Review: alright
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2013
Though it might be a little repetitive I think the best way to go about this review is just to cut and paste the three reviews I wrote for the books that make up the bundle. But before I do that a word or two on the series as a whole. First and foremost I see NO REASON that these are cut into three novellas. This is one story, literally. Books one and two do not wrap up or conclude in any fashion. Secondly, Cora is a whiny bitch who cant seem to make up her mind about anything, but she is also systematically denied information with which to make decisions. Third, I would have liked a lot more interaction with the dragons. I got almost no feel for the personalities of these sentient creatures. Heck, I almost don't even know what they look like. Fourth, I could have used a calm moment or two. It felt very much like a screaming bunch of second graders on the verge of panic. No one ever seemed to just stop and think for a moment before racing off into some ill-concieved action. Having said all of that. I do very much like the idea of the story. It is very imaginative. And the actual writing--word choice, punctuation, etc is all well done.Mating CallI basically thought the book was ok. I just thought it felt a little rushed all over. I liked Cora but didn't have enough time to get to know her. I liked the dragonlords (well, until one went all crazy) but didn't feel like I was given much depth of character. I liked Cora's sister and mother, as well as their odd family dynamic but it felt superficial since there was so little of it. I was intrigued by the calling of a dragon mate, but it all happened so fast I barely grasped what was happening. And then, AND THEN the whole thing just ended! This is not a cliffhanger. This is an abrupt cessation of story. Nothing concludes here. This enrages me.Now as true a testament as any to the fact that I was enjoying the story is that I bought the bundle so I could finish up ('cause if one ended so abruptly you know the next one will too). But I have to admit I did so begrudgingly. I have no qualm buying sequels, but it rankles the hell out of me to have to buy the second half of a book. Which is what it feels like one is doing when books end mid story with no, and I mean no, wrap up.On a positive note I thought the writing was fine. I didn't notice too many typos and I have to give major props to the author for having a sexy, beautiful, size 18 heroine. Yea that rocks big time.Dragon DanceI'm struggling between 2 and 3 here. The reason for the low rating is two-fold. One, I've kind of lost track of what is happening here. There is something about a pearl. One minute Greg is forcing it on her; the next he is beating her to get it back and then he's telling her to take it. I'm lost. I don't know what he actually wants from her. Plus she's supposed to choose a dragon, then seems to think she can claim one and mate one. I don't know.Two, like the first book (but worse) it just ends. I mean it just suddenly ends. This is by no means a complete novel on it's own. Nope, not even by stretching the definition of novella does this qualify as anything complete. Irritatingly it's not a beginning of anything either, being the middle book. So on it's own it just the middle of a story. Who picks up a book and just reads the middle third? No one I know.But why not just a one start then? Because despite my tenuous grasp of what is actually happening I am invested in how the story eventually comes to fruition. (I just hope I don't get to the end of the third one and find it's not the end of the series.) And I generally think the writing is pretty good. Pending the third book contains an ending I would strongly post my preference to see the story firmly ensconced in a single binding. There doesn't seem to be any real reason for it to be three books. It just creates frustration for the reader.Dragon BoundI am thrilled to say the series does actually wrap up here in the third book. I was a little worried that it wouldn't. There is so much potential to this story. I really really wanted to love it. I just really didn't. The whole thing was rushed, nothing was explained deeply enough, and though I initially liked most of the characters I didn't anymore by the end. Cora especially. Her indecision and refusal to face things made me want to shake her by the end. Both because I didn't appreciate her weakness as a character and because as a reader I wanted to see those things she avoided. Most of the other characters piqued my ire by simply refusing information that they could have provided and thereby avoided all of the drama. Cora's mother especially. Then after forcing Cora to deal with everyone's obfuscation, almost everyone was absolved in some fashion. In the end it felt like Ryan-Davis couldn't allow anyone to remain a bad guy. I felt cheated of my anger. Cora deserved to be angry at these people, so by extension did I as a reader.I also found the book full of small inconsistencies, or matters that were unclear and I misunderstood. For example: one moment Miranda is informing Cora that women can't support dragons, the next she is claiming one of her own. One thing I can't complain about though is the writing or editing. Both were fine. All-in-all I'm fairly torn on how I feel about this one.