we wait long to have the full story. She has the annoying tendency not to listen to those charged with her security because “she’s strong and know what she have to do”. She also feels quickly an attraction for the hero, but she tries to stay focused on her mission and fights her desire.
All in all I had trouble being really interested in the story, and if I appreciate its resolution I was never really grabbed in spite of real qualities. Too bad.
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First volume in a new series, Awaken the Dragon takes us in an American town where humans and supernatural beings live side by side without the firsts knowing of the existence of the seconds. We meet Theo who’s been hired to protect Shola until her wedding day.
The problem with this novel is that the author doesn’t explain the universe he/she imagined but lets us discover it as the story goes. But hence there are things we don’t really understand: for example at the beginning the couple is attacked by “demonics” and we learn they are attracted by people’s power but we don’t know anything else. Other example we also learn the hero comes from a parallel realm, then very late we learn there are in fact several parallel realms. It’s quite disturbing to be in the dark.
The rest is a quite classical story: we have a powerful alpha hero, surrounded by his friends just like him, and all seem to have a special and distinct power but that’s not really used in the novel. The dragon inside him (that we don’t see much by the way) feels a strong attraction to the heroine but Theo suppresses it for diverse reasons not always very clear.
The heroine is more unusual: she comes in this town from her African village to marry a man she’s never seen to fulfill a pact done by her father, but she’s got the secret mission to kill this man in order to save her people. There again it’s revealed bit by bit and we wait long to have the full story. She has the annoying tendency not to listen to those charged with her security because “she’s strong and know what she have to do”. She also feels quickly an attraction for the hero, but she tries to stay focused on her mission and fights her desire.
All in all I had trouble being really interested in the story, and if I appreciate its resolution I was never really grabbed in spite of real qualities. Too bad.
November 17, 2019
I have to admit that I'm quite partial to a dragon shifter novel. Awaken the Dragon is the first in a series, I assume that the other books in the series will involve the other dragons shifters that we met in this one. Theo is the leader of a group of dragons who have left their realm and are living on earth. He has been here for two hundred years and in that time he has repressed the dragon side of his nature, choosing instead to live as a man and run his security business. When he meets Shola he finally finds someone who might be worth risking everything for and allow him to finally become himself once again.
There is a lot going on here and being the first in the series there's a lot to explain. A lot of time isn't spent on world-building, but we still manage to get most of the gist of the world in which they live as the story unfolds. I think that future books in the series might be able to build on this and so will be in a stronger position, as we become more accustomed to the setting.
The romance between Theo and Shola moves quite quickly once they fully acknowledge their blossoming feelings. For me, it didn't quite work as well as it might. The chemistry between them just wasn't quite sparking properly and so things felt a little rushed. I also felt that Shola's character was kept in shadow a little too much, particularly at the beginning of the book, which didn't really help with the growing romance. I still enjoyed the book, but if I'd just brought into the chemistry a little more or there had been a little bit more of a build-up between them it would have been even better. I'd be certainly keen to read more in the series, especially as I suspect that this might be one of those that improve with each book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There is a lot going on here and being the first in the series there's a lot to explain. A lot of time isn't spent on world-building, but we still manage to get most of the gist of the world in which they live as the story unfolds. I think that future books in the series might be able to build on this and so will be in a stronger position, as we become more accustomed to the setting.
The romance between Theo and Shola moves quite quickly once they fully acknowledge their blossoming feelings. For me, it didn't quite work as well as it might. The chemistry between them just wasn't quite sparking properly and so things felt a little rushed. I also felt that Shola's character was kept in shadow a little too much, particularly at the beginning of the book, which didn't really help with the growing romance. I still enjoyed the book, but if I'd just brought into the chemistry a little more or there had been a little bit more of a build-up between them it would have been even better. I'd be certainly keen to read more in the series, especially as I suspect that this might be one of those that improve with each book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 25, 2021
A book unlike any other
This was a new author for me and I’m so glad I purchased this book! It’s got drama, intrigue, sexy sexiness all wrapped up in dragons and demigodesses. Add in that they are African-American and African and I’m sold 1000x over!
Theo is over 300 years old and is a dragon living in the human realm. He is of noble blood but he left the dragon realm once he realized that his father was corrupted by demon magic. He has bern the head of his security firm for over. 200 years and he employs other dragons. He’s on a job and comes face to face with Shola. She’s African and has come to America to marry a man she’s met once. However, she has other plans.
Shola has been preparing her whole life to protect her people. And if she has to marry a man she doesn’t know, she’ll do that. And no one has to know that she’s the true daughter of the river goddess, Oya.
Of course things get complicated as there’s not only an undeniable attraction between Theo and Shola but they are in a town full of vampires and demons that most of the humans are unaware of.
This book has a lot of twist and turns but it’s explained well. There’s some world building but not enough that you’ll get lost. I found the story fascinating, the chemistry between Theo and Shola believable and the side characters interesting.
I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series to see how it all plays out!
This was a new author for me and I’m so glad I purchased this book! It’s got drama, intrigue, sexy sexiness all wrapped up in dragons and demigodesses. Add in that they are African-American and African and I’m sold 1000x over!
Theo is over 300 years old and is a dragon living in the human realm. He is of noble blood but he left the dragon realm once he realized that his father was corrupted by demon magic. He has bern the head of his security firm for over. 200 years and he employs other dragons. He’s on a job and comes face to face with Shola. She’s African and has come to America to marry a man she’s met once. However, she has other plans.
Shola has been preparing her whole life to protect her people. And if she has to marry a man she doesn’t know, she’ll do that. And no one has to know that she’s the true daughter of the river goddess, Oya.
Of course things get complicated as there’s not only an undeniable attraction between Theo and Shola but they are in a town full of vampires and demons that most of the humans are unaware of.
This book has a lot of twist and turns but it’s explained well. There’s some world building but not enough that you’ll get lost. I found the story fascinating, the chemistry between Theo and Shola believable and the side characters interesting.
I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series to see how it all plays out!
November 18, 2019
It’s here! A new series from the Queen of Paranormal Romance. A.C.Arthur introduces her latest launch into the paranormal with AWAKEN THE DRAGON. Now, I know that this genre is not for everybody, but those of us who follow this author, have come to love these unconventional romance stories. Theo Masters is the complicated owner of the Legion Security Company. Complicated? Yes! He is half human and half dragon, a Drakon, who lives as a human. Theo has been hired to escort and protect Shola N’Gara, a beautiful and equally complicated regal African woman who hales from a village located along the Niger River, is betrothed to marry a vampire.
The storyline follows the preternatural journey of Theo and Shola as they battle against dark spirits, demons and vampires, Oh my! Why has fate chosen these two highly skilled warriors to save the world as they know it? No spoilers here. You will discover the reason behind the reason Theo and Shola are the chosen ones. It’s a doozy of a story, and it will have you turning pages to witness the final outcome.
For those of you who like a challenge and a different type of romance narrative, then I highly recommend AWAKEN THE DRAGON. You can thank me later.
The storyline follows the preternatural journey of Theo and Shola as they battle against dark spirits, demons and vampires, Oh my! Why has fate chosen these two highly skilled warriors to save the world as they know it? No spoilers here. You will discover the reason behind the reason Theo and Shola are the chosen ones. It’s a doozy of a story, and it will have you turning pages to witness the final outcome.
For those of you who like a challenge and a different type of romance narrative, then I highly recommend AWAKEN THE DRAGON. You can thank me later.
November 1, 2019
Awaken the Dragon is the first book in the new Legion series by A.C. Arthur. As a fan of her Shadow Shifter series, I was looking forward to settling into a new world. Well let me tell you, I might just need to move to this little fictional town of Burgess.
It has everything: a tortured hero, mysterious villains, a strong heroine, and a multi-talented supporting cast that could break off into their own story at any time.
Theo and Shola are dynamic characters with a lot of depth. I like how neither of them were portrayed as perfect. They also weren’t afraid to express their confusion as to why they were so attracted to each other. Most of the time one or both characters keep their feeling hidden until almost the end of a story. From the beginning, these two were pretty honest with how they didn’t know how to handle their attraction, and what it might mean moving forward.
This is a true paranormal story. There are several different species that are featured throughout, as well as some new ones I haven’t encountered before. It’s a whole new world that I cannot wait to get more of.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book.
It has everything: a tortured hero, mysterious villains, a strong heroine, and a multi-talented supporting cast that could break off into their own story at any time.
Theo and Shola are dynamic characters with a lot of depth. I like how neither of them were portrayed as perfect. They also weren’t afraid to express their confusion as to why they were so attracted to each other. Most of the time one or both characters keep their feeling hidden until almost the end of a story. From the beginning, these two were pretty honest with how they didn’t know how to handle their attraction, and what it might mean moving forward.
This is a true paranormal story. There are several different species that are featured throughout, as well as some new ones I haven’t encountered before. It’s a whole new world that I cannot wait to get more of.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book.
November 4, 2019
PARANORMAL ACTION AND ROMANCE
This books is the first of a new paranormal series. I am somewhat new to the genre and will admit I was a little confused when I started reading. There is no back story or introduction to the setting at the beginning so it took me a minute to follow along with the events and characters. But once I got a few chapters in, the story was very interesting. There is tons of action to follow and both the hero, Theo and heroine, Shola take part in all of it. Neither character is passive, but they do fight their attraction to each other for most of the story, which builds the sexual tension between them. And when they finally get together, sparks do fly!!
There are several side characters who could easily have their own story and I'm sure we'll get to know more about them as the series continues. If you are into the paranormal genre, there are a variety of creatures that show up in this story to keep you entertained. I'll admit, it was a little hard for me to keep up being new to the genre. But overall, I enjoyed it enough that I would definitely read more of the series. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
This books is the first of a new paranormal series. I am somewhat new to the genre and will admit I was a little confused when I started reading. There is no back story or introduction to the setting at the beginning so it took me a minute to follow along with the events and characters. But once I got a few chapters in, the story was very interesting. There is tons of action to follow and both the hero, Theo and heroine, Shola take part in all of it. Neither character is passive, but they do fight their attraction to each other for most of the story, which builds the sexual tension between them. And when they finally get together, sparks do fly!!
There are several side characters who could easily have their own story and I'm sure we'll get to know more about them as the series continues. If you are into the paranormal genre, there are a variety of creatures that show up in this story to keep you entertained. I'll admit, it was a little hard for me to keep up being new to the genre. But overall, I enjoyed it enough that I would definitely read more of the series. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
March 17, 2021
I found this gem by accident. I'm very happy that there are 2 more books in the series. This is an afrofuturistic paranormal romance. I'm not sure I would label it afrofuturistic but it was definitely afro paranormal. I enjoyed the main chocolate characters that had me swooning. The Black protagonist was interesting if with a bit of pollyannism. I knew she was Black because her hair was all that, I loved it. The mythology had true African belief systems incorporated. I can't begin to tell you how aggravating it is when authors don't know their African cosmology and just make crap up pretending it's Afrocetric. A good romance. The only problem I had is that occassionally there were some weird jumps in the text. I would get lost because it would jump with no transition. This wasn't overwhelming but it did confuse me at least 3 times. Overall this was the type of story I've been waiting for. I'm looking forward to the next two books.
November 19, 2019
A wonderful start to a series that I can see being huge. Theo and Shola’s attraction started out with a spark and ended up exploding.
Theo had suppressed his true nature for a very long time and Shola brought it out in him although he fights it all the way. Theo definitely impressed with his alpha male kick ass skills. And he was a dragon shifter, awesome.
Shola was a strong woman who knew her mission and wouldn’t let anyone stop her. Her objective was lofty, but I’ll admit that there were points in the book where her idea of accomplishing her goal independently, made her seem short sighted rather than brave. None the less, she was a kick ass heroine whose adventure in the Western world had me flipping the pages.
A multicultural paranormal romance that’s a winner!
I look forward to reading about the other dragon shifter who we got to know in the series.
Theo had suppressed his true nature for a very long time and Shola brought it out in him although he fights it all the way. Theo definitely impressed with his alpha male kick ass skills. And he was a dragon shifter, awesome.
Shola was a strong woman who knew her mission and wouldn’t let anyone stop her. Her objective was lofty, but I’ll admit that there were points in the book where her idea of accomplishing her goal independently, made her seem short sighted rather than brave. None the less, she was a kick ass heroine whose adventure in the Western world had me flipping the pages.
A multicultural paranormal romance that’s a winner!
I look forward to reading about the other dragon shifter who we got to know in the series.
November 5, 2019
I am mixed on this book. I felt like the story jumped around too much, and it was a little bit hard to follow. I feel like the series will be a good series, but this book was just missing something. It seemed like to much story was trying to be entered in a littler amount of pages. I really didn't feel the chemistry between the main characters. Shola was just plain annoying to me. I am all for being independent, but not when it can put you in harm way, and Theo was big, bad and closed off. Tell me about you, but I am not telling you about me. I will give this
book 3 stars, because I think that the series will get better with Ziva, Magnun, and Steele's story (hopefully they will have a story).
book 3 stars, because I think that the series will get better with Ziva, Magnun, and Steele's story (hopefully they will have a story).
November 26, 2019
Awaken the Dragon is the first in the new paranormal series The Legion, by A.C. Arthur. I have read books by this author in the past and been captured by her easy writing style and the world she creates for her unique characters. And while this first story shows promise of things to come, I felt the world building was somewhat lacking. The concept of the storyline was good, and Theo was a likeable character too, but the chemistry for me was a mild burn, rather than a combustible attraction, and Shola had a tendency to be annoying. There were some interesting side characters, who will hopefully star in future books, and overall it was a decent book, but the author has definitely written better.
January 10, 2021
There is a lot going on in this book, so it took me a little bit to find the groove. But once I had time to take a breather I got a better sense of the who everyone was and what their goal was. Theo and Shola are both interesting characters who stand on their own. Their attraction is obvious from the start, but not in an all encompassing sort of way that I normally find overwhelming to the non-romance part of the storyline. The "bad guy" was appropriately bad ... but wait, there's more. Definitely enough twists and turns to keep me entertained.
October 19, 2023
I loved how this story jumped right into the action. Theo and Shola were very likeable main characters and overall the story was compelling.
I do think this should have gone through another pass with an editor. The transistions between scenes were over very sudden and sometimes characters were introduced and told they were important rather than having shown that earlier in the story.
I also think the plot was top convoluted for such a short book. It needed more development to really sell the twists.
I do think this should have gone through another pass with an editor. The transistions between scenes were over very sudden and sometimes characters were introduced and told they were important rather than having shown that earlier in the story.
I also think the plot was top convoluted for such a short book. It needed more development to really sell the twists.
February 1, 2020
I love African American paranormals, this was a good one as usual by AC Arthur. I really enjoyed this one and I look forward to reading more. I’m enjoying this Dragon series and looking forward to more. If you like Shapeshifters you’ll enjoy this one. They’re fine and hundreds of years old and protectors of mankind. Interesting premise and can’t wait to read the next one. Keep em coming AC Arthur.
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