Three dragon lords. One reluctant maiden. And only one long night to claim her.Syrene does not come to Altar Rock as a willing sacrifice. Angered by her village’s eagerness to give her to the dragons, she seeks to escape. But the dragon who comes for her isn’t having it; he takes her anyway, and carries her home to share as mate with his shifter brothers.Now the Lords of Jo’Lyn wonder if they … of Jo’Lyn wonder if they haven’t made a mistake. Syrene is as defiant of them as she was of the village she believes rejected her. She swears she will not give herself to even one Drakoryan lord, let alone three.
But the three dominant dragon shifters will not be refused. With the survival of their bloodline hanging in the balance, they are determined to find creative ways to woo their wild mate before the sun rises once more over the empire.
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First let me state, I received an Advance Reader Copy, (ARC), but this in no way influences my review. I always leave an honest review.
What a gr8 story. I truly enjoyed this. Syrene, is a broken & cruelly abused young woman when she is sacrificed to the dragon. Xarsi, Edrys, & Nyron, brothers and also Lords of the Drakoryans that can shift into dragons are to be her mates. Xarsi is a gentle giant, quiet and shy and he’s the oldest brother. Edrys is even tempered, kind, and strong and the middle brother. Nyron is the youngest and he’s hotheaded as well as a romantic. This story had me crying with awe not sadness as each brother claimed Syrene. I recommend this read. 5 Thumbs up.
Another story of dragon lords and their mate. It is a standalone story, but compact compared to another in the series. Short and simple but still full of steam and romance.
Absolutely stunning! Ava Sinclair’s Drakoryan dragons, oracles, witches, magic, and mystery are enchanting!
Syrene of Orkney could never have imagined the life she lives. Her mother dying in childbirth; her father marrying the village’s most vile harpy, her reputation ruined through her stepmother’s lies to the point she’s a complete outcast. Why? What did she ever do to deserve this? When she’s chosen as the village’s sacrifice, she’s almost relieved. She certainly doesn’t want to die. But could death possibly be worse than her father’s abandonment, the daily torment she endures, and an entire village viciously attacking her? As she stands, proud and defiant, on Altar Rock. little does she know how her life’s about to be turned upside down. As the most beautiful copper-colored dragon approaches, she’s certain this is the end. But when she awakens in a castle chamber with a handsome, charming man, she’s furious. What? She’s still alive! This wasn’t the plan! She’s supposed to be dead, free of the malevolence that’s plagued her entire life! How, why did this happen? Her fury overwhelms her, and she attacks her apparent savior. Only Lord Edrys of Jo’lyn isn’t who or what she thinks. He and his brothers need her in ways she can’t begin to comprehend. Her obstinance and rage could spell the end of everything for the Lords of Jo’lyn. Edrys, the middle brother, is the first who must make her his mate. But Syrene’s rage is seemingly unconquerable. Xarsi, the eldest, and Nyron, the youngest, are horrified when they realize their Fire Bride not only won’t accept them. She’s willing to do anything to escape, even to die. There are inviolable rules, laws, traditions. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Desperate, the brothers consult the oracle Galifan. His advice? Magic! Seriously? How can this change anything? But the brothers have to try. Without Syrene, there is nothing! Is there any way Syrene can be persuaded, wooed, loved enough to break through the walls forged over a lifetime of cruelty and hatred? Can Edrys, Xarsi, and Nyron make any kind of difference? Is there enough magic in the universe to pull this off? Or will the Lords of Jo’lyn lose Syrene and their entire heritage, future, and existence? They have just one chance, one night, to accomplish the impossible. Will they succeed? If not, the future, their entire world, will cease to exist for all four!
I absolutely adored this book. While this is a standalone novel, it’s still very much a part of the Drakoryan Brides series by Ms. Sinclair. This new story takes us to an entirely new part of the Drakoryan realm, and to say it’s breathtaking would be an understatement. These four characters are completely unlike any of the other Drakoryan dragons and Fire Brides we’ve met before. Syrene is far from the typical sacrifice to the Drakoryans. Is she afraid? Absolutely! But she’s resolute, full of conviction, defiant, independent, and willing to sacrifice anything to escape the life she’s endured. Edrys, Xarsi, and Nyron are absolute perfection! Each has such a different personality. Edrys is intelligent, kind, patient. Xarsi, the eldest, is quiet, thoughtful, and introspective. Nyron, the youngest, is impatient, a hothead, unwilling to wait for anything. Three different men who are immensely different. That these three can reach beyond those differences for a common goal to save not just their entire world, but their intended mate, is remarkable. These three men have lived their entire lives ruled by the traditions and expectations of the Drakoryan Empire. Yet they demonstrate abilities you never see coming. The fury Syrene directs towards the brothers is unlike anything we’ve seen before. And Ava Sinclair takes this complete reversal of traditional roles and creates a story that’s utterly enthralling. It’s filled with rage, despair, danger, suspense, magic, and the need for every character to rid themselves of the past and accept an uncertain future. A new path must be forged. The future of Castle Jo’lyn and its inhabitants lies in the hands of these four people. Ms. Sinclair also shows her remarkable talent by bringing minor characters into the forefront of the story. The witches of the Wyrd, Galifan, Syrene’s father and stepmother, and the other villagers, all have incredibly important roles in this book. They add a dimension that makes this story irresistible. Quite simply, Ms. Sinclair has done it again! Congratulations, Ms. Sinclair! This book is outstanding on every level. It deserves nothing less than five stars!
A final note. Be an informed reader! This is an ADULT book. It contains explicit language and sexual scenes. If you don’t enjoy this genre, this may not be the book for you. There are book synopses and reviews available on Goodreads and Amazon. Use these resources. DON’T LEAVE A NEGATIVE REVIEW WHEN YOU KNOW YOU WON’T ENJOY THE BOOK. It’s not fair to the author. She works hard to provide a quality work product. If you know you’ll object to a book’s subject matter before you buy it, you’re doing yourself and the author an extreme disservice.
Thanks for reading my review and happy reading
Syrene of Arkney is the virgin maiden that is sacrificed to the dragons this time. She has known no love or affection as her mother died soon after her birth. The evil woman that is her step mother treats her badly as do her step brothers and her father has no backbone and does not support or defend her. Syrene goes to her fate just hoping she dies quickly and ends her miserable life. She does not die, she awakens in a strange place to see Lord Edrys, one of her three mates she is told. Having never gotten or given love, Syrene has no idea what to do or how to act. She is treated well by each brother, Edrys, Nyron and Xarsi. Each brother does treat her with consideration and introduce her to love and passion. The Lords of Jo’lyn must mate and bond with Syrene in order to fulfill their roles of Dragon Lords but with Syrene, they need some magical help. This was really a sweet story if you forget Syrene’s upbringing. There is also a touch of retribution on her behalf. I adore the Dragon Lords, they each used compassion when dealing with Syrene and it worked wonders.
I want more Drakoryans!
I’m giving this a solid 4.5.
Ava Sinclair has written another Drakoryan book for us. This one isn’t in the direct existing storyline from this world, but is more adjacent to it. Syrene is mentioned in the other books and we get a glimpse of her, but her story obviously comes before the other books.
Syrene is a beautiful young woman who has been so ground down by her wicked, nasty step-mother that she can’t see her own beauty or value. Her step-mother cowed her father and convinced her entire village that Syrene was a terrible person. When she’s chosen as the next sacrifice for the dragons, the only people who care are the priestesses who get her ready. Everyone else parties like it’s 1999. Even Syrene doesn’t care all that much, since she knows that the dragon is going to kill her which means that she can finally be done with her horrid life. When she wakes up the next morning and finds out that Edrys, Lord of Jo’lyn has saved her, she rages and attacks him with a candlestick.
For Edrys, Nyron, and Xarsi, this is supposed to be a time of wonder and joy. They should be claiming their virgin mate and sharing everything with her. Instead, they are at an impasse. Syrene wants to have nothing to do with them and she’s made that quite clear. So, they call their castle Oracle who scries and tells them that she’s been hurt and that they must be careful with her, but if they don’t mate her now, their bloodline will die out. To give them that chance, he will make the night feel like 6 days so that they can work on bonding with Syrene.
One of the things that I’ve always liked about a RH situation is that each mate has been able to fulfill some need their woman has. That’s never been as obvious as in a story like this. With someone who has been so profoundly hurt, the guys are going to have to be seriously careful because it would be so easy to hurt her further, without even knowing it.
Ava did a really great job in writing Syrene’s hurt and her journey, as well as the journey that each of her mates must go through to get to the end. All in all a great read.