4 out of 5 stars
Ebook. 400 pages. Published June 30th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
Once upon a time, the wizard’s apprentice Sam of Wilds got his happily ever after in the arms of his cornerstone, Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart. A year has passed, and while Sam’s been captured five or six more times since then, things are pretty great. His parents are happy, Gary and Tiggy still eat sass for breakfast, Randall is somehow alive despite being older than the gods, the King rules with a gentle hand, Kevin the dragon is as gross as ever, Morgan sighs a lot, Ryan continues to be dashing and immaculate, and Sam is close to convincing Prince Justin they will be best friends forever. Life is good. Until it’s not. Because Vadoma, the leader of the gypsy clan and Sam’s grandmother, has come to the City of Lockes with a dire prophecy written in the stars: a man of shadows is rising and will consume the world unless Sam faces his destiny and gathers the five dragons of Verania at his side. And she brings along her second-in-command, a man named Ruv. Ruv, who Vadoma says is Sam’s true cornerstone.
Likes:
- The characters.
- The humor.
- The world building.
- The plot.
- More smut.
- New dragon.
- Villainous villain.
Dislikes:
- Sam and Ryan both have a lot of room to grow, both as individuals and as a couple.
- The first half of the book lacked movement.
- Sam got annoying at times.
- Sam doesn’t like fireflies.
One of the great things about this series is that it focuses on Sam and Ryan the whole way through. Which means that, even though the two of them got together in the last book, their romance isn’t finished. Not by a long shot. Because both men still need to grow, and so does their relationship.
While there is more smut in this book than the last, Sam and Ryan don’t mesh together perfectly. Their relationship, while strong, is still new, despite the eighteen months or so that passed since the end of The Lightning-Struck Heart. Honestly, they both got a little annoying in the first half of the book. Situations brought out their deepest insecurities. It also showed how little Sam had thought about the future. Like, not at all. And as much as I like his character – despite the fact that he doesn’t like fireflies – I’m ready for him to grow up.
Happily, most of the things I loved about the first book were present in this one. The characters were fantastic. Especially the new dragon, but there were a lot of new characters. The villain feels genuinely villainous, which is great because I hate lame villains. The humor didn’t feel quite as pronounced in this book, but the tone was generally more serious than the last book.
The one thing that I didn’t like about this book was how little movement the first half had. A lot happened, but it all took place in Castle Lockes. Basically, Part 1 of the book set up the plot, not just for this book but for the rest of the series. It wasn’t an info dump. And it was enjoyable to read, but I was itching for them to just get started already.
It’s impossible to have enjoyed this book and not be desperate to rush ahead to the next. So many things were hinted at, both good and bad. There wasn’t a cliffhanger, but the plot is racing forward.
Be sure to check out the reviews for The Lightning-Struck Heart (Tales From Verania #1), The Tragic Life of Lady Tina DeSilva (Tales From Verania #1.5), The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania #3), A Wish Upon the Stars (Tales From Verania #4), and the series review.
Love is Love Reviews 