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The Shadow Dragon Series #1
The Cord Between Us
Ever wonder why dragons suddenly disappeared from history?
They bound themselves in human form to hide their existence. Hidden among us, they are more dangerous than ever before. It's up to the Order and the Knights to keep humanity safe.
Jenna Daly, recently graduated Knight, works to navigate her new role while an unfamiliar threat, Shadow magic, is taking out both humans and dragons alike.
The mysterious Kipp was not what Jenna was expecting to swoop into her life. His brooding and secret keeping are more frustrating than ever as their paths continue to cross.
There are strange forces working behind the scenes. Jenna just has to survive them...
They bound themselves in human form to hide their existence. Hidden among us, they are more dangerous than ever before. It's up to the Order and the Knights to keep humanity safe.
Jenna Daly, recently graduated Knight, works to navigate her new role while an unfamiliar threat, Shadow magic, is taking out both humans and dragons alike.
The mysterious Kipp was not what Jenna was expecting to swoop into her life. His brooding and secret keeping are more frustrating than ever as their paths continue to cross.
There are strange forces working behind the scenes. Jenna just has to survive them...
274 pages, ebook
Published August 29, 2022
358 people are currently reading
2038 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
June 7, 2023
As I was reading this book, I was wondering if it was the first published book by this author. It was a lot of “and then this happened” and the foreshadowing was so obvious that it left nothing to my imagination.
There were a lot of exclamation points used and I felt like everything had to be hyped and exciting. I also felt that Jess and Kip’s relationship built too fast. It almost didn’t seem believable. She seemed to have a more intimate relationship with her brother, which weirded me out.
I also found the line “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding” at least three times in the book. Because of the repeating phrases (this wasn’t the only one) I was feeling like I was re-reading things and often got lost.
What I will say is, the story line was very good. The only reason I felt like I knew what was happening was because of the aforementioned foreshadowing. I definitely could have seen my teenage self loving it!
There were a lot of exclamation points used and I felt like everything had to be hyped and exciting. I also felt that Jess and Kip’s relationship built too fast. It almost didn’t seem believable. She seemed to have a more intimate relationship with her brother, which weirded me out.
I also found the line “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding” at least three times in the book. Because of the repeating phrases (this wasn’t the only one) I was feeling like I was re-reading things and often got lost.
What I will say is, the story line was very good. The only reason I felt like I knew what was happening was because of the aforementioned foreshadowing. I definitely could have seen my teenage self loving it!
December 27, 2023
Soulmates and dragons? Yes please!
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I am a semi-new fantasy reader and really enjoyed this one! I thought the story was fresh and new compared to other fantasy I’ve read so far. It read more as young adult fantasy for me.
I gave 4 stars because I felt like some scenes (action and spicy) were a bit rushed.
I’ll be reading the next book in the series for sure!
I read this book as an ARC.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I am a semi-new fantasy reader and really enjoyed this one! I thought the story was fresh and new compared to other fantasy I’ve read so far. It read more as young adult fantasy for me.
I gave 4 stars because I felt like some scenes (action and spicy) were a bit rushed.
I’ll be reading the next book in the series for sure!
I read this book as an ARC.
December 29, 2023
1.5 ⭐️ I liked the concept of the story and the dragons, it kind of gave me a sci-fi futuristic feel, but that’s about it. There wasn’t a whole lot going on and it had potential but it was such a struggle to finish and it was only like 100 pages and it took me like 2 weeks. First the FMC has more chemistry and tension with her brother (EW) than she does with her supposed mated instant attraction love interest. It was so uncomfortable to read. Like at one point she’s leaving for this mission and she “slams on her breaks, jumps out of the car and runs over and jumps into her brothers arms legs wrapped and everything because she’ll miss him so much.. Another part she’s walking around in a towel getting ready with her brother laying on the bed watching her and once she’s dressed her calls her beautiful like ??? Idk about y’all but my brother has never once called me that lmaooo eh would just say oh you look nice or something. This book was just full on creepy vibes. Second she ends up kissing a man that is basically like her uncle and it was just all downhill from there (because half the book makes us believe he might be a potential love interest). And lastly her love interest and her meet twice and then we are supposed to believe they already love each other? And there are 4 books?? I honestly tried but I could not like this book and I wished I DNF it.
September 8, 2024
I now understand why this was free
June 13, 2023
I read an ARC copy of this book and enjoyed a lot about it. The story progresses at a good pace in my opinion. There was a lot that was predictable, but it was interesting enough to keep me wanting to read to see what happens next.
January 13, 2024
I’d like to thank the author and her team for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate the effort and creativity that went into crafting the story, and there surely is potential here. However, while I found certain aspects interesting (dragons bound to their human form is a new take), I also encountered many issues and shortcomings that affected my overall reading experience. I’d like to address them in order to provide constructive feedback for the author and so other readers know what to expect.
Firstly, I think I may have received an unedited version of the book. There were so many grammatical errors, punctuation errors, syntax errors, contradictory sentences, etc. I was making highlights and notes on my Kindle version as I read (in the event that the author might want to be aware of these issues), and I was having to stop and make a note every other page or so. It got to be so tedious that I had to change my strategy to only highlighting major issues that wouldbe obvious to the average reader. By the end of the book, I had 142 highlighted errors. I also highlighted some sentences that I’d have to re-read two or three times to understand what was trying to be said because the wording was so off. At one point, the spelling of a character’s name changed. The author was calling the capitol city both the “capitol” and the “capital,” and sometimes both spellings would be used on the same page. Also, sometimes it was capitalized, and the next paragraph it wasn't. Issues like this could be remedied with a good editor.
In terms of the story itself, I did not enjoy the complete lack of world-building or development of any events or characters. It was very “info-dumpy” in parts and nothing felt well thought-out. Things happened one after another, but it felt very forced because there was no development of anything. It was like “... and then this happened… and all of a sudden, so-and-so was saving me… and then this happened… and then we’re finally there, and BOOM, this happens, and then I cry, and then this happens, and all of a sudden BAM, and then this happened…” Like, it felt like hours would have passed between some of these events being described, but these multiple events were taking place within the span of a few paragraphs. I felt like I was almost reading a rough outline of what the author wanted to cover in a chapter, not the actual written chapter itself. The main female character was probably the worst protagonist I’ve ever read. She was impossible to like. She was never developed as a character, and the only thing we ever learned about her was that she cried over literally everything, could never think rationally (despite supposedly being trained at a prestigious knight academy that only took the best of the best), and had an unnatural, creepy obsession with her brother. Jenna was honestly so dumb she was infurating to read. She was unable to see the larger picture in other characters' actions and would hold it against them and cry about it constantly. To make an analogy, it was like if one of us were in a bad car accident and a passerby had to break our window to pull us out to save our life. If this had happened to Jenna, instead of saying “Wow, thanks for breaking my window to save my life,” she would have surely said “OMG, why did he break my window? Does he not love me? If he did, he would respect my property. I can never trust him again. Why would he do that to me?!? This is an unforgivable act!” and then she’d burst into tears and bury her face in her brother’s chest. If you don't like hyper-emotional female leads, this book is not for you. Jenna would cry multiple times in a single chapter for most chapters of the book. When I got 92% done, I started counting how many times she'd burst into tears. Within the last action scene and final ending/closing scene, she cried seven separate times. SEVEN. Another issue was that the romantic relationships in the story were so forced it was painful. I never felt invested in any of her relationships, but especially not with her main love interest, because we knew almost nothing about him except he liked to scowl. And I would bet money that the author doesn’t have any male siblings, because the way Jenna would act toward her brother had me thinking it was foreshadowing that they were going to end up together as a couple. Like, we’re talking during car rides, while sitting between her brother and her love interest, she’d snuff her love interest and scoot closer to her brother and they’d ride with his arms around her shoulders and her head on his shoulder. They’d hug in the morning, she’d take a shower, and then she’d get out 10 minutes later and run up to him and jump into his arms again, following by them doing some dumb handshake or hair-ruffling. They would ask about each other the minute they woke up, they'd say things to each other like "I belong to you and you belong to me." We were able to tell from the first chapter or so that they had a close bond- we didn’t need to have them spooning and hugging and cuddling every time they were together in order to drive the point home. I was super weirded out, and I was convinced they were going to profess their romantic love for one another any minute. The largest missed opportunity in the book was the lack of development and exploration of the villains ("Shadow dragons"). They were intriguing, but we never knew what they really even were, how they came to be, how their magic worked… nothing. They were just the "Shadow dragon" bad guys, and that's all we got in that department.
Despite my many criticisms, I think there was potential due to the unique spin on dragons and the exploration that could be done with the connection cords. The draft I read would serve as a good outline for the author to dive back in and really start developing the world, characters, settings, events, and plot. All of the glaring issues aren’t unfixable, and with a good editor and some elbow grease, this book could end up being acceptable.
Firstly, I think I may have received an unedited version of the book. There were so many grammatical errors, punctuation errors, syntax errors, contradictory sentences, etc. I was making highlights and notes on my Kindle version as I read (in the event that the author might want to be aware of these issues), and I was having to stop and make a note every other page or so. It got to be so tedious that I had to change my strategy to only highlighting major issues that wouldbe obvious to the average reader. By the end of the book, I had 142 highlighted errors. I also highlighted some sentences that I’d have to re-read two or three times to understand what was trying to be said because the wording was so off. At one point, the spelling of a character’s name changed. The author was calling the capitol city both the “capitol” and the “capital,” and sometimes both spellings would be used on the same page. Also, sometimes it was capitalized, and the next paragraph it wasn't. Issues like this could be remedied with a good editor.
In terms of the story itself, I did not enjoy the complete lack of world-building or development of any events or characters. It was very “info-dumpy” in parts and nothing felt well thought-out. Things happened one after another, but it felt very forced because there was no development of anything. It was like “... and then this happened… and all of a sudden, so-and-so was saving me… and then this happened… and then we’re finally there, and BOOM, this happens, and then I cry, and then this happens, and all of a sudden BAM, and then this happened…” Like, it felt like hours would have passed between some of these events being described, but these multiple events were taking place within the span of a few paragraphs. I felt like I was almost reading a rough outline of what the author wanted to cover in a chapter, not the actual written chapter itself. The main female character was probably the worst protagonist I’ve ever read. She was impossible to like. She was never developed as a character, and the only thing we ever learned about her was that she cried over literally everything, could never think rationally (despite supposedly being trained at a prestigious knight academy that only took the best of the best), and had an unnatural, creepy obsession with her brother. Jenna was honestly so dumb she was infurating to read. She was unable to see the larger picture in other characters' actions and would hold it against them and cry about it constantly. To make an analogy, it was like if one of us were in a bad car accident and a passerby had to break our window to pull us out to save our life. If this had happened to Jenna, instead of saying “Wow, thanks for breaking my window to save my life,” she would have surely said “OMG, why did he break my window? Does he not love me? If he did, he would respect my property. I can never trust him again. Why would he do that to me?!? This is an unforgivable act!” and then she’d burst into tears and bury her face in her brother’s chest. If you don't like hyper-emotional female leads, this book is not for you. Jenna would cry multiple times in a single chapter for most chapters of the book. When I got 92% done, I started counting how many times she'd burst into tears. Within the last action scene and final ending/closing scene, she cried seven separate times. SEVEN. Another issue was that the romantic relationships in the story were so forced it was painful. I never felt invested in any of her relationships, but especially not with her main love interest, because we knew almost nothing about him except he liked to scowl. And I would bet money that the author doesn’t have any male siblings, because the way Jenna would act toward her brother had me thinking it was foreshadowing that they were going to end up together as a couple. Like, we’re talking during car rides, while sitting between her brother and her love interest, she’d snuff her love interest and scoot closer to her brother and they’d ride with his arms around her shoulders and her head on his shoulder. They’d hug in the morning, she’d take a shower, and then she’d get out 10 minutes later and run up to him and jump into his arms again, following by them doing some dumb handshake or hair-ruffling. They would ask about each other the minute they woke up, they'd say things to each other like "I belong to you and you belong to me." We were able to tell from the first chapter or so that they had a close bond- we didn’t need to have them spooning and hugging and cuddling every time they were together in order to drive the point home. I was super weirded out, and I was convinced they were going to profess their romantic love for one another any minute. The largest missed opportunity in the book was the lack of development and exploration of the villains ("Shadow dragons"). They were intriguing, but we never knew what they really even were, how they came to be, how their magic worked… nothing. They were just the "Shadow dragon" bad guys, and that's all we got in that department.
Despite my many criticisms, I think there was potential due to the unique spin on dragons and the exploration that could be done with the connection cords. The draft I read would serve as a good outline for the author to dive back in and really start developing the world, characters, settings, events, and plot. All of the glaring issues aren’t unfixable, and with a good editor and some elbow grease, this book could end up being acceptable.
January 20, 2024
I really liked the story and the history of dragons. The rest is kind of predictable. A lot is described, it's event after event. I didn't feel connected to the characters. Also, the relationship she had with her brother feels too close, i think she gets more kisses from him than the dude she is "dating". It felt like I was re-reading a lot of stuff. I lost count of how many times she rolled her eyes, glared at someone, or narrowed her eyes. Throughout the book she had four different nicknames.
I liked the story, but I think the writing just missed details. Or thoughts. I probably would have loved this story when I was 12.
I liked the story, but I think the writing just missed details. Or thoughts. I probably would have loved this story when I was 12.
June 13, 2023
action packed!
I don’t usually read fantasy but this grabbed me by the throat and kept me locked in until the last page! I loved the writing style that kept me wanting to stay up late and read instead of going to sleep just to see what would happen next. I can’t wait to move to book number two and see what these characters get up to!
I don’t usually read fantasy but this grabbed me by the throat and kept me locked in until the last page! I loved the writing style that kept me wanting to stay up late and read instead of going to sleep just to see what would happen next. I can’t wait to move to book number two and see what these characters get up to!
January 6, 2024
I liked this book. It took me a little bit of time to get into it, because I was coming directly from the ACOTAR/Fourth Wing world so it threw me for a loop to see the characters using cell phones and driving cars 😂 but once the action really began, it hooked me in. Some of the details were a bit predictable but not to the point where it turned me off. I like the unique twist of dragons being in human form. All in all, I recommend this one!
June 19, 2023
I enjoyed this book so much! It was an easy read, fast paced and action packed. For me it has everything, from secrets, love and drama, to a whole new world, a society of Knights rigurously trained to dragons and complexities in their packs and orders. I think the author did a very good job introducing us to this new world, characters and how things work. It had me hooked from the very first chapter. I liked Jenna, however i do feel like she's crying a little too much and too often, but that's just my personal feeling. Otherwise, i feel like she's got a lot of nerve and fire withing her, she's fisty and doesn't give up easily. I also liked the mysterious Kipp but i would've loved to know more about him. I am very much looking forward to read the next books in the series and discover more about this world!
June 10, 2023
Really liked this book! There was always something going on and couldn’t put it down! I also didn’t want it to end either.
January 24, 2024
This is the first one star book I’ve ever read. I had to DNF at 35% because I couldn’t push myself through the horrible writing style. This book is so juvenile and poorly written it feels like a wattpad fanfic written by a 12 year old. Scratch that, actually, I’ve read unpublished fan fictions better written than this.
The FMC is the most irritating character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Shes so immature and shortsighted, it got irritating within the first 10 pages of the book. She is literally described as “stomping around” or “bursting into tears” at several points. Not to mention, she punched someone in the face for trying to help her. Ew.
Don’t even get me started on the weird relationship she had with her brother. As soon as I found out she was adopted, I was 100% expecting the romance to be between them. I don’t think this author has siblings in real life. If she does…. I’m a little concerned she may be secretly in love with them.
Overall, the book was not good. It was honestly disappointing as it had potential. The dragons stuck in human form was a good concept, but it wasn’t built well. This book would have made a delicious enemies to lovers if it was better written and the plot and characters had been more developed.
The FMC is the most irritating character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Shes so immature and shortsighted, it got irritating within the first 10 pages of the book. She is literally described as “stomping around” or “bursting into tears” at several points. Not to mention, she punched someone in the face for trying to help her. Ew.
Don’t even get me started on the weird relationship she had with her brother. As soon as I found out she was adopted, I was 100% expecting the romance to be between them. I don’t think this author has siblings in real life. If she does…. I’m a little concerned she may be secretly in love with them.
Overall, the book was not good. It was honestly disappointing as it had potential. The dragons stuck in human form was a good concept, but it wasn’t built well. This book would have made a delicious enemies to lovers if it was better written and the plot and characters had been more developed.
October 5, 2022
Fresh Storyline!
I enjoyed this book greatly!!! It had a smooth storyline & a new plot that didn’t seem to be a repeat of previous books of the same genre. The only downfall was at times it seemed rushed, but I still couldn’t put it down. I will be watching for more books by Leigh
I enjoyed this book greatly!!! It had a smooth storyline & a new plot that didn’t seem to be a repeat of previous books of the same genre. The only downfall was at times it seemed rushed, but I still couldn’t put it down. I will be watching for more books by Leigh
December 11, 2023
I don’t even know where to begin with this book… yea I do! Read it! Please… lol If you love… Fantasy… Romance… Dragons.. Fated mates… Action… Then please please read this book! The story is from the main female lead character POV. Jenna… who is a newly graduated member of the order.. an organisation that fights against dragons.. she is about to be sent in her first mission.. a mission that is going to change her world forever! Secrets start to uncover and Jenna has to learn who she truly is… I love that you don’t have to wait for ages for the action to start, it starts right away. I love how world are brought Together in a stunning way! I was literally turning pages so fast.. amazing writing… This book is on my top list of books this year!! Read it, you won’t regret it!
December 9, 2023
OMGAWD.
Need a filler after a fourth wing hangover. THIS IS IT!!! I devoured this book once I was able to sit down and read it. It has dragons!! The premise is a bit different, but well written!! Kudos to the author, I absolutely LOVED this book.
On to book 2.
Need a filler after a fourth wing hangover. THIS IS IT!!! I devoured this book once I was able to sit down and read it. It has dragons!! The premise is a bit different, but well written!! Kudos to the author, I absolutely LOVED this book.
On to book 2.
April 3, 2024
An enjoyable quick read. Chose this to take a breather from another series. I've found it very easy to get into so it's hit the spot.
The book has a nice pace and pleasant story line. I'm interested in seeing the character relationships develop more in the next books.
3 stars as I found the proofreading to be lacking at times.
The book has a nice pace and pleasant story line. I'm interested in seeing the character relationships develop more in the next books.
3 stars as I found the proofreading to be lacking at times.
June 21, 2024
Great story!
For a slow burn romance, this was really well written! Leigh really brought a new perspective to dragon-lore, and I loved it! I couldn't put this book down once I picked it up!
The twist in the story made it even better and even enhanced the story itself. I loved that it wasn't super smutty as it allowed the rest of the story to emerge and following Jenna as she goes through all of this is great. I can't wait to read the next book!
For a slow burn romance, this was really well written! Leigh really brought a new perspective to dragon-lore, and I loved it! I couldn't put this book down once I picked it up!
The twist in the story made it even better and even enhanced the story itself. I loved that it wasn't super smutty as it allowed the rest of the story to emerge and following Jenna as she goes through all of this is great. I can't wait to read the next book!
September 10, 2022
Fantastic!
I had to stay up late to finish this book because I could not put it down! Can't wait for the next book and I really hope I can follow these characters further. Great writing!!
I had to stay up late to finish this book because I could not put it down! Can't wait for the next book and I really hope I can follow these characters further. Great writing!!
June 12, 2023
Loved it! What’s better than fantasy, romance, soulmates, good vs evil, shapeshifters, adventure, and dragons??!!
September 25, 2023
This was my first book by Leigh Ferguson and it won't be my last.
This book had me hooked from the first page, and I couldn't put it down. It's fast paced and and easy read.
Leigh has done a great job introducing this new world of dragons and knights and all the characters. Jenna & Kipp ❤️
I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing how this series unfolds.
This book had me hooked from the first page, and I couldn't put it down. It's fast paced and and easy read.
Leigh has done a great job introducing this new world of dragons and knights and all the characters. Jenna & Kipp ❤️
I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing how this series unfolds.
December 22, 2023
This was an okay read, but I really struggled to get into it. I didn't connect with any of the characters and I felt like the action was quite disjointed
September 22, 2025
dnf @ 49%
started it from the beginning after 7 months break and it’s just not doing it for me😭
started it from the beginning after 7 months break and it’s just not doing it for me😭
January 20, 2024
Was nervous about another dragon fantasy book but loved it. Also I know they're not but I keep picturing them turning to dragons like American Dragon Jake Long 😭😂
June 13, 2023
I honestly didn't know what to expect qt first but I kept going and I was just so drawn in that I finished this is a day 😅 honestly I loved it and can't wait for more.
January 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. With being new to fantasy books this was an easy read. It felt very YA at times but I enjoyed that because it didn't make things too complex. Will definitely read the other books in this series
July 25, 2023
I decided to apply for the ARC team on a whim, because I have been wanting to read more fantasy, and I am so glad that I did! I loved Leigh’s take on Dragons, because they are usually not my cup of tea but I literally could not put this book down. I loved the brother/sister dynamic, fated mates, and found family. There was always something to keep me intrigued. This book also go me out of a slump. So if you’re like me, and are slowly dipping your toe into the fantasy era, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! 👏🏼
August 7, 2024
Fantastic read, kept me at the edge of my seat. Dragons galore! Will be continuing the series
June 9, 2023
It was a great read, entertaining and at a fast pace. I liked Jenna because she had it all, she was a badass, she was soft and in the same story she was at odds also, so not just look at me I am super duper and all that. But my favorite was Kipp with all the mystery around him. Looking forward for the next book
July 13, 2023
I read this book as I'm an ARC reader for books 3 and 4. I personally liked this book very much! It's an interesting story and, to be honest, the cord lore is really cool. The story progresses at a steady pace, so it never feels too slow or rushed. I did find some things to be predictable, but it didn't keep me from enjoying it, nonetheless! I'm about to start book 2, so excited to see what happens next! Great job, Leigh! ❤️
June 20, 2024
Interesting
I enjoyed this book, even if it was somewhat predictable.
It seemed to have ended well, though I see there are 3 more in the series. I guess I better read them to see what happens!
I enjoyed this book, even if it was somewhat predictable.
It seemed to have ended well, though I see there are 3 more in the series. I guess I better read them to see what happens!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews