Hunted by a dragon. Captured by slavers. Things have been a little exciting for Ashe, lately. Throw in a magical parasite and it's a wonder he has time to pine over Katsu.
Luckily, Katsu is one heck of a medic and likes a little excitement. Soon enough, Ashe finds himself risking not just his life, but his heart for this mysterious human who can heal – or kill – with a touch. Follow Ashe and Katsu as they join combat, battle dragons, and stumble toward love in Dragon's Path.
"Dragon's Path" includes the previously published first four stories of the Dragon series, now re-edited and with additional scenes, as well as promotional shorts only seen before by a select few.
JB has been writing fiction of some sort or another since she was eight years old, when she started with the highly acclaimed and illustrated, “Bucky the Bronco and his Missing Horseshoe.” Everyone in the McDonald household heard about it. Most even read it. Then they made the fatal mistake of encouraging it, and before anyone quite knew how it happened, JB declared that she was going to spend the rest of her life writing.
She wrote online for a stretch and warped a good many people. They sent heartfelt thanks and, on occasion, gift baskets. Sometimes they even brought her cheese sauce and wine. They were less appreciative of the gift of the world’s worst porn, which, thankfully, has gone by the wayside.
JB is possessed of a sense of humor that just will not quit, despite how many stick beatings it’s been through. She also has a cheerfully evil laugh that brings terror to many young hearts. She sadly lacks in cooking skills, which is why the gift baskets and cheese sauce are so important. Instead of cooking, or doing anything as time-consuming as eating regularly, she devotes all her time to writing so that she can inflict more horror—that is, fiction—on you, her hopefully devoted fans.
JB can be reached at her website (https://www.JBMcDonaldScribblesHere.w...), as long as you don't get distracted by her ravings or adorable pictures and videos of her service dog, Doc.
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*
From the very start, I liked these characters and their relationship (or rather, their lack of relationship and Ashe’s pining and attempts to get a rise out of Katsu). It was cute and fun from that first interaction, and that vibe carried through the whole book and their whole relationship. Poor Ashe had to work so hard to get Katsu to trust him and open up to him at all and to admit he cared, and even then he barely got anything. As the reader, it was obvious Katsu cared about him a whole lot, but Ashe did not find it quite so obvious and was left having to interpret Katsu’s obscure displays of affection, cloaked in grumpiness and annoyance and stoicism. They were sort of a grumpy/sunshine pair, and it was adorable.
And speaking of poor Ashe, seriously this poor man! In almost every story, he had some horrible injury or illness! It always turned out ok, but my gosh.
There was also sex, and *whew* *SPOILER* *END SPOILER* It never lost the fun though. You could tell these two were just having a good time together, sometimes laughing or messing with each other, and that just made it sexier. Anyway, Ashe was always horny, and luckily Katsu didn’t seem to mind. It was also kind of the only time Katsu seemed to relax and really be vulnerable with Ashe.
The fantasy world was fun. There were elves and magic and dragons. I loved how each character had their own beliefs about magic and how it worked, and as the reader, I don’t actually know which is correct. I just know what they believed and what I witnessed of it in action.
And the dragon! At first I thought, “Aww, cute baby dragon!” But then she turned out not so cute. But still kinda cute, even though she was a problem? At one point, the dragon’s emotional state was described as disgruntled, and I think that’s just a good word to describe this dragon overall. She was constantly disgruntled. The emotional and magical connection between Ashe and the dragon was a cool part of the story too.
This is a collection of short stories, but they’re all connected and strung together like a book. There are also some extra scenes at the end, things that didn’t make it into the stories for this or that reason, with some author commentary.
Overall, I really liked this. I felt for the characters when they were suffering and had a great time with them when they were happy. Their romance was cute, their adventures were interesting, and I’m looking forward to the next book!
Recommended For: Anyone who likes fantasy adventures, angsty but also cute and beautiful m/m romance, grumpy + sunshine, steamy sex, bad-tempered but lovable dragons, elves, and magic.
I wasn’t sure quite what to expect but I loved the cover and the blurb was intriguing. So I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Although I wasn’t completely sold after the first book I soon became hooked. Don’t be put off by my rating. A book has to be exceptional to get 4*. Anyway this is an enjoyable series and I’ll be reading the rest of them.
Dragon Hunted - 3*
Okay so this one is different. Ashe isn’t the brightest bulb in the box and Katsu is a bit of a mystery.
Dragon Traders - 3.5*
I enjoyed this one more. I’ve warmed to Ashe and his ability to get into trouble constantly. And Katsu is intriguing.
Dragon Hatching - 3.5*
I’ve settled in now and find I’m enjoying this series, in this one Ashe brings a dragon to life with possible life threatening consequences.
Dragon Whisperer - 3.5*
Ashe is fading as the dragon draws from him. Things get so bad Ashe and Katsu have to leave the group. They head to the only person they think could help. The Dragon Whisperer.
True Love - 3.5*
This is a cute short featuring Robert and Jasper. Although Ashe and Katsu have cameos of course.
Jasper wants to find his one true love and uses an unusual method to speed up the process.
I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
This is an M/M fantasy adventure with high steam It is a compilation of four short stories that chronicle Ashe and Katsu's journey
We have Ashe, a member of a band of mercenaries, an elf, and a touch... Well touched - LOL He is a bit klutzy at times and doesn't always think things through Brain-to-mouth filter glitches He is quick to react which often gets him in more trouble - But his heart is in the right place
Katsu, the human, is the gang's healer and maybe more? (not telling) Very withdrawn, standoffish, grumpy - so many adjectives for him From the beginning, he has always been just a bit gruffer with Ashe Who seems to rub his every last nerve raw
In Dragon Hunted the band is hired to capture two dragons. Not as easy as they are led to believe. When Ashe and Katsu get separated during the battle secrets get revealed and desires become tangent. As the stories progress, we follow them as they journey into uncharted territories, battle new foes, and explore the chemistry between them
This starts out fast-paced and keeps the momentum throughout the stories Exciting storylines with plenty of action and Smexy moments Solid secondary characters who bring something to the story
This is a MM Fantasy Romance, with light angst, lots of fun, plenty of action, and some hot-as-hades chemistry between our two MCs
This anthology contains the first four stories previously published, now with additional scenes, along with promotional shorts seen by a limited few. Ashe and Katsu will battle dragons while they find love along the way. Ashe jumps into all situations, being hunted by a dragon, captured by slavers, and anything else that comes along. He is fascinated with Katsu, a human who can either heal or kill by a simple touch. So you know these stories will bring high-level excitement with these two. Grab your copy and immerse yourself in adventure… and love.
3.5 stars. The short stories in this collection linked together so nicely the author could have just published it as a short novel and I wouldn't have noticed the difference! Strong main characters, intentionally awkward romance (that was kind of cute!), likeable side characters (though there could have been more) and lots of questions that still need answering. I have hopes the still unnamed dragon may turn out to be an asset instead of a massive detriment, but that remains to be seen!
Thanks to J.B. McDonald and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and BookBuzz.net for a copy of Dragon's Path in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this. I did not realize it was a collection of short stories when I requested the book, but they happen so quickly together in the story that it mostly reads like a book. I look forward to the second volume and to read about more of Katsu and Ashe's adventures!
I enjoyed the read, but kinda wanted a full novel instead of few short stories. Katsu and Ashe's relationship that often feels like push and pull is really lovely to follow. The chemistry between the characters is something you see and feel through reading. Very enjoyable!