The Princess's Dragon

The Breath of the Divine #1

by Susan Trombley

Flanked by two lovely and graceful sisters, Princess Casiondra Falanell Cristalona Ariva - Sondra to her family - doesn't feel confident or beautiful. In fact, she's an unconventional princess who spends her days trying to disprove the nonsensical ideas of magic and myth.

As she stands on the edge of achieving the life she has only dreamed about, Sondra's handsome suitor, Derek, prepares to propose, and her poverty-stricken kingdom of Ariva uncovers a valuable resource that will change its future forever.

Everything seems perfect in Sondra's life until she encounters a wizard who transforms her into a monstrous dragon. Forced to flee from the man she adores, Sondra blunders into the territory of Tolmac, a powerful and ancient black dragon.

Instead of killing her as she anticipates, Tolmac takes her under his wing, unknowingly training the human princess in the fine art of being a dragon. As Sondra soon discovers, she must constantly sacrifice to make the right choices as she grows to love and admire her new mentor. With her homeland poised on the brink of war, Sondra finds herself facing an unbearable decision; she must choose between her heart and her duty to her country.

Genres: Dragons, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Young Adult, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2010

About the author

Born a dragon, but forced to take human form to fit into those little baby carriers, Susan accepted that she'd have to live a mortal life. She just wasn't going to go around being all boring about it. As soon as she was old enough, she immediately applied for an alien abduction, but got wait-listed, so she made her lair in the desert to wait out the coming zombie apocalypse with a pair of magical cats (they can appear underfoot in an instant, usually at the steps) and the dog from Hades that has three heads (and now has three bodies to go with them).

When the white knight came to fight the dragon, Susan liked him so much she decided to marry him and they now have a beautiful little dragonlet. (Who looks just like a little girl unless you use a magic mirror)

Fortunately, despite being trapped in this dimension, Susan uses her dragon's vision to see all the most interesting goings-on in the multiverse. Figuring they made great stories, she decided to share them with the rest of the mortal world, by writing fantasy, science fiction and romance.

Reviews

[Monty Cupcake ☠ Queen of Bloodshed ☠ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, this book did not soar high like a dragon, it plummeted to the ground like a dead one. This book had potential, but the writing was atrocious. It's super boring and dry, a stiff read. Don't think it's a dry read like reading a classic piece of literature, this was dry because the author didn't know how to properly use the English language to enliven their writing. It was very basic writing. I read the first few chapters, was exceedingly bored, checked out some reviews, and decided to read the ending to see if it got more interesting. It did, but not enough.

My other problems with this book were the love triangle. I loathe love triangles. Authors should not be allowed to use them at all. I've discarded the possibility of reading so many books due to the existence of a love triangle in it. Just say no, no to love triangles. Secondly, this book could've been a swift and short read if it hadn't diverged into the elder sister's life story. The elder sister really had nothing to do with the story at all, yet she was given half the book. And she was not a character I'd ever have wanted to read about, very bitchy.

The ending chapters of the book had some action and was more interesting, but not enough to sway me into reading the whole book or ever reading anything by this author again. Plus, love triangle....that gets you blacklisted with me.

[Kuroi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an absolutely delightful find. I never expected a book of this depth when I started it - this definitely for older teens and adults.

The Good:

A well executed world and mythology that is consistent. I enjoyed the stories Tolmac tells Sondra, because they were an interesting insight into both the world and his personality in the telling. The kingdom of Ariva is charming, a fairy tale country in economic ruins.
The conflicts between nations were complex enough to be realistic, but not so complicated that you can't follow them. The international intrigues were one of the best parts of the book.

Empowered female characters. Other than our heroine being a badass storm dragon, just about every other major female character is a respectable, non-simpering person in her own right, be it the gently assertive Sarai, the take-no-prisoners Elona or even Sondra's maid, Liliana. Some of them may want to be homely mothers while others aspire to be scientists, but these are personal goals and not social ideals. This is all despite the kingdom being a bit like Regency England in its attitude.

The refreshing approach to sex. There is some adult content in the book, but it doesn't linger on it or treat in a childish fashion. It is a natural part of the protagonist's relationship. Did you know that dragon-on-dragon funtimes could be hawt? I didn't.


The Questionable:

Derek's and Elona's history. I got all excited when I saw Derek's reaction to Elona and vice versa, but that relationship is never taken anywhere. While I'm not pushing for every character to pair off, why put in all this history if it contributes nothing to the story? All that belligerent sexual tension for nothing.

The plot and pacing. The storyline is a bit predictable, and I wished we had spent more time on the dragon training instead of the war, because Sondra's character development seems abrupt. I don't really know how I felt about the whole battle section - it was well depicted but I wanted more of Tolmac's and Sondra's romance than anything. So it might just be me. The ending is also kind of just like a film crew packing up and leaving.


The Bad:

The juvenile writing. For all the mention of miscarriages, rape and generally adult themes, the language seems to be aimed at something below middle grade readers. The distinct lack of pronoun use and complex sentences was irritating. I would have liked longer sentences with a great deal more similes and metaphors. It really takes away from your enjoyment of the book when you feel like you're reading a primer.

Multiple POVs. Normally I like it when you can see the thoughts of multiple characters, but here the use of perspectives is too varied and irregular to be helpful. Sarai has one paragraph in the beginning and then never again. Elona, who turns up in the last quarter, gets a whole lot of pages all of a sudden. There is way too much Derek and too little Tolmac (no, I don't have a bias, what are you talking about?) and one point I was thinking I'd being reading about the chambermaid next. The POVs change abruptly too.

Conclusion:

Overall, I think the good points outweighed the bad writing to make this an enjoyable read. The relationships between people carry the book, even the one I wanted to explore most wasn't given enough airtime. Definitely recommended.



Rating - 3.5 stars.

[Anoolka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the basic idea for this one. But it lost me after a couple chapters. Feels underwhelming, not many characters, not much worldbuilding.

I like the cover and the premise. But so far, that's all.
I'm surprised by the high rating so I'm struggling to read more.
The dialogues all feel like I've read them before. No surpisses in any of the exchanges - between the sisters or at the ball.
It feels very unoriginal. Lots of telling not showing. Cliches abound. Characterization is very thin. The whole family is made of cliches. Very little subtlety.
The worldbuilding - it feels modern but with medieval-ish paint over. Simplistic in the setting and in the characterization. THe ladies in waiting are all gigly stupid gossips, the politicians - counselors are all shortsighted and without deeper experience and undertsanding (mostly in relation to Derek). Silly names - especially the princesses.

There was something bugging me about the languge, the writing style. I'm an ESL so I don't quite trust myself to be an adequate judge but I've run into a review of this book on amazon that, I think, gets that too. "Part of my biggest problem with this book is not the story line itself, but the way it is written. It seems to vacillate between overly flowerly language and frank language, with a fair amount of grammatical and story inconsistencies" Yeah, pretty much.

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Princess Sondra doesn't believe in magic, logic and reason are more than enough to explain the mysteries of the world. However, her family and the people of her kingdom still persist in believing no matter how much she reasons with them. But, she is beginning to rethink her previously held beliefs...being turned into a dragon can do that to a girl. Fleeing from her family and her almost-fiancee in her new dragon body she finds herself in the lair of Tolmac, the fearsome and legendary dragon the people in her kingdom fear. Tolmac teaches Sondra far more than magic when he takes her under his wing. But will her love for him be enough when he realises she is a human?

I really wanted to like this book and I fully expected to, after all it had dragons, magic and a misunderstood heroine. That's not what happened. Instead, it was a long and plodding read, with a heroine I didn't really like and a choppy narrative.  It was a shame, because I liked the idea of the princess who doesn't believe in magic being turned into a magical creature; a dragon. Sadly, the idea alone wasn't enough for me to enjoy it.

It started out fairly well, but about halfway through, the book seemed to abruptly change from a romance to battles and politics with Tolmac and Sondra largely forgotten about. I like it when a romance has more than just a romance within the story, however, it was the clumsy and sudden transition that I didn't like.

There were also some story threads that didn't get tied up. But, it may be that this happens in the next book in the series. Unfortunately I don't plan to read on further in this series so I will never find out! I am glad this wasn't my first book from Trombley as it was disappointing. If you want to give her work a try, I highly recommend you pick up the Iriduan Test Subject instead, it's a great alien sci fi romance series.

[DJL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog, Denim-Jacket Librarian Dishes

It's amazing what you can come across when looking for something totally different. I think my disappointment at not getting into Touched by Venom made me start looking for other dragon books. In my search, I came upon The Princess's Dragon by chance and read the summary. Then, I read the first chapter on Amazon, and soon I was buying a copy of the ebook for my Kobo. Susan Trombley certainly knows how to grab a reader's attention, and I was barely able to put the book down in order to sleep. If I hadn't had work the next day, I would have most likely stayed up through the night to finish.

What really drew me to the story was the concept of having a princess transformed into a dragon. How often do you see that in stories? It’s refreshing to see this kind of take which allows a person the opportunity to see a completely new perspective. What was even better was having an actual teacher in the form of a dragon show the princess what it was to be a magical creature.

The Princess's Dragon claimed all of my attention, and I loved every bit of it, even after the story returned to the kingdom of Ariva and away from the draconic Sondra and her mentor, Tolmac. Trombley divided the novel into two portions with the first half focusing on Sondra and Tolmac after her transformation and the second half revealing what happened within Ariva following her "death" to her family and Derek. Both halves work to tell different parts of the story that took place at the same time, which can sometimes be confusing if not done right. It caught me a little off-guard when the focus went not only back to Ariva but back to the time just after Sondra had transformed and “died” to her people. Once I gained my bearings within the first few paragraphs of returning to Ariva, I was interested to see the impact that Sondra’s “death” had left upon her loved ones.

The concept may have brought the book to my attention, but it was the characters and the plot that kept me turning the pages. Trombley has a way of really showing her characters rather than just telling about them, making each of them more realistic. I felt really close to Sondra with the way she was constantly researching and trying to discover the “truth” behind the magic that her family and kingdom believed. Even after her transformation, she was always curious about new things as a dragon, asking her mentor, Tolmac, many different questions. Sondra was so endearing, I could understand why so many people in her kingdom adored her.

Tolmac was by far one of my favorite characters simply because he was such a duality. On the one hand, he was gruff with the draconic Sondra when she first arrived and suspicious about the reasons for disturbing him. But there was a soft side to him that Sondra also brought out in Tolmac, revealing him more as the noble protector rather than the fire-breathing villain of Thunder Mountain the people of Ariva thought he was. Even when he believed that Sondra betrayed him, Tolmac was always there to help her when she was in trouble, which just made him even more likeable.

Almost all of the supporting characters were endearing, and although they were well-developed at their introductions, Trombley still found a way to reveal even more depth to their characters, especially Elona, Sondra's eldest sister. I was still up in the air about my feelings on her when she first arrived in Ariva, pregnant and haughty, but there was much more revealed about the eldest princess that made me admire and like her even more than the kind-hearted Sarai. One character who changed in a more negative fashion was Derek. He just seemed to have an inferiority complex that really bogged down his character and made him less likeable when the story returned to Ariva.

This is a story for those readers who love fantasy with a bit of updating to the writing style and for those who are hopeless romantics. My delight and fervor with this ebook is so great, I am bent on buying a hardback copy for my personal library, I love it that much.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Job well done on a debut novel! If you like romantic fantasy featuring a strong heroine, you won't be disappointed by this one. I purchased this title after reading the sample chapters from the author's website, and I'm so very glad I did. At its core, this book is the untraditional story of a princess and a dragon (Sondra and Tolmac) and their growing love for one another, yet, it is so much more than that. The cast of characters is wonderful, and the author takes her time giving us a glimpse of all of them, even the more minor ones. The world is believable and original and the plot is well worked and flows wonderfully with a few small surprises here and there. The story wraps up very nicely, but leaves the reader yearning for more from the world of Ariva. I'd like to list more details, but I don't want to give the story away :). I only hope that Miss Trombley brings us more novels from this new world and I'm pleased to say that she has joined my growing list of favorite authors.

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author can write. This book is stuffed full of detail and the story was wonderful. I loved all the characters and the growth of these characters through the book. Ms. Trombley put so much into the book, it was almost overwhelming. I can't wait to see what else she writes in the future since this was quite a debut for an author.

The book is a fantasy romance. While it has references to sex, and some "war violence", I think it is still appropriate for an older teen as well.

[Aisling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Princess dragon, is a very mature and well written book. It was beautiful and never held back anything, none of that subtle, OR blatant subtext of 'CELIBACY TILL THE FREAKING END'. Nor was it a, SEX SEX SEX kind of book either. It was very enjoyable to read, the plotline was strong, the characters even stronger, and every twist and turn was well thought out. The world the characters lived in was well-described and developed, and I was never reading the book thinking, 'What the hell's going on??' It was GREAT for me, but some people may not see the appeal.

The only real issue I had was the cover. Do. not. skimp. on. covers. I've never been a 'don't judge a book by its cover' believer, and never will be. For me, I always believe that if an author wants their book read, then you jolly well make sure your cover carries it through just as much as the story should. It DOES matter. The cover for 'The Princess Dragon' upon closer look, exhibits poor computer editing of the ear, and an eye so obviously wearing design contacts. Tacky. I appreciate simplicity, or don't mind it at least, but if that's what you want, then you should damn well do it properly. However, overall, i can't fault the story, so 3.5 - 4 stars.

[Aureliasilver · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise and the main characters in this book. At many times in the book, the audience is treated to stories since Sondra apparently loves been narrated to, which at times makes it feel a little Arabian Nightish (though just a little). Although the stories did add a little charm to it and were entertaining to hear, it was a tad annoying to have the main character crib for stories every now and then. The writing and character portrayal is in keeping with a young audience, if only for the fact that I felt the characters and plot complexity to be less in depth than an adult novel. The details regarding Derek's background, his previous infatuation with Sondra's older sister, and the scenes on the battlegrounds were a bit too drawn out and detracted from the overall pace of the story. Although I imagine the author did so hoping to provide some depth to the character of Derek and endear him to the readers (for the sequel) I still feel it was not handled as effectively as possible. This is a decent book for a quick read, but probably not one I'd stack up on my re-read shelf.

[Thor Aegir · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book is based on a good idea and has a nice writing style, the total randomness of the story line has dropped my note from 4 stars to 2.

It is a very frustating read.

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Princess Sondra doesn't believe in magic, logic and reason are more than enough to explain the mysteries of the world. However, her family and the people of her kingdom still persist in believing no matter how much she reasons with them. But, she is beginning to rethink her previously held beliefs...being turned into a dragon can do that to a girl. Fleeing from her family and her almost-fiancee in her new dragon body she finds herself in the lair of Tolmac, the fearsome and legendary dragon the people in her kingdom fear. Tolmac teaches Sondra far more than magic when he takes her under his wing. But will her love for him be enough when he realises she is a human?

I really wanted to like this book and I fully expected to, after all it had dragons, magic and a misunderstood heroine. That's not what happened. Instead, it was a long and plodding read, with a heroine I didn't really like and a choppy narrative.  It was a shame, because I liked the idea of the princess who doesn't believe in magic being turned into a magical creature; a dragon. Sadly, the idea alone wasn't enough for me to enjoy it.

It started out fairly well, but about halfway through, the book seemed to abruptly change from a romance to battles and politics with Tolmac and Sondra largely forgotten about. I like it when a romance has more than just a romance within the story, however, it was the clumsy and sudden transition that I didn't like.

There were also some story threads that didn't get tied up. But, it may be that this happens in the next book in the series. Unfortunately I don't plan to read on further in this series so I will never find out! I am glad this wasn't my first book from Trombley as it was disappointing. If you want to give her work a try, I highly recommend you pick up the Iriduan Test Subject instead, it's a great alien sci fi romance series.

Reviewed by Suzanne❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

[Shasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely fantasy

This fantasy adventure romance is rich in description with a magical plot.

The adventure has many twists and turns but ends mostly happy. Maybe book 2 will address the loose ends.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no such thing as magic?

This one started out pretty slow for me. I had a hard time staying interested until I had gotten through several chapters. I like the course the tool with Sondra and magic, I'd explain more, but that would leave spoilers.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing journey

Susan Trombley has a way of starting you out on an unknown journey. She leads you through a masterfully written story where you share in the characters trials, heart aches and joys! Her books are so well written that a person is sad when the book is finished and the journey comes to an end. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I decided to read this book I read a lot of the reviews...I struggled with some of the concerns voiced like the stereotypes, the poor world building and the shift between overly flowery and normal language. But I also liked it a lot. I'm partial with books on dragons. I'm the 1st person to admit such fault. Even as a kid, I always preferred a good book about dragons than one about faeries or other magical creatures, perhaps because of their size. I don't know for sure. What I do know for sure is that, even now as an adult, I still prefer dragons to vampires or werewolves. It's a pity there aren't many YA books about them anymore. Only children seem to appreciate dragons now.

Anyway. I really enjoyed this story. It is such a chichéd idea but I simply loved it! A princess who doesn’t believe in magic (or magical creatures) goes and insults a wizard and gets turned into a dragon. The rest of the story, however, is not as simple or much viewed. Most authors would put her back as a princess, made her marry her prince charming and live happily ever-after while being best-friends with the dragon.

Susan Trombley was not only bold enough to make the princess fall in love with the dragon but also opted to make the princess love the dragon in his dragon form instead of the human form he could take. This was definitely a wonderful surprise and the main reason why I ended liking this book despite the before mentioned faults.

I would have liked to learn a little more about their lives together but won't be reading the next book " The Child of the Dragon Gods ". I liked Derek well enough but was a little put off by the shown rage in the end of this book.

[☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᶜʳᵒᵘᶜʰᶤᶰᵍ ʰᵘᵐᵃᶰ ; ʰᶤᵈᵈᵉᶰ ᵗᶤᵗᵃᶰ ❜ · Rating 3 out of 5]

( The Princess's Dragon by Susan Trombley )

I discovered this book a few years back right here on GoodReads however I delayed purchasing it due to its unavailability in actual stores, the only place I could ever find it was online and at an outrageous price. This year however I took a breath and closed my eyes, taking the plunge and spending way too much money for a single book so that I may finally have it. Honestly I don't want to write an excruciatingly long review over this book so I'll try keeping it as short and sweet as I can. Do I regret spending so much money? No. Was this book everything I'd hoped it would would? Not really. However I own it now and I've read it and I don't regret it all the same.

Simply, what prevented me from rating this book five complete stars was the fact that this relatively new author with only a few books written either self published or chose a very shit publishing company. The book was riddled with juvenile and unprofessional spelling mistakes. My favorite has to be "pPrince" and of course "the Derek's face". Not to mention "." right in the middle of a damn sentence where either a comma or no punctuation mark had been necessary! So yes, the editing of this book could have been done better by a ten year old chimpanzee than whoever originally got their hands on the job. There is also a second reason why I did not give this book five stars besides the bad editing job. Right in the middle of the book the perspectives change. We no longer read about Sondra or Tolmac but rather about Lord Derek and Princess Elona.

Regarding Derek's bits, no pun intended, it would have been fine, had it just been his part in all of this but the author chose to add a second perspective as well and really, I could have seriously done without Elona's tale. And while yes, hearing about Derek's machinations regarding his title as Warlord and battle strategies and reading about ballistae's and pulleys and artilleries and whatever else you can think of in times of war was truly boring, along with his weird and often angry behavior, Elona's part was just confusing and actually disturbing. From the first, middle and last part of the book I can't figure this girl out. At first she seems aloof and doesn't get on well with Sondra but due to being married and living in another kingdom that's all we really hear about the eldest princess.

Then comes this middle section where the book turns to Elona who returns, abused and... with a seriously bad attitude towards her whole family? I mean we find out about Elona's clear vying for attention while she was young, at first her devotion to her youngest sister then about her bullying of her siblings to the poor mishandling of Derek himself. We hear about how she's always wanted power and status, even as a young child. I mean dear lord! It literally says she's been planning her future since she was a kid and that, I find, is just so freaking sad. She sacrificed her own personal happiness numerous times and has made multiple poor decisions over and over again and it seems she hasn't learned a single thing?

I mean yes its sad she was abused by her husband but in the same breath, she earned it? Like she was a brute to her siblings, she manipulated and played on Derek's feelings when she was only twelve and years later she gets a taste of her own medicine but it changes nothing because she's still at work plotting and planning? The abuse disturbed me. I don't spend my money and buy books about rape, its simply a genre I thoroughly dislike and don't want to read about and while it isn't said that Elona was raped, its implied her husband forced himself upon her along with his physical abuse and even acts of torture, locking her away and starving her. But honestly what disturbed me more was her attitude and her continued conniving for power.

You'd think after her 'perfect' life plan went so disastrously wrong she'd change and focus on herself and her own happiness but no, its still planning and even using her status as a mother to get what she wants. And that disturbed me just as much as hearing about her life with her husband. That is why I could have gone without her part, and that is why I wanted a short review lol Because I think I knew once I got started on her, I wouldn't stop. I mean the book isn't even about her! But it isn't just because I disliked Elona's part so much that I say it could have been left out, its also because it really had no place in the story whatsoever.

Like I said, I can't figure this girl out. She needs attention, she wants power and has had a life plan since she was a kid to achieve her goals and she's a brute to her siblings as a kid and messed around with poor Derek ( who she still lusts after ) then got married to a bastard, got abused, finally got pregnant and ran away and had a son who wasn't even her husbands' ( we never do find out who the father actually is ) then stays with her parents, refusing to return ( I agreed with that ) then later assassinates her husband, never tells her family what happened to her, is at odds with her father, doesn't return to Bladen at all, keeps her plans and her poor attitude having learnt nothing of being treated badly like she treated others and in the last part of the book I actually like her! She's grown closer to Sondra, is a great mother, and actually supports her sister in her relationship with Tolmac and her plans are never spoken of again!

So from the start to the middle to the end of this book Elona's personality is all over the place. In the first part I can't say much about her, hate her in the second and actually fear her a little and in the last I actually like her. So yes, that is why, in a nutshell ( cause I can go on ) why I would have rather had her part just not be there. The last reason why this book did not earn five stars is because of the way it was formatted. Each page is jam packed with paragraph after paragraph and the words are typed in small print so there is a lot to read on each page. Too much in my opinion. And there, my reasons for not rating this book five stars.

However I didn't rate it four stars either now did I? I would have, had the author not dealt poor Derek ( despite everything ) a happier ending. Yes, I withhold a star for that reason solely. However I do admit that, clearly for a book not meant for children or fairly young teens, a happily ever after for everyone involved was never really an option, was it? Just doesn't happen. So call me stupid or an ass but my decision remains the same, for Derek's unhappy ending after being fucked around by both eldest and youngest princess ( though Elona was worse ) I withhold a full single star. I also feel like I should add that rape never actually occurred in this book, only threats of it occurring, some unwanted hard on's and some implying but no actual rape scene is in this book, which I am grateful for. Again its not my cup of tea.

Now finally! On to the good stuff! I gave this book three stars because I loved the story of Tolmac and Sondra. Some say this book has a love triangle featuring Tolmac, Sondra and Derek but honestly I don't feel that way. Sondra loved Derek then was turned into a Dragon. Neither she nor Derek ever got the chance to express their feelings towards each other nor had Derek had a chance to propose to Sondra. They simply were not a couple. Then she met and fell in love with Tolmac. Then she returned to her human life and Tolmac seemingly ran off. Derek charmed Sondra out of her depression and heartache yes, and while she might desire him physically and be fond of him emotionally, I feel like Sondra's heart always belonged to Tolmac. She would not have paid any attention to Derek whatsoever after coming back had Tolmac not been a butt hurt idiot and left her. I think it wasn't so much as old feelings for Derek resurfacing as rather he being a rebound sort of thing. I mean she did realise after Tolmac's return, he was her one and only. So yes, I don't believe there is a love triangle here, which I also despise by the way.

In any case, like I said, I loved their story, I laughed at Tolmac and Ulrick's conversations and I loved the ending. It made me so happy that as I thought for the right words to describe it 'immensely satisfied' came to mind. However I do walk away from this book overall with mixed feelings, loving and hating it both as I've mentioned. Oh and just another thing, I felt like there is also a slight time inconsistency. It may be just my lack of understanding the time of this world but still, it felt like Sondra was away and spending time with Tolmac for ages compared to the small amount of time Derek prepared for war and we had Elona's... Insights. But I digress, the most important thing is that I did enjoy what this book was really about, which is a Princess blundering up and getting turned into a dragon by a seemingly old and senile wizard and hence needing another dragon in order to show her the ropes. Another dragon who just happened to be located nearby on Thunder Mountain! Their love story was cute and Tolmac's human form dreamy. His character funny and again his friendship with Ulrick hilarious.

I loved the world Trombley created, being both new, intriguing and interesting. I liked Sondra and I thought her plight was realistic in a way though I did dislike the lusting after Derek for a moment even with Tolmac right there... I would have loved to see an ending though where she and Tolmac had some dragon chicks of their own but alas! Still, reading about Sondra and Tolmac, how everything worked out for her family and kingdom, was satisfying enough, I suppose. Actually I'm just now realising how much I like Tolmac. He's such a grump and shrimp at first ( oh the dragon lust right off the bat had me taken aback too! ) but then we realise he's actually so sweet and funny and honorable and noble and kind! And yummy as a human! lol I found his story and that of the other Gods quite fascinating and again its hilarious seeing him interact with Ulrick! I also love his endearments regarding Sondra and again, their love story.

I'm happy they ended up together. Even if Sondra getting her belief back was awfully quick and convenient. I think, typing this review, the spotlight got stolen off of Sondra but overall she's a good main lead and a believable one too. I'm happy she got to be free and with her dragon stud! Otherwise, I don't think I have much else to say about this story. It was a good read overall with some lows and faults but I think it has enough good points to make it worthwhile to read.

[Tegan · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, dragons are my all time favourite mythalogical creature. (Sorry for spelling mind wandering a bit). But i battled to get past the first few chapters after she turned into one. I have nothing against the characters in the book, but i found Sondra lacking in something to want me to slog it out. I might read it again later when i am in a different mood but for now its a regretable DNF from me...

[Alycia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has dragons, which I love, but even with the dragons I just couldn't love this book. It tries too hard to be original, a twist on the usual fairy tale. I think even doing that, it was easy to predict what was going to happen and I had to roll my eyes at some of the characters and their personalities/actions. This book just left me with a 'meh' feeling.

[Tigrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's a princess! She's a dragon! She's a princess! This book is cool! It reads like an epic fairy tale!

Very lighthearted and just a nice trip away from real life :)

Love me a well rounded ending. And they lived happily ever after... daaaw!

Rated PG - 13.

[Ellen Maze · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 17 yr old daughter said this book is an enjoyable 5-stars (she read it all at once!) and now she wants to read the sequel. I wish I could give it to her, but alas, we have to wait! Recommended!

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is short of juvenile. It has a great plot, but I think this book is more suited for a cross between childrens and young-adult.

[Inés Doce · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a rant. And this book is a love triangle which i didn't know when i started reading it.
The start was very good. It had a very good premise, an interesting setting and what seemed to be consistent characters.
It went downhill fast... First of all, the use of both POV made me very uninterested. For the majority of the book, it seemed that the author wanted to keep two plots going on at the same time with no relations between them. Because supposedly what united them was the protagonist Sondra, but as soon as she was changed in to a dragon she seemed to magically forget all her past as a human, her family, aspirations, society, everything. She just wanted to live as a dragon, which fair enough. But then it comes to the second POV which is of the lives of the people and the kingdom she left behind. It feels very uninteresting because we are made to feel like the protagonist doesn't have anything to do with this kingdom and people, but we are being told what is happening, why? Obviously, she goes back to human society at the end and the plots converge, but for the most part of the book it just makes it boring.
And then she changes back in to a human, guess what happens? She forgets her life as a dragon, she mentions here and there that those were the happiest moments of her life, but that's it. She's the same. She doesn't want to change, she just wants to go on the same and pick up on the live she left behind as if nothing happens.
Sondra the protagonist is not a proactive character at all. She is a victim of the plot and not the mover of it, damsel in distress vibes. And as i explained before she is not consistent in her ways at all.
The main love interests were fine. And for a love triangle it was very badly developed. Also, the writing was quite bad.

[BloodyKelpie]

DNF 31%
THE THING IS I WANTED SOME DRAGON SEX !!!
Well I won’t lie the beginning was damn boring and I made even the heresy of skipping some parts, but I got the feeling our girl doesn’t believe in magic even if she turned in a dragon hahaha yeah I get you girl I got like this with truth I don’t want to see, and she likes her fiancé too, well even I like him poor handsome guy.

The things start getting absolutely interesting when she turns into a dragon and meets Tolmac…well things get undoubtedly hot …if you understand what I mean, like PRIMAL hot hahaha. I like Sondra she’s really funny, but with who I really bonded is with Tolmac, come on we have the same vibe of being anti-social loners and are happy with it.

Damnit…the story of Solendar and Cindara is fucking awesome, and without doubt a million times better that the lead story of this book, I just don’t get Sondra…. Fucking hell girl !! She is a dragon, she has a powerful, big and hot dragon with her, and guess what? She wants to be a princess…. Ok she was a princess before but Gah! Fucking dream of every girl in my childhood was being a princess, but not me I always wanted to be a dragon and worse is I’m not kidding hahaha seriously could be funny if wasn’t tragic.

Aaaaand I’m done that’s it I only like Tolmac and Im actually sad this shit of a girl will try to convince him probably in the end to be human… dumb human girl, and poor Tolmac to be so great and fall from grace , see ? Solendar story repeating itself…and poor Solendar too!!! And Cindara…

[Rebbecca Dowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy with the read

I liked the twists in this book and most people are pretty simple. What we want and think are, at the core, the same. I imagine if I grew up in a world where magic was all around and accepted as a real tangible thing, turning into a dragon would not be easily accepted. Sondra hardly gave it a second thought, “oh I’m a dragon *shock*, my nails are so pretty!” When people go through a disaster and loose everything... they’re devastated. They don’t more forward right away, they cry and ask themselves “what do I do now”. She lost everything more than than we could comprehend, she shape was gone. For a moment think what it would be like to loose your hand. Now imagine you’re suddenly something else... I see this in a lot of romance novels, change isn’t easy to accept and it makes it less real when characters don’t push back against their authors need to make the story flow.
Author, Sondra held on to the idea that magic wasn’t real for years against the entire kingdom yet she spent a total of 3 seconds to come to grip with her dragon form???
Okay that being said I’m giving it 5 stars because I knew what it was when I started reading and in that it lived up to my expectations. I loved Sondra, I just wish I got into her head more. I wish there was an epic struggle where she found her strength and magic. I wish she would have conquered her own enemies.

[Brutally Honest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit biased with my rating here. This book is really not that amazing, in that the plot is chaotic at times and world building is confusing, but this is a freaking debut. For a debut it's very ambitious, and that was a risky move by the author. It wasn't a smashing success but in my opinion still good.

Negatives:
* Too much info at times. I had to pause frequently from overload and trying to figure out how people's stories were relevant. I see now what Ms Trombley was talking about in her author's notes in her Iriduans series! I'm glad she's gotten the hang of what is relevant and what isn't.
* A bit dry wording, which is probably due to the fantasy setting.... Idk, it felt like reading a description of a dream sometimes. The beginning was more guilty of this than further on.

Positives:
* Others complain about the love triangle. I'm actually here to gush about it! Freaking finally a love triangle where each character had an actual purpose beyond creating romantic conflict. Actually all of the characters had purpose and dimensions. It was lovely!
* The romance was so sweet. There were moments I was worried Derek was going to devolve into typical alpha villain, or Tolmac (?) into typical alpha asshole, but I know the author by now and she's thankfully not capable of it 😂

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this

The princess, Sondra, starts out belittling those who believe in magic. Quickly changed her mind . She's changed into a storm dragon. She eventually helps other dragons.
Tolmac, the dragon/fire "god" takes her under his wing (literally). He's cautious, having endured attacks from the local dragon cult, the circle. He tells stories, teaches Sondra how to hunt, fly, and defend from psychic attacks. He also respects her and doesn't make a move until he knows she's ok with it.
Derek is the kingdom's resident bad ass. whose in love with Sondra. He becomes almost obsessed with killing the dragon he thinks killed her. Fortunately, he can multitask.
This book has excellent world building.

[Anna Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean book, fantastic writing, and a great storyline!

Sondra is a princess in a kingdom of magic and myth, and she doesn't believe a whit of it. All things can be proven by science. Until the crazy hermit in the woods curses her, and she finds herself turning into a dragon.

Terrified, clumsy, and alone, she makes her way to Thunder Mountain, where legend says a great black dragon resides. What follows is pure magic. Zombies, Trolls, sea serpents, oppression, war, wizards, and love. It's fantastic, from start to finish.

Definitely worth picking up. :) :)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragon Love

A very enjoyable high fantasy dragon tale. I found all of the characters intriguing and enthralling. Sandra and Tolmac's burgeoning relationship is fun to watch and I really liked Ulrick. I want to see more of his character and his beard. I wanted to peak into Tolmac and Sandra more after their HEA but it was a satisfying story that leads me to wanting to read the rest of the series.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING

A Must read!! This is such a good dragon fantasy story! It starts a bit slow, but keep going and you will be rewarded! Dragon history, wizardry, war and battles, espionage, family intrigue, heartbreak, it's all there. Great plot! Definitely continuing this series.

[Mardi Sauve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent beginning to this series!

I loved the two main characters who are dragons, one by birth, the other by a magical spell. The story is filled with intriguing and fascinating details that don't feel like fill, but rather details that make the story fantastic. I can't wait to read the next story in this series!I