Jac K's Reviews > Claiming the Dragon King

** This will all have spoilers from the previous books (Fae Chronicles 1-5) and some spoiler-y stuff. I’ll try to be vague but proceed with caution and 🛑if you want to go in completely blind. **

4 Dragon Queen Stars

This is Ciara and Blane’s story, and it gets a fair amount of hate… so it shouldn’t be shocking that I loved it… because that’s how I roll. Seriously though, I think it’s because I’m growing weary of this monstrosity that is the Fae Chronicles, Playing with Monsters, Elite Guards trifecta… and I needed something different. And although A.H. threw in another set of characters and “species” to add to the never-ending list to keep track of, we get a break from the FC gang which was AWESOME.

Claiming the Dragon King overlaps with Unraveling Destiny, but since you should’ve read that first… you know what the deal is. As I write this, I have read everything up to the last PwM book, and this (IMO) is probably your best bet to read as a standalone in you’re curious about dipping your toe in the A.H. writing pond… but are hesitant about the commitment of reading three series simultaneously. You’ll be missing some of the backstory, but it’s not a hard one to grasp. Basically, the previous Horde King (Alazander- Ryder & Ciara’s dad) was crazy and ordered/forced Ryder and brothers to attack/kill off all the Dragons. Blane is one of the few survivors, and he is jonesing for revenge.

This is amazing if you like a cruel H unfairly blaming an innocent h and being a total ASSHOLE…. But… not so much if that’s not your thing. Without going into spoiler-y details, I can say he never straight out physically abuses her in a hit, kick, punch, starve, sort of way … BUT… He does put her in situations (like leaving her tied up and accessible to an angry mob, etc. etc. ) that causes her injury… AND… a couple dub-non-con situations.

This includes stripping her naked to attach a torture/anti-escape apparatus, delivering brutal punishing kisses, forcing orgasms via cunnilingus & dry humping, and a deflowering in anger. These are softened with her “fuck to feed” Fae requirement (he can’t let his bait starve to death), him thinking she’s a ginormous whore, her constantly taunting him, and actively participating. I think the actual deflowering is the biggie, so I’ll put those deets at the end. I give fictional relationships and especially PNR a lot of leeway, so this wasn’t an issue for me.

My issue was more writing specific. Specifically, the repetitive filler and preachy, lecture monologue responses that have plagued the last several books. The same stuff is repeated over and over and over again. Her dad was a psychopath, she’s not afraid of dying, he’s a victim, she’s a victim, Ryder was a victim, they all are victims, she’s broken, he’s broken, everyone’s broken, she was abused, Ryder was abused, they all were abused… again and again and again. Basically, this speech (which repeats within the repeating speech) every couple of chapters…. Which I agree with, but I got it- the first time.

You all hate me for being born, literally. You act like I had a choice of which caste I was born into, and guess what? I had no more choice in the matter than any of you guys did. I get that my father fucked you guys up, I do. However, I have done nothing but try to right his wrongs from the moment he ceased to exist. Now I’m here, [spoiler info] because I had the unfortunate luck to be born the child of a murderous bastard. You guys are exhausting. You’re no better than we are because while we try to fix what Alazander did, we do nothing but get called dirty names and treated like shit, and for what? Because we were born. Seems fair, right?

And the wordy responses, bloody hell, can anyone have a normal conversation??

“If Ryder dies, Blane, there will never be peace for any of us. I will never forgive you either. He saved us. He took the abuse because he knew we were not strong enough to. Faery chose him to hold his beast for a reason. He is just but can be harsh when it is warranted. He cares about the people, all of us, where other kings and queens wouldn’t bother to. They brought all of Faery together to kneel at the tree, to share their magic to heal his children and others. He’s done things for this world that no one else can or cared to. Remember that when you think about calling in your death wish, because they will come for me. You remind me of him. You’re both proud men thrown into a cruel, unforgiving world that didn’t care about you. You didn’t deserve what happened, but he didn’t want to do it either. He carries dragon brands, Blane. He carries the guilt to this day by choice, as a reminder of what can never happen again.”

“Ciara, I’m not going to lie. I want him dead, I want them all dead. But I want my people to be safe, and being a king means I have to do right by them first. They have to be the priority in my world. I want my family’s lands back. I want to see it flourish with life instead of death. I want to watch my children run through the halls and hear their laughter echo in them.”

Who talks like this??

Bottom Line- This review might not sound like it, but I really liked it. It wasn’t perfect, there’s an abundance of repeating/soap-boxing filler with the usually plot holes… but… if you can overlook that, this has action, heartache, angst, and betrayal. I can’t say I LOVED Blane, but he wasn’t too bad, and I genuinely loved Ciara… hence 4 ⭐’s for the Dragon Queen.


The Deflowering…. MAJOR SPOILERS

If you’re already reading these, this shouldn’t be too shocking. I can’t think of another dub-con situation (except maybe Rristan last book & the Adam aphrodisiac from the last PwM book) but these series are all violent and very sexual. The ladies always get onboard, but if your tolerance is low for dicey consent… I wouldn’t suggest reading anything by this author.

You know, unless I’m too much of a cock- monger for you to handle. You know, with all the dick I get on the side and all,” she laughed.

“Especially how you are a lady pleaser, and yet here I am, aching because you couldn’t find the hole.”

“Blah, blah, blah. Your lips are flapping, and all I hear is your aim sucks,” she laughed throatily. “You don’t deserve to know what I feel like on the inside.

***************

“I’m showing you that I can aim just fucking fine,” he growled huskily as he parted her thighs and knelt between them.

“Not like this, not angry,” she whimpered as panic reared its ugly head, and she eyed the flap of the tent.

****************

She arched into his body, and all it took was one thrust. One calculated thrust and she screamed as he battered past her maidenhead, ruining any chance of a marriage that she’d forged based on her purity. Her entire body tensed as pain tore through her. A screamed bubbled in her throat as her centuries of sacrificing and maintaining her purity were ruined just like that.

His head lifted and stared down at her in bewilderment. “The fuck, Ciara? That’s impossible!” he demanded as he pulled out a little, staring down at the blood that covered his thick base. Tears formed in her eyes as pain burned through her body. Her limbs trembled, shaking with the pain he’d created from not readying her body. A soft sob exploded from her lips, and a tremor tore through her as he pulled out. “Get off me you bastard,” she demanded as she lifted a foot and booted him from the bed.

****************

“You’re my prisoner,” he whispered as he touched her shoulder, pulling her closer. “You’re mine now, Ciara. You’re right, I didn’t deserve to be gifted it, but I wasn’t, was I? I took it.

“It wasn’t given,” she said, turning to look at him with glowing eyes. “You took it. I remained pure for myself, because I’d earned it. I transitioned without feeding for weeks alone and lived. I survived what no other Fae could have, and I wanted it to mean something. I wanted to give it to someone worthy of it. You’re not worthy, dragon whelp. You’ll never be. Now get away from me, please.”

***************

This is followed by a warmed-up redo with passion and multiple O’s, and….

- if I had to choose again for my first time, I’d choose you,” she admitted. “I don’t know why, or how, but I think this was always meant to happen.”