Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin, #1)

by G.A. Aiken

It’s not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear—a lot—or else salute. It’s true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother’s soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.

Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe—a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stranger.

She’s wrong . . . 

And just wait until you meet the rest of the family . . . 

• ISBN13: 9781420103731
• Publish Date: 1 September 2008
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 25 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Zebra Books
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[booksandcats]

I am so sooo happy because I found a new series with lot's of books that I can read when I just want a easy, feel-good kind of book (which is kind of funny, considering the female lead is calles Annwyl the bloody and how many people are killed in this, but I promise it's very light hearted!).

It isn't high literature, the plot won't surprise you, the characters are mostly very much what you can see, but somehow G. A. Aiken manages to make them likeable and not boring. Annwyl is the most typical "not like other girls" girl I have ever met, but is in a way so open and happy with that that it's endearing. Fearghus is the typicall grumpy alpha man, who is completely bewitched by this one girl, but it just made me smile instead of annoyed.

The plot is pretty simple, Annwyl has an evil half brother she has to kill to become queen, he has powerful allies, she gets help from powerful allies, they have a big battle and, well, you can guess who is going to win.

So, no surprises, nothing much of shock value, just a really pleasant read that (if you are anything like me) will make you smile and laugh a lot. Aiken took a very basic storyline and basic characters and didn't do too much with them but made it utterly lovely and enjoyable. Can't wait to read the next one!

[Rowena]

It took me a while to get this book read and I hate that it was because the heroine annoyed me. She's strong, her name is freaking Annwyl the Bloody but she yelled a lot and she acted like a child for a lot of this book and I wasn't a fan of that. I wish she could have been strong without being annoying. I am intrigued with reading the other books in this series but this wasn't a strong start to the series for me. The romance was started off great but the longer Fearghus didn't tell Annwyl the truth, the more I wanted to junk punch him. Still, the world that Aiken created for these characters is an interesting one and I will probably jump in on the other books.

Full review to come.

[EBookObsessed]

I audiobooked this story and that sometimes effects my feelings. I have listened to this narrator on other series where she was a perfect fit and while she did wonderful job for the majority of the characters, the main character of Annwyl, the bloody, just sounded too sweet.

The audiobook CD that I received came with a bonus story of how Faerghus's parents met and I actually never finished that one and I sort of lost interest.

Be back with a full review.

See more at EBookObsessed.com

Dragon Actually

I adored this. Annwyl the Bloody is bloody fantastic. She's everything you want in your heroine. She's fierce and funny and ruthless. She's snarky and utterly unapologetic. Fearghus the Destroyer is her perfect match. The romance between them is hot and sweet and totally swoonworthy but as in all the best romances, it begins with friendship. Annwyl falls in love with the dragon she thinks he is and is in nothing more than lust with the knight. And it's just perfection.

The plot of Lorcan and Annwyl's quest to rid the world of her brother is interesting and I love the addition of Fearghus' family. Morfyd is kind and funny and undoubtedly Annwyl's best girl friend. I loved the friendship between Annwyl and Morfyd. Plus Morfyd is so supportive of Fearghus and his desire to pursue a relationship with Annwyl. Gwenvael is amusing and so hard to deter. I mean how often does Annwyl have to hurt him for him to get the hint? And omg, Queen Rhiannon. Fearghus' mum is hysterical. She and Annwyl totally meet their match in each other - both of them are totally ruthless and harsh in their remarks. I loved it. She clearly loves her family and wants the best for them but I love that she's also actually impressed by Annwyl's reign.

I was giggling my way through this entire book. It was just so funny. I adored it. I loved it. It's an absolute favourite. 5 stars.



CHAINS AND FLAMES (in Dragon Actually)

Addiena has always hated her daughter Rhiannon. As a white dragon and full of magic, Rhiannon is a threat to her rule and Addiena will do anything to get rid of her. And so, sapping her magic and forcing her into her human form, Addiena gives her over to Bercelak, the commander of her armies and the most likeliest dragon to break her. But unfortunately for her - Bercelak has been in love with Rhiannon since he first saw her - and he'll do anything to keep her.

I really enjoyed this. Rhiannon is mean - but that's just how Bercelak likes her. For all this was a novella, there was a lot of depth. Part of that was the world building, the Dragon Kin world is full of life - with a tonne of characters and backstory and humour. Part of it was that Bercelak and Rhiannon really did seem to be well matched. Honestly, having a mum like Addiena - it's a surprise Rhiannon is even half as well adjusted as she is. I liked that she got to experience what being part of a family felt like and having the love of a partner who'll have your back. Fun, flirty read. 3.5 stars.


Family Tree: Ailean and Shalin are the parents of fifteen children including including Hew, Adain, Cai, Rhys, Baudwin (named after Shalin's father), Ghleanna (#0.4: Dragon on Top), Maelona, Caerwyn, Addolgar (#0.2: A Tale of Two Dragons) and Bercelak (Chains and Flames found at the back of #1: Dragon Actually).

Bercelak falls in love with Rhiannon - a white dragon who is the daughter of Addiena. Rhiannon and Bercelek have Fearghus (#1: Dragon Actually), Morfyd, Keita (#4: Last Dragon Standing), Eibhear (#6: How to Drive a Dragon Crazy), Briec (#2: About a Dragon) and Gwenvael (#3: What a Dragon Should Know).

[annieb123]

Pure bodice ripping, bosom heaving, snark filled dragon on human porn. Not my cup of tea, but I can see how it could have a loyal following. I feel slightly embarrassed shelving it on my read shelf.
For all the paranormal romance fans, worth a read.
There was little to no story arc, no dramatic tension, the climax (ha ha) was amateurish, moderately cringe-worthy dialogue and i spent most of my time reading heartily wishing I could shake the heroine until her teeth rattled.
There is lots of sex. With dragons.
Enjoy :)

[Melanie]

This is a book that I've seen a lot and I always thought about, but always picked up something else instead. I then started listening to [a:Shelly Laurenston|65137|Shelly Laurenston|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1303073485p2/65137.jpg] and loved her. I was then informed that these two authors were one in the same, that gave me the push I needed to get me into reading this book.

This book is about a warrior chick who has spent her entire life battling her brother. Once their father dies, the battling becomes war. She gets quite a following of other soldiers from other areas who would like to see her brother dethroned as much as she does.

She runs into a dragon, Lorcan, who saves her when injured in battle. He then has his sister heal her and help care for her. The relationship between Annwyl and the dragon is fun to watch.

This book doesn't have nearly as much humor as the Shelly books, but it was still good. This seems to be more slow building romance between warriors. There is much more battling and strategy in this book, than the more fun-loving animal shifters she writes in the other pen name. I enjoyed both, just for different reasons.