Wyvern's Mate (Dragons of Incendium, #1)

by Deborah Cooke

[kimbacaffeinate]

Deborah Cooke creates these unique worlds, and this time she takes us to the far side of the galaxy where two planets orbit a dying sun. The first and where are story will focus is Incendium, where a dragon-shifter king resides with twelve daughters. Regalia is their neighboring planet, and its Queen has twelve sons. Long embroiled in conflict the monarchs decide to put aside their differences and join through the marriage of one of their offspring. However, prophecies indicate that the oldest Drakina, the feisty, headstrong daughter must bear a son who is destined to save their planet. To do so, she must travel to Terra (Earth) in search of the Carrier of the Seed to get pregnant.

Enter Troy. Troy is from Terra where he was abducted because of his Mindbender abilities made a slave and forced to become an assassin for hire. Politics and fear of discovery from his captors land him in the penal colony of Xanto. Men of power and wealth place a wager and Troy ends up their pawn. If he completed the mission, he could gain his freedom. Failing will mean his death.

Both Drakina and Troy are well developed. She is snarky and will eat you if you piss her off. He is smart and lethal. I loved seeing them trade barbs and their sizzling chemistry curled my toes. I adore when characters have clear goals, but upon meeting, it all goes to hell in a hand-basket. It is always fun seeing how it all works out, even while worrying that something will go awry. I enjoyed watching the romance that developed. Cooke offered some laugh aloud moments allowing me to connect to these strong individuals.

Despite Cooke introducing this world, the length of the tale made things develop quickly. While this is dubbed book one, it read more like a prequel. I loved the Dragons, from the stubborn entitled Kings to the reader of prophecy. Some of the tidbits from pregnancy to diet were fabulously entertaining. I do marvel at Cooke’s vivid imagination.

Wyvern’s Mate is a complete story regarding the couple, but there is so much more to learn about these planets, their sun and the other planets in their galaxy.

Saskia Maarleveld once again narrates for Cooke, and she is such a perfect match for these stories. She captures Drakina’s personality, sets the pace, and her male voices aren’t raspy.

Audio provided by Publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer