Review: 1-2 punch of alpha man and beast
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 21, 2013
This is the first book in the Dragon Lore series by Ann Gimpel.  I discovered Ms. Gimpel during a book tour for one of her other book.  I enjoyed it so much I signed up for another one and I wasn't disappointed.  Plus its about a dragon shifter.  What's not to like?This story actually opens from the point of view of the dragon. Kheladin has just awakened in his cave and doesn't know what is going on. The last thing he remembered was retreating to his lair and working with his bonded mage Lachlan, to create a stronghold against the black wyvern, their sworn enemy.  By the amount of scales he had shed, it looked like he had been down there for at least a hundred years, but that couldn't possibly be correct. They decide to make their way to the surface and try and find out what has gone happened while they slept.What they find is a time changed dramatically from their own. 330 years have passed and all they know is long gone.  The very first person they run into is Maggie, a psychiatrist doing a fellowship in Scotland. Maggie is also from a long line of witches, and though she has magic, she has learned only the most basic of spells and embraces science and healing. Luckily for Kheladin & Lachlan, she recognizes some of the paranormal aspects of Lachlan and agrees to help him.There were many things I liked about the book. Maggie is a great female character. She has taken charge of her life and forged her own path, even when that meant standing up to centuries of traditions in her family. The Lachlan/Kheladin combination is a 1-2 punch of alpha man and beast. I enjoyed the fresh take on dragons and their lore. The addition of a trio of Celtic gods and Maggie's hardass aunt and grandmother contrast nicely with the protagonists and their separate goals. With a gang of bad guys, there promises to be plenty of action and intrigue to go around.  My biggest complaint was the ending.  It felt a little abrupt. It felt more like the end of a chapter, not the end of the book.  Overall though, it was a good read and a nice start to a new series. I am going with 3 stars on Goodreads.