Review: Loved the Heat .... ;)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 19, 2013
I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book when I started the prologue. Not that there was anything wrong with it. It was actually very interesting, but it was also very dark and violent. Even though it was set in 1800 Romania, I was afraid it was going to set the tone for the entire book. Not only am I glad that I was wrong, I'm very glad that I didn't just skim over it. It gives readers some very important history and character background. It also sets up the reason for the animosity between Tardieh and Zoricah.Tardieh was the king of the vampires. Zoricah was a dragon goddess. On the night they met, Zoricah freed him from a torturous imprisonment. That was the last time they had any contact with each other and when they parted their races were in the middle of a violent war. Zoricah thought that there would be some tension between them when she came to him for help over a century later, but she didn't expect raw hatred.Zoricah and Tardieh weren't the only characters that were suffering from trust issues though. Zoricah's fighters, Sam and Yara were shifters who didn't trust the vampires at all, especially where Zoricah was concerned. Hykuro, Joel and Dyam made up the king's guard and after Sam attacked Hykuro, the vampires had their own trust issues. Because the threat they were facing was attacking both vampires and dragons they had to find a way to join forces and fight as a team instead of against each other. I love stories with impossible odds.The romance between Zoricah and Tardieh was inevitable but not forced. Their attraction was strong, but they both fought it - for very different reasons. There were also sparks flying between the supporting characters, which definitely kept things interesting.Dragon Heat had some amazing world building and mythology. It was magical and unique. The bad guys were beyond evil and there were also more than just the vampires and dragons that made up the super natural beings. So basically, this book had pretty much everything I like in a good PNR. A semi-broken alpha male, a strong female heroine, amazing world-building and loving and supportive side characters. The best part is that it is the first book in Ella J. Phoenix's Dragon Heat Series.  From the epilogue I'd guess that the next book is going to feature Hykuro and Sam. Because of the tension between those two in Dragon Heat, it's sure to be an interesting story. I can't wait!I received Dragon Heat from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.