Pink-eyed Dragon and pink-gowned Princess meet in this
fantasy romance which is really all things romantic.
Princess Taryn of Vanir, heir to the throne, is young,
sweet, serious about her future role and openly sapphic. Her father is fully
supportive of her in every way as are her two closest friends, Mira and Dary.
Life's good in the world of Lazeoreat where all kingdoms live in harmony
and peace. Mostly. There is the northern kingdom of Izovra that lives
shrouded in isolation and secrecy, though. Until the Jubilee where they
suddenly appear and are willing to join the accords de paix.
The appearance of the Izovareans is not the only strange
thing in the on-going festivities. One of Vanir's Knights appears with the
crown with a teal rose at the centre belonging to the dead queen, Taryn's
mother, that he has procured from a dragon's nest.
The return of his beloved and still mourned wife's crown
shakes the King but before he can deal with his feelings, the
dragon, Niressa, from whom the crown was stolen appears demanding her
property back and takes away the Princess in her shimmering gown as a
bargaining chip.
Taryn is awash with a multitude of feelings about her abduction
-- fear, anger, a little bit of hopelessness, some helplessness, strength,
determination to escape -- many emotions. She however doesn't expect to be
treated with gentle thoughtfulness and kindness by the dragon. And she
certainly doesn't expect that the dragon would talk. Or that the dragon would
have another physical form -- that of a gorgeous woman. Or that she'd be
compellingly attracted to Niressa in both her forms. Or that they'd bond on an
emotional level.
Taryn and Niressa are both very endearing. The chemistry
between them is great. We really liked that we are given a chance to know what
both are feeling. We totally loved the scene where they get into a conversation
about whether there is a future for them. We felt a little bit more strongly for
Taryn from this point on.
The book reads like it was meant to go beyond just the
romance when it was started. The whole Ona angle feels like there was meant to
be more developed but was abandoned after the romance got underway. We'd also
have appreciated know how the couple navigated their cross-species couplehood
and what sort of ruler (we are betting on beloved by all) Taryn made.
Nevertheless, this is a short but very engrossing read that
satisfies all romantic wishes.
⭐⭐⭐☆★
