A romantasy set in the heart of ancient Rome, where dragons rule and conquer – but all is not what it seems.
Book Synopsis
Book Details
Pages: 401
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Tor Bramble / FairyLoot
Format: Hardback
“A conqueror captivated.
A witch prophesied to save them all.
A world where dragons rule Rome.
From the moment Roman general and nephew to the emperor Julianus Dakkia laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his dragon form to save her, an action that may result in his head on the imperial gate. But he and his dragon know one thing: she belongs to them.
Malina can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality. His warrior prowess cannot be denied, yet it doesn’t reveal the secret he hides. All Malina knows is his protection and gentle touch and how her soul has always seemed to answer his.
As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.
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Review
* Non-Spoiler Review*
I got this book through my romantasy Fairyloot book subscription.
Well, what can I say? I am subconsciously catching up with my books from this subscription box!
Firstly, I enjoyed that Cross had used the setting of Ancient Rome. Being someone who studied ancient Rome in high school, it was really satisfying to read the author’s interpretation and the creative license they used.
The writing style was engaging and I enjoyed reading both points of view from the MCs. I did find that the romance itself had a heavy paranormal romance (PNR) style rather than fantasy. Which is no issue in my eyes as I am firstly a PNR fan before a Romantasy one (sorry, not sorry).
Now when it comes to the actual plot, I felt it was background noise at times. You spend probably 40% of the book learning about the characters, their backstory and seeing the MCs become involved with each other. While the war and politics took a backseat at times, however, when they were brought to the forefront I found it interesting.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. While it did feel a little rushed at times, I could see where the author was going with this. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Spice Rating: 5/6 – See my rating system here
Book Rating: 4/5
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