Flame: A Dark Kings Novel

4.5 stars--FLAME by Donna Grant is the seventeenth full-length instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult DARK KINGS paranormal/fantasy romance focusing on the Dragon Kings and the women they love. This is navy Dragon Cain, and Dark Fae Noreen’s story line. FLAME should not be read as a stand alone as the current story line continues to follow the ongoing series arc. SOME BACKGROUND: The DARK KINGS is a spinoff from Donna Grant’s DARK WARRIOR series which in turn is a spin off from Donna’s DARK SWORD series- all set in the Highlands of Scotland, including the latest spin off about the Fae executioners known as the REAPERS. The Dragon Kings have a new enemy with the recent appearance of a group known as the Others, but their true identity and membership is currently unknown. As each Dragon King falls in love and finds his mate, King Constantine is pulled further away from the woman he loves, a woman he betrayed thousands of years earlier. Told from several third person perspectives including Noreen and Cain FLAME focuses on the search for the truth, and the identity of the group known as the Others. An anonymous email to the Dreagon, the home of the Dragon Kings, finds Navy dragon Cain volunteering to ferret out the information the sender claims to know. Enter Dark Fae Noreen, a member of the Others, and the woman with whom Cain will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Cain and Noreen, and the potential fall-out as betrayal is inevitable when dealing with the enemy. Navy dragon King Cain knows he has found his mate in the Dark Fae Noreen but trust doesn’t come easily for the other Kings. Having been betrayed in the past, and the obvious issue of Noreen’s identity, the Dragon Kings struggle to accept Noreen at face value including Rhi, a powerful Fae who sees more than most. While Rhi battles between head and heart, her Dragon King slowly begins to spiral out of control without the love of the woman he had chosen to destroy. FLAME, like many of the previous storylines, recounts and chronicles the history of the Dragons, the Fae, the Druids and humankind; the betrayal leading to war between the dragons and human but also reveals the reason for the Others-their determination, their drive, their goals and their vengeance. We are introduced to their leader, their members and the powerful magic that controls the world but a magic that is slowly dissipating from other realms with prolonged and nefarious use. FLAME is a story of betrayal, secrets, vengeance and lies. A tale of powerful magic and manipulation, broken minds and broken souls. The premise is intriguing and emotional; the romance is seductive and intense; the characters are spirited, animated and impassioned.

Flame by Donna Grant Dark Kings #17 Cain, a dragon king, is sent to find out if the email sent to warn them is valid or a tricky trap. So, off he goes, meets the sender, sets a debrief in motion and that debrief ends up rather steamy from time to time. The information Dark Fae Noreen has is from her time with the Others, a group that has a plot in play, a plot that will endanger the dragons. Will her information help? Is she a spy? Does she have information that will help? The book has steamy romance, dragon kings, druids, fae, good and evil, an intricate plot, plenty of characters to track, side stories and threads that it would be helpful to have read previous books to understand all that takes place. The ending settles who the mate of Dragon King Cain will be but doesn’t necessarily provide a HEA for all of the dragons…yet. I have not read the entire series of this made up world that the dragon kings belong to but have read enough to know that I really do want the various groups to find a solution that will make the earth a safe and happy place for all. I would love to find out if the dragons that were sent away are still alive and where they are and if they will ever return. I would love to see the fae realm come together and unite. I would love to find out what happens in the end. Not sure when that will be but hope it will be soon. Did I enjoy this book? Yes Would I read more in this series? Yes Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the ARC – This is my honest review. 4-5 Stars

I am a die-hard fan of Donna Grant's writing. I fell in love with her after a friend insisted I read Dark Highlander. I've been on the boat ever since. I love the Dark Highlander series and I've enjoyed everything else she's written. However, the Dark King series has been outstanding. I've been absorbed by this world for quite some time. If you've been reading this series from book #1 you are in for a wonderful read. I don't recommend picking this book up and reading it without reading the previous books. This world is well developed and has so much going on that a new reader will know they are missing something. They may enjoy the story but they would be selling themselves short on a great book. Cain and Noreen's story is everything you want from a love story. They have great chemistry and I loved them together. Now, everything going on outside of Cain and Noreen is exceptional. As I stated above, I'm a huge DG fan but this book is at the top of the list of favorites. I highly recommend for those following the series. If you haven't already read the Dark King and Reaper books... Hurry and devour them all so you can enjoy this world of dragons and Reapers as much as I have.