Dragon Scholar

Dragon Hoard #1

by Minerva Howe

Devon Marks loved books more than just about anything. They're his job and his passion, and they've brought him to an auction where he meets the hottest guy he's ever seen. When Brand Drake offers to let Devon come and value his extensive collection at an old mansion high in the Colorado mountains, he knows life as about as good as it gets.

Brand Drake knows he wants Devon the moment they meet, so he goes about adding Devon to his hoard the same way he would an amazing old book. But when Devon starts eating him out of house and home and showing signs that he has emerging dragon traits, he knows he hasn't just found a lover, he's found a mate.

When Devon starts to show signs of something even more amazing, Brand calls on his brothers Eagan and Tyson to help him figure out what to do, as well as how to tell Devon what's going on with his body, which is life-changing, and also dangerous. Someone always wants dragon magic to use, and Brand has to find a way to keep them safe, and to keep Devon with him, hopefully forever.

Genres: M M Romance, Dragons, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, LGBT

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2020

About the author

Minerva Howe is the kinky alter ego of author Julia Talbot. Julia lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Samhain as well as other publishing houses. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved.

Reviews

[Erin]

spoilers

The Ballade of Dragon Scholar
by me

The blurb I liked, I thought, ”Okay.”
A dragon’s hoard and books sound nice
Sign me up for shifting gays
My one eternal reading vice
It wasn’t long before the spice
Revealed itself in naked glory
The sexy bits, they weren’t concise
What the fuck is with this story?

And so I read without delay
Erotica’s no sacrifice
But it kept coming – no word play
And so I started to think twice
Whichever way you cut the slice
Both the men became too horny
Okay, okay, that will suffice!
What the fuck is with this story?

So he’s a dragon, that’s okay
But Brand’s mate, to be precise
C'mon, y’all that’s a bit cliché
But then my veins all turn to ice
The guy gets pregnant, big surprise
But without consent! Inflammatory!
It's kept a secret, um, unwise!
What the fuck is with this story?

And so I skimmed - here's my advice
It’s just fine if books are porny
But informed consent remains my price
What the fuck is with this story?

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main issue with this story is that it felt more like porn than romance and the plot heavily relies on Devon being completely clueless for more than half the book. They have unprotected anal sex after knowing each other for a day and Devon doesn't even notice, no discussion or anything. At this point he has no clue that dragons even exist, much less that they can't contract or transmit human diseases. Then Brand knots him and still no red flags.
I did feel like things got better once Brand's brothers showed up. They seemed more developed than either of the MCs and attempted to get Brand to communicate with Devon even though he never really did until there was no way to avoid it.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. There was way too much sex in this one, but that won't stop me from reading more as I did enjoy the story, when there was one. Devon is a human who as a passion for books & he works for a company that hunts & acquires rare books for collectors. At an auction, he meets Brand Drake, Dragon, and Brand is smitten by him. He ends up not only getting the book, but offers Devon a job to catalog his extensive collection. Brands hoard is books so you can imagine how many he has. When Devon shows up at Brand's home, seeing the collection knocks his socks off. But then we get into, sex, sex and more sex. Turns out that Devon also has a latent dragon gene and that starts coming to the forefront. Also, before Devon finds out about dragon's, he ends up pregnant. In need for help, Brand contacts his brothers Eagan & Tyson to come help him out. I can't wait for their stories.

ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest review

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here are the things I enjoyed. The premise of the book was good. I liked the history of the dragon clans and the different personalities of each of the dragon brothers. I liked how they each had a different type of collectable they hoarded. The mystery aspect of new dragonlings prophesized to be born to them each was also intriguing. If all of this had been the focus and was built upon this book would have been 4 stars. Unfortunately, the majority of the book was spent reading about the MCs having sex. I'm not joking. They would have sex, cuddle for about 2.5 seconds, and then go at it again! I expect paranormal books with mates to be sex heavy. This was beyond that. I found myself skimming to get to the next plot point or interaction with characters other than the MCs. The brothers were fun to read about with them constantly teasing each other and each are getting their own book in the series that deals with finding their mates.

[Liya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the series premise: 3 dragon brothers with different personalities who love and care about each other and are to find their mates.
I liked Brand (the youngest dragon brother) and Devon (a bookwarm with snark) and wanted to know more about them but unfortunately their story was reduced to insta lust - lots of sex - getting pregnant - lots of sex - a little bit of action - lots of sex. Insta part is common for fated mates but still I expect a certain amount of relationship development. Same with sex. Sometimes it highlights intimacy and bond between MCs. And sometimes it's just sex that feels repetitive after certain point. Unfortunately this was the case here. MCs were sweet and I was engaged enough to follow the plot but I found myself skipping pages of sex to get to what happens next.
I'm curious about 2 yet to be mated brothers and will check the next book in the series.

[Trip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it was perfect timing for me reading this book, as its definitely a ridiculous steamy story. Very easy to read and just pure fun, which i needed to balance a heavier book I'm reading so it worked for me in the moment.

While there is the hint of plot at start and end, for the majoroty it involves Brand and Devon sleeping together repeatedly. There is a large amount of stupidity in the idea that Devon has no clue about dragons for the first half, as Brand doesn't tell him. Yet he goes through being knotted and getting pregnant, all during still not knowing whats going on.

The reveal of dragons to Devon is treated like he just knew inside himself, that he felt it and calls out to Brand. But yeah like I mentioned its entertaining and if looking for a lightheaded, steamy read with rather adorable characters then its fitting.

I do wish there had been more of the actual dragons instead of just seen theough their human form, while the scales and breathing smoke is great they don't really shift much intil the end.

Also would have loved to have seen more of the library, Devons actual work and their love for literature.

Overall its a quick, fast paced and enjoyable story with a cute ending. But I'm not intrigued enough to continue the series for now, but shall keep an eye on if ever need something light to read 💕

[Kathreadsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous Dragon m/m romance!

I loved this dragon romance by Minerva Howe! Devon and Brand are so cute and bookish together, I loved to see them geek out over libraries and book editions together. Their smut was superb, and I enjoyed the dragon mythology the author created.

The danger was brief but helped make the story more interesting, and I love that Devon is a strong character even though he falls for Brand so fast and wants to just be with him forever. I also liked Devon's friend, who appears to be part of a couple for the next book, which was set up nicely.

Brand is a respectful alpha male character, and it's sweet how much he cares for and encourages Devon. I love their enjoyment of each other's minds, in addition to their bodies. Brand's brothers are also dragons and we get to know them and see how they relate to everyone. I was surprised that they actually moved in with Brand and Devon, and it will be interesting to read the rest of this series featuring the different brothers. And the prophecy!! Can't wait to see this develop.

Thank you Gay Romance Reviews for this ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I swear this is fanfiction, but I had no idea what for.

[Steph (Teacups & Tropes)]

DNF @ 34%

The nickname “sweet” was used like every fifth paragraph and I couldn’t take it anymore 😂

[Victoria Buckley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd like to start off by saying I'm giving this a 2.5 rating. Going in, I did not know there would be an mpreg element of which I am not a fan, but that's neither here nor there.

My first complaint with this book is Devon. I don't think it mentions exactly how old he is, but I'm guessing in his twenties somewhere, however he seemed very childish. The way he was written; his words, and mannerisms, just seemed extra childish and I could not get on board with that.

My second is Devon, again: Devon appeared in a lust trance from the moment he met Brand. He's a young professional, whom I know thinks logically, and everything but sex on the brain kind of went right out the window. Like c'mon dude, you're an intellectual, but don't questions things? I understand this has paranormal elements, but it's certainly not fantasy. Devon lives in a human 21st century world, but doesn't questions why simply for STD purposes Brand doesn't have, offer to use or use a condom. Not once does he question that? It actually bothered me sooooo much. He also never questions his feelings on suddenly uprooting his life to go live with a guy he's going to be working for??? Everything just takes a back seat to having sex with this new man he finds irresistible.

Also don't get me started on the insta love... I really dislike that trope.

This was sex, sex and more sex. No real plot. Not the best writing. Needs improvement. I know I am definitely in the lower percentage of those who didn't enjoy this book, but I gotta be honest here.

[Mstay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Major Spoilers Ahead

Devon said things several time like magic and dragon please that only made sense if he knew the full story of who Brand was. He mentioned words like mate and hoard. I mean he made it clear how much he liked the idea of dragons. This all had me wondering again why they weren’t telling him the truth.  At over 50 percent, Brand had decided he claimed Devon and Devon had Latent dragon heritage and may be Pregnant but still had not stopped the constant sexathon to fill Devon in. That is ridiculous. I started skimming because I was curious when they would actually tell Devon the truth.  The conversation about what was happening still didn’t explain much and came at about 70 percent.

I barely got over the claiming without consent thing because that is a big issue for me with mate books. It’s like forced marriage but worse. Then you send your unprotected mate and child clueless out in a world with other paranormal creatures where he his kidnapped for a snack by a vampire. Why not go stay with him and help to pack and move him in with you? Then there just seemed to be loose ends. I mean what’s up with the book scavenger hunt that’s not even explained. I assume it will come out as a prophecy in later books but I won’t be reading them. I seriously do not understand how a book can be over 200 pages and not explain anything at all. I mean since sex seemed 80 percent of the book it makes sense.

[Loves · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 30%, and it was an effort to get there, let me tell you. I had read my share of badly written erotica in the past. I even managed to enjoy some of it by ignoring the text quality and focusing on the action, but I could not do so here. The dialogue was just too painful to read. Stilted, awkward. Nonsensical. The MCs were supposed to be educated, sophisticated adults but they acted and sounded like dumb, hormonal teenagers. And of course, there was insta-love and insta-lust and of course it was not a big issue. Apparently building trust and growing relationship or making an effort at gradual seduction is too boring and it's better to skip all that human nonsense and jump right to the sex. I'm being sarcastic, of course. It does not work that way, even if this was a hardcore erotica short story describing a one night stand. You can't demonstrate chemistry between characters by saying they have chemistry. It needs to be established from their interaction or at least familiarity. Without any build up of sexual tension or better acquaintance with the characters, the erotica is bound to fall flat, just as it did here.

[✰♥✰ ↠Dominique↞ ✰♥✰ · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG was this bad.....

I have to confess i had to stop at 88% i just could not waste another moment on this story.

The story starts at a breakneck pace. There is no back story, no getting to know your characters... They just meet, want to have sex and voilà, it is done before you can even put the book down for a pause.

SPOILER

The sole action of the book resides in the pregnancy of one of the male leads and, it's not that i have a problem with it, because i don't, but it is just so horribly set up it makes almost no sense to me.

Add to that that there is almost NO action throughout the book, and once there is, it is over in a matter of pages. There just isn't any sparks, or thrill, or anything... really...

The writting is well done, i can give the author that, but that's pretty much it.

This was a huge let down for me. But hey, great cover!

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a new author for me but unfortunately wasn't a good introduction. I thought the blurb sounded like a great story but I didn't enjoy the outcome.

The writing was very jumpy and while similar to other authors I enjoy just drove me up a wall with the story. I felt that there was no real or good connections to the characters and even their relationship was based on jumping into bed every chance they got.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Wende · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay

I love dragons and their mates but this book did not have the character development I love. I love to have the relationship grow as the couple get to know each other. This book that didn't happen. It was mostly a bit of story then sex. I hate to say it but way to much sex.

[Missy~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragons who are hungry!!

First book in the dragon horde series by Minerva Howe.
This was Brand and Devon.
Devon is a highly educated nerdy antiquarian book collector and seller. Brand is a highly educated nerdy book collector.
While I did enjoy this book, and don’t misunderstand I do love a hot sex scene. But the verbiage and sex scenes tinted to be repetitive.
“ I need you in me/I need to be in you. You are mine I am yours. You’re so hot no you’re hot.”
A tiny bit repetitive, but I absolutely enjoyed the banter. I thought the brothers were wonderful side characters and can’t wait for their stories.
And yet I didn’t find the constant recurring running food commentary repetitive, I thought it was hysterical.
This is my first book by this author but I will definitely be checking out more.

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 4

I enjoyed this a lot.

Dragon Scholar is the first book I’ve read by Minerva Howe and I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve not read many dragon books and it was interesting how each author does them a little bit differently. John Solo is the main reason I wanted to listen to this as I love his audiobook performances. I love all of the different voices he used in this story, especially his growly one. 😊

If the remaining books come to audio I’d like to continue listening to this series.

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.

[Holly Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book and there are some funny bits in it. It is a "feel good" book and yes it is M/M so again if that is not your thing this book won't be for you. Minerva Howe is a new author for me, so thought I'd give it a listen. Books, Dragons, and babies what could be better...Devon goes to Brand's home to catalog his book collection and Brand (being a Dragon) knows almost immediately that he wants to add him to his hoard....But then he realizes Devon is his mate and shortly after that Devon is pregnant....a Vampire kidnaps Devon and Brand and his brothers come to the rescue before Devon is eaten....

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I loved a lot of this story. Both Devon and Brand were such fun book loving characters, and honestly I’m a sucker for a dragon book. My main reason I couldn’t rate this higher is that it was just too sex heavy (especially in the beginning), which to me seemed to come at the expense of the character development. However, once the other Drake brothers arrived and the prophecy was revealed I was hooked and can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series

[kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Dragon Scholar, with its book hoarding dragon! What a great start to a new series.
I really liked the world building done in this story.
The connection and chemistry between Brand and Devon is obvious right from the start.
With low angst and lots of heat this story will grab your attention.
I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Courtney Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

I was a little worried going in that this would be too similar to another dragon series I love, since there are several superficial similarities. I’m happy to say that this is very much its own distinct book with a unique voice, and I enjoyed it SO much. Lots of nurturing sweetness and flashes of humor. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sort of made me sad to read. It was such a alpha hole and innocent/shy nerd situation. Lots of grunting and teeth grinding, very over the top sex scenes. Not really my thing, unfortunately. I did like the basis of the story being about a dragon family who thought they were alone, yet found an adopted dragon.

[Alexis Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragons, ho!

Beautiful new series by Ms. Howe. Brand (the youngest of three dragon brothers) takes am immediate interest in the human book appraiser, Devon! And conspires to bring him to his house. Fated mates fall fast, but look whose tummy is getting bigger.

KU, paranormal, book in a series, standalone, age gap, dragon shifter, fated mates, mpreg

[Alexis Hart]

DNF 13%

The characters really have no depth both of their entire character arcs is they love books and sex with each other. A good smutty book is always a fun read, but this one was ridged and bland.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nerdy MC, check. Dragons, check. Fated mates, check. Sexy times, check (well, in this case it's like check, check, check, and check again...I'll get to that in a minute). Shifting, check. Accepting and awesome family, check. Interesting side characters, check.

With so many things going for this story from the premise alone I was really, really, REALLY excited to dive into this story. And yet the outcome did not meet my heart's yearnings. I'm all for steam, I mean, I pretty much don't read many stories these days that doesn't include some hotness, but this book, dare I say it...had too much. It was so distracting because it unbalanced the story in such a huge way.

The other imbalance was the food. I adore food in real life, the occasional well-placed meal description in a book, in my Korean dramas...and it was important here, but once again, there was just too much. I can remember so many things about what they ate and I'm hard-pressed to remember details about the MC's themselves or the overall story part of the story.

I didn't dislike the book, I just really can't see myself recommending it to anyone. I wanted so much to love it and I merely tolerated it. I barely rounded this up from 2.5 stars.

[llv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars

This book had a bit too much emphasis on the sexy times than I like but I still really enjoyed it. I loved the dynamic between Devon and Brand. I also liked the addition of Brand’s two brother. I loved how Brand horded books and that it wasn’t just money and gold. All in all, a great start to a new series and I am looking forward to reading Eagan’s story next.

[Chancey "Does not give out 5's like candy" Knowles · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was a real struggle for me to finish. I was never able to "sink into" the book or become vested in the characters. This is partially due to the writing (which felt choppy) along with cardboard m/c's, stilted interactions, and very little going on besides sex.

One reviewer said this book was porn with plot (PWP) . I disagree, because there was little to no plot. I like sexy times. Sometimes PWP is exactly what I want, but there has to be a plot and a story arc that takes up more than maybe 10% of the book. Besides the introduction / set up and birth at end, the only "action" was started and finished within less than 17 pages (This is not a guess or exaggeratiom). The 1st 60% of the book was them meeting at an auction, 1 being hired by the other then sex, more sex, a little talking, sex, eating, sex, shower, sex, barely starts job, sex... No development of anything including the world, background info, characters, the relationship, or plot. What little was developed was told more than shown.

The pet names came quickly and often. I never bought into the relationship which made the sex scenes more like porn instead of intimate love scenes to move a relationship forward or deepen it. Even with the use of fated mates there still should be some relationship building outside of juvenile declarations and sex.

I'm not a huge fan of (but not opposed to) mPreg, but I do think it should be clear in the blurb. It definitely wasn't on Goodreads thus probably not on Amazon either - but I don't remember for sure. MPreg is very polarizing for a lot of readers and one should know when buying it.

I can't even call this brain candy, because that still requires a plot, just an easy one, and some development.

I don't mind brain candy (unless surprised by it); I don't mind PWP and can in fact like it; I absolutely love dragons like many others. This should have been a "shoe in" for at least 3 stars.

If I'd checked Goodreads 1st (which I almost always do), I would not have bought this book. Unfortunately I did. I'm guessing I grew weary of checking GdRds while I was on a wishlist binge. Periodically, I start with the oldest books and either buy or purge books from my wishlist.

I figured I was in trouble when I'd noticed this book had been tagged "Do Not Buy" when it did not say "currently reading" on my Kindle. This was apparently based on the fact I'd already read the 3rd one and had multiple issues with it. And, those issues had nothing to do with starting the series on the 3rd book. Sadly, this one was no better. It says something when you end up reviewing books from the same series in nearly the same way without even remembering you already had read one and reviewed it earlier.

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Enjoyable & Fascinating PNR! Fabulous Narration & Audible Listen🎧📚🎧

Dragon Scholar
Dragon Hoard, Book 1
By: Minerva Howe
Narrated by: John Solo

This is an enjoyable and steamy fantasy paranormal romance with original and imaginative storylines that captivated my attention from start to end. Minerva Howe is a gifted author with a wonderful writing style, she created a fascinating story with equally fascinating characters who are likable and easy to connect with. Devon Marks, a book lover, through and through, and made a career out of his passion. Brand Drake also has a love for books, rare books, and it was that love that brought Devon and Brand together. They met at a book auction and Brand knew Devon was the one for him the moment they met and he arranged for him to come to his mansion to catalog and evaluate his book collection. The chemistry between these two was electric, and it did not take long for them to act on it and what comes out of their union was even more than what Brand could have dreamed of. Brand, a Dragon Shifter, calls on his brothers to find out more information about their kind, he also needs to explain to Devon what he is and who they are to each other. There is never a dull moment in this fabulously plotted and super hot shifter romance, there is plenty of drama, low angst, great dialogue with some wit that puts a smile on your face, some twists and turns and heartfelt and emotional moments. Minerva Howe, thank you for this wonderful story.

🎧📚🎧 And for the fabulous narration, John Solo does an exceptional job bringing the characters and their story to life, he gives each character their own voice and personality, which makes it easy to follow along and tell who is who. He has a complete understanding of the characters he portrays, sounds believable in every role and just as I picture them to sound. He sets the perfect tone for the story, captures all the characters’ emotions, as well as their passion, and projects it all into his performance. John Solo is a versatile voice artist and an entertaining storyteller. Thank you for another outstanding listen.

[Stephanie W · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love dragons as I do, and love the undying devotion they bring, this book is for you. Alpha Dragons have a way of being so tough. Carrying that dark and mysterious exterior that is hard to break, until they meet their omegas.

Devon Marks has an overzealous fascination with rare and expensive treasures. Mainly books. It is at an auction where he's bidding for a client and meets this guy. The connection is powerful. This moment can't possibly end this way. Good thing the dragon thinks this as well.

Brand Drake was bidding against Devon for the same rare book, when he is blown away by Devon. He uses his personal collection as an opportunity to offer Devon a job, but more importantly bring forth his dragon.

Everything begins on a fast pace, and suddenly Devon is eating him out of house and home. No meal is enough. Brand thinks he's bringing forth Devon's dragon form. That isn't all that is emerging.

Devon and Brand's circumstances, brings Brand's brothers to his home for an indefinite visit. Too much is happening too soon and Devon must be kept safe.

We can't forget about Devon's best friend who freaks out, worried sick about his friend.

Enjoy the nearly instantaneous love, attraction, romance, lust, steaminess, fun, bonding, friendship, never ending food, and babies.

Can't wait for the rest of the series.

**I received this ARC via Gay Romance Reviews for my honest feedback.**

[Ollie Z Book Minx · Rating 2 out of 5]

cw: misogyny for daaaaaaaays, transmisia

the first two thirds of this were a delightful knotting & mpreg with breeding kink story. the last third was allllll the y i k e s....

it might’ve worked if Devon had been allowed to remain himself while growing into his dragon. I didn’t mind the very tenuous suspension of disbelief sitch with him not realising what was happening cuz ~handwaves~ dragon magic. him turning into the perfect little homemaker and cranky pregnant person, however, was hella obnoxious. pregnancy can be depicted as awkward and uncomfortable without making it out to be something that turns a “nice, reasonable man” into a “demon” that is recognisably woman-coded—not to mention the whole “ofc you think I’m trans 😠 not that it’s a insult but I should get credit for being a dude having a baby” which is so fucking terrible.

1) trans men are men. the implication that Devon isn’t trans and that calling him such takes away some of his “credit” for being a dude having a baby is UTTER SHITE.

2. also fuck you author—Devon clearly believes himself to be a cis man and yet as he becomes a dragon, he also becomes an implied omega with a self-lubricating asshole, a womb of some sort, and a seam in his belly that opens for the baby to be born. those are not part of human cis man anatomy so he IS trans, even if it’s not the sort of trans that exists in our timeline. foh.