Not a Dragon

by Alexia Black

Legally, I am Kiara Ravenlocke, an orphaned human. But, in reality the truth of my existence is so grave a secret that not even rumors are allowed to exist about me.
Was it because I was a powerful supernatural? I wish. Nothing could be further from the truth.
My sister is counting on me to save her, but I'm running out of time. And to make matters worse, I get cursed by the worst curse in the history of curses. Now, I’m magically handcuffed to the client I was supposed to guard. A silver-eyed dragon who hides more secrets than me, and we are doomed to be soulmates forever.
His enemies won’t stop at anything to get to him, even if it means unleashing a demon apocalypse in our world. I need to find a way to protect him, stop the demons from entering our realm, and most importantly, break our soulbond.
Because if he dies so do I.
Not a Dragon is first in a kickass N.A urban fantasy series with slow burn romance. Click right now to start Kiara’s epic adventure, where in a world that worships power and brutality, she fights back alone for her sister.

Contains physical and emotional abuse(not between protagonists) and swearing but no sexual violence.
REVISED EDITION

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2021

Reviews

[anjuli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I was sort of torn how to rate though. While this book did not wow me BUT it kept me entertained and it does have some uniqueness to it. So, points for all that!

The story is fast paced (needs a bit more fleshing out) and it does jump around a bit. In the beginning, I wasn't sure what I was getting into but it picked up. The background information was slowly revealed however, it was weirdly or uniquely done imo. The characters need a bit more depth so, as a reader I feel a bit more invested in what happens to them. The story felt like there was a backstory to it but we were not privy to any of it. Some of the relationships were already established so I felt kind of off about them. We did not meet Kiara's sister (maybe there is a separate spin off planned?). Although, it seems Kiera is doing "everything" to protect her sister or get her out of some supe camp. The whole supernatural world was new and why or what not never explained.

Kiara is an interesting character to an extent but I want more. She's human born into the world/family of dragons. She is living away/estranged from her family trying to find her own path. She's trained as a security personnel. But her family history is hush hush because of what she is as it is considered dangerous for dragons. It is explained as the book progresses. Her whole background history is confusing to an extent for me.

Aiden, he's a rockstar and a dragon (of sorts). He is also a target of some conspiracy of sorts. The reason felt a bit thin.... Kiara chooses to become part of his bodyguard to protect him despite being a human. Events sort of happen fast enough. He's very aloof and standofish BUT he is not a douche! You know what I am talking about usual book boys! He's pretty much controlled and does not emote any emotions. There is a reason and we find out later.

While the blurb does mention about soul marked. I feel like I should mention that there is no usual -- I'm your mate, I love you cuz MATE, no insta-love.... -- type of situation, thankfully. Yes, they are soul marked/soul mates...but the situation is a bit different. I do not "see" much of a chemistry yet and I hope it is improved upon in the next book. Partly, I feel it is because of how Aiden's character is written/supposed to be. So there is not much to feel. But I am hoping things improve...as this story has lot of potential.

I am curious to see how it leads to in the next book.

[S A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story and characters but this story needs to be edited way better. “Till” is ONLY a substitute for “until” when someone is speaking in slang. It is NOT a substitute for every instance of “until” throughout the entire book. Also “till” and “to” are NOT interchangeable.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/25/2021)! 🎁

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the premise and the cover, so I decided to give this book a try. It didn’t take long for me to be sucked into the book. I loved Kiara’s protectiveness about her sister, and I thought she was an excellent character. Add to that, the other characters were interesting, as well. Does that mean this book is perfect? No, because there was a little problem with how the background information was fed to the reader in an odd way, and I still don’t exactly have a good picture of Kiara’s past. I formed to completely pictures of her past, and they were almost complete opposites. However, I still really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Marie Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I literally didn’t put it down from start to finish. It was well written and the story and characters were well developed. I loved the character dynamics and watching their relationship evolve and develop through the book. The story was excellent. It was action packed and full of twists and turns. There was suspense, emotion, hot chemistry, intrigue and a touch of romance. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!! I’d highly recommend this book!!

I received an arc for a voluntary review.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Story

The story line was great! The wording and sentence flow were terrible. PROOFREAD! PROOFREAD!PROOFREAD!! Just because you reached the end of the story does not mean you are done. Go over it and have someone else go over it. With this story you could become a great author but no one wants to read a book they have to constantly figure out what the sentence is trying to say.

[Shelby White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good urban fantasy with plenty of adventure and suspense to keep you throughly engaged from start to finish. The heroine is strong and intriguing while kicking tail and taking names along the way. The characters have great chemistry and depth, while the world building is vibrant attention grabbing. There are a few writing errors that are a bit of a pain, but I don’t believe it distracts from the story. It’s still a good read and I will definitely pick up book 2

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of "NOT A DRAGON". This is a very interesting, entertaining, intriguing, mystery, danger, action, secrets, surprises, a very enjoyable read from beginning to end.
I definitely recommend to get this very interesting, mysterious book so well worth the read so much happens, you must get this book to see how it all turns out you'll thoroughly enjoy Kiara & Aiden's journey I did I couldn't put down until finished great start to this series.

[C. Mercie M Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning you feel like you're walking into a story that was started a few chapters ahead of you. Then you start to gel with the characters, and the story, and the tale flows easily to the end. I like the characters, the premise, and am willing to see the characters and their setting grow with the next book. I'd like to know what other worlds their are, the governing body, and see the fleshing out of the characters.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good start to a new series that promises to be a hit. This storyline was filled with action, adventure, some chemistry, danger, magic, and paranormal situations and characters. The concept was intriguing and engaging, more proofreading is required, but still an entertaining read. I voluntarily read an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Tahnia Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiara has been disowned by her family. She changed her last name to Ravenlocke to stay under the radar of those who want her dead. Kiara goes to work for Blazewood Securities, the company her father runs. This story has plenty of action and ends in a cliffhanger. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer Lil'n Dunski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the 1st couple of chapters were slow, but once you pass those chapters, it's turns into a pretty good story. I like the twist on the supernatural. It's definitely enticing and really drags you into the story.

[Kreela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprise read for me. I remembered this as a DNF, but the publishing date was February, 2021.

With all the emphasis on soulbonding, fated mates, and finding the perfect half, this urban fantasy takes the trope beyond the usual drainpool of smut. Kiara is the unfortunate reject of a twin who received all the luck in the family. Her sister could turn into a dragon; she was stuck as a dud. Forced to hide her status, she could not acknowledge her father and mother. Her father pretended Kiara was just another intern at his security company.

But that gave her skills. When a new assignment arrived to guard a popular songwriter named Aiden, she managed to join the protection detail. After slime demons attacked, she discovered being a null actually gave the demons no ability to harm her, and she was skilled in defense. I love underdogs who can make a difference through their own ingenuity!

Afterwards, new tattoos started climbing up both her and Aidens' bodies. Soulmates were a long-honored tradition among dragons, but Kiara was supposed to be human...but nothing was as it seemed. Forced to keep touching hands at all times, I found the antics more amusing than the actual plot.

There are romantic teasers everywhere: when they slept on the bed together Kiara woke to find Aiden's head resting on her chin, her hand under his t-shirt. Mortified, she wondered:
"Do I pretend to die and resurface with a new identity in Hawaii?"

And the incubus... he was funny and I wanted to know if my guess about his girlfriend was correct. While attached at the hip, Kiara was licked by the incubus, but his roommates were equally flabbergasted. Where is book 2? Us girls wanna know.

But I digress. Trying to cope with a new living situation is hard enough; doing it because you die if I die is not a good way to live. Kiara was no better off, and then the two get kidnapped. I don't want to detail the plot further because I might spoil it. But I rooted for Kiara as she fought the kidnappers for Aiden before they started teaming up.

• Urban Fantasy
• Steam: 🌶🌶 for chatting about adult situations in the background
• Forced Proximity
• Bonding
• Giggle moments
• Climactic action scene
• Not a rockstar romance
• Both virgin shifters
• If you die I die
° Not too long, not too short; just right

My new rating system:
4⭐️: I liked it. I found enjoyable characters, original writing, good plot.

I didn't love it so much I would make posters and plaster my wall with it, but I liked it a lot, and it was original material.

[Blake · Rating 1 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring.)

Love the cover.
Plot sounded good.
The execution of the plot didn't hold up for me.
Needs better editing.

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: No

Would you recommend?: No


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not A Dragon by Alexia Black is Book 1 in the Soulmarked: Kiara Ravenlocke Files series. The storyline is intriguing, well written, and has interesting well developed characters. The world building is excellent. Kiara, MFC, has been disowned by her family, her sister is counting on her to save her, she is cursed, and bound to her dragon client for starters. This is a fast paced, action filled urban fantasy adventure with suspense, emotion and a little romance that will keep you reading until the last page then leave you wanting more. This is an excellent start to this series and I am looking forward to the next book. I recommend this book. Received an ARC and this is my voluntary review.

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written, exciting tale. This a great introduction to Kiara Ravenlocke. She's a human training to be a guard in the supernatural world. A world in which nothing is as it seems. A chance encounter with a rock star places them together in a soulbond. A bond for which the death of one means the death of the other. But that's just the tip of the iceberg for this story. Worth every minute.

Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Haunting. Page-turner. Romantic. Scary. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book. The characters came to life for me. Some I loved and others not so much. I highly recommend this book. I can’t wait to read the next book.

[Lefty Jeans · Rating 5 out of 5]

End of my seat, page turner. A must read

[Lisa Greene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good plot bad editing

I can't read any more of this. Many words in words and phrases used. The plot is quite good though. Please edit it