For three thousand years, an ancient dragon god has protected the borders of the Sheltered Lands. In return, he makes only one demand: every one hundred years, the mortal ruler must send their heir to serve as his consort . . . for as long as they can survive. Sachielle of House Roquebarre is the thirty-first consort to be sacrificed to the monster who guards the mountain passes. She is young, beautiful, and she has three secrets. First: she's a disposable orphan trained in seduction. Second: her handmaid, Zanya, is an assassin and the only person she has ever loved. Third: and most deadly: she's cursed. Sachi and Zanya have five weeks to murder the Dragon in his bed. If they fail, the mortal king's curse will steal not just Sachi's life, but her very soul. The Dragon has only one secret: he is nothing like what they have been told. And he will do whatever it takes to possess them both.
I started this book with the hopes of a spicy romantasy (romantic fantasy). It delivered that and more. Another author describe the book as "A primal scream of queer joy" and I couldn't agree more. The characters are complex and interesting. The romance is heartbreaking, varied, and about as spicy as you can get. It seemed much shorter than it was, probably because you can see the inevitable ending long before it arrives. That being said, I was not bored and the author found different ways to surprise me by the end. If you are looking for a romance that has high stakes, views love as something you can give to anyone you like, and might break your heart and heal it at the same time; then this book is definitely for you.
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Sorcha knew the mission was dangerous. Leaving the safe grounds of her brother's kingdom and parlaying with the elves across their border . . . well, treachery seemed at least as likely as true peace. But to support her sister, Sorcha would brave far more than the underhanded ways of the elves. Or so she thought, before she was taken hostage. Of course, her captors didn't count on her particular abilities - or on the help of the Woodsman, the mysterious thief who made his home in the forest. He saw the battle from the trees, saw the soldier attacking against incredible odds to save a comrade - and then saw the valiant fighter revealed as Princess Sorcha of Norveshka. He can't tell if he wants to kidnap her or kiss her. But despite Sorcha's stubbornness, his inconvenient honor, and a rebellion on the cusp of full war, something burns between them that neither can let go.
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DAW Books, 2024. 310 pages. Fantasy
Shesheshen has made a mistake fatal to all monsters: she's fallen in love. Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth. However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she's found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen's eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don't think about love that way. Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she's about to confess, Homily reveals why she's in the area: she's hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere? Eating her girlfriend isn't an option. Shesheshen didn't curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily's twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk. And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.
KJ
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