Night Shift Dragons was a much more enjoyable return to the DFZ than its predecessor Part-Time Gods. Unlike the last book, Night Shift Dragons did not want to make me strangle the heroine the entire time. In this novel, Opal Yong-ae, daughter of the Dragon of Korea, the Great Yong, is finally putting aside her pettiness and inner-spoiled-rich-kid and making amends, at last, with her father. The only problem is that this long-awaited resolution happens so quickly and easily that it didn’t seem at all realistic, but instead, forced and rushed. This problem was also present with the other main relationship of the series, that of Opal and Nik’s. It was disconcerting to see such major events of previous installments get brushed aside in favor of magical action and what not.
"I thought you didn’t even like your dad.”
“I don’t, that’s why I’m desperate. You think I like being trapped in my apartment with the monster I’ve fought my whole adult life to escape?” I shook my head. “Just because I’m not willing to throw him to his enemies doesn’t mean I want to be his nurse. The sooner he’s off death’s door, the sooner I can ship him back to Korea and out of my life.”
Though I was pleased that Opal and her father were finally patching things up, the circumstances were less than ideal. All it took for them to talk was for Opal’s father to be completely dependent on his daughter for his well-being! [spoiler]Mortally wounded and drained of his dragon fire (life force) due to the bad luck cursed he placed on her in Part-Time Gods, Opal uses her new Shaman mage powers, and a little help from the Spirit of the Dragons (loved to see Andrea Heartstriker again) to jump start her dad’s life force. Doomed to float around near his daughter in a smokey form until Opal can give him even more fire, [spoiler]the two are finally forced to have an actual conversation--something I would have paid money to have happen in the last installment of the series--and work out their differences. It only took most of Opal’s young life.
“You’re not like this because of anything White Snake did. This happened because you used up all your fire trying to control me. All I wanted was to live my life dragon-free, but you couldn’t let me have one day where I wasn’t under your claws! In what world does that make you the reasonable one?”
“I admit things got out of hand at the end,” my father said in a strained voice. “But my actions were well-intentioned. I am the Dragon of Korea, and you are my child. That position makes you an obvious target for everyone who wishes me harm. What was I supposed to do? Let you run free?”
“Yes! Because I’m a person, not a weakness.”
I was dismayed by how quickly these important topics of love vs. item possession were brushed over. What was worse though, was Opal never really apologizes for almost killing her father. Instead, she blames him for being dumb enough to put the curse on her in the first place and for risking his dragon fire. Girl never learns. On the other hand, her father finally listens without imposing his will and apologizes to his daughter MULTIPLE TIMES. If even a dragon can swallow his pride and apologize to a mortal--why can’t Opal admit to and apologize for her wrong behaviors? Sigh. I also don’t understand how she so quickly went from considering her father a monster to referring to him as “my dragon.” Weird. Luckily, the two >somehow manage a breakthrough practically immediately as the book begins and beggars can’t be choosers. It just felt cheap after the emotional and physical upheaval all of these events took on Opal throughout her life and almost cost her father--an immortal being his.
“Opal,” he said in his sternest voice. “I am your father. From the day I first called you ‘daughter,’ I accepted a sacred obligation to defend your life and your happiness. I don’t always understand why you make the decisions you do, but I will never leave you to face them alone, for you are my child. My daughter, my joy, and my treasure, forever and always.” He glared at me. “You should know this by now.”
Not only was I shocked at how quickly this lifelong misunderstanding was solved, but also when I found that this quick solve also applied to her paramour Nik. For some reason, the poor besotted man did not hold a single grudge against Opal for using her magic to physically restrain him and then for disappearing for two months without a word after watching her ride through the air on a very injured dragon in front of the whole world. There was no anger, just concern. Either the man is a saint, or every one is way too in love with Opal.
Strangely, though Opal seemed to be uncertain of her feelings for him in the previous entries in the series, the author tells readers that she missed him so much in the two months she was gone. But she doesn’t really worry for his safety or wonder what he’s doing, or that she used her magic to restrain him. She doesn’t worry that Nik won’t forgive her for disappearing or for hurting him both physically and emotionally. Perhaps Opal should have been the dragon in this series. She certainly does not seem to like to admit her faults, loves praise, craves independence and power, and will go after what she wants without any second thoughts for how it will affect anyone around her.
It also irked me that Opal never blames Nik for selling himself to a death arena (think Ancient Rome Colosseum, but with magical creatures and homeless people) in some weird attempt to find her and save her. It’s never fully explained why Nik thinks joining a bunch of criminals that he barely escaped from before, is a good idea for finding Opal--it’s glossed over , like most things in the novel. As a result of joining this arena Nik is cursed with a powerful and infamous curse capable of beheading him if he doesn’t finish the fight. But does Opal blame Nik for his drastic actions like she blames her father for literally everything? Nope.
Instead the two are thrilled to see each other and kiss a lot. In front of her father too, ick. She, AGAIN, doesn’t apologize for her actions and immediately focuses on saving her man, instead of her father. Later near the very end of the book, Opal offers to make Nik her “kept” man, in reference to their huge fight in Part-Time Gods and he simply winces and says he now gets why she hated that--it would be too boring, he claims. That’s literally the only reference to a gigantic fight. Everything is too perfect and too easy. Even White-Snake does not live up to her name, claiming she just wants to move home to Korea and to live in peace. What a letdown.
Despite my disappointment with these quick band-aids being slapped over mortal interpersonal relationship wounds, I was very sad to realize that this series was coming to an end. I assumed that like author Rachel Aaron’s other series, The Heartstrikers, the series would continue past the trilogy mark. To my dismay, there would be no more adventures solely focused on Nik and Opal being Cleaners in the DFZ, doing what they do best. There would be no awkward visits home to Korea, where the Great Yong would have to learn to look past his disdain for Nik’s criminal background and Opal would have to live with her mother’s unwavering devotion to her father. There was no mention of White Snake coming to this reunion or either of the great Korean dragon clan burying their hatchet and joining the Peacemaker’s dragon coalition.
Color me bummed. I feel like the series is ending just when it could be getting really interesting and Opal could grow up a lot. ThoughNight Shift Dragon gives us part of an ending Nik and Opal moving in together, hints of Kauffman coming back once more for revenge, Opal promising to go home for Korea for holidays in return for her Father not forcing her to go home against her will I was dissatisfied. I think it’s because much of the novel glossed over these interactions--the ones I cared about the most--in favor of action sequences, magical explanations, and lots of talking with the bad guys. There was simply too much going on in Night Shift Dragons to give it the time it deserved. I wished the author could have split this into two books--one focusing on Opal’s training and healing of both her father and their relationship and the second focusing on rescuing Nik and starting their business back up.
My father shrugged. “You have a top-of-the-line AI. Can’t she take them over?”
“Uh, no,” I said with a snort. “Sibyl’s a social support bot. She doesn’t hack.”
“I can ask about their work satisfaction,” Sibyl offered helpfully.
Ultimately, I feel like Night Shift Dragons really only scratched the surface on healing these relationships and not only did I wish author Aaron went deeper into these feelings, but I also wish she had given them more time. I guess I didn’t realize how invested I was in the series until it was over. Like all of her books, I enjoyed the world-building, quirky humor, and Rachel Aaron still remains an ever-present fixture on my instant buy list. Even when I find parts of her novels disappointing, I still love to get lost in her worlds and on the crazy adventures of her characters. I will miss all of the characters, even bratty Opal, and I sure hope we can see these characters in future installments.
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