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Atlantis #1
Heart of the Dragon
Grace Carlyle's world was about to change . . .
Deep in the jungle on the trail of her missing brother, Grace never expected to find a secret world populated by mythological monsters -- nor guarded by a sword-wielding being whose beauty put mortal men to shame.
Darius en Kragin belongs to a race of shape-shifting warriors sworn to guard Atlantis and kill all travelers who stray within its boundaries. Yet when Grace stumbles into his realm, he finds himself tempted to betray his centuries-old vow.
Now their forbidden love will either bring their worlds together -- or tear them both apart.
Deep in the jungle on the trail of her missing brother, Grace never expected to find a secret world populated by mythological monsters -- nor guarded by a sword-wielding being whose beauty put mortal men to shame.
Darius en Kragin belongs to a race of shape-shifting warriors sworn to guard Atlantis and kill all travelers who stray within its boundaries. Yet when Grace stumbles into his realm, he finds himself tempted to betray his centuries-old vow.
Now their forbidden love will either bring their worlds together -- or tear them both apart.
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 30, 2005
About the author
Gena Showalter
238 books27.3k followersGena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 711 reviews
October 12, 2010
Meh. An unconvincing romance in the middle of an unoriginal story. I just didn't see any reason for Grace and Darius to end up together. I never bought the love at all. I've just seen this done better.
***Edit***
I read a review of a different book by KimKirt today that mentioned how there's something that rubs you the wrong way about a book that just bugs you and keeps you from fully enjoying the book. Unfortunately there were several with this. But one that I feel I should mention concerns a couple of sex scenes. So if you are easily offended, read no further.
******* Still with me? ***************
******* OK, Good. But you've been warned. *********
Our dear little innocent Gracie is a virgin. A sexy twenty something virgin who goes tramping around in the rain forests of Brazil in lace panties but that is another problem. I'll also forget for a moment that she has no qualms about giving a dragon some oral sex but has never heard of the '69' position. 'You want to lick me and I want to taste you. Too bad we can't do that at the same time. What is this marvelous thing you have just invented?! We'll call it the mutual oral gratification position!' Puhleaze. But the pebble in the shoe that kept me from even enjoying the sex scenes was the virgin aspect. So Darius has three fingers buried in Grace, finger banging away till the cows come home. Then when he goes to actually enter her for the first time with his cock he discovers that she's a virgin. Seriously? Either dude has the thinnest three fingers of anybody ever created or he's as big around as my forearm. If the latter is true, anybody who hasn't given birth in the last 24 hours would feel like a virgin.
So in a book about dragons, vampires, and the lost city of Atlantis why quibble about the sex scenes? Well, Ms. Showalter may have carte blanche in developing her own world, but when you write about the real world there is a right and a wrong.
***Edit***
I read a review of a different book by KimKirt today that mentioned how there's something that rubs you the wrong way about a book that just bugs you and keeps you from fully enjoying the book. Unfortunately there were several with this. But one that I feel I should mention concerns a couple of sex scenes. So if you are easily offended, read no further.
******* Still with me? ***************
******* OK, Good. But you've been warned. *********
Our dear little innocent Gracie is a virgin. A sexy twenty something virgin who goes tramping around in the rain forests of Brazil in lace panties but that is another problem. I'll also forget for a moment that she has no qualms about giving a dragon some oral sex but has never heard of the '69' position. 'You want to lick me and I want to taste you. Too bad we can't do that at the same time. What is this marvelous thing you have just invented?! We'll call it the mutual oral gratification position!' Puhleaze. But the pebble in the shoe that kept me from even enjoying the sex scenes was the virgin aspect. So Darius has three fingers buried in Grace, finger banging away till the cows come home. Then when he goes to actually enter her for the first time with his cock he discovers that she's a virgin. Seriously? Either dude has the thinnest three fingers of anybody ever created or he's as big around as my forearm. If the latter is true, anybody who hasn't given birth in the last 24 hours would feel like a virgin.
So in a book about dragons, vampires, and the lost city of Atlantis why quibble about the sex scenes? Well, Ms. Showalter may have carte blanche in developing her own world, but when you write about the real world there is a right and a wrong.
September 21, 2020
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars.
It is OK.
In my opinion, Heart of Dragon is not a very good book, it's weak. One of the problems here is that it is unavoidable comparing it to other works of this author, and as such, I have to say this book is below par.
Darius is not very attractive, and the love story doesn't really click.
The plot has too much battle and unnecessary information.
In addition to the main romance, there is secondary love story. I usually enjoy these extras, however, in this case the romance lacks credibility and is tiresome.
If you are looking for a good paranormal romance I can only say that there are much better books to read from this writer than this one. Personally, I am a fan of Gena Showalter so I think I will read pretty much anything she writes, so even though this book was a miss, I will continue reading the Atlantis series.
Atlantis #2: Jewel of Atlantis - 3.5 stars.
Atlantis #4: The Vampire’s Bride - 4 stars.
It is OK.
In my opinion, Heart of Dragon is not a very good book, it's weak. One of the problems here is that it is unavoidable comparing it to other works of this author, and as such, I have to say this book is below par.
Darius is not very attractive, and the love story doesn't really click.
The plot has too much battle and unnecessary information.
In addition to the main romance, there is secondary love story. I usually enjoy these extras, however, in this case the romance lacks credibility and is tiresome.
If you are looking for a good paranormal romance I can only say that there are much better books to read from this writer than this one. Personally, I am a fan of Gena Showalter so I think I will read pretty much anything she writes, so even though this book was a miss, I will continue reading the Atlantis series.
Atlantis #2: Jewel of Atlantis - 3.5 stars.
Atlantis #4: The Vampire’s Bride - 4 stars.
December 7, 2010
5 STARS !!
I just LOVED this book. It was so good, just the best thing I have read in such a long time, marvelous , PERFECT!
If I had had a clue this series was this good I have read it much sooner. As the AVG rating of this book was 3.88 I just thought I would not like it at all. I just started with it because I was missing paranormal romance terribly! I was pretty sure I had read all the ones worth reading so you can all imagine this was a huge surprise for me! I wasn't aware of how much I was missing this genre till now that I got another taste of it. When paranormal romance is well written it just drives you insanely addicted and wont let you stop reading it until you've read all the books in the series. I just know this series will be a new obsession of mine, I mean I was already hooked by the first 2 chapters,LOL. Moreover, I was told the next books are even better, how will I be able to stop now until I read them all?
In this installment we get to see an introduction to this new Atlantis world. One of the things I love the most about this genre is this, when an author creates a whole new world from nowhere and makes you feel like it's the best thing ever. I just wanted to belong to it, and when I feel that way I know I have found a read that will keep me captivated forever. In this world we get to read about a land sunk down into the see with many different creatures who are not worth to live with the humans. We have Vampires, Dragons, and so many more species, but not the ones you are used to read about, but new species. That's what I loved the most, to get to know more supernatural beings I was not related to. I just hope we get more of them in the future. The Dragon warriors were definitely the best addition to this series. I don't know how I can find sexy as hell hot warriors changing into real dragons but I do,LOL. I loved the plot of this series.
But if that was not enough to captivate you, you get to read about an incredibly SEXY Hot as hell warrior as a hero and a strong determined hilarious woman as heroine. They were great individually, but together they were just dynamite. I adored them. I almost never, ever enjoy first books in a series because they give us too much information and little romance, but boy this book had it all! I just could not get enough. I already loved Gena Showalter because of her LOFU series, but an author able to give me more than a fav series becomes an obsession for me. Can't wait to read the next installment.
I just LOVED this book. It was
If I had had a clue this series was this good I have read it much sooner. As the AVG rating of this book was 3.88 I just thought I would not like it at all. I just started with it because I was missing paranormal romance terribly! I was pretty sure I had read all the ones worth reading so you can all imagine this was a huge surprise for me! I wasn't aware of how much I was missing this genre till now that I got another taste of it. When paranormal romance is well written it just drives you insanely addicted and wont let you stop reading it until you've read all the books in the series. I just know this series will be a new obsession of mine, I mean I was already hooked by the first 2 chapters,LOL. Moreover, I was told the next books are even better, how will I be able to stop now until I read them all?
In this installment we get to see an introduction to this new Atlantis world. One of the things I love the most about this genre is this, when an author creates a whole new world from nowhere and makes you feel like it's the best thing ever. I just wanted to belong to it, and when I feel that way I know I have found a read that will keep me captivated forever. In this world we get to read about a land sunk down into the see with many different creatures who are not worth to live with the humans. We have Vampires, Dragons, and so many more species, but not the ones you are used to read about, but new species. That's what I loved the most, to get to know more supernatural beings I was not related to. I just hope we get more of them in the future. The Dragon warriors were definitely the best addition to this series. I don't know how I can find sexy as hell hot warriors changing into real dragons but I do,LOL. I loved the plot of this series.
But if that was not enough to captivate you, you get to read about an incredibly SEXY Hot as hell warrior as a hero and a strong determined hilarious woman as heroine. They were great individually, but together they were just dynamite. I adored them. I almost never, ever enjoy first books in a series because they give us too much information and little romance, but boy this book had it all! I just could not get enough. I already loved Gena Showalter because of her LOFU series, but an author able to give me more than a fav series becomes an obsession for me. Can't wait to read the next installment.
July 6, 2020
Para qué negarlo, me entretuvo muchísimo y cumple todas las expectativas cuando se abordan estas novelas de romance paranormal. Se me hizo muy corta (a pesar que no lo es) o quizá la leí demasiado rápido porque me tenía muy enganchada. Sí reconozco que es muy livianita, hay otras series en este estilo que son más profundas y con mejor caracterización del componente sobrenatural. Pero de todas maneras me dejó con ganas de seguir con los siguientes.
Reto #26 PopSugar 2019: Un libro con un signo del zodiaco o termino astrológico en el título
Respecto del reto, bueno, nadie dijo que no servía el horóscopo chino, ¿no?
Reto #26 PopSugar 2019: Un libro con un signo del zodiaco o termino astrológico en el título
Respecto del reto, bueno, nadie dijo que no servía el horóscopo chino, ¿no?
March 3, 2016
Darius en Kragin is a weredragon who lives in Atlantis. Atlantis is populated with mythical beings, apparently. Weredragons, vampires, nymphs, and Formorians. Darius is assigned to guard "the mist" (a portal between the mortal realm and the realm to Atlantis). It's his job to mercilessly kill any man, woman or child who comes through the portal.
Although Darius vomits after killing his first human being, he spends three centuries doing this job, brutally murdering anyone who comes through the portal. In order to do this, he's shut down all his emotions. Not only does he not feel anything, but he's suppressed his ability to see color, to taste, and to smell. All in order to keep himself as the heartless killer he has to be to protect his people.
You see, Darius' family was slaughtered and his mother and three sisters gangraped and killed by humans who came through the portal. Atlantis is a rich city full of jewels and gold. Greedy humans would love to plunder and exploit it. Because of his family's deaths, Darius knows how important it is to kill indiscriminately and protect his home. That's part of why he was chosen for the job.
Grace Carlyle is searching for her missing brother in the jungles of Brazil. Her brother sent her his journal and a dragon medallion. No one's heard from him in weeks. Grace doesn't hesitate to jump on a plane and start hacking through the jungle to find him. She is a thrill-junkie, although the book paints this as not a result of an adrenaline addiction, but instead because something (man-shaped) is missing in her life. She is a flight attendant by profession.
Grace Carlyle always hoped she'd die from intense pleasure while having sex with her husband. Well, she wasn't married, and she'd never had sex, but she was still going to die.
And not from intense pleasure.
From heat exhaustion? Maybe.
From hunger? Possibly.
From her own stupidity? Absolutely.
She was lost and alone in the freaking Amazon jungle.
Of course Grace enters the portal to Atlantis and is confronted with Darius wielding a sword, ready to kill her. But he can't bring himself to do it, mainly because (to his shock) he's seeing Grace in full Technicolor. To her credit, she tries to shoot him dead, but unfortunately her gun is out of bullets because she tried to shoot the guide who stole her backpack and left her stranded in the jungle.
This being a romance novel, they feel an instant attraction for each other.
The book goes on from there: war between vampires and weredragons, greedy humans trying to plunder Atlantis, the search for Grace's brother Alex, etc. etc. etc.
...
Showalter goes a bit darker in this book than she did in her previous two novels. Gone is the fluffy, almost comedic tone. She's introduced more serious topics: rape as revenge, rape as a tool of war, and killing innocent people (even children!) to protect your world. I don't like this dark tone (although her later books will be even darker than this) and I yearn for her previous lighthearted fare.
I like the fact that Showalter creates a double relationship in this book - just like she did in The Stone Prince. Not only are Darius and Grace falling in love, but Alex and Teira are, too.
Again, a virgin heroine. This almost always annoys me, it's such a trope. Although Showalter introduces a bit of a twist in this novel, making Darius into a man who has had sex with numerous women but never kissed one. This is a different kind of trope - one called if-I-don't-kiss-people-then-I-will-be-able-to-stop-myself-from-developing-feelings-for-them (see also: films: Pretty Woman; Rust and Bone) and I've never seen it applied to a male before. So that was interesting. It's also really strange that Showalter presents her heroine as a thrill-seeker, but one that for some reason has never had sex. o.O It was like when I read DIVERGENT and it turned out orgies, casual sex, and drugs were NOT on the menu at Dauntless. Although I do understand that the Divergent Trilogy is aimed at teens. In this case, Showalter creates this scenario simply in order for Darius to be Grace's first, last, and only lover - therefore cementing his "ownership" of her more completely. It's unnecessary and I found it slightly annoying.
I like the 24-year-old heroine. She speaks three languages. She's a short chubby redhead (I imagined her as a chubbier version of Merida from Brave - they talk a LOT about her wild curly hair in the book) with green eyes and she's a fighter. Usually women in romance novels are weak or unskilled in fighting, but Grace is strong. Not only does she carry a gun and know how to use it, but she knows basic self-defense. All romance authors CLAIM that their heroines are feisty and possess a fighting spirit, but Showalter actually has Grace carry out these actions, which made me happier. She fights numerous times in this novel. Grace's chunky little body also made me happy - I'm bored stiff of heroines who don't think they're attractive because they're "too thin" and "too tall" aka a runway model. *rolls eyes
Oh. And Darius has healing saliva. I'll just let you contemplate the implications and possibilities of THAT on your own. o.O
Consent. Gena Showalter is pretty careful about consent in this novel. You can see this illustrated by Grace and Darius's first kiss together. Darius asks Grace for permission before kissing her - vastly different from the usual scenario of the hero forcing a spontaneous kiss on a reluctant heroine. The sex is all consensual (there's not much of it - our couple doesn't have sex until 85%). Consent is super-important to me and non-consensual sex in romance novels (on the part of the hero, not a villain) makes me rabid. Romance authors on a whole seem to view consent (specifically, asking for permission) to be very un-sexy, but that's not true. Asking for permission can be one of the sexist things ever if done correctly.
The only part that was slightly questionable in the whole novel was when Darius casts a relaxing spell on Grace so that she doesn't freak out to find him in her bedroom in the middle of the night, but that was not too serious in my eyes.
Tl;dr - This is a well-written romance novel. There are no deep thoughts or fascinating character development or brilliant writing. That being said, it's thoroughly entertaining. Showalter succeeds in creating another world and her protagonists are likable. What little sex is in the novel is good sex. 3 real stars, 5 romance stars.
I own this book in Spanish.
P.S. I forgot to mention that Darius "saves" himself for Grace. How? By not having sex? Don't be ridiculous. Of course he's slept with tons of women! But he's never "allowed" any of them to give him a blowjob. Only Grace gets that "honor." o.O This is strange to me in so many ways. For one thing, the idea of a man having lots of sex but not letting a woman go down on him seems almost inconceivable. For another thing, it's obvious Showalter's constructing a way for her manly man to also have a bit of virginity to "give up" to the heroine. Third, Showalter is a romance novelist who acknowledges that blowjobs exist and always writes them into her sex scenes - a lot of romance (not erotica, romance) writers like to pretend that blowjobs don't exist, in order to make their sex scenes more of a female fantasy. OH! And don't forget he also had his first kiss with her. So he's been having lots of sex with females - but only sex with no blowjobs and no kissing. o.O
P.P.S. Darius has a tendency to rip Grace's clothes off all the time. I mean, literally, rip her clothes off. They're shredded. While I'm fine with this, I really do hope that he's replacing these clothes for her! And not destroying her nicer tops. Not to mention bras! Bras are expensive, dude, you can't just be tearing through them right and left. Jeez. You'd better be buying her a new wardrobe on a regular basis, Darius. *glares*
FIVE ROMANCE STARS
Although Darius vomits after killing his first human being, he spends three centuries doing this job, brutally murdering anyone who comes through the portal. In order to do this, he's shut down all his emotions. Not only does he not feel anything, but he's suppressed his ability to see color, to taste, and to smell. All in order to keep himself as the heartless killer he has to be to protect his people.
You see, Darius' family was slaughtered and his mother and three sisters gangraped and killed by humans who came through the portal. Atlantis is a rich city full of jewels and gold. Greedy humans would love to plunder and exploit it. Because of his family's deaths, Darius knows how important it is to kill indiscriminately and protect his home. That's part of why he was chosen for the job.
Grace Carlyle is searching for her missing brother in the jungles of Brazil. Her brother sent her his journal and a dragon medallion. No one's heard from him in weeks. Grace doesn't hesitate to jump on a plane and start hacking through the jungle to find him. She is a thrill-junkie, although the book paints this as not a result of an adrenaline addiction, but instead because something (man-shaped) is missing in her life. She is a flight attendant by profession.
Grace Carlyle always hoped she'd die from intense pleasure while having sex with her husband. Well, she wasn't married, and she'd never had sex, but she was still going to die.
And not from intense pleasure.
From heat exhaustion? Maybe.
From hunger? Possibly.
From her own stupidity? Absolutely.
She was lost and alone in the freaking Amazon jungle.
Of course Grace enters the portal to Atlantis and is confronted with Darius wielding a sword, ready to kill her. But he can't bring himself to do it, mainly because (to his shock) he's seeing Grace in full Technicolor. To her credit, she tries to shoot him dead, but unfortunately her gun is out of bullets because she tried to shoot the guide who stole her backpack and left her stranded in the jungle.
This being a romance novel, they feel an instant attraction for each other.
The book goes on from there: war between vampires and weredragons, greedy humans trying to plunder Atlantis, the search for Grace's brother Alex, etc. etc. etc.
...
Showalter goes a bit darker in this book than she did in her previous two novels. Gone is the fluffy, almost comedic tone. She's introduced more serious topics: rape as revenge, rape as a tool of war, and killing innocent people (even children!) to protect your world. I don't like this dark tone (although her later books will be even darker than this) and I yearn for her previous lighthearted fare.
I like the fact that Showalter creates a double relationship in this book - just like she did in The Stone Prince. Not only are Darius and Grace falling in love, but Alex and Teira are, too.
Again, a virgin heroine. This almost always annoys me, it's such a trope. Although Showalter introduces a bit of a twist in this novel, making Darius into a man who has had sex with numerous women but never kissed one. This is a different kind of trope - one called if-I-don't-kiss-people-then-I-will-be-able-to-stop-myself-from-developing-feelings-for-them (see also: films: Pretty Woman; Rust and Bone) and I've never seen it applied to a male before. So that was interesting. It's also really strange that Showalter presents her heroine as a thrill-seeker, but one that for some reason has never had sex. o.O It was like when I read DIVERGENT and it turned out orgies, casual sex, and drugs were NOT on the menu at Dauntless. Although I do understand that the Divergent Trilogy is aimed at teens. In this case, Showalter creates this scenario simply in order for Darius to be Grace's first, last, and only lover - therefore cementing his "ownership" of her more completely. It's unnecessary and I found it slightly annoying.
I like the 24-year-old heroine. She speaks three languages. She's a short chubby redhead (I imagined her as a chubbier version of Merida from Brave - they talk a LOT about her wild curly hair in the book) with green eyes and she's a fighter. Usually women in romance novels are weak or unskilled in fighting, but Grace is strong. Not only does she carry a gun and know how to use it, but she knows basic self-defense. All romance authors CLAIM that their heroines are feisty and possess a fighting spirit, but Showalter actually has Grace carry out these actions, which made me happier. She fights numerous times in this novel. Grace's chunky little body also made me happy - I'm bored stiff of heroines who don't think they're attractive because they're "too thin" and "too tall" aka a runway model. *rolls eyes
Oh. And Darius has healing saliva. I'll just let you contemplate the implications and possibilities of THAT on your own. o.O
Consent. Gena Showalter is pretty careful about consent in this novel. You can see this illustrated by Grace and Darius's first kiss together. Darius asks Grace for permission before kissing her - vastly different from the usual scenario of the hero forcing a spontaneous kiss on a reluctant heroine. The sex is all consensual (there's not much of it - our couple doesn't have sex until 85%). Consent is super-important to me and non-consensual sex in romance novels (on the part of the hero, not a villain) makes me rabid. Romance authors on a whole seem to view consent (specifically, asking for permission) to be very un-sexy, but that's not true. Asking for permission can be one of the sexist things ever if done correctly.
The only part that was slightly questionable in the whole novel was when Darius casts a relaxing spell on Grace so that she doesn't freak out to find him in her bedroom in the middle of the night, but that was not too serious in my eyes.
Tl;dr - This is a well-written romance novel. There are no deep thoughts or fascinating character development or brilliant writing. That being said, it's thoroughly entertaining. Showalter succeeds in creating another world and her protagonists are likable. What little sex is in the novel is good sex. 3 real stars, 5 romance stars.
I own this book in Spanish.
P.S. I forgot to mention that Darius "saves" himself for Grace. How? By not having sex? Don't be ridiculous. Of course he's slept with tons of women! But he's never "allowed" any of them to give him a blowjob. Only Grace gets that "honor." o.O This is strange to me in so many ways. For one thing, the idea of a man having lots of sex but not letting a woman go down on him seems almost inconceivable. For another thing, it's obvious Showalter's constructing a way for her manly man to also have a bit of virginity to "give up" to the heroine. Third, Showalter is a romance novelist who acknowledges that blowjobs exist and always writes them into her sex scenes - a lot of romance (not erotica, romance) writers like to pretend that blowjobs don't exist, in order to make their sex scenes more of a female fantasy. OH! And don't forget he also had his first kiss with her. So he's been having lots of sex with females - but only sex with no blowjobs and no kissing. o.O
P.P.S. Darius has a tendency to rip Grace's clothes off all the time. I mean, literally, rip her clothes off. They're shredded. While I'm fine with this, I really do hope that he's replacing these clothes for her! And not destroying her nicer tops. Not to mention bras! Bras are expensive, dude, you can't just be tearing through them right and left. Jeez. You'd better be buying her a new wardrobe on a regular basis, Darius. *glares*
FIVE ROMANCE STARS
June 16, 2017
Ugh, that was horrible. Let's tick off all the formulaic things, shall we?
1) She's a redhead. Now, I have a real soft spot for redheads, being one myself, but at one point she actually says she had never met anyone who went for the red hair and freckles thing. Girl, you have obviously never been outside.
2) She's a virgin, although HE has bedded lots of ladies. None of them ever meant anything, of course.
3) They "bond" through some spell so that it's like they're married before they actually do the deed.
4) He is super possessive, to the point of telling her brother he can't touch her (he does begrudgingly allow a hug after some manly posturing).
It wasn't even sexy. It was mostly really bad story. They finally do more than kiss and eye each other smolderingly on page 310. That was so many pages of shitty story. And it goes without saying that there is no character development, but that is hardly why I read this book.
Not nearly enough dragon sex, obviously.
EDIT: I forgot that he also teaches her what 69 is.
"I want to give you oral pleasure," she says.
"Me too," he says, "Let's do it at the same time."
"BUT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE TEACH ME THY WAYS OH DRAGON LORD."
So she's a mid-20's sexy sex pot virgin who doesn't know what 69 is who can take being finger banged by THREE fingers and only when he actually decides to do some sex does he realize she's a virgin. AFTER the sex, he realizes it, not during. This entire genre obviously has no memory of what being a virgin is like. Very true to life.
1) She's a redhead. Now, I have a real soft spot for redheads, being one myself, but at one point she actually says she had never met anyone who went for the red hair and freckles thing. Girl, you have obviously never been outside.
2) She's a virgin, although HE has bedded lots of ladies. None of them ever meant anything, of course.
3) They "bond" through some spell so that it's like they're married before they actually do the deed.
4) He is super possessive, to the point of telling her brother he can't touch her (he does begrudgingly allow a hug after some manly posturing).
It wasn't even sexy. It was mostly really bad story. They finally do more than kiss and eye each other smolderingly on page 310. That was so many pages of shitty story. And it goes without saying that there is no character development, but that is hardly why I read this book.
Not nearly enough dragon sex, obviously.
EDIT: I forgot that he also teaches her what 69 is.
"I want to give you oral pleasure," she says.
"Me too," he says, "Let's do it at the same time."
"BUT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE TEACH ME THY WAYS OH DRAGON LORD."
So she's a mid-20's sexy sex pot virgin who doesn't know what 69 is who can take being finger banged by THREE fingers and only when he actually decides to do some sex does he realize she's a virgin. AFTER the sex, he realizes it, not during. This entire genre obviously has no memory of what being a virgin is like. Very true to life.
April 2, 2016
Summary: Red-headed virgin is bedded by a supernatural sex god. Oh, and some other stuff to do with Atlantis happens in the rest of the story.
This is the kind of book you leave at home so that no-one knows what you're reading. It was pure romantic trash.
Have no desire to pick up the next book in the series.
This is the kind of book you leave at home so that no-one knows what you're reading. It was pure romantic trash.
Have no desire to pick up the next book in the series.
April 16, 2021
Heart of the Dragon was another one of those books that I dove into for a challenge. It also doesn't hurt that it was free on KU either. So I'll even admit that I was a little intrigued to dive into it. Anything with dragons is bound to be amazing - right?
Well, it was wishful thinking. Now I'm not saying it downright terrible because it had potential to be better than it was. It was still an okay book but I couldn't connect with the characters. Especially with Grace. Oh man, I just wanted to shake her sometimes because she was very infuriating to read about. I feel like if she whined less than I might have liked her a bit more. No promises though.
Besides her, there's Darius. Out of the two, I liked him a lot more and their bantering put on a smile on my face. Sometimes. I wouldn't necessarily say he frustrated me but I don't see how he could like a girl like Grace. Love must be blind.. and deaf.
In the end, their romance was okay and it had some heated moments that I enjoyed. I just think a lot of what happened was a bit predictable. Maybe the next book will be better?
Well, it was wishful thinking. Now I'm not saying it downright terrible because it had potential to be better than it was. It was still an okay book but I couldn't connect with the characters. Especially with Grace. Oh man, I just wanted to shake her sometimes because she was very infuriating to read about. I feel like if she whined less than I might have liked her a bit more. No promises though.
Besides her, there's Darius. Out of the two, I liked him a lot more and their bantering put on a smile on my face. Sometimes. I wouldn't necessarily say he frustrated me but I don't see how he could like a girl like Grace. Love must be blind.. and deaf.
In the end, their romance was okay and it had some heated moments that I enjoyed. I just think a lot of what happened was a bit predictable. Maybe the next book will be better?
June 8, 2019
First books in series don’t usually suck me in unless the dialog is more talking less scenery. This book isn’t too bad with that, it was world building but not to the point you’re wishing for the next chapter.
Grace just wants to find her brother but encounters something a lot more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
I loved how headstrong she was and how she dealt with so much.
I giggled when Darius meets Grace he kind of doesn’t know what to do with her. ;) their back and forth is what kept me interested and how they were circling each other.
The ending was how I was hoping it would go. ;) I might keep up with this series.
I enjoyed the narration. I don’t really have anything profound to say.
Grace just wants to find her brother but encounters something a lot more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
I loved how headstrong she was and how she dealt with so much.
I giggled when Darius meets Grace he kind of doesn’t know what to do with her. ;) their back and forth is what kept me interested and how they were circling each other.
The ending was how I was hoping it would go. ;) I might keep up with this series.
I enjoyed the narration. I don’t really have anything profound to say.
December 30, 2011
This book was a pure whine-fest. The plot was horrendously predictable, and the heroine is a major whiner, and a B with an ITCH. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with her? She's like those anorexic, cheerleader whiner-babies that is totally unsatisfied with her life. And don't get me started on the male protagonist. He was an emotional wreck when he saw her, all "i should kill you but i cant cause i get all tingly with this insta-love shit that i still dont want to acknowledge is love thing". Dont get me wrong, im more than fine with insta-loves(what's not to love and all right?), but you've got to build and elaborate it, not just go straight into the face sucking. And so it was downright draggy and uneventful that i stopped reading quite soon after i picked the book up.
Here's how far i got: Darius shed any and all emotions he might have had way back ago after seeing his family get killed and having had his first kill(who was a totally innocent person who just so happen to have stumbled upon the entrance to Atlantis). Grace is a starved, lost girl in the Amazon jungle with a rifle in hand, and who has no qualms using it whatsoever(really? yeah because you go around shooting guys in their asses everyday in your very unfulfilling life like you just did earlier in the book right? totally understandable). She isnt happy with her life(have i said that already?), and is out being an adrenaline junkie when her tour guide, of sorts, bolted on her, taking with him all her supplies including food and the makeshift shelter. She stumbles upon this whole bunch of human-like apes which is a rip off of the funny baboon scene in Tarzan, and all of a sudden, this weird dragon necklace that her brother gave her started glowing and tugging her to this cave. She wandered further into the cave and got transported to Atlantis where she meets Darius at the cave entrance/exit. Both of them gets these lusty feelings INSTANTLY and omg..Yeah and so Darius managed to bring her to his private chambers in his palace(yes he is the king of the palace) and they knocked it off with lots of french kissing.
I stopped there. Cause it was filled in between with SOO much inner whining and draggy parts that i literally rolled my eyes(and i dont do that often cause i have a manly rep to protect ok..)and closed the book and was like, ah f*ck..this is a hell of a disappointment(sorry for the language. I think long term reading Hellion's reviews and the f word is flowing out of me like nobody's business). Because i had such high expections for this book which had an effing lot of plot potential. And i say effing lot cause apparently im a sucker for cool, reclusive, high-flying/status guys who fall for that one special, mortal girl with spirit. And Showalter is a rather renowned author with a hell lot of books to decorate her biography(ok awkward phrasing, but you get what i mean).
The female protagonist, Grace Carlyle, isnt endearing, at all. She's really like a crazy, wild and unappreciative brat who keeps getting into trouble and looking for hot sex(yes it was explicitly stated), and i dont get the lovey dovey chemistry that should be there(and this love or lust at first sight is hardly an acceptable excuse), like in Firelight by Sophie Jordan, that one i loved, and craved for more, but this one is just pushing it.
The male protagonist was ok...........weird, cool, but not ideal(maybe my impression was sullen-ed from all those repetitive "should i?but i shouldnt..Should i?but i shouldnt..SHOULD I?" oh god just effing make a freaking decision. My first impression of him wasnt bad tho..it just went down a steady steep decline as i progressed further into the book. but just freaking MOVE ON, dude. i should too..sigh.) There werent many side characters other than Darius' underlings. But they didnt really shine all that much..And especially with their rebellious, disrespectful attitude, it totally destroyed Darius' image as a commanding and well-respected king.
To sum it all up and tho i cant help repeating myself: Whiny. Draggy. Uneventful. Disliked female protagonist. Unendearing male protagonist(maybe just a little huh, not so unendearing). Not much plot building. Not much chemistry in the relationship. Appallingly predictable plot. Bad book. Did not even reach a quarter of the book. Painful reading process. And i repeat PAINFUL.
Here's how far i got: Darius shed any and all emotions he might have had way back ago after seeing his family get killed and having had his first kill(who was a totally innocent person who just so happen to have stumbled upon the entrance to Atlantis). Grace is a starved, lost girl in the Amazon jungle with a rifle in hand, and who has no qualms using it whatsoever(really? yeah because you go around shooting guys in their asses everyday in your very unfulfilling life like you just did earlier in the book right? totally understandable). She isnt happy with her life(have i said that already?), and is out being an adrenaline junkie when her tour guide, of sorts, bolted on her, taking with him all her supplies including food and the makeshift shelter. She stumbles upon this whole bunch of human-like apes which is a rip off of the funny baboon scene in Tarzan, and all of a sudden, this weird dragon necklace that her brother gave her started glowing and tugging her to this cave. She wandered further into the cave and got transported to Atlantis where she meets Darius at the cave entrance/exit. Both of them gets these lusty feelings INSTANTLY and omg..Yeah and so Darius managed to bring her to his private chambers in his palace(yes he is the king of the palace) and they knocked it off with lots of french kissing.
I stopped there. Cause it was filled in between with SOO much inner whining and draggy parts that i literally rolled my eyes(and i dont do that often cause i have a manly rep to protect ok..)and closed the book and was like, ah f*ck..this is a hell of a disappointment(sorry for the language. I think long term reading Hellion's reviews and the f word is flowing out of me like nobody's business). Because i had such high expections for this book which had an effing lot of plot potential. And i say effing lot cause apparently im a sucker for cool, reclusive, high-flying/status guys who fall for that one special, mortal girl with spirit. And Showalter is a rather renowned author with a hell lot of books to decorate her biography(ok awkward phrasing, but you get what i mean).
The female protagonist, Grace Carlyle, isnt endearing, at all. She's really like a crazy, wild and unappreciative brat who keeps getting into trouble and looking for hot sex(yes it was explicitly stated), and i dont get the lovey dovey chemistry that should be there(and this love or lust at first sight is hardly an acceptable excuse), like in Firelight by Sophie Jordan, that one i loved, and craved for more, but this one is just pushing it.
The male protagonist was ok...........weird, cool, but not ideal(maybe my impression was sullen-ed from all those repetitive "should i?but i shouldnt..Should i?but i shouldnt..SHOULD I?" oh god just effing make a freaking decision. My first impression of him wasnt bad tho..it just went down a steady steep decline as i progressed further into the book. but just freaking MOVE ON, dude. i should too..sigh.) There werent many side characters other than Darius' underlings. But they didnt really shine all that much..And especially with their rebellious, disrespectful attitude, it totally destroyed Darius' image as a commanding and well-respected king.
To sum it all up and tho i cant help repeating myself: Whiny. Draggy. Uneventful. Disliked female protagonist. Unendearing male protagonist(maybe just a little huh, not so unendearing). Not much plot building. Not much chemistry in the relationship. Appallingly predictable plot. Bad book. Did not even reach a quarter of the book. Painful reading process. And i repeat PAINFUL.
December 10, 2017
Heart of the Dragon is one of Gena's first book I believe and while it wasn't bad at all, you can definitely tell it's someone's first. I actually really enjoyed myself for the most part, the universe she created is very mesmerizing and my curiosity was piqued. But the last 20% or so were botched, rushed and I was a little disappointed because of that. The book went in the right direction but at the last minute changed course and it went from a solid 4 stars to a simple 3 for me.
I liked Darius a lot, typical alpha-male hero, very me-man-you-woman and I love that to be honest. He's the guardian of the mist, meaning he's guarding the entrance to Atlantis, his world, and has to kill any humans who comes through it, bad or good. He's been doing this for three hundred years and because of that he feels no emotions, he sees no colors, simply does his job without second thoughts.
I also liked Grace, not as much as Darius, the heroine is always harder to love—for me—for some reason but she was alright. She's looking for her older brother, in the middle of the Brazilian jungle, all alone. Okay, I admit, that's completely stupid. Anyway, she stumbles upon a cave and through the mist, that's when she meets Darius, who's ready to strike her with his sword, literally.
I liked Darius a lot, typical alpha-male hero, very me-man-you-woman and I love that to be honest. He's the guardian of the mist, meaning he's guarding the entrance to Atlantis, his world, and has to kill any humans who comes through it, bad or good. He's been doing this for three hundred years and because of that he feels no emotions, he sees no colors, simply does his job without second thoughts.
I also liked Grace, not as much as Darius, the heroine is always harder to love—for me—for some reason but she was alright. She's looking for her older brother, in the middle of the Brazilian jungle, all alone. Okay, I admit, that's completely stupid. Anyway, she stumbles upon a cave and through the mist, that's when she meets Darius, who's ready to strike her with his sword, literally.
What I really loved about this story was the world Gena created. It's super mysterious and I immediately wanted to know more about it. Which was a bust, kind of, because most of the story takes place outside of Atlantis in the real world. I like the real world enough but I want more sexy, scary creatures who're ready to mate. Like, seriously.
Still, I liked the story but as I've said, I was disappointed with the ending who felt rushed, like we missed a big part of it. Young Gena still liked steamy sex, which was a relief, we don't get much of it but the wait was worth it... Sixty-nine.
I am so looking forward to the next book, hopefully I'll get to see more of Atlantis and the different creatures that live in it.
June 16, 2011
A Gena Showalter se la conoce por otra serie títulada "Los señores del Inframundo" de la que ya he hablado en alguna otra ocasión. Esta novela adolece de las mismas características que la antes citada, novelas pseudoeróticas donde el sexo es el ingrediente principal ya que aparece cada tres párrafos. Al menos, la de los Señores tiene la particularidad de que cada uno de los hombres tiene un demonio que le supone un problema a la hora de encontrar pareja, y eso lo hace más ameno al lector. Sin embargo esta serie, y en concreto, esta novela, no es más que la típica del género donde el chico de turno está como un tren: alto, fuerte, sexy y demás adjetivos calificativos que se enamora a primera vista de la prota femenina que va en busca de su amante bandido, en este caso caballero dragón.
La sinopsis nos cuenta como Grace, la "intrépida" viajera se ve envuelta en un mágico viaje que la llevará a Atlantis, y a los brazos de Darius, el guerrero que guarda el portal de entrada.
No me quiero quemar en exceso porque la culpa realmente es mía por intentar negar la realidad. Y es que más que novela parece el guión de una peli mala.
Me encuentro nada más empezar, con un prólogo que... tela. No te enteras de nada, no hay explicaciones del cómo, porqué, le buscas la coherencia y no la encuentras. Me dió la impresión de que o faltaba algo o las palabras las habían puesto al azar. Llego al primer capítulo, y la sensación continua.. Estoy en un palacio, se supone que en Atlantis, con seis o siete guerreros que están en la comida, bromeando sobre la seriedad de su rey y sobre las pocas diversiones que tienen, y de golpe y porrazo, Darius nota la presencia de un viajero que está cruzando el portal y deja la comida para ir a matarlo con la espada tipo Conan. Pos vale..
De repente, me encuentro en el papel de Grace, que, atención, está sola en la selva brasileña buscando a su hermano como si la selva fuera un parque de atracciones.. enga ya. El guía que le ha mangado todo lo que llevaba y ella se pone a andar por ahí de cualquier manera hasta que por arte de magia, tachannnnnnnnn, se encuentra cruzando el fatídico portal. Cuando llegué a este punto, ya lo veía venir, pero decidí seguir.
Primera mirada y ya están los dos poniendose calientes y con ganas de hacerlo. A partir de ahí, lo único que leí fueron excusas varias de Darius para hacer caso omiso del juramento. Escenas tórridas alrededor de camas y mesas, y entre medio una subtrama con el hermano de la protagonista provocando su propia historia romántica y una trama de suspense, o algo parecido, en la que los terribles humanos y su codicia pueden llegar a conquistar la ciudad perdida de Atlantis con ayuda de los vampiros.
Tres días para acabar una novela que por su extensión debería haberme costado máximo tres horas y es que no puedo con esta clase de novelas. Entiendo las tramas románticas y como a cualquiera me gusta notar el feeling de la pareja protagonista, la tensión sexual entre ellos, y como no, las escenas de cama, sean o no con muchos detalles, pero esto es exagerado. Las escenas eróticas son las únicas en las que la autora se ha centrado dejando a su alrededor una trama tannnn pobre que dan ganas de llorar. Más que nada porque esta idea de los atlantes guererros contra vampiros, en una ciudad perdida por la que sólo se accede mediante portales y demás, en otras manos podría haber sido una novela maravillosa.
La verdad es que por el momento tengo suficiente lectura para no tener que echar mano de nuevo de esta serie.
A los únicos a los que podría recomendar este título sería a los fans de la autora. Aunque si se ha leído alguno de Los Señores del Inframundo, este le va a decepcionar.
La sinopsis nos cuenta como Grace, la "intrépida" viajera se ve envuelta en un mágico viaje que la llevará a Atlantis, y a los brazos de Darius, el guerrero que guarda el portal de entrada.
No me quiero quemar en exceso porque la culpa realmente es mía por intentar negar la realidad. Y es que más que novela parece el guión de una peli mala.
Me encuentro nada más empezar, con un prólogo que... tela. No te enteras de nada, no hay explicaciones del cómo, porqué, le buscas la coherencia y no la encuentras. Me dió la impresión de que o faltaba algo o las palabras las habían puesto al azar. Llego al primer capítulo, y la sensación continua.. Estoy en un palacio, se supone que en Atlantis, con seis o siete guerreros que están en la comida, bromeando sobre la seriedad de su rey y sobre las pocas diversiones que tienen, y de golpe y porrazo, Darius nota la presencia de un viajero que está cruzando el portal y deja la comida para ir a matarlo con la espada tipo Conan. Pos vale..
De repente, me encuentro en el papel de Grace, que, atención, está sola en la selva brasileña buscando a su hermano como si la selva fuera un parque de atracciones.. enga ya. El guía que le ha mangado todo lo que llevaba y ella se pone a andar por ahí de cualquier manera hasta que por arte de magia, tachannnnnnnnn, se encuentra cruzando el fatídico portal. Cuando llegué a este punto, ya lo veía venir, pero decidí seguir.
Primera mirada y ya están los dos poniendose calientes y con ganas de hacerlo. A partir de ahí, lo único que leí fueron excusas varias de Darius para hacer caso omiso del juramento. Escenas tórridas alrededor de camas y mesas, y entre medio una subtrama con el hermano de la protagonista provocando su propia historia romántica y una trama de suspense, o algo parecido, en la que los terribles humanos y su codicia pueden llegar a conquistar la ciudad perdida de Atlantis con ayuda de los vampiros.
Tres días para acabar una novela que por su extensión debería haberme costado máximo tres horas y es que no puedo con esta clase de novelas. Entiendo las tramas románticas y como a cualquiera me gusta notar el feeling de la pareja protagonista, la tensión sexual entre ellos, y como no, las escenas de cama, sean o no con muchos detalles, pero esto es exagerado. Las escenas eróticas son las únicas en las que la autora se ha centrado dejando a su alrededor una trama tannnn pobre que dan ganas de llorar. Más que nada porque esta idea de los atlantes guererros contra vampiros, en una ciudad perdida por la que sólo se accede mediante portales y demás, en otras manos podría haber sido una novela maravillosa.
La verdad es que por el momento tengo suficiente lectura para no tener que echar mano de nuevo de esta serie.
A los únicos a los que podría recomendar este título sería a los fans de la autora. Aunque si se ha leído alguno de Los Señores del Inframundo, este le va a decepcionar.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2013
When Grace Carlyle sets out to find her brother in the middle of the jungle, what she doesn't expect to find is the mythical land of Atlantis and its gorgeous guardian Darius en Kragin. Darius is charged with guarding one of the portals to Atlantis and killing any who enter, be they man, woman or child. But he can't seem to destroy Grace when she stumbles through to Atlantis; her fiery red hair the first colour has has seen in centuries and her bravery touches his long neglected heart. However, it may already be too late to guard the entrance to Atlantis as they discover evidence that one of the other portals has been breached.
I liked this book...but I didn't love it. I think, unfortunately, that Grace and Darius are going to enter the vast realm of couples I have read and although I liked them at the time, they are easily forgotten and never thought of again. I know this is hardly encouraging, but I did like Heart of the Dragon and if I had some spare time, I would continue reading this series.
What I liked about Heart of the Dragon was the idea or Atlantis, it is basically used as the gods scrap yard and they tossed in their the races they created that they no longer wanted, creatures like nymphs, vampires, shape changers etc. Darius is a dragon-shifter, in fact he is king of the dragon shifters and as cold as ice. I enjoyed watching him thaw around Grace's spunky and warm personality as they fall in love. There is also a bit of a secondary romance happening in the background with Grace's brother as well as some action as the vampires conspire to kill off the dragons.
This isn't my favourite book by Gena Showalter, I much prefer her Lords of the Underworld series, but it was a quick, romantic and fun read.
April 3, 2018
Here are some of my thoughts:
• I am looking forward to getting into a new series with Showalter. I love the mythology stuff from her other series, and I hope this one has as immersive of a plot. Judging from what I see from this book, I am intrigued but I can’t wait to see a better idea of the world as the series progresses.
• Grace is alright. She pissed me off at the end though. Despite that it might have worked out for the best, I was just like, seriously????
• It would have been interesting to get a better idea of the other warriors, but I guess we will find out more as the series progresses.
Overall 2.5 stars. I like it, and I will continue on with the series, but I need something to win over my heart.
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
What age level would be appropriate?
• I am looking forward to getting into a new series with Showalter. I love the mythology stuff from her other series, and I hope this one has as immersive of a plot. Judging from what I see from this book, I am intrigued but I can’t wait to see a better idea of the world as the series progresses.
• Grace is alright. She pissed me off at the end though. Despite that it might have worked out for the best, I was just like, seriously????
• It would have been interesting to get a better idea of the other warriors, but I guess we will find out more as the series progresses.
Overall 2.5 stars. I like it, and I will continue on with the series, but I need something to win over my heart.
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
What age level would be appropriate?
June 22, 2011
I went into this book not expecting much which is perhaps why I got so much out of it. Just like how I really enjoy a movie when I go into the cinema with zero expectations about the film. We enter the book in the past, with Darius as a child taking on the role of a guardian responsible for killing anyone who enters through the portal in his palace. Understandably he’s a little reluctant to kill, but he’s driven by a need to protect his dragon people and Atlantis from the kind of brutality that his family suffered. This teasing glimpse of a feelings-laden Darius really provided a sharp contrast to the man we meet shortly afterwards—a battle-hardened and emotionless killer.
Grace Carlyle comes face to face with this beast of a man when she is sucked through one of the gelatinous portals and into Atlantis during her search for her missing archaeologist brother, Alex, who had sent her a package containing a medallion shortly before disappearing off the face of the planet. Grace’s first reaction to the hulking great monster of a man that is Darius is the same reaction I had. Hubba hubba. The man is a god, and it’s because of him that I fell hard for this book.
He’s a super-sexy warrior with everything a female reader wants in that type of hero—strong, protective, possessive, and deadly. Plus, he had the added bonus of being so cold and detached. I love it when a heroine has to work to prise open a man’s closed-off heart and release his emotions as well as his sexual desire. It’s explosive when that happens, and it certainly happens with a bang in this book.
Showalter mercilessly teases with a series of “almosts” that had me panting for the hero to give up his inane obsession with his duty and his need to not get involved with Grace and kill her instead. I admit, I was miffed when the suitably strong and unwilling to give up on finding her brother or getting into Darius’s pants Grace went home rather than submit to the delicious dragon warrior, but I guess it helped to show Darius’s commitment to having her as his… or was that his commitment to killing her?
The only downside to this book is that we’re reminded several times too many about Darius’s duty to kill Grace, and some parts of the book just didn’t feel right. Nothing between the hero and heroine was out of place, but hopping into the head of her brother and a female dragon threw me a bit as I didn’t want to read about them. I wanted to stay with the sexy Darius and his would-be mate, Grace. I also felt the sudden relationship between Alex and his female dragon was a bit forced considering that Darius had earlier observed that Javar, another dragon, and this female had been very into each other during their marriage-of-sorts. I think it probably would have been best as a separate story that happened afterwards, but you’ll have to read the book to see what I mean as I don’t want to give any spoilers. I also felt that the dragons could have been described more clearly when they transformed into their beastly counterparts. I didn’t really get a feel for what they looked like and whether they retained any sort of human features or how big they were as dragons.
The big fight at the end was good, although I would have liked more action as it was resolved quickly and fairly easily, or perhaps just better description would have sufficed and I would have been satisfied.
In terms of writing style, there were a few instances where I had to read a sentence over a couple of times to make sense of it, but I find that happens to me a lot in Showalter’s books, so I can’t moan too much about it. The writing is very Harlequin too. It’s hard to describe but has that Harlequin light and easy feel about it. Not too dark. Not as dark as I like.
All in all, this is getting a four star review from me because I really did fall hard for Darius. He’s worth reading this book for… honestly… go get yourself a copy or borrow one from a friend / library.
Grace Carlyle comes face to face with this beast of a man when she is sucked through one of the gelatinous portals and into Atlantis during her search for her missing archaeologist brother, Alex, who had sent her a package containing a medallion shortly before disappearing off the face of the planet. Grace’s first reaction to the hulking great monster of a man that is Darius is the same reaction I had. Hubba hubba. The man is a god, and it’s because of him that I fell hard for this book.
He’s a super-sexy warrior with everything a female reader wants in that type of hero—strong, protective, possessive, and deadly. Plus, he had the added bonus of being so cold and detached. I love it when a heroine has to work to prise open a man’s closed-off heart and release his emotions as well as his sexual desire. It’s explosive when that happens, and it certainly happens with a bang in this book.
Showalter mercilessly teases with a series of “almosts” that had me panting for the hero to give up his inane obsession with his duty and his need to not get involved with Grace and kill her instead. I admit, I was miffed when the suitably strong and unwilling to give up on finding her brother or getting into Darius’s pants Grace went home rather than submit to the delicious dragon warrior, but I guess it helped to show Darius’s commitment to having her as his… or was that his commitment to killing her?
The only downside to this book is that we’re reminded several times too many about Darius’s duty to kill Grace, and some parts of the book just didn’t feel right. Nothing between the hero and heroine was out of place, but hopping into the head of her brother and a female dragon threw me a bit as I didn’t want to read about them. I wanted to stay with the sexy Darius and his would-be mate, Grace. I also felt the sudden relationship between Alex and his female dragon was a bit forced considering that Darius had earlier observed that Javar, another dragon, and this female had been very into each other during their marriage-of-sorts. I think it probably would have been best as a separate story that happened afterwards, but you’ll have to read the book to see what I mean as I don’t want to give any spoilers. I also felt that the dragons could have been described more clearly when they transformed into their beastly counterparts. I didn’t really get a feel for what they looked like and whether they retained any sort of human features or how big they were as dragons.
The big fight at the end was good, although I would have liked more action as it was resolved quickly and fairly easily, or perhaps just better description would have sufficed and I would have been satisfied.
In terms of writing style, there were a few instances where I had to read a sentence over a couple of times to make sense of it, but I find that happens to me a lot in Showalter’s books, so I can’t moan too much about it. The writing is very Harlequin too. It’s hard to describe but has that Harlequin light and easy feel about it. Not too dark. Not as dark as I like.
All in all, this is getting a four star review from me because I really did fall hard for Darius. He’s worth reading this book for… honestly… go get yourself a copy or borrow one from a friend / library.
January 16, 2013
I love the idea of taking the premise that Atlantis is real and still here though hidden so I was very eager to read this series. This first book also hit one of my other favorites- dragons!!!
Darius is a stone cold dragon warrior king and guardian of the portal to the human world. He is sworn to kill any who stray through the mist into Atlantis. After three hundred years, a lone woman becomes the exception when he is attracted to her and cannot find it in himself to kill her right away. He must find out why she possesses a dragon pendant that she should not have.
Grace Carlysle has come to the Amazon jungle to find the whereabouts of her brother. He sent her his diary and a pendant just before he disappeared searching for the famed lost city of Atlantis. Grace loves adventure, but now that she is lost and without a guide she just wants to find Alex and go home. But adventure is not through with Grace because she accidentally stumbles through the mist into the cave of a dragon warrior. The warrior, Darius questions her about the pendant and her purpose for being there and doesn't like 'I don't know' for an answer. Grace finds herself in awe of the fact that she is in a dragon's castle in Atlantis, but it is the feelings that Darius brings to the surface in her that she finds overwhelming. It is not enough to keep her because she needs to find Alex whom she suspects is still in danger.
While Grace searches for her brother and Darius tries to figure out what is going on as well as agonizing over the decision that he must fulfill his guardian vow and kill Grace while they both struggle with their attraction, other forces are at work plotting the downfall of Atlantis and make themselves rich. It will take Grace's knowledge and Darius' strength working together to save the day.
I really enjoyed the world building in this one and hope for more stories involving the other races of Atlantis. The plot was exciting much of the time though it switched over for the character development and for the romance. This one was a good story, but its pacing wasn't as smooth. It wasn't bad or boring, but just noticeable like when Darius is dealing with the other warrior's ennui issues or the gaps in Alex's story regarding his escape attempts and such.
The characters were very likeable. I think writing good characters whether hero, villain or sidekicks is a trait of Gena Showalter's. I loved Grace's feistiness that is just right. She is vulnerable particularly when it comes to her appearance, but she doesn't let this feeling keep her from trying for something with Darius. She may not be a paranormal, but she is tenacious. It is telling how she desires to help Darius and does, but accepts her own limitations reasonably when its time to let him use his gifts.
As to Darius, he cracked me up in certain ways. He is the epitome of arrogant warrior male in certain respects. Through much of the book, he has an untenable problem. He loves Grace and knows that it is Grace that gives him reason for living- her very presence assails his senses, but his vow requires that as a guardian that he must kill her because no outsider may enter Atlantis and live. Darius is tender, loving and protective of Grace while at the same time he is guilt-ridden, distant and even grumpy. Darius sees Grace as the most beautiful and a sweet woman deserving of happiness and she is his to love and protect though he is not too arrogant that he won't accept her help where he can.
So it was a good start to a series and I look forward to seeing whose story is next.
Paranormal fans will enjoy this book.
Darius is a stone cold dragon warrior king and guardian of the portal to the human world. He is sworn to kill any who stray through the mist into Atlantis. After three hundred years, a lone woman becomes the exception when he is attracted to her and cannot find it in himself to kill her right away. He must find out why she possesses a dragon pendant that she should not have.
Grace Carlysle has come to the Amazon jungle to find the whereabouts of her brother. He sent her his diary and a pendant just before he disappeared searching for the famed lost city of Atlantis. Grace loves adventure, but now that she is lost and without a guide she just wants to find Alex and go home. But adventure is not through with Grace because she accidentally stumbles through the mist into the cave of a dragon warrior. The warrior, Darius questions her about the pendant and her purpose for being there and doesn't like 'I don't know' for an answer. Grace finds herself in awe of the fact that she is in a dragon's castle in Atlantis, but it is the feelings that Darius brings to the surface in her that she finds overwhelming. It is not enough to keep her because she needs to find Alex whom she suspects is still in danger.
While Grace searches for her brother and Darius tries to figure out what is going on as well as agonizing over the decision that he must fulfill his guardian vow and kill Grace while they both struggle with their attraction, other forces are at work plotting the downfall of Atlantis and make themselves rich. It will take Grace's knowledge and Darius' strength working together to save the day.
I really enjoyed the world building in this one and hope for more stories involving the other races of Atlantis. The plot was exciting much of the time though it switched over for the character development and for the romance. This one was a good story, but its pacing wasn't as smooth. It wasn't bad or boring, but just noticeable like when Darius is dealing with the other warrior's ennui issues or the gaps in Alex's story regarding his escape attempts and such.
The characters were very likeable. I think writing good characters whether hero, villain or sidekicks is a trait of Gena Showalter's. I loved Grace's feistiness that is just right. She is vulnerable particularly when it comes to her appearance, but she doesn't let this feeling keep her from trying for something with Darius. She may not be a paranormal, but she is tenacious. It is telling how she desires to help Darius and does, but accepts her own limitations reasonably when its time to let him use his gifts.
As to Darius, he cracked me up in certain ways. He is the epitome of arrogant warrior male in certain respects. Through much of the book, he has an untenable problem. He loves Grace and knows that it is Grace that gives him reason for living- her very presence assails his senses, but his vow requires that as a guardian that he must kill her because no outsider may enter Atlantis and live. Darius is tender, loving and protective of Grace while at the same time he is guilt-ridden, distant and even grumpy. Darius sees Grace as the most beautiful and a sweet woman deserving of happiness and she is his to love and protect though he is not too arrogant that he won't accept her help where he can.
So it was a good start to a series and I look forward to seeing whose story is next.
Paranormal fans will enjoy this book.
October 15, 2010
***PLEASE NOTE: I don't normally put so many spoilers in my reviews but needed to in order fully explain why this book only got two stars from me. If this is going to bother you please read no further***
In all honesty this read like two books - the first half was great, setting up a really strong male lead, an interesting world and a potentially strong female lead. The second half of the book went... wrong somehow. Aside from the very relevant point PhotoJim makes in his review, there entire second half of the book felt rushed and out of sync. For me it was too complicated and tried to introduce too many new story lines.
Example - in the first half we meet Darius and set up his back story. We meet Grace, whom Darius is supposed to kill but because of a necklace she wears, doesn't and captures her instead. There's some great chemistry between the two and a funny wager amoungst the other dragons about making Darius either smile or loose his temper. It's well written, engaging and well paced.
In the second half - Grace escapes, is aided by Jason and Agronauts, is drugged and barely escapes a sexual assult, gets back home and picks up her brothers mail. There's something about a postcard from her dad who's dead which is really a clue from her brother(????), Darius find her in NY after declaring war against the human / vampire aliance who killed his friend and his friends army, Darius and Grace work together to find her brother, discuss her dads wood working ability and order 20 kevlar vests over the internet. They mate for life (and please refer here to PhotoJim's comments), return to Atlantis defeat the human army, we find out that Grace gets captured and nearly drained by vampires, Darius turns into a dragon and gets shot but it doesn't bother him - so we didn't need those vests afterall - and they live happily ever after. Oh, and the brother escapes with the help of the wife of the recently murdered friend and they decide to get married.
See what I mean?
In all honesty this read like two books - the first half was great, setting up a really strong male lead, an interesting world and a potentially strong female lead. The second half of the book went... wrong somehow. Aside from the very relevant point PhotoJim makes in his review, there entire second half of the book felt rushed and out of sync. For me it was too complicated and tried to introduce too many new story lines.
Example - in the first half we meet Darius and set up his back story. We meet Grace, whom Darius is supposed to kill but because of a necklace she wears, doesn't and captures her instead. There's some great chemistry between the two and a funny wager amoungst the other dragons about making Darius either smile or loose his temper. It's well written, engaging and well paced.
In the second half - Grace escapes, is aided by Jason and Agronauts, is drugged and barely escapes a sexual assult, gets back home and picks up her brothers mail. There's something about a postcard from her dad who's dead which is really a clue from her brother(????), Darius find her in NY after declaring war against the human / vampire aliance who killed his friend and his friends army, Darius and Grace work together to find her brother, discuss her dads wood working ability and order 20 kevlar vests over the internet. They mate for life (and please refer here to PhotoJim's comments), return to Atlantis defeat the human army, we find out that Grace gets captured and nearly drained by vampires, Darius turns into a dragon and gets shot but it doesn't bother him - so we didn't need those vests afterall - and they live happily ever after. Oh, and the brother escapes with the help of the wife of the recently murdered friend and they decide to get married.
See what I mean?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2010
Benernya buku ini berpotensi 5 bintang kalau saja :
- Ceritanya lebih banyak tentang mitologi atlantis dan penghuni-penghuninya. Padalah gambaran sekilas tentang atlantis di buku udah cukup keren.
- More deep characters rather than standard characters, lebih suka Darius yang dingin dan kaku yang sebelum ketemu Grace lebih keren dan coba kalau Grace digambarkan lebih galak, keras kepala dan ngga terangsang setiap kali ketemu Darius, pasti lebih keren. Tapi setelah ketemu karakternya malah pada jadi std dan ketebak semua.
- More action, less romance :D
Tapi ups, hehehe saya tidak boleh protes, karena ini bukan novel fantasy, YA dan sejenisnya, ini novel romance dewasa, sejenis Harlequin Nocturne.
Ya bolehlan bacaan ringan buat guilty pleasure. Tapi sebagai novel romance dewasa, rada kecewa juga karena gambaran cinta disini lebih bersifat nafsu daripada cinta karena hasrat.
Terus soal cover, saya pernah melihat cover aslinya dan untuk kali ini saya lebih suka cover lokal. Hehehe, kebanyakan cover novel-novel Gena Showalter pasti cowo topless dengan otot liat dan perut kotak-kotak. Ada kalanya tepat tapi ada kalanya ngga banget, hehehe
- Ceritanya lebih banyak tentang mitologi atlantis dan penghuni-penghuninya. Padalah gambaran sekilas tentang atlantis di buku udah cukup keren.
- More deep characters rather than standard characters, lebih suka Darius yang dingin dan kaku yang sebelum ketemu Grace lebih keren dan coba kalau Grace digambarkan lebih galak, keras kepala dan ngga terangsang setiap kali ketemu Darius, pasti lebih keren. Tapi setelah ketemu karakternya malah pada jadi std dan ketebak semua.
- More action, less romance :D
Tapi ups, hehehe saya tidak boleh protes, karena ini bukan novel fantasy, YA dan sejenisnya, ini novel romance dewasa, sejenis Harlequin Nocturne.
Ya bolehlan bacaan ringan buat guilty pleasure. Tapi sebagai novel romance dewasa, rada kecewa juga karena gambaran cinta disini lebih bersifat nafsu daripada cinta karena hasrat.
Terus soal cover, saya pernah melihat cover aslinya dan untuk kali ini saya lebih suka cover lokal. Hehehe, kebanyakan cover novel-novel Gena Showalter pasti cowo topless dengan otot liat dan perut kotak-kotak. Ada kalanya tepat tapi ada kalanya ngga banget, hehehe
February 6, 2015
Oh, buen señor. Yo realmente quería amar el libro, en serio. Gena te.presenta los eventos y los personajes de una manera tan atractiva que de verdad te metes en la historia. Pero eso no me ocurrió con éste libro.
Al principio creí que me iba a llegar, hubieron varias cosas que me entretuvieron y me gustaron, a medida.de que el libro avanza me llegué a aburrir (el tiempo que Grace estuvo retenida en el palacio fue muy pobre y predecible). Luego de eso el libro tomó fuerza y el hecho de que Darius fuera a por ella y todas las experiencias de él me gustaron muchísimo. El final, ah, no me gustó como Gena presentó la idea de que Grace iba a salir y luego BAM, está retenida. El final podía haber sido mucho mejor. Con todo y eso leeré los otros y veré.
Al principio creí que me iba a llegar, hubieron varias cosas que me entretuvieron y me gustaron, a medida.de que el libro avanza me llegué a aburrir (el tiempo que Grace estuvo retenida en el palacio fue muy pobre y predecible). Luego de eso el libro tomó fuerza y el hecho de que Darius fuera a por ella y todas las experiencias de él me gustaron muchísimo. El final, ah, no me gustó como Gena presentó la idea de que Grace iba a salir y luego BAM, está retenida. El final podía haber sido mucho mejor. Con todo y eso leeré los otros y veré.
January 12, 2013
Buddy read with Maru.
January 2013 read:
Favorite quote:
“You saw the violence of my past,” he said, mistaking her silence. “You know the things I’ve done and can guess the things I will do. I’m asking you to accept me regardless. If you can do this, I will give you my life, my riches and my vow to always protect you.” The last words left his lips with all the desperation inside him. With all the longing. With all the need.
Her expression softened; her lashes dipped to half-mast. “I don’t need your riches,” she said. “Only you.”
January 2013 read:
Favorite quote:
“You saw the violence of my past,” he said, mistaking her silence. “You know the things I’ve done and can guess the things I will do. I’m asking you to accept me regardless. If you can do this, I will give you my life, my riches and my vow to always protect you.” The last words left his lips with all the desperation inside him. With all the longing. With all the need.
Her expression softened; her lashes dipped to half-mast. “I don’t need your riches,” she said. “Only you.”
October 12, 2010
Meh. An unconvincing romance in the middle of an unoriginal story. I just didn't see any reason for Grace and Darius to end up together. I never bought the love at all. I've just seen this done better.
August 29, 2019
tam da 5 ⭐’lık bir kitap olmayabilir,
belki 4/4,5 daha ideal ama ben 5 vereceğim!
Uzun zamandır çektiğim yokluk, ilk bölümü okur okumaz gelen sıkıntı ve kitaplarla arama giren uyku... Beni öyle yoran öyle delirten şeylerdi ki keyifle hiçbir şey yapamıyordum. Kitabı harcar mıyım diye çok endişelenmiştim ama öyle olmadı. Okumamın uzaması evde olmamaktan kaynaklanıyordu, haricinde oldukça ağız sulandırıcıydı!
Dragon temalı hikayelerde çoğunlukla beklentimle kalakalırken burada güzel bir şekilde gitti her şey. PNR denildiğinde kraliçem olan Gena, yine yapacağını yapmıştı.
belki 4/4,5 daha ideal ama ben 5 vereceğim!
Uzun zamandır çektiğim yokluk, ilk bölümü okur okumaz gelen sıkıntı ve kitaplarla arama giren uyku... Beni öyle yoran öyle delirten şeylerdi ki keyifle hiçbir şey yapamıyordum. Kitabı harcar mıyım diye çok endişelenmiştim ama öyle olmadı. Okumamın uzaması evde olmamaktan kaynaklanıyordu, haricinde oldukça ağız sulandırıcıydı!
Dragon temalı hikayelerde çoğunlukla beklentimle kalakalırken burada güzel bir şekilde gitti her şey. PNR denildiğinde kraliçem olan Gena, yine yapacağını yapmıştı.
I am nothing without you,” he said, echoing her thoughts. “Do you feel how much I hunger for you?”
She did. God, she did. His hunger mingled with her own, purring within her veins.
“You are more important to me than air,” he said. “More important than water. You, Grace, are my only necessity.”
October 9, 2019
1.5 stars, an extra 0.5 for the beautiful world of Atlantis
This was a quick, uneventful read. The romances were, of course, lust-based and had little to no development (I don't even know what was going on with Alex and Teira). The plot wasn't all that intriguing or engaging, and none of the characters particularly interested me.
Of course the bad characters were greedy and power-hungry and one-dimensional, and the protagonist Grace came off as annoying. There was also a great deal of focus on her physical looks, which I did not like. And I don't get why Grace caused Darius's senses to come back... or why his senses left in the first place- just because he was an emotionless guardian?
Overall, I think the world was interesting and could've been expanded upon more (hopefully it will be in the next few books), but other than that nothing was particularly great about this short book.
This was a quick, uneventful read. The romances were, of course, lust-based and had little to no development (I don't even know what was going on with Alex and Teira). The plot wasn't all that intriguing or engaging, and none of the characters particularly interested me.
Of course the bad characters were greedy and power-hungry and one-dimensional, and the protagonist Grace came off as annoying. There was also a great deal of focus on her physical looks, which I did not like. And I don't get why Grace caused Darius's senses to come back... or why his senses left in the first place- just because he was an emotionless guardian?
Overall, I think the world was interesting and could've been expanded upon more (hopefully it will be in the next few books), but other than that nothing was particularly great about this short book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2013
Before Gena Showalter’s hit series, Lords of the Underworld, there was Atlantis: a series about an undersea world inhabited by immortal, mythological creatures, including dragons, nymphs, shape shifters, and more! The first installment, Heart of the Dragon, introduces us to the shape-shifting guardian of the gates of Atlantis, Darius en Kragin. Vowed for centuries to protect his dragon kin and Atlantis itself Darius has seen his fair share of wayward humans, lost in the jungle’s mist, slip through the gates of his hidden world. And it is his job to see that their discovery ends at the gates through which they have entered. But when a human girl with hair the color of fire falls at his feet, Darius becomes frozen in fear. Before this human girl, it has been centuries since Darius has experienced color, and the sensation is overwhelming. Sensing a more profound meaning to this mystery, Darius sweeps her up and steals her away to his private lair, keeping her arrival a secret.
Grace Carlysle’s brother had been missing for a few weeks when, out of frustration, Grace decided to take matters into her own hands. She was thirsty and exhausted when her guide stole her belongings, leaving her alone in the jungle to fend for herself, with nothing but the clothes on her back and the unusual charm necklace from her brother. Unsure as to whether or not she was hallucinating, Grace became disoriented in a cloud of mist and slipped into a great cavern, revealing on the other side a fearsome man with crystal eyes, wielding a sword, and studying her every move. Now, in his secret lair, with vast walls of water through which dreamlike creatures appear, Grace becomes acutely aware that this is definitely not a dream. She plots to escape, but not before meeting with the great Darius, face to face. And when she unwittingly calls upon the mysterious forces of the charm, she makes her escape.
Realizing the seriousness of his errs in judgment, Darius follows Grace to her home in New York City. Putting his life and all of Atlantis at risk, Darius must navigate his way in a new land where his powers are limited and his sacrifices great, in order to ensure that Grace never reveals what she has witnessed. It is an enormous task, particularly when Darius begins to develop feelings for Grace, but one he has vowed to uphold. But when world’s collide things shift, and Grace begins to understand the meaning behind her brother’s disappearance. Likewise, Darius discovers the hidden meaning of his quest, and the true dangers he must face. Does he save Atlantis, or does he risk it all for the woman he loves?
I enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the plot had some nice twists and turns. The only thing I found myself longing for throughout the book was more Atlantis—such a great world to play in! I would have easily given it 4 stars, had the story included more of this awesome underwater world. I will definitely continue reading the series, in hopes of finding more adventures in this unique world Gena Showalter has created.
Grace Carlysle’s brother had been missing for a few weeks when, out of frustration, Grace decided to take matters into her own hands. She was thirsty and exhausted when her guide stole her belongings, leaving her alone in the jungle to fend for herself, with nothing but the clothes on her back and the unusual charm necklace from her brother. Unsure as to whether or not she was hallucinating, Grace became disoriented in a cloud of mist and slipped into a great cavern, revealing on the other side a fearsome man with crystal eyes, wielding a sword, and studying her every move. Now, in his secret lair, with vast walls of water through which dreamlike creatures appear, Grace becomes acutely aware that this is definitely not a dream. She plots to escape, but not before meeting with the great Darius, face to face. And when she unwittingly calls upon the mysterious forces of the charm, she makes her escape.
Realizing the seriousness of his errs in judgment, Darius follows Grace to her home in New York City. Putting his life and all of Atlantis at risk, Darius must navigate his way in a new land where his powers are limited and his sacrifices great, in order to ensure that Grace never reveals what she has witnessed. It is an enormous task, particularly when Darius begins to develop feelings for Grace, but one he has vowed to uphold. But when world’s collide things shift, and Grace begins to understand the meaning behind her brother’s disappearance. Likewise, Darius discovers the hidden meaning of his quest, and the true dangers he must face. Does he save Atlantis, or does he risk it all for the woman he loves?
I enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the plot had some nice twists and turns. The only thing I found myself longing for throughout the book was more Atlantis—such a great world to play in! I would have easily given it 4 stars, had the story included more of this awesome underwater world. I will definitely continue reading the series, in hopes of finding more adventures in this unique world Gena Showalter has created.
April 1, 2018
Quell’uomo era un assassino, ma se fosse rimasta, lei si sarebbe spogliata, l’avrebbe spogliato e una volta nudi avrebbe fatto l’amore con lui senza la minima esitazione.
Il motivo era semplice: tra le sue braccia si era sentita finalmente completa. Non voleva che quella sensazione finisse. La fame che Darius aveva risvegliato in lei era troppo intensa per essere reale e allo stesso tempo troppo reale per negarla. Dietro quella maschera fredda e inviolabile le era parso di vedere un fuoco che carezzava tenero e dolce, invece di divorare con una furia selvaggia e inutile.
Quando Darius l’aveva fissata con intensità, dichiarando che voleva baciarla, lei aveva percepito con chiarezza quel fuoco che ribolliva sotto la superficie della sua pelle. Gli ormoni a lungo trascurati si agitavano ogni volta che lui si avvicinava, assicurandole che un contatto intimo fra loro sarebbe stato selvaggio e perverso, del genere su cui aveva fantasticato per anni. Era il tipo di sesso che aveva letto nei romanzi d’amore, per poi giacere a letto sola e desiderare che un uomo fosse accanto a lei.
Atlantide ha sempre esercitato un grande fascino sugli scrittori, e in questi quattro libri Gena Showalter ce ne dà la sua personale visione.
Collocata sotto l’oceano, Atlantide è collegata al mondo umano tramite due portali situati in gelide e spettrali caverne, in cui una magica nebbia è sempre presente. I portali possono essere attraversati solo mediante magici medaglioni e a guardia di ognuno di essi c’è un “Guardiano”, un possente drago che uccide chiunque attraversi il portale.
Ogni volta che un intruso vi si trova immerso, la nebbia richiama il Guardiano e la sua spada, affinché possa eseguire il suo compito. Ma questo, pur essendo un grande onore, ha un prezzo: ogni Guardiano infatti, col passare del tempo, perde determinate facoltà. Non distingue più i colori e il suo mondo è tutto in bianco e nero, non percepisce più il sapore e ogni cosa sa di cenere, le sue emozioni si cristallizzano e niente sembra scuoterlo.
Darius En Kragin è un Guardiano da più di trecento anni.
Era solo un ragazzino quando, a causa della disattenzione del precedente guardiano, degli invasori riuscirono ad attraversare il portale, uccidendo la sua famiglia. Da allora ha accettato l’onore di essere un Guardiano… e non ha mai fallito il suo compito.
Ma quando dalla nebbia emerge Grace Carlyle, il suo mondo viene sconvolto. Non solo la ragazza porta al collo uno dei magici medaglioni che solo un drago può avere, ma dopo secoli, Darius riesce a vedere il colore dei suoi capelli ramati e dei suoi occhi, e un’attrazione che non ha mai provato lo fa vacillare.
Il suo dovere è chiaro: Grace deve morire. Ma prima lui deve conoscere ogni suo segreto, e per questo, per la prima volta, fa un prigioniero.
Grace, d’altro canto, è alla disperata ricerca del fratello Alex, scomparso da giorni dopo averle mandato un diario e uno strano medaglione. Spersa in una fitta foresta, viene attirata da esso verso un muro verde che la immette in una strana grotta, e improvvisamente si trova in un mondo strano e affascinante, dove la prima cosa che vede è un uomo bellissimo con un’enorme spada, e che sembra intenzionato a ucciderla. E questo, per entrambi, sarà l’inizio di un’avventura e di un grande amore.
Sono molte le creature che incontreremo in questo affascinante viaggio in fondo al mare. Ma in questo primo libro le interazioni con Atlantide e la sua civiltà si limitano a Draghi, Vampiri e umani pieni di avidità. Darius è da secoli ligio al suo dovere e alla sua missione. Ma quando incontra Grace rimane sconvolto dall’attrazione che prova per lei, e per giustificare il fatto di non averla uccisa subito, si dà dei motivi perfettamente logici: deve scoprire come ha fatto a trovare il portale, deve sapere a quale drago appartiene il medaglione che le ha permesso di entrare, e quante persone sono al corrente di Atlantide. Grace è all’oscuro di tutto. Lei sta solo cercando di rintracciare il fratello, che dopo averle detto di essere sulle tracce di un’entrata per Atlantide, è scomparso. Insoddisfatta della sua vita e desiderosa di emozioni, Grace si è precipitata in Amazzonia per cercarlo e di colpo non solo si ritrova prigioniera di un drago, ma si sente anche incredibilmente attratta da lui. Nonostante si trovi in un mondo magico e completamente alieno, non è affatto disposta ad accettare la sua sorte e lotterà con tutte le forze per uscire dal palazzo in cui l’ha relegata Darius, riuscendo a batterlo in astuzia e a scappare, ritornando sulla terra. Mosso all’inseguimento, Darius scoprirà che umani e Vampiri hanno stretto una perversa alleanza. Le armi che gli umani hanno portato sono sconosciute e letali anche per magiche e possenti creature, e sarà solo grazie al sentimento sorto fra loro e al legame che ormai non possono più negare, nonché alle conoscenze sul mondo moderno di Grace, che i draghi avranno la possibilità di lottare ad armi pari.
Molto carino, ma ancora ben lontano dalla bellezza dei primi libri della serie “Demon’s”. Del resto, è un libro scritto anni prima dall’autrice, qui ancora alle prime armi. Come tutti i primi capitoli di una serie è più lento, anche grazie alla necessità di spiegare le dinamiche di un nuovo mondo abitato da Vampiri, Draghi, Sirene, Ninfi, Minotauri e altre magiche e spaventose creature, in una convivenza forzata voluta dagli Dei, spaventati dalla loro stessa progenie.
Ne “Il Guardiano di Atlantide” appaiono solo Draghi e Vampiri, che da tempo si odiano così tanto (scopriremo nei capitoli successivi il perché), che il loro re è stato disposto a scendere a patti con gli umani, attirati dagli immensi tesori di Atlantide.
La storia d’amore è piacevole, anche se l’istantanea attrazione che entrambi provano non appena si vedono sembra un po’ eccessiva: dubito infatti che, vedendo una spada che mira al suo collo, impugnata da un uomo alto due metri, una donna rimanga estasiata dalla sua vista e affascinata dai suoi tatuaggi, uscendosene con una frase di questo tipo: “Ehi tu, metti via quella roba, prima di far del male a qualcuno”. Oppure: “Non mi aspettavo che potessi sputare fuoco”. È un Drago e, da che mondo è mondo, è la loro caratteristica più conosciuta.
Ho un dubbio anche per quanto riguarda le scene passionali: all’epoca dell’uscita potevano essere erotiche. Ora scoprirete di trovarle quasi caste, ormai siamo abituate a ben altre minuziose descrizioni.
È un libro leggero e fiabesco, che regala ore di completo relax in compagnia di bei personaggi, ma soffre del passare del tempo. Tempo fa, leggendolo, gli avrei dato più di 4 stelle; ora, dopo aver letto i libri della stessa autrice che si sono succeduti nel tempo, non posso più farlo.
Il motivo era semplice: tra le sue braccia si era sentita finalmente completa. Non voleva che quella sensazione finisse. La fame che Darius aveva risvegliato in lei era troppo intensa per essere reale e allo stesso tempo troppo reale per negarla. Dietro quella maschera fredda e inviolabile le era parso di vedere un fuoco che carezzava tenero e dolce, invece di divorare con una furia selvaggia e inutile.
Quando Darius l’aveva fissata con intensità, dichiarando che voleva baciarla, lei aveva percepito con chiarezza quel fuoco che ribolliva sotto la superficie della sua pelle. Gli ormoni a lungo trascurati si agitavano ogni volta che lui si avvicinava, assicurandole che un contatto intimo fra loro sarebbe stato selvaggio e perverso, del genere su cui aveva fantasticato per anni. Era il tipo di sesso che aveva letto nei romanzi d’amore, per poi giacere a letto sola e desiderare che un uomo fosse accanto a lei.
Atlantide ha sempre esercitato un grande fascino sugli scrittori, e in questi quattro libri Gena Showalter ce ne dà la sua personale visione.
Collocata sotto l’oceano, Atlantide è collegata al mondo umano tramite due portali situati in gelide e spettrali caverne, in cui una magica nebbia è sempre presente. I portali possono essere attraversati solo mediante magici medaglioni e a guardia di ognuno di essi c’è un “Guardiano”, un possente drago che uccide chiunque attraversi il portale.
Ogni volta che un intruso vi si trova immerso, la nebbia richiama il Guardiano e la sua spada, affinché possa eseguire il suo compito. Ma questo, pur essendo un grande onore, ha un prezzo: ogni Guardiano infatti, col passare del tempo, perde determinate facoltà. Non distingue più i colori e il suo mondo è tutto in bianco e nero, non percepisce più il sapore e ogni cosa sa di cenere, le sue emozioni si cristallizzano e niente sembra scuoterlo.
Darius En Kragin è un Guardiano da più di trecento anni.
Era solo un ragazzino quando, a causa della disattenzione del precedente guardiano, degli invasori riuscirono ad attraversare il portale, uccidendo la sua famiglia. Da allora ha accettato l’onore di essere un Guardiano… e non ha mai fallito il suo compito.
Ma quando dalla nebbia emerge Grace Carlyle, il suo mondo viene sconvolto. Non solo la ragazza porta al collo uno dei magici medaglioni che solo un drago può avere, ma dopo secoli, Darius riesce a vedere il colore dei suoi capelli ramati e dei suoi occhi, e un’attrazione che non ha mai provato lo fa vacillare.
Il suo dovere è chiaro: Grace deve morire. Ma prima lui deve conoscere ogni suo segreto, e per questo, per la prima volta, fa un prigioniero.
Grace, d’altro canto, è alla disperata ricerca del fratello Alex, scomparso da giorni dopo averle mandato un diario e uno strano medaglione. Spersa in una fitta foresta, viene attirata da esso verso un muro verde che la immette in una strana grotta, e improvvisamente si trova in un mondo strano e affascinante, dove la prima cosa che vede è un uomo bellissimo con un’enorme spada, e che sembra intenzionato a ucciderla. E questo, per entrambi, sarà l’inizio di un’avventura e di un grande amore.
Sono molte le creature che incontreremo in questo affascinante viaggio in fondo al mare. Ma in questo primo libro le interazioni con Atlantide e la sua civiltà si limitano a Draghi, Vampiri e umani pieni di avidità. Darius è da secoli ligio al suo dovere e alla sua missione. Ma quando incontra Grace rimane sconvolto dall’attrazione che prova per lei, e per giustificare il fatto di non averla uccisa subito, si dà dei motivi perfettamente logici: deve scoprire come ha fatto a trovare il portale, deve sapere a quale drago appartiene il medaglione che le ha permesso di entrare, e quante persone sono al corrente di Atlantide. Grace è all’oscuro di tutto. Lei sta solo cercando di rintracciare il fratello, che dopo averle detto di essere sulle tracce di un’entrata per Atlantide, è scomparso. Insoddisfatta della sua vita e desiderosa di emozioni, Grace si è precipitata in Amazzonia per cercarlo e di colpo non solo si ritrova prigioniera di un drago, ma si sente anche incredibilmente attratta da lui. Nonostante si trovi in un mondo magico e completamente alieno, non è affatto disposta ad accettare la sua sorte e lotterà con tutte le forze per uscire dal palazzo in cui l’ha relegata Darius, riuscendo a batterlo in astuzia e a scappare, ritornando sulla terra. Mosso all’inseguimento, Darius scoprirà che umani e Vampiri hanno stretto una perversa alleanza. Le armi che gli umani hanno portato sono sconosciute e letali anche per magiche e possenti creature, e sarà solo grazie al sentimento sorto fra loro e al legame che ormai non possono più negare, nonché alle conoscenze sul mondo moderno di Grace, che i draghi avranno la possibilità di lottare ad armi pari.
Molto carino, ma ancora ben lontano dalla bellezza dei primi libri della serie “Demon’s”. Del resto, è un libro scritto anni prima dall’autrice, qui ancora alle prime armi. Come tutti i primi capitoli di una serie è più lento, anche grazie alla necessità di spiegare le dinamiche di un nuovo mondo abitato da Vampiri, Draghi, Sirene, Ninfi, Minotauri e altre magiche e spaventose creature, in una convivenza forzata voluta dagli Dei, spaventati dalla loro stessa progenie.
Ne “Il Guardiano di Atlantide” appaiono solo Draghi e Vampiri, che da tempo si odiano così tanto (scopriremo nei capitoli successivi il perché), che il loro re è stato disposto a scendere a patti con gli umani, attirati dagli immensi tesori di Atlantide.
La storia d’amore è piacevole, anche se l’istantanea attrazione che entrambi provano non appena si vedono sembra un po’ eccessiva: dubito infatti che, vedendo una spada che mira al suo collo, impugnata da un uomo alto due metri, una donna rimanga estasiata dalla sua vista e affascinata dai suoi tatuaggi, uscendosene con una frase di questo tipo: “Ehi tu, metti via quella roba, prima di far del male a qualcuno”. Oppure: “Non mi aspettavo che potessi sputare fuoco”. È un Drago e, da che mondo è mondo, è la loro caratteristica più conosciuta.
Ho un dubbio anche per quanto riguarda le scene passionali: all’epoca dell’uscita potevano essere erotiche. Ora scoprirete di trovarle quasi caste, ormai siamo abituate a ben altre minuziose descrizioni.
È un libro leggero e fiabesco, che regala ore di completo relax in compagnia di bei personaggi, ma soffre del passare del tempo. Tempo fa, leggendolo, gli avrei dato più di 4 stelle; ora, dopo aver letto i libri della stessa autrice che si sono succeduti nel tempo, non posso più farlo.
April 30, 2010
I am a huge fan of Gena Showalter, I love her Lords of the Underworld series, her Alien-Huntress series, and even a couple of her stand alone books. So while I think that Heart of the Dragon was good, in comparison to her other work this book was booooring. What I admire about GS is that she makes you fall in love with her characters and with the world she creates. There is always someone or something to connect to in her stories and she usually has a fast pace that makes the book flow. All of that was lacking in this book. I hated her main character Grace. I thought she was all over the place and I didn't know why and I didn't know anything about her. She was boring. Her main guy, Darius, had more depth to him, but even still--I never felt the romance or the connection between these two, so he was a little blah as well. Plus, I think the time span of this book was like, 2 days? Maybe? So for Darius to completely change the way he has behaved for the past (300?) years, seems unlikely to me.
I also wish GS would have shown more of her secondary characters (like she does in her other series) but, nope, not much there either.
In spite of all this, I didn't hate reading this book. The premise was very interesting and I plan to continue the series.
And if nothing else, GS does know how to write a sexy scene!
I also wish GS would have shown more of her secondary characters (like she does in her other series) but, nope, not much there either.
In spite of all this, I didn't hate reading this book. The premise was very interesting and I plan to continue the series.
And if nothing else, GS does know how to write a sexy scene!
January 10, 2013
Not enough of
• action,
• world-building,
• information about the supernatural beings of Atlantis,
• twists and turns,
• delineation of emotions.
Too much of
• slushy sentimentality,
• half-hearted erotica,
• superficiality,
• hasty events.
But no need to worry, I still love Lords of the Underworld! :)
• action,
• world-building,
• information about the supernatural beings of Atlantis,
• twists and turns,
• delineation of emotions.
Too much of
• slushy sentimentality,
• half-hearted erotica,
• superficiality,
• hasty events.
But no need to worry, I still love Lords of the Underworld! :)
Shelved as 'tbr-later'
March 1, 202029 February 2020: $1.99 on Kindle
8 January 2016: $2.99 on Kindle
8 January 2016: $2.99 on Kindle
August 21, 2022
3 Stars
It dragged and dragged and dragged.
It dragged and dragged and dragged.
Shelved as 'undecided-maybe-read'
May 12, 20175/12/17 sale .99.
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