Member Reviews
If you haven't read a GA Aiken (or Shelly Laurentson) then I highly recommend you do so! Her books are great! This is the ninth installment of the Dragon Kin series. I would definitely read the books before just so you understand all the things that are talked about in this book as the books are all interconnected and part of a bigger story ARC. This one covers Aidan the Divine and Branwen the Awful, two dragons we see in previous books. I have been impatiently waiting for Brannie's book and I loved it! She is still just as funny as she was in the previous books and then when you throw Aidan in there with her, it was even funnier! The two of them together are perfect!They interact together like friends before anything else even happens, and just the way they compliment each other in battle and interactions with other characters was great! The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because it started off slow for me. Which made it hard to get into. However, once you get past the beginning, I flew through it because it was so good! Loved it!
I really love this series. It is full of bizarre, crazy, one of kind characters. I'm usually laughing out loud several times during the book. If you haven't read the Dragon Kin series I don't recommend starting with this book as the plot is a continuing one.
The characters in this book are truly unique and I really enjoy the world that she has built. Although I really think she needs a who's who and how they are connected at the front of her book as I found myself trying to remember exactly who everyone was and how they connected since there are so many characters from previous books that play a pivotal roll in this one.
Some of the characters have definitely stuck with me more than others and I love that they continue to play an important part in the story. In fact, I wish the author would stop introducing so many new characters and write a few more books giving Annwyl, Izzy, Keita and Dagmar a more prominent roll as well as Annwyl's twins.
Dragon Heat was Aidan and Branwen's story however there was so much more to this book and part of the continuing plot was wrapped up in a wonderful way. Aidan and Branwen started as very good friends although it was apparent that Aidan had some more romantic feelings for Branwen. So the romance was more of a slow burn and was actually pretty sweet compared to the previous relationships in this series. The war really takes off in this book and we get a resolution with Chramnesind's priests and zealots. There is a lot of violence and some humor along the way (although not as much as usual in this book). There is so much happening to so many players that I can't say the book really focused on Aidan and Branwen but I really enjoyed it. The interactions between all the different characters, the sense of family they have, and all the action made this a whirlwind read for me. It also brought a new villain/plot out that I'm sure we will be reading more about in the next book and I for one can't wait.
Well I have to admit I love reading this author. Anything she writes I will read - why - because she is awesome! If you have read any previous books in this series than you know the crazy you will soon be reading. This story continues on with Aidan and Branwen's story, and it is indeed a wild ride. As usual, well developed characters, an intense plot, and tons of fun.
Received as an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
I love this world, and every new book that comes out in it makes me love it more. One of the main things I love is the evolution of this universe. While each new book features a new love story, it is not the focus of the book. Never fear cut and paste style writing, with new names but the same drama.
Brannie and Aiden are cute. Kieta is still devious. Annwyl is as crazy as ever. The abominations are growing up. and I can not wait to see what madness they get into. I also loved the introduction of the Eastland Dragons, and other supernatural beings like Dwarves, Elves, and Demons. It was a great wrap up for an evil that they have been battling for years. If you are a fan of this series you will not be disappointed in the least.
Bring the Heat, which is book 9 of the Dragon Kin Series, is Branwen and Aidan's story. As of all of the books in this series, book 9 is a hilariously bloody, action packed, smoking great read. This book may have been centered around the coupling of Aidan and Branwen, but there was a whole lot more than the two of them coming together going on. Since there were many happenings you get to visit with a lot of character favorites from the previous books in the series which made for a comedic adventure filled journey. Fan fave Annwyl the Bloody is always a joy to visit with, and add in the ridiculously dysfunctional Cadwaladr Clan and you have another awesome Dragon Kin book to add to the collection. If you're looking for your paranormal fix with a lot of blood filled battles centered around sexy dragon shifters and the mates who love them in spite of their large egos, Bring the Heat is definitely one you won't want to miss. I give this one 5 fiery stars!
Before this book, I'd only read the first of G.A. Aiken's Dragon books. Actually, I listened to the first on audio. And while it was entertaining, I would sometimes get confused with the huge cast of characters. I almost gave up but I'm glad I stuck with it through the end. It was great seeing a funny, fierce and furious female character. And the first book included a novella that featured the Dragon hero's parents. I ended up really loving that novella and because of it buying the rest of the series. But I haven't had time to read any other's yet.
While it probably would have added to my enjoyment if I had read the others in the series, it wasn't necessary to do in order to enjoy this new book. It was funny and sexy and a great time. I love cranky, competent, badass heroines and the heroes that love and want them just the way they are. Aiken seems to specialize in these kinds of relationships. It makes me want to need more.
I love this series. I love the fact that while each book centers on a couple of characters, you are given a glimpse of other characters that you love. This story is about Aiden and Brannie. Brannie is a fighter from a family that loves to fight. She excels at the family business and it is funny and exciting. It reminds you to accept and love your disfunctional family. Aiden is the peacekeeper. His job is to keep quick tempered dragons from acting impulsively. He is smart and funny but definitely handy in a fight. During a time of great political upheaval, they have to outthink and outfight an army of fanatical beings as well as preventing a war with their allies and keeping a princess safe. If you are looking for a book that will keep you on your toes while laughing, this is it.
***4.5 ‘Battle-f*ck Crazy’ Stars***
What. A. Ride.
I mean this book is over 400 pages and I felt every single one. I enjoyed the hell out of all of it, but I really want to tack the word “Epic” on here because that was a true journey. Thankfully Aiden and Brannie’s own journey to their HEA, which was thankfully was much must more sweet and simple in comparison, which helped to even things out. I know this is touted as paranormal romance, but with ALL that happens, it really is much more urban fantasy than anything else. But regardless of what ‘label’ this one should be under the bottom line is I laughed, I cringed, I rolled my eyes and I loved every Extra AF moment.
I loved Aiden and Brannie. Aiden, considering that he is a Mi-runach, was all kinds of charming, logical, loyal to a fault and something of a peacemaker when necessary. But he does have his limits and has no problem cutting a person down when necessary. Brannie the She-Dragon was very different than Brannie the Captain. One was very focused and intense, the other was something of a ditz and quite thick in the head at times. but both sides have a very strong moral compass which made her fun to be around. Their romance, and I use that term lightly, was a true slow build that speeds up a lot towards the end. With everything else going on I had no problem with that because it allowed them to truly get to know each other and I loved them together. They were fun, funny and I liked how they simply got on together and really were a perfect match.
Then there is the whole issue with the One-Eye’d God. When I said in the beginning that ‘Epic’ should be tacked on here, I meant it. So much happens and so many side storylines came up and needed to be resolved before the big blowout that while I enjoyed it all, it did cause things to drag a bit for me. The saving grace, which some may not care for, were the multiple POV’s throughout the book. Each of these characters are Extra AF in their own right. They have their unique quirks and they own every inch of them. I love being in their heads and experiencing the world through their eyes. Annwyl and Dagmar are still my all time favorites, but Keita jumped up the ranks in this one. I’m hoping that there will be more books in this series, and from the way things ended there just may be, because I want more time with these crazy characters and I really want more time with the Abominations. I love the twins, but it’s Var that definitely peaked my interest in this one. So, fingers and toes crossed that more is to come in the Dragon Kin series!
The latest in G.A. Aiken's Dragon Kin series brings Brannie front and centre. The war is heating up and they are on a mission (with Keita, of all dragons). It technically could be a friends to lovers story though with Aiken's traditional style it's really more of a friends to friends with benefits, then more, story. Aidan is an interesting hero because he's into Brannie but never underestimates what she can do or expects her to change for their relationship. Their many adventures and battles during the mission show us more of the different lands in their world.
This book works best for those who have been reading the series; it does not work well as a standalone due to the other storylines with Annwyl, Rhiannion and Bercelak, and more. Bring the Heat is a great installment and I look forward to coming what's next after the events of this novel.
I received this ARC thru NetGalley for exchange of my honest review.
First I would like to say that I have read all of the Magnus Pack series, The Pride series and all other earlier releases from Shelly Laurenston aka G.A. Aiken and have loved them all!
Unfortunately, I just could not get into this particular story. At the very beginning it is extremely violent and gory. However, because I love this Authors other series, thought maybe it would calm down a little. So, I kept to my guns and continued to read it. But there are a lot of different characters and places. And all these characters and places have either long names, hard to pronounce names or just plain tongue tying names. Usually I could get past these things. Individually. But with all of this coming at me, I just couldn't stay in the story and would have to put the book down. I was just too busy trying to concentrate on the characters, names, places and avoid as much gory violence as possible to really enjoy what I was reading. Don't get me wrong. the Authors other series have some violence and multiple characters too. But slicing the throat of horses, and eating a horse and cutting off a human leg and so much more, is too much for me. (Even if there's a war. You can describe a war and such without the extreme violence and gore.) It was just too much for me so I had to stop trying to read it.
The other things you'll find in this book are about Royals, Gods, Priestess with powers, other characters with power, war(s), a LOT of violent, Bloody, grotesque scenes and I'm sure, much more to the story. I'm very sorry that I can't give a great deal of information. And believe it or not, this does disappoint me because I am very serous about getting a book, reading it "all the way" and then leaving a review if required or just because.
As for recommending this book, I'll say this: Yes, I gave it 3 stars instead of 1. This is because even though the content isn't necessarily what I like to read or vision in my head while reading, the story itself is still written good. Be warned of the things I've listed. If you don't mind these things, then yes, I would recommend this book. I would highly recommend anyone and everyone, to check out her Pride and Magnus series under her name Shelly Laurenston. Because honestly, this book may not be my type of a relaxing read, but the Author can really, vividly, write one Hell of a story.
I was quite disappointed by this book as this is one of my favourite paranormal romance series. I usually find these books completely absorbing and read them in one sitting. However, this book took me five days to read (which is completely unheard of) because it wasn't as quick paced as usual and I wasn't as invested in the romance between the two main characters. It was nice to check in with other characters from the series and I think the overall plot arch was interesting and something I'm still invested in. Overall, not the best in the series, but I still love the series.
Bring the Heat is a terrific addition to the Dragon Kin series. I love this snarky epic fantasy/PNR hybrid of a series. You will enjoy this more if you’ve read the previous books but if you haven’t you should be able to enjoy this anyway. Branwen the Awful is a Caldewar dragon raised to the battlefield and she is damn good at it. Aidan the Divine was born royal and has a gift for dealing with difficult dragons which is good because Branwen is great at being difficult. This story takes us to the battlefield and the bedroom with stops along the way in Hell and beyond. This is a rollicking romance and adventure that will make you laugh out loud and gasp in amazement. I highly recommend.
Bring the Heat is a fabulously fun adventure.
The true genius that is G.A. Aiken’s imagination boggles my mind. She manages to provide a non-stop, action packed adventure that is raw and gritty but infuses it with a huge shot of humor. All the while making the completely fictional and off the wall characters relatable, lovable and humanized!
A.D.D. at its finest! Reading Bring the Heat is like a boot camp work out, it gets your blood pumping, pulse pounding and heart racing with its intense action, steamy romances and white finger reading...I can't put them down.
I received this ARC copy of Bring the Heat from Kensington Books - Zebra. This is my honest and voluntary review.
My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: G.A. Aiken
Series: Dragon Kin
Sequence in Series: 9
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Zebra
Publication Date: August 29, 2017
ISBN-10: 142013163X
ISBN-13: 978-1420131635
Genre: Fantasy
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/brin...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bring-Heat-Dra...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brin...
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogpot.com
Bring the Heat is the 9th instalment of G.A. Aiken's Dragon Kin series. Each book of this series features the romantic entanglements of two of the characters set in the back drop of a variety of wars between dragon clans and over the final few books the war brought about by the zealots who support the god Chramnesind. Nearly all of the main and supporting characters have been paired up, whether human or dragon. In Bring the Heat the hot and steamy is between Branwen the Awful and Aidan the Divine. They have been sent on a secret mission with Keita the Viper that may well win the war....if they don't kill each other first.
Aidan and Branwen aren't the only stars of this story. Nearly every character in the series gets their time in the spotlight starting with Annwyl when she gets sucked into a well that leads directly into hell. While she fights through the many hell dimensions the story switches to other characters including the twins (Talan and Talwyn), Queen Rhiannon with quite a bit of time with Dagmar and family also. It seemed that a majority of the story focused on characters other than Branwen and Aidan which in my opinion was all for the better. There just didn't seem to be a spark between these two characters and the romance was a bit forced. Aiken wraps up the overall plot arc and gives us a HEA for all the characters. I am assuming this is the final book of the series though I do not know if it is. Overall, I have enjoyed this series purely for the fact that it never takes itself too seriously. Earlier books were more amusing than the latter ones but there are enough scenes with the 'funny' characters to liven things up.
Readers of G.A. Aiken’s Dragon Kin series will enjoy seeing many of the previous major characters as an epic battle which has been building comes to fruition. The main story in this ninth books focuses on Branwen the Awful and Aidan the Divine who are both part of a larger mission sent by the Dragon Queen and her generals to defeat the evil Vateria and her husband, Salebiri, who with their god, want to destroy just about everyone and everything using their Zealot army.
As usual much combat mayhem occurs especially when you have so many major players such as Annwyl the Bloody, her crazy family and crazier in-laws, Keita the Viper, who is looking for her kidnapped best friend, Ren, and assorted other dragons, humans, witches, and of course, meddling gods. This ensemble cast gives readers a chance to catch up with some of their favorites and the build up to a mighty battle scene which in Aiken’s books always seem like a party as well the usual outcome of a no holds barred fight to the death bloody finish.
Aidan has very strong feelings for his friend, Branwen; however, she just wants to be friends of the benefit kind. So on their mission to help Keita find Ren, which of course takes them through many dangers, trials, and toils, Aidan must try to convince Brannie that he is the right one for her without her realizing what is going on. She has only been trained for battle, not love and has no time for romantic nonsense.
I have to give credit to the author for juggling so many character’s stories focused around the main plot. Bring the Heat has plenty of the bloody humor and comical dragons that have defined the series. The humans always manage to somehow hold their own with their dragon partners especially Annwyl who started off the whole series and is always a delightful terror…er…Queen. Fans of the series should be well pleased for the most part.
ARC provided by NetGalley <i>I've decided that I'm stable enough to handle rejection and tried NetGalley for the first time =p Annnd the <s>crazy</s> kind people gave me free books! *happy dance* </i>
<blockquote><b>
Multiple tentacles snaked out from between her legs and out her back, shooting across the room and impaling the guards in their chests —near their hearts but not through them.</blockquote></b>
Is it any wonder why I loved this book after that quote?!
<img src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSp9A0Rb-Bq9pbnZltnqlDXdJr24T65TRssFdpWirUeOqCqi4WlsYPViU5l"/>
<i>especially those murderous ones made of shit and mud</i>
I adore this author's humour and characters, even though, they turned a bit repetitive lately. The feeling of deja vu of a deja vu, and the disappointing fast motion end to the plot line that's been building for the last few books are the reasons for the missing stars. The rest is all shit and chuckles...
Another fun book by Aiken! If you love your dragons snarky and bloody her books are for you. I enjoy the great mix of romance and snark and of course dragons!
Oh the joy that is picking up a Dragon Kin book cannot be overemphasised. These larger than life bloodthirsty characters are simply hilarious but watch out because they are fiercely loyal even if admittedly at times act quite insane!
The Zealots are getting ever more bold and closing in on the Dragons of the Southlands and as this story begins a select few are chosen to travel to the Eastlands seeking aid from the Empress Xinya . Amongst them are Keita royal princess and notorious poisoner, Branwen a fierce soldier and three of the Dragon Queens chosen Mi-runach. Two of the Mi-Runach might be lumbering brutes but Aidan is most charming and used to behaving diplomatically no matter what the provocation. He will need to keep a clear head as Brannie and Keita constantly clash whilst searching for the missing Ren who just happens to be the favourite son of the Empress who believed he was safe within the Southlands. The war is coming to ahead and allies are precious but with Gods meddling who will rise victorious?
This series is simply amazing and I really think to get the best out of it you should read the books in order. This book particularly wraps up an arc that's been pulling the last few books together and speaking of together this story is very much an ensemble piece. We have multiple directions to follow with characters from previous books and it's a real pleasure seeing how everything connects. Not everything is as it seems though so do keep reading until the end as ooh this author really does know how to keep her readers excited!
This isn't a criticism but I do feel I should mention the romance between Aiden and Brannie as it's quite different to the couples who featured in the first books. Initially quite tame and more a case of wham bam thank you Dragon and I missed the passion that I associate with these Dragons. However the lack of angst and feuding between the couple meant the author could concentrate on the rest of her story with so many threads and different tangents.
This book just like the rest of the series is full of laugh out loud moments as these insanely fierce characters pit themselves against not just enemies but their own kin! Never a dull moment as they are bold, brash and bloodthirsty! Another solidly entertaining story and I honestly wish I could have read it slower as now I have to wait to see what the Dragon Kin will get up to next.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Bring the Heat by G.A. Aiken is the 9th book in her fantastic Dragon Kin series. I could not wait to start this book, and made sure not to be interrupted. If you read G.A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston, you will understand what I mean. No one writes wildly fun, crazy, exciting & stories about Dragons/Wolves better than Laurenston/Aiken, as despite all of the crazy insanity and violence, she has us laughing all the way. I love Shelly Laurenston/G.A. Aiken. So I dare anyone to interrupt me when I read her books, as I want to savior every single moment, even reread certain parts immediately. Now to my review. :)
Bring the Heat is an exciting continuation and climax of the ongoing war with the Zealots and the evil villains, Chramnesind & Vateria that have been part of the main background storyline for the last few books. Brannie (Branwen the Awful) and Aidan (the Divine) are our couple in this book, and as usual with Aiken’s heroes, they were a hilarious and awesome duo that despite Aidan’s feelings for Brannie, she was determined to not see him other than as a friend. Aidan’s two sidekicks (Mi-runach) played a big part (wild & crazy) in this book, as did Kachka and her two Daughters of the Steppes cohorts. Beside Brannie, Aidan, the other main character in Bring the Heat was definitely, Keita (the viper), who just about stole the show. However, the best part is we get to see all, and I mean all of our favorites from the previous stories; Annwyl, Izzy, Dagmar, Rhiannon, Talith, Fearghus, Gwenvael, Bercelak, Eibhear, Morfyd,
With the bloody war in full force, and the Zealots given powers by the evil god Chramnesind to eliminate the dragons & human hybrids; the Dragon Queen’s armies and those helping are suffering terrible losses and Annwyl is missing. Brannie and Aidan managed to free themselves from the rubble and are eventually sent on a separate mission to help Keita, much to their dismay. It was pretty funny at Brannie’s reaction that Keita was indeed the dangerous protector of the throne, not the annoying fop she thought she was. I really enjoyed seeing Keita use her powerful skills to kill the enemies, as we got to see more of what she can do. I also continue to adore the crazy insane Annwyl, who despite being human, seems to be able to defeat her enemies, even demons with her powerful rages.
This was an amazing and pulse pounding adventure for all to survive the Zealot onslaught, pull together to stop the evil god, find Annwyl, and win this horrible war. The romance between Brannie and Aiden was fun, but at the same time, as much as I liked them, I didn’t feel the overall bonding that I did with the previous couples.
This is a hard review because it is difficult to explain the world, dragons, the humans, abominations, etc, and why we are laughing all the way within all this violence. Of course, I am loving every moment. I will say this over and over, I love Shelly Laurenston (aka Aiken), as she can do what no author can do…make me laugh through so much of the book, and keep me intensely engrossed in the story. If you have not read the Dragon Kin series, you are missing a fantastic ride, written by a fantastic author, G.A. Aiken (aka Shelly Laurenston)
This is a amazing series, but you do not need to read the others books to enjoy this one although it would make the experience more cohesive. I absolutely loved this book. There is action, adventure, romance, family drama and great humor.