The last man in our tribe told me that dragons are small and fierce, and when they bond to someone, they’ll protect them with their life.This is what our tribe needs–a protector. Our males are being stolen by raiding clans, and with the man-shortage like it is, we can’t afford to lose any more. Armed with a fishhook and a glaring naiveté, I set off to catch my dragon.I catch him alright.And I … alright.
And I find out a few things.
One: dragons aren’t small.
Two: dragons don’t like fishhooks.
Three: this dragon will only bond to his mate.
So I guess the question is… do I desire a dragon?
*This novel is a 30K short story romance. It’s a complete standalone book set in a universe that author friends Naomi Lucas, Tiffany Roberts, & Poppy Rhys have been building with me for *two years and we are finally, finally able to bring them to you wonderful fans! =D If you grab these books, I hope you love them! <3
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Nalle hears that dragons are a perfect way to protect yourself and your tribe. Fiercely loyal, and only knee-sized… It can’t be that hard to catch one, right?
THE BLURB
Nalle’s tribe is in trouble; they are down to their last man and if they don’t find more, then there will be no more children, and no more tribe! If any of the young boys are stolen by raiding tribes, all hope will be lost entirely. Then she’s told about dragons… they are small and fierce, and when bound to someone they will protect them with their life. Only knee-sized creatures, but a protector none-the-less.
Nalle sets out to catch herself a dragon with her trust fishhook tool. And catch him she does… and quickly learns three things:
Dragon’s aren’t small.
Dragons don’t like fishhooks.
Dragons will only bone to their “mates”.
TONE OF THE BOOK
To Desire A Dragon is a lighthearted novel, though some more adult and sensitive themes bring it close to a neutral tone. There is a focus on fun, adventure throughout.
SENSITIVE TOPICS
To Desire A Dragon is definitely aimed at mature readers.
There are numerous sexual encounters and scenes. There are plenty of references to “breeding”, and in some cases there are implied non-consensual sex (which individuals must be rescued from!). There are also scenes of BDSM.
SERIES SYNOPSIS
To Desire A Dragon is from the multi-author series Venys Needs Men. Other authors to contribute to the series are Naomi Lucas, Tiffany Roberts, and Poppy Rhys. You can see all the books contributed on the series Goodreads page. Amanda Milo has contributed two novellas to the Venys Needs Men series; To Enchant A Dragon and To Desire A Dragon.
Each novel is a standalone focusing on a different couple, so the series can be read in any order. Furthermore, all novels and their romantic stories end with a happily ever after.
It is a novella, and as such is much shorter than your average romance novel. Its 30,000 words, or 146 pages (an average romance novel is 300 pages). It’s a quick read and can be a great break to fit between larger, more in-depth novels.
REVIEW
To Desire A Dragon is Amanda Milo’s more serious themed novel in the Venys Needs Men series. The sister novella To Enchant A Dragon was focused much more on lighthearted fun, To Desire A Dragon has much more focus on adult themes and character development. Both are equally compelling and interesting reads, and merely reflect your mood as a reader. At the time I enjoyed the sister novel more, however I recognise that I would enjoy To Desire A Dragon generally no-matter my mood.
The tribal plains that the world is established in vivid; you can easily imagine small pockets of humanity struggling to survive. I enjoyed how the various tribes are described as different, both physically and culturally, and yet still were impacted upon the same troubles as the rest of the world.
My biggest gripe with this book is how the kidnapped brother character was handled in the plot.
FINAL WORD
To Desire A Dragon started off as fun but I found the plot line, especially in response to the heroines quest to save her kidnapped brother, fell short. It’s a quick read and introduces a character that’s mentioned in other books in the series, so worth reading none-the-less.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS AND AUTHORS
If you enjoyed To Desire A Dragon, then definitely read some of the other books in the Venys Needs Men series. Remember that Amanda Milo has published one other book in the series, To Enchant A Dragon. Other authors to contribute to the series are Naomi Lucas, Tiffany Roberts, and Poppy Rhys.
If you are a fan of dragon-shifter stories, Ruby Dixon has also written the Fireblood Dragons series. A fun adventure set in a post apocalyptic world that’s been taken over by mad dragons. Only when the dragons meet their soul mates, a human woman, that their madness clears. The first book in this series is Fire In His Blood.
Erin Tate (also writing as Celia Kyle) has also written The Dragons of Preor series. The first book is Jarek(read our review). Shape-shifting dragons have landed on Earth, seeking women as mates. However not everyone are happy at the new alliance between Earth and Preor…
Not my favourite book from this series. I think I didn’t get the humor which I found dense. I may be confused with the next book because I skimmed in most part of the book.
So I read the second book of Mrs. Milo’s in this series first, but it turns out, that’s completely ok! They pretty much occur alongside one another, so no worries if that’s your fancy. If you’re new to the series, this is a book in a multi-author endeavor that features a world dying by attrition and an interesting use of dragons to fix that problem. There are 8 books (currently) in the series, but all are standalone and reflect the individual author’s style.
The book is (sadly) written in first person perspective, but it is written from both main characters point of view. The disparity between the human way of life and the dragon has to be the most amusing part of the book, so each chapter we get more humorous misunderstandings. The tone of these two books is both humor, so be ready to laugh. This world if full of a myriad of creatures, so be prepared for some interesting interactions as well.
Nalle is our human woman who is desperate to find a way to save her brother who was stolen by a raiding tribe (in this world, there are very few males, so they’re more precious than gold), so she seeks out a dragon. Turns out, dragons aren’t relatively small but strong creatures that one can tame, but sentient behemoths. Lucky for her, she managed to stumble into the one who’s been fascinated with her since they were both children. Halki is excited while Nalle is scared, but when the bond initiates between the two, he is all on board, no doubts whatsoever. It’s quite amusing to watch him worm his way into her life. Their adventures are absolutely hilarious.
If you enjoy your romance with dragons, fairy tale creatures that aren’t cuddles and rainbows, randy women, dedicated siblings, vengeful siblings, lots of steam, and all around fun times had by all, this is definitely a read for you!
Nalle Hooks her Dragon. This is a funny, action packed, steamy and sweet story. In a world that lacks males, Nalle was told by an elder on how to hook a dragon with a small hook and she was told the dragon was also small. Well she hooked herself a big dragon that she didn’t realize followed her as a child and he was a small dragon at that time. Halki would do anything for Nalle and he did help her find her brother and also Halki brought his dragon brothers to the tribe for the other females. She quickly realized how much she loved him.
Venys needs dragonmen!
What a joy to read this story of Nalle and Halki, her Great Crested Merlin shifter! Her North Plains tribe has many ongoing problems: Hooking up with Halki proves to be just what they need. It’s a well-told tale, seasoned with a hefty dose of humor. I loved every minute of it!
This is the first book I’ve read in this new world. And I loooved it! Halki is the sweetest and hottest dragon mate. I loved how he pursued Nalle! This steamy book was the perfect length, too! As usual, Amanda had me laughing out loud quite a few times in this book. Thanks, Amanda! 5++ stars!