The Dragon Princess (Empire of the Dragon Gods Book 1)

Before she can be crowned empress of the empire, the princess goes missing. Two years later, Anadrieth is on the brink of war with neighboring Lanadrin. Without a reigning dragon couple, the empire is teetering on the edge. Lord Alexander works tirelessly to find a way to divert war while also shielding his younger siblings, Adelia and Anton, who themselves find they have unique talents and abilities. But with a mysterious Mistress pulling strings to make the empire dance the way she wants it to, the siblings may find themselves in greater trouble than they realized, unless the dragon princess returns to save them.

Last year, Paris Hansch contacted me about reviewing the prequel to this series, The Last Stand. I adored it and didn’t want it to end, so I was thrilled when the first book was released last month. I had been looking forward to getting back into this world, especially since it has a lovely combination of Eastern and Western touches. It was a little hard to swallow the 400 year gap between the prequel and this book, but, overall, this book did not disappoint.

The Characters: Full of Strong Female Characters
This is a series where the women are meant to be strong. I wholeheartedly agree. The female characters were standouts in terms of their strong characterization and the inner strength and simultaneous softness they carried with them. They were not to be messed with, yet somehow also felt very feminine.

The male characters weren’t quite as strong, but they were able to hold their own. There was a bit of chauvinism going on, but I really loved how the female characters rejected it and proved just how strong they were.

As the oldest of three, I loved that the main characters were siblings as well. I really identified with the oldest, Alexander, as he tried to protect his younger siblings, Adelia and Anton, and give them the freedom he couldn’t have. At the same time, I could also understand the frustration his younger siblings felt at not feeling useful. Actually, that was my favorite part; the feeling of being unnecessary and even a hindrance was powerful and easily felt by me. It made me sad for them, but it also made me root for them and hope they came out for the better as the story progressed and their older brother was able to become aware of all they had to offer.

I also really liked the other characters, like Mina and her odd assortment of friends. There was a lot of arguing and nitpicking between them, but, at their core, they cared about each other. Even though more than one of them had a secret that I hope will be revealed as the series progresses. Their prominence was probably just behind that of the three siblings, but I found them to be absolutely fascinating and unique. At the same time they also felt something like shadowy figures whose secrets could turn the tide of the war.

The Setting: A Fascinating Dragon Mythology
I love this world. The empire encompasses five distinct lands with the capital situated in the middle. Each land feels like it’s own entity with a unique landscape, unique features to the people, and unique abilities manifesting within the citizens. There are similarities that string them together that helps make this world feel cohesive, but I love how different the regions are.

The mythology and religion behind the world is also beautiful and detailed, providing a rich backdrop for the world and story, which holds it together really well. I adored the dragon lore since dragons are my favorite mythological creatures. There’s no shortage of dragon talk, and one or two even make an appearance! But the mythology really added a nice layer to the story and even helped drive the story forward.

I really liked that most of the story was focused in one region, making it easy to get my feet wet as a reader and really come to know and understand one area before leaping into others. Understanding one region helped make it possible to see the difference between all of them and to appreciate what they have to offer. I am, though, very curious to learn more about the capital.

The Plot: The Drive to Survive
This is the story of two regions on the verge of war and the mystery of the missing dragon princess. The dragon prince has been searching for her, but to no avail for the past 2 years. Lord Alexander of Anadrieth has somehow slighted Lord Tamar of Lanadrin and now the latter lord has declared war. Anadrieth is the weakest military power, so their preparations are fueled by fear and desperation.

This was a story of war and discovery. The war is introduced early on, so the reader is aware a big battle will probably be seen by the end of the book. It also meant a lot of the book was focused on preparing a region that has a small army and no real weapons that can stand up the sturdier weapons of the other regions. There was also a nice amount of court politics that added a layer of intrigue and distrust. This is also a story of discovery as powers are awakened and, as Adelia is working hard to decipher and translate a seemingly dead language from 400 years before, history is being recovered. This is where the prequel really comes into play since it took place 400 years before. It was fun to see how the two stories tied in together and just as much fun to see how the forgotten history had an effect on Adelia and Anton.

The story moved at a really good pace. Characters were added, but it was never overwhelming. I loved that each chapter was dedicated to a different character and was titled that way to make it easy for the reader to switch points of view. Nothing felt superfluous or fluffy, so the focus was really on the story. Parts that needed expansion were given through various sets of eyes and parts that held important information but didn’t need to be drawn out weren’t.

Overall: A Really Enjoyable Read
Overall, this was a really lovely read. I really enjoyed the characters and loved returning to the world. The story was fun, yet serious, and I loved that I could really sense the emotions the characters were feeling. They came alive and really helped give the story depth. There’s a lot going on, a lot of strings being pulled, a lot of layers to the story, but the story was also very focused, making it easy to not get lost as often happens in fantasy. My one complaint would be that it felt a little too pleasant to read, but maybe I was just enjoying the story too much. It’s definitely not a big, complex fantasy, which also makes it an easier fantasy read while still scratching that itch.

Thank you to the author, Paris Hansch, for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I liked this story as it mixed fantasy with human nature. At heart its a good vs evil story with a lot of moving parts and characters that I both liked and hated for being themselves. I loved the action, with a bit of mystery and an evil plot that seems to be lurking behind the simple things. I loved the mythology and the royals. The uncertainty and rooting for the good side made reading the story both fun and a bit addicting. Many times I just knew something had to going on in the background. A lot was still left unknown/uncertain so cannot wait to see how things go from the ending. My honest review, I was entertained and had to read to see what was uncovered and how it would end.

With their parents being assassinated, Lord Alexander (of Anadrieth), the younger brother Lord Anton, and his sister Lady Adelia have grown up with some unique and distinct personalities and super power…

The Empire of Dragon Gods consists of five territories and a capital, and Lord Tamar of Lanadrin has declared war against Lord Alexander, and Princess Mina of the empire is missing.. Would the people under the leadership of Lord Alexander able to fight and protect their territory?
The Dragon Princess, the first book of The Empire of Dragon Gods series, is a complex fantasy with some science elements such as: earth, air, water and fire that make it an interesting read. If you are looking for a story that would take you on an unusual fantasy journey, this is the one!
The author, Paris Hansch, has quite a creative intellect and talent to weave her imaginations marvelously into a fantasy world!

The Dragon Princess (Empire of the Dragon Gods Book 1), my second read from author Paris Hansch, and the first full-length novel. Almost 4 times the length of The Last Stand (Empire of the Dragon Gods Book 0) (431 pages vs 119 pages), the extra length made character & plot development great. An epic in the making, I look forward to reading more in this series and from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).

A grim beginning of the story, and the tension continues to build along with the story. Yet three at-odds siblings must find the strength and truth of the saying “blood is thicker than water” as the fate of their world depends on it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Keep your enemies closer

In a land and a time, when kingdoms, castles, royalty, courts, dragons, healers, and people who controlled earth powers abound, there is a dragon princess who disappears after the death of her mother and father.

Years later, in another kingdom, one kingdom declares war on another country. The second country does not know why the country declared war. To create a strong defense, the ruler seeks to have his sister marry the ruler of an adjoining nation.

This story is the tale of the events leading up to that war. You will learn about the kingdoms involved. All through the tale, you will want to know why there will be a war. You will learn to love and hate the residents of the kingdoms, maybe even cry.
Take time to learn what drives the leader of the defending country. Can you pick out the villains before the end of the tale? Many characters have special powers. Which special power would you like to have?

This story is an exciting tale that you will not want to miss. Read now. There is more to come in this story. You will want the next book!

I received this book as a free ARC copy; this is my review.

The Empire of The Dragon Gods has 5 territories and a Capital.
Lord Tamar of Lanadrin has declared war.
Lord Alexander,Lord Anton and Lady Winter must band together to save their people from Civil War.
The need Princess Mina,s help to bring peace but she is missing.
This book has great characters who keep you entertained and unable to put the book down.
There is many interesting plots,romance,war and the past catches up with people which causes the conflicts.
The story is told with great detail ” exciting and passionate”,it keeps you reading from start to finish i found it hard to put down.
You will enjoy reading this book get it now and do not miss out.

Small but mighty, Princess Mina must somehow bring peace to the kingdom. The Royal Dragon princess has disappeared. She has been gone for two years, but she was betrayed by a friend, who is deceiving his brother Prince Yukiya and her betrothed. Years ago an evil person name the “Mistress” caused war and upheaval. She was defeated but escaped, is she now behind the new threat of war. Territories are now waging war against neighbors for no reason, and Mina, the Princess has come forward. She doesn’t trust anyone in the Royal Palace, neither her brother or his brother Yuko, the betrayer. She had been sheltering in Anadrieth and living as a servant in Lord Alexander’s palace and now she gets them ready to defend their home. But evil forces are trying to bring her back to the palace where she might not be safe. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review