Dragonborn

The Jade Lee Romantic Fantasies #1

by Jade Lee

In a fantastical world where dragons have been all but destroyed, the human Natiya must protect the egg entrusted to her from the virile and powerful slayer Kiril until she herself can become Dragonborn.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Dragons, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance, Fiction

ebook

First published February 26, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: Also writes under the pen name Kathy Lyons.

A USA Today Bestseller, JADE LEE has been scripting love stories since she first picked up a set of paper dolls. Ball gowns and rakish lords caught her attention early (thank you Georgette Heyer), and her fascination with the Regency began. An author of more than 40 romance novels and winner of dozens of industry awards, her latest series is RAKES AND ROGUES. The first one, 50 WAYS TO RUIN A RAKE, is an awesome tale of love and laughter.
And don’t forget Kathy Lyons.. She’s Jade’s paranormal half. Check out her new shifter series GRIZZLIES GONE WILD.
To find all the latest news on Jade or Kathy, visit them at www.jadeleeauthor.com or www.kathylyons.com! And find out where you can meet her at: http://jadeleeauthor.com/appearances

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not a romance. The author would have done better to write this story as a straight fantasy book or better yet, an epic tragedy. The twists and turns would have made more sense. As a romance, it left me feeling PO'ed and disgusted. The HEA is barely there, and the "love conquers all" message is completely twisted into immature, self-absorbed tripe. I really wanted to like the story and the characters because I love dragon books but I only grew more and more disgusted with them. Even the dragons were irritating after a bit. Two stars only because it is technnically proficient. I've been on a string of poorly written books so I have to give the author credit for skill in stringing words together nicely, but it just misses the mark for me.

[Trish · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love books that take place in magical lands and are completely fantastical. This book however I couldn't wait for it to end. The idea of the dragons and the eggs and the bonding/incubation I thought was very cool. On the other hand all the character interactions were immature and cheap. None of the characters had any depth, and the romance side of the story was lacking. Sex and romance are not the same thing. It almost seemed to me that the author isn't comfortable with the sex aspect of this book either. The whole belly-horned idea was very juvenile in my opinion. The abilities of those who were incubating eggs (dragon speed, strength and hearing) were inconsistent and that was irritating too. Natiya was supposed to have these abilities and yet she seemed to always be surprised and having people sneak up on her whether they were normal or dragon born themselves. I didn't feel a great bond with any of the characters and I think there was nothing more than surface stories to any one of them. So glad this book is finally over, and will not be continuing with the rest of the series. Very glad this book was given to me and that I didn't waste money in it.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am uncertain how to describe my experience from this book. It had positive and negative aspects in equal measure.
Natiya is the descendant of the last dragon scholars, hiding a dragon egg attached to her body - a valuable dragon egg the despotic emperor is searching for. He even entrusts his best dragon hunter, Kiril, with the quest to find the dragon egg and bring the future dragonborn to him. Except, it is highly uncommon for a dragonborn to be woman.
I certainly appreciate the way the story was written. The author knows how to use words and one could swim through the lines pretty easily. I also liked the whole world setup, although I feel it needed more precision and it has certainly higher potential to deliver a pleasurable experience to the reader than it actually did. The plot escalated quickly, making the story quite fast-paced, but not as smoothly as I would like to - sometimes feeling held down, sometimes pushed forward in jumps.
But what mostly disappointed me were the characters and the absolute lack of emotions they beamed to the reader. Honestly, I felt like nothing. Coldness, detachment. Looking at them, they felt totally unnatural and the dialogues... well, let's say that sometimes I felt the urge to slap Kiril in the face for his speech. The 'romance' felt forced and awkward, for me not feeling romantic at all. Primal sexual instincts and lust, yes, but romance... well, only in the dreaminess of Kiril's character. Despite the description in the story of them both being strong and whatever, I found them weak and almost incapable. The only believable and well-built characters I noticed were Sabina and Penhold. I can actually imagine them to be real, with their personalities, motives and actions.
On the other side, I was able to read the book really fast and since I love dragons, I actually enjoyed the contrast in them and the way the beasts were pictured. I can imagine a better job working with them, too, but this element of supernatural creatures certainly accounts for the brighter moments in the book.
"I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review."

[Josephine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved her writing but disliked the characters. I also found it implausible that the heroine had multiple men in love with them.

The main character orders the death of the man who she had just given her virginity. She literally hopped NAKED out of the arms of the man she claims to love and orders his death because the “bad guy” makes her lover declare, on pain of death, that he tricked her. So she goes to the guy who killed her parents over a man who broke her out of prison.

Also, Lee kept calling men “belly-horned” which was used interchangeably used with negative descriptions of men and supposedly sensual interactions of the hero and heroine. The worst part is I loved her writing style and the world she created.

I am sad to say Jade Lee will not be on my to read list.

[J.C. Cauthon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book because hey--it's about dragons. But, gah, it left a bad taste in my mouth when all was said and done.

The characters were flat, and this book was supposed to be a romance, but there was no romance--just graphic sex scenes. These two would not have known love if it punched them in the nose.

And there were too many inconsistencies with her dragonborn powers. It felt as though the author had not decided what they were before she started writing or simply forgot the powers as she edited.

So, I will not be recommending this book, and if I had paid money for it, I would demand a refund. But as it was free, it's no great loss.

[Tracey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unreadable. Repetitious (one of my notes was "The dragon was still young." - - I KNOW), and ludicrous in its anachronistic dialogue: "'I know, no tip. Somehow I'll survive,' she drawled." A "tip"? In the early 17th century? "...Growing more paranoid by the day"... Really? Do I need to pull out the word origins website again? If a writer can't be bothered to do the bare minimum of research and fact-checking, I can't be bothered reading their stuff.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I expected way more romance, mindless female-worshipping, sickly obsessions, (not so) dreamy male antagonists, and a brainless flirt of of a woman for a protagonist. Oh, and not to mention I'm aware that most 'romance' novels are like porn in book form for women. Instead, this is an awesome story about a woman named Natiya who is incubating a dragon egg to try to get revenge on the evil emperor, Dag Racho, since he killed her entire family. With that being said, it still sounds like a really mediocre book. But the back cover really intrigued me. It reads:

One Protector

When dragon power flows through your veins, when dragon thoughts burn in your mind, you can accomplish anything. Natiya knows, for she carries one of the last egs in the land disguised as a jewel in her navel. Day by day the Unhatched grows, and when at last it births they will be joined in a sacred and eternal bond. Gone will be the barmaid forced to dance for pennies; born will be Dag Natiya, revered Queen. Taker her body or her soul; nothing will stop them.

One Slayer

When dragon power flows through your veins, when dragon emotions trample your soul, you become a monster. So knows Kiril, for one destroyed his cousin. No matter how kind or joyful, all beings must succumb to the power of the wyrm. That is why Kiril vowed to destroy dragonkind - and he has almost succeeded. Only one egg remains. But there is an obstacle he did not foresee: love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, as this states, Natiya and Kiril fall in love. The only obstacle is she is incubating a dragon egg, and he is the emperor's prized dragon killer. Rather than the both of them being lovesick fools who fall into each other's arms the entire time and do nothing but shag and the plot magically unfolds itself, there is a race with time before the egg hatches, and before they are caught by Dag Racho and killed.

I found the plot to be highly captivating, and the characters to be well fleshed out and interactions between them were well thought out and in sync with their emotions, back stories, and personalities. The only part I am mildly annoyed with is the overt lust and the (few) sex scenes in the book. I enjoyed that the focus was not on the romance, but I'm still not sure I like any romance in my books at all. I mean, sure the plot twist of them falling in love is great and all, but does Kiril really have to be fondling her every chance he gets? Natiya is portrayed as an intelligent but hard up woman, who has a stash of books underneath her bed, and spurns every man who tries to flirt with her. Now here comes Kiril and she's squirming up against him. In my honest opinion, this was a great book until the lust and sex came into it. I skimmed through those parts. I think it would have been better as a love story, not a smut story in other words.

Still, the book was good. One of my favorite parts was the interaction between the dragon and the person incubating it, and the time and effort that went into creating and describing the bond that they share. The bond the dragonborn share is my absolute favorite part of the book.

I am both slightly appalled that I enjoyed a romance, and proud of myself for giving it a chance. I'm not sure it's a whole new genre I want to jump into, but hey, it was a good read (and it only took me 2 days to finish!)

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is more fantasy than romance, a journey into epic fantasyland for Lee. The hero is a dragon slayer who's been hunting down all the dragons before they hatch and bond to their humans. There's just one left. The heroine is the dragon bearer. She's hatching the egg, and is communicating with the unborn dragon, while she works as a dancer in a tavern. Then the hero shows up at the tavern, not because he's learned her secret, but because she's the only one left who knows any dragon lore, since the evil emperor killed all the dragon scholars. There's a complicated plot, with an evil emperor who is bonded to the last living dragon, except for the one the heroine carries, which might not actually make it to birth. There's a romance between the dragon bearer and the dragon slayer, but it's quite subdued. There's a big revelation at the end, which didn't make a lot of sense to me, and a happy ending which felt awfully rushed. Still, it was a pretty good read. I thought the romance part of the story was more physical than emotional--I'm not sure I bought the connection between the hero and heroine--but the book was interesting. I liked it.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this book has a really interesting premise. Dragons? Dragon lords? A woman secretly incubating a dragon in order to defeat her ruler. A dragon hunter torn between his mission and his heart. Awesome stuff.

The general story is interesting. The politics... Wow. I can picture the medieval/fantasy world quite clearly.

However, the 'romance' was a bit... unexpected. I'll admit, I found this book in the bestsellers for Romance on Amazon.com, but it felt anything but romantic. Did the characters have chemistry? Yes. But it mostly felt sexual in nature. To be fair, that's how it was supposed to be in the beginning (if I'm understanding the nature of the egg correctly).

And okay, it was sweet how Kiril became more affectionate towards Natiya, and it did help to soften him in my eyes (I was not a fan for most of the book). But I've said it before, and I'll say it again: What I appreciate in a 'romance' is actually seeing the feelings develop. You don't really see that happen here.

Of course, as a science fiction novel, it's pretty good. A bit on the erotic side, yes. But still good.

Overall, an okay read.

[Karen Docter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragonborn is a good fantasy, but not what I’d typically expect of a romance fantasy. The hero and heroine were actually separated for 86 pages and I wasn’t sure the two would get back together on the same page again. There are hormones and sex but the emotional connections and romantic growth I expected just weren’t sufficiently drawn. As a result, the story felt “light” on one of the main elements I was looking for when I picked up the book.

However, I’m glad I didn’t let this keep me from finishing the book. I was intrigued by the fantasy elements themselves, and Lee’s world building skill. In Dragonborn she’s created a world where dragons are more feared, than admired, thanks to one man’s abuse of the symbiotic relationship between humans and dragons. I love dragons and Lee’s take on the creatures was unique…to me at least. It is the very nature of this relationship, however, that makes the traditional HEA problematic for me in Dragonborn.

I will definitely pick up the next book in this series because I do enjoy pure fantasy. I simply won’t go into the next read expecting the traditional HEA.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading Jade Lee's books but she needs to stick with Romance. Seriously!!! I'm still up in the air on whether or not I liked this book because it was a little far out there (even for me). I mean this girl has a belly ring that is actually a Queen dragon's egg that is tied into her be like a baby would be. That is calling it too much!!! Ole boy supposedly his a dragon hunter but he doesn't see or feel the darn egg even though he has his hands on her stomach??? Yeah right!!! Anyway, I finished this book, and looked at the next one but I'll probably read it in a few months. Sort of like this one.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept of Dragonborn, but I struggled with the execution. The world was interesting and I really liked the idea of the dragon-human bonding. I found Natiya frustrating as a character at times (she seemed inconsistent/easily manipulated when she hadn't been so before) and I had trouble following the plot/path of the story after she was captured by Dag Racho.. There was a lot of time spent on some moments, and not enough spent on others, and I wasn't entirely certain what was happening or why

[Leslie Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book keeps you guessing.

When I first started reading this I wasn't sure if I wanted to finish it. But, after a few chapters it really took hold and caught my attention. Several times I thought I could guess the ending but was so wrong. By the end I couldn't put it down. Once I finished it I sat and just giggled out loud. I hope other readers will enjoy it as well.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty bad. Some of the plot didn't make sense, and there were times it didn't seem like the editing added up (they had already done something, or went counter to what had been done before) and it was still a bit confusing about the bonding and stuff - not much was explained. And the main character is blonde, but the cover has her as a brunette. -sigh-

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

What kind of a dumb ending was that?!?

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

this wasn't a romance, this was a mediocre fantasy novel with 2.5 smutty scenes and no chemistry. what fun is that???

[Linda J.]

I have enjoyed the previous story line of The Lyon's Den series. This is such a departure from the series, because the owner of The Lyon's Den, is not a main player in this. She isn't setting anyone up to be married and I missed that, it's what made the stories unique, especially written by different author's.

The H started out being a likable character, but I lost all respect for him when he teaches the h about certain aspects of lovemaking. Then, in the next breath he asks her to be his mistress, because she isn't suitable to be the wife of a man who wants to make himself a career in Politics. I wanted the h to be so upset, have a back bone and leave his sorry butt. But, nooooo she doesn't do that, and in the end gives up a marriage prospect, to become his mistress. OMG, had a hard time to finish it, but I did.

There is a lot of descriptive lovemaking, heat level 5 out of 5. Since I lost respect for both the H/h it was just sex.

Little on suspense, no cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA (yes I did approve of the ending), but in the ending, the H comes to his senses so quickly I had whip lash, little on romance and a lot of steam.

You don't have to read the series, they are all stand alone. (ljb)

[Stacy McKitrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy. It’s not a genre I’m fond of, yet I decided to give it a try (free books can do that for you). This one read like a historical romance, sort of. It’s in a world without technology. There is an Emperor over the land. The world just has dragons in it (like Merlin, I guess). The book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t my thing (mainly because Kiril and Natiya were apart for way too much time), which is probably why it took me so long to read it: I could easily put it down.

[Abbey Harkrader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing dragon tale

I really liked this fresh take on fantasy fiction. I was sucked in to the tale spun and never new what was going to happen next. Lots of plot twists and mystery about the dragons and their role in the story. There were some editing issues that need taken care of, but the great plot helped me overlook them. Be aware, there is a fair amount of sexual content in the book. Over all, I really enjoyed it.

[Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably best viewed more as an epic fantasy than as a romance, for the forays into lust I felt distracted from the storyline rather than enhanced it. The author has crammed a lot of plot into a small space and I admire the breadth of her ideas but believe that this has forced her writing to remain shallow, two dimensional. This is simply too broad a narrative arc to do justice to in 21 chapters. As it stands, I mildly enjoyed the read but wouldn't describe it as particularly memorable.

[Jasmine Bowens · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was what I would classify as a "soap opera" narrative. When events just suddenly happen without preamble. It wasn't the worst "soap opera" narrative, but it did have a few moments. All in all it was an interesting story, and it held my attention enough to want to know how it ended; Although it did not draw my attention enough to read the rest of the series.

[Glenn Hubble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love what I have read so far in this book, and hope to read more soon.

[Laurla2]

"he was no more than a belly-horned man with no brain beyond that which led his lust."
- never heard it called a belly horn before, hehehe.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natiya Draeva is a dancer with a secret.
Kiril is a dragon hunter.
When Kiril is appointed the new local Governor, he encounters Natiya at an inn.
A fun fantasy romance.

[Damian Greco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really feel like the spice/romance element of this one ruined what could have been a unique fantasy story

[Thérèse Bradstreet · Rating 2 out of 5]

: why do they keep making out on the back of a horse? A hairless horse. Think sphinx cat, only horse. That two boring people with no chemistry keep groping each other while riding on why

[Shanthi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this from the fantasy section of the library, so was expecting it to be primarily fantasy with a bit of romance thrown in (similar to Joanne Bertin's The Last Dragonlord, which I really enjoyed). This book did not even come close.

The story was ok (especially compared to some romances I've read, at least this had more going on than banal conversation/pseudo-arguments between the hero and heroine that are meaningless because you know they're going to get together eventually, either via powerlessness over their overwhelming feelings/destiny or a long-term miscommunication/misunderstanding finally being dealt with).

The characters were pretty one-dimensional. Natiya was naive, curious, intelligent/well-read (yet also fairly ignorant), and seemed to have no personality flaws. Kiril was judgemental, prejudiced, and remarkably unobservant (for someone who hunts dragons as a profession and masterfully survived growing up at court).

It also bugged me in the middle when Natiya's trying to get Pentold's help she keeps going on about how everything was "so long ago", including the marriage proposal between them. Unless some time-travel's going on, the entire book spans a few weeks, maybe months, yet she's acting like it's been decades since she left the tavern/her old life. I'm guessing it was perhaps years since she'd seen Pentold last, but even so, she's not that old so she couldn't have been working as a dancer for that long.

The ending also felt very rushed/forced. They spent all this time going on about how bonded a dragonborn and its dragon would be, and then the Queen is a very minor character who says maybe 10 things. (The one part I found interesting was that dragons were scientific/logical, and that didn't get explored at all.) There's no real conclusion to the story, either, other than "oh well, Rashad/Copper are dead, maybe Natiya/Kiril will live happily ever after/maybe not, maybe Natiya is The Perfect Human but who knows what that means, and never mind about all those other dragons that just showed up and disappeared instantaneously. The end."

I'm glad I picked this up at the library rather than buying it, but I kind of regret spending the time to read it all the way through (I kept hoping it would develop into something more, and it never did; if anything the writing/story got worse as the book concluded.)

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of a fantasy story with some sex thrown in than a love story. I finished it, but didn't have any problems putting it down, which is too bad as I just LOVE dragons. If you're looking for a love story with a good plot and dragons, try Kiss of Fire by Deborah Cooke.

Kiril knows dragons are evil. He should, as he works for the evil dragon-bonded emperor (the same one who killed Kiril's entire family). Kiril is the most feared dragon-hunter in the kingdom and now there's only one egg left for him to find and dispose of.

Dragons are good. Natiya knows because she is carrying the last egg, a Queen dragon. She has eluded capture all these years, but time is growing short and her dragon is about to hatch.

I guess I didn't enjoy this book because of all the conflicting thoughts and actions. Kiril doesn't like to kill but he does. The emperor killed his family, yet Kiril kills the only things that might be able to depose the emperor.

Natiya can't make up her mind about Kiril, dragons, or even the emperor. She has several TSTL moments and I really didn't feel for her throughout the book. I didn't feel a connection (other than good sex) between her and Kiril and both hid hurtful secrets. Anyway, I'm sure there's a vast audience for this, but I wouldn't have shelved it in romance.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*currently free on Amazon*

The Story
Kiril is a dragon hunter. He kills dragons and the humans they are linked with under strict orders of his ruler. Natiya is a wonderful dancer. Not only does she dance, but she protects a very important dragon egg that rests in her navel. Kiril is sent to look for Natiya, and as soon as he finds her, there is a ton of lust. She is able to keep the dragon a secret from the dragon hunter. At least for a little while. When she is caught, will Kiril be able to kill her, or will he side with her?

My Thoughts
So, there really isn't a lot of romance. It's more adventure and action.

Surprisingly, there was history between the two of them. They knew each other when they were younger or something? That part was a little confusing. It was kind of like the author just threw that in there without really thinking about it. As kids, they must have only seen each other a couple of times because Natiya barely even remembers Kiril. Er, the writing was kind of weird. Using context clues, I was able to piece it together.

Yes, I did like the book. The idea of a human raising a dragon egg was cool. The leader/king or whatever was crazy, but sane enough to be a good villain.

I didn't think it was okay, but I don't really have anything else to say on the matter.

[Cloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the fantasy was much stronger than the romance. In fact, I thought the romantic scenes felt a bit awkward. The main lady character was way too passive while the guy/s were much too pushy and grabby.

There were a few parts of the story that I felt could have been refined so the readers would have a clear understanding. I'm still unsure on where/how exactly this dragon egg is attached. For such a crucial plot point, stronger backstory on that would have filled in some gaps. Also some details get swept to the side and never mentioned again. I noticed an error towards the later section of the book concerning the color of a past dragon which would be an easy fix.

For the ending, I felt the action was all built up very well, but did drop the ball on a rather large story based part. You can tell instead of actually taking that final step and ending the book one way, the author ditches that to push for a second book. Which is too bad, I was hoping for the epic tragic ending which seemed like it was building towards.

Overall an entertaining fantasy, but I wouldn't read it with high romance ideas. I actually really enjoyed this book. I had to keep reading to find out what would happen next!