Her kiss will shatter realms… swan-maiden and Fae assassin, who has made a deal with the Dark Queen’s will to break the curse over her brothers. All she needs to do is kill Hadrian, but this dragon shifter won’t die easily. It’s more than dragon vitality that helps him survive her lethal kiss, but Rania refuses surrender to his potent touch for any price when so much hangs in the balance.
But the Dark Queen’s betrayal compels Rania to ally with the vital dragon shifter in a last-chance effort to save her brothers and herself. Can Hadrian unfurl the painful secrets of Rania’s past to give them a future? Can Rania help Hadrian to realize the power of his own legacy to defeat the Fae? When barriers between realms are destroyed, can love conquer the obstacles between these destined mates—and create a new world for their unborn son?
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4.5stars–DRAGON’S MATE is the fourth instalment in Deborah Cooke’s contemporary, adult DRAGONFATE paranormal, romance series focusing on the DragonFate Warriors –a spin off from the author’s Dragonfire series. This is blacksmith and dragon shifter Hadrian, and Swan Maiden/assassin Rania Hingston’s story line. DRAGON’S MATE can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is a continuing premise throughout. Several characters from the Dragonfire series cross over for familiarity and cohesion.
SOME BACKGROUND: In the aftermath of the Dragon’s Tail War wherein the Pyr defeated the Slayers , the dragons now face a new foe in the guise of Maeve, the Dark Queen of the Fae. Maeve believes shifters and vampires, any species that is half-human, half-mythological creature are abominations, impure creatures, tainted beings, and therefore must be annihilated and destroyed leaving only the Fae and human beings to walk the earth.
Told from several third person perspectives following several intersecting paths, using present day and stories from the past DRAGON’S MATE follows Swan maiden and assassin Rania Hingston as she is tasked with killing thirteen ‘Others’ in an effort to release her brothers from their magick-induced prison. Maeve, the Dark Queen of the Fae, has trapped Rania’s brothers in their swan-shifted state, and Rania has made a deal with Maeve to free her brothers, for a price-thirteen lives for thirteen lives. Rania’s final target is a member of the Pyr, an ancient dragon shifter but our heroine has no idea that the dragon she has chosen is actually her fated ‘dragonfire’ mate. Enter emerald and silver dragon Hadrian, the man with whom Rania will fall in love. What ensues is the acrimonious and tempestuous relationship between Rania and Hadrian, as our hero struggles to prove to Rania that they are destined for all eternity while the shifter world around them begins to implode. Maeve is determined to destroy all of the abominations she deems beneath the Fae, and in doing so wipes out entire packs and covens in her need for power and control.
DRAGON’S MATE is an infinitely detailed and complex story that follows several plotlines all converging in an effort to destroy the Dark Queen of the Fae. Magically enhanced by the woman she believed was much more than a mother-type figure, Rania has gone on a centuries long killing spree in an effort to free her brothers from Maeve’s magical control but our heroine will soon discover that Maeve’s promises are not worth anything, and Rania’s killing spree has done nothing but bring guilt and grief to those that survived.
Deborah Cooke reveals our couples’ backstories, their family histories, losses and loves, setting a foundation for what happened and why. Both Hadrian and Rania’s families had been cursed by magick, and with it the loss of families and friendships for an eternity ensued. The detailed premise is heart breaking, engrossing, dramatic and intense; the characters are numerous, energetic, and impassioned; the romance is seductive and edgy. Deborah Cooke closes one series ARC but leaves the story line open ended-I am not sure what the author has planned for the numerous characters whose stories have yet to be told.
Deborah Cooke’s DragonFate series just keeps getting better. I adored this enemies to lovers story. Poor Hadrian, a dragon blacksmith, his firestorm FINALLY happens and his destined mate is none other than a Fae assassin, swan maiden Rania who won’t even tell him her name! Each time he has an encounter with this elusive creature he engages her and steals her weapon. The first time they met her kiss of death didn’t work and now she’s trying to finish the job for Maeve, the Fae Queen, so she and her captured brothers can be released from fae and Maeve will make her immortal. So says the lying queen. Hadrian knows Maeve won’t keep her promise and through humor and knowledge about each other engages his assassin over and over. The pull of the firestorm is hard to resist for Rania making her more and more intrigued.
This is an intricate tale that gives us lots of back story into Hadrian and Rania’s heritage. We find Hadrian has lots more powers than he could have ever guessed against the fae. Rania on the other hand finds out Maeve’s true nature through the stories and realizing Hadrian has managed to melt an ice shard Maeve placed in Rania’s heart to make her numb to empathy, compassion. and love. In the end we have a huge battle in Fae with lots of different creatures and tons of magic that is so worth reading. I’m wondering how Maeve is going to rise once again or who our new foe will be.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book was everything I look for in a paranormal/fantasy romance book. I was captured from the first page and enchanted by the multi able story lines and the fairy-tale interwoven within the story.
There was just so much going on and this author has the ability to pull it all together to make a great book that flowed seamlessly. I absolutely recommend reading this book which will lead to reading the entire series.
This was an amazing, well-written book. Rania is a swan-maiden and Fae assassin, assigned by the Fae Queen to kill Dragon shifter and artisan blacksmith Hadrian. The story drew me in and I couldn’t put it down. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is #4 in the DragonFate Novels series. I loved this book and can’t wait for the next book in the series. I highly recommend this author and this series.
I always like a romance where the heroine is as tough and fierce as the hero. That is exactly the type of romance in Dragon’s Mate (Dragon Fate #4) by Deborah Cooke. No meek and mild damsel in distress to be found. This is an “enemies to lovers” story at least it is on Rania’s side. Dragon shifter Hadrian believes in love at first sight especially when the spark of the firestorm is involved.
This multilayer story has shifters of all kinds in it. There is bound to be one to catch everyone’s fancy. Full of adventure, danger, twists and turn so that this is edge of your seat suspenseful story as well as a romance. I do wish I had read the first book in the series before I read this one because of Maeve’s involvement. However, I have just bought that to read soon. Still I can recommend Dragon’s Mate to all paranormal romance readers everywhere whether you have read all the previous books or not.
4.5 Stars
The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lions and tigers and bears…oh my…I mean shifters of all kinds are what takes us on this page turning adventure with twists, turns and may just bring the evil Fae to their knees, if only Hadrian can convince Rania that theirs is a true Firestorm and Maeve never keeps her promises. Can they work together to save the shifter world and find a forever love? Loved it I volunteered an honest opinion for this book book.