Review: Fantastic and Hot!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 27, 2013
Master at Arms is the most recent venture into Bianca D'Arc's world of dragons and knights and the wonderful land of Draconia. This is a novella that fills in some of the history of knights that we have met in passing, and how they became what they are.Flightmaster Golgorath has been without a knight partner for many years, after the untimely death of his last knight. As one of the oldest dragons, and most talented fliers, Rath has been assigned to the new Border lair to train the dragons and knights, and to help protect the border. When the Skithdronian army attacks the border area where the Fadoral family keep lies, Rath is luckily nearby, running training exercises with a whole wing of fighting dragons and their knights. As he waits for the rest of the dragons to answer the call to arms, he and his group begin to battle the vicious skiths, flaming them from the ground while those with knights attack from above, trying to drive the forces back over the border. When one of the evil, lizard-like creatures gets past Rath and wounds him with its acid venom, Rath and the others are stunned to see a man, the Fadoral Master at Arms, single-handedly battle and kill the beast. As this is a never before seen feat, Rath is very impressed, and after the battle, he `speaks' the man, Tristan.Lady Cara, daughter of the late lord of Fadoral, offers the hospitality of the keep until Rath is well enough to travel, and Rath accepts. He wants to learn more of this Tristan, a warrior like none has ever seen. The more Rath sees, the more he believes he has found his next knight. There are other considerations to be checked as well. Sir Thorn, the knight bonded to Rath's mate, would need to accept Tristan, and they would need to find a woman willing to take both Tristan and Thorn as husbands, in the way of the knights of Draconia. And all is not as it seems in the house of Fadoral, with secrets that will totally change many lives in the area. Can Thorn and Tristan convince Lady Cara to take a chance with both of them? Will Tristan accept the offer of becoming Rath's knight, with all that it entails? Can these five make a new start as a family in the Border Lair?The world of Draconia is as fascinating as always, with strong and charismatic characters, thrilling battles, and lots of secrets to be revealed. And of course, lots of hot ménage romance. This story fits between The Border Lair and the Ice Dragon, and tells the story of Sir Tristan, and how he became a knight of Draconia.Tristan is courageous, smart, and honorable. He left his homeland, knowing he could never return without causing upheaval. He accepted the post of Master at Arms for Fadoral keep, and has fulfilled his duties admirably. He made the mistake, just once, of bedding Lady Cara, not knowing she was the daughter of the house. He lost his heart to her, but feels he isn't worthy of her attention, so he keeps her at arms length when they meet. But his heart hasn't forgotten, and neither has he. I like Tristan for his loyalty, his honesty and his determination. He refuses to let others influence him in any way.Lady Cara is beautiful, strong-willed and independent, and not some simpering useless lady. She has fought along side the men since her brother was wounded and laid up in his bed. She is smart enough to realize things will change once her brother recovers, and she dreads the day, because he plans to wed he to an old man who offers much to gain Lady Cara. When she met Rath and the others, she discovered that there could be another way out for her, and begins to let hope spark in her heart again. I like Cara's strength and spirit, and her willingness to have an open mind toward the future.Sir Thorn is a knight of Draconia, bonded to Rath's mate Sharliss. He has admired Cara from the time he first met her, but believed he would never have the chance to be more than a friend. When he meets Tristan, and sees how things could be, he has hope for his own future as well and his dragon partner's happiness. I like Thorn for his quiet and steady demeanor, and his determination to ferret out the secrets that have been hidden in Fadoral `s archives to set things right.There is something for everyone in this book; battles, intrigue, hidden secrets revealed, and lots of passion and romance. And of course, the dragons and their knights. I like that Ms. D'Arc is filling in details of how some of the knights met their dragons, and enriching the history of Draconia along with all the romance. I hope she continues to bring out more as time goes by, as well as providing fresh and exciting adventures in this, my favorite world of the D'Arc side.Originally posted at Long and Short Reviews