I did not know this was book #12 when I requested it. I looked back on the discription and nowhere does it say that. This is not a standalone and I was totally lost. I apologize for wasting your ARC

This is not a standalone book, reason this story was challenging because I didn't read the books before it I hot the gist but it would have been a much better idea to read these books in order

I'm usually all for a good dragon story, so when I received this one from NetGalley, I was anxious to dive in. That excitement quickly turned to confusion as I read when I kept trying to figure out what I was missing with these characters and their story. To be fair, the info on NetGalley didn't mention a series, let alone that it was book twelve in that series! I did keep at it, but with minimal world building and only snippets of info here and there, I was left with more questions than answers. I can only assume that many of my questions were answered in previous books, but after the struggle to get through this one, I don't feel a pressing need to explore this series any further. As far as the characters are concerned, Nikolai is interesting enough, but Esther became rather tedious with her angst and whining. Had I been familiar with the world of the Dragon Kings, this one may have been more enjoyable, but as it stands, it was just too easy to set aside.

Donna Grant's "Dark Kings" or as I like to call it, "Hot Dragon Kings" series has become one of my all time favourite paranormal romance series. And truly, what is there not to love? Dragon shape shifters who each turn into the king of their own dragon race, Light Fae and Dark Fae, Druids, Reapers and of course unsuspecting humans who find themselves in the midst of all these paranormals. There are a lot of stories which take place at once in this series, so you might find it a little difficult to keep track. But trust me, this is not one of those series where you find yourself skimming those side stories to get to the main story. They are all interesting and closely connected and you won't want to miss a single moment of it!

In "Heat" we meet the dragon king of the Ivories, Nikolai. Orphaned when he was just a little dragon/boy he is saved by Ulrik, the king of the silvers. Ulrik raises Nikolai like a son and shapes him into the man he is today. Those following the series are acquainted with Ulrik and know that he is an outcast in Dreagan and has challenged the king of kings Con. Even though Nikolai stood by Con, he still believes that Ulrik is the same man that he knew growing up. And when a beautiful MI5 agent finds her way to Dreagan with missing memories and in the quest to find the Druid who took them from her, Nikolai knows that he can trust Ulrik to help them.

Esther was working on an undercover mission when she was cast under a spell and lost a part of her memory. She has no recollection of what happened. All she knows is that a Druid has done this to her and she fears her own mind and what it's capable of. She is about to go crazy. So when Nikolai offers to help her on a mission to trace her memories and discover what happened to her, she accepts and they set off for London.

With so many mystical beings and magic and forces afoot, you can be sure that this is one romance where you will never find a dull moment. And that's regardless of the hot and steamy love scenes! Nikolai and Esther's search for not only her lost memories but to find the truth about herself will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat!

I can't wait for the next book of this awesome series!! Will Con and Ulrik finally talk and bury the hatchet? Who will Rhi end up with? Will Henry get over his infatuation with Rhi? Is Eilish more than just an evil Druid? Not to mention what will become of Balladyn, Usaeil and Daire? A truly riveting series!!!

Heat is Book 12 in the Dark Kings series. You will want to start at the beginning because while each book focuses on one couple, all characters are revisited in each book and an overall plot continues from book to book. We also have a crossover with the Reapers series.

So far, Heat is my favorite. I felt we are getting some good answers and getting closer to the end. Nikolai and Esther were an easy couple to root for. I was engrossed with their journey to retrace Esthers steps to find the Druid who stole her memories. It was interesting to see that not everything is so black and white. I want Ulrick to come back to the Dragon Kings so badly!

There are so many characters to follow and to figure out who’s side is on good or evil. There are still a lot of questions, but my curiosity is so great that every time a answer was uncovered I get more excited. I’m looking forward to the next book! ARC provided by NetGalley.

Didn't warn that it was a part of a series, and so I didn't understand anything of what was going on.

Heat by Donna Grant
Dark Kings #12

Another dragon king finds his mate in this book :)

Esther North, having lost part of her memory and feeling tense and worried about what lurks in her mind, has talked Nikolai, Dragon King of the Ivories, into going with her to locate the druid that took over her mind in the past. Off the two go to Ireland and Scotland to visit places that might trigger memories and help Esther achieve her goal. They have interactions with Fae, druids, dragons and others as they learn that Esther has a purpose and that her parents are not who she thought they were. While their story is taking place side stories occur in which the king of the dark fae is killed, the light fae queen’s evil is exposed even more to those she has harmed in the past, more chess pieces are moved toward an ultimate conclusion for the series, characters from previous books make appearances and the set-up for book 13 is put in play.

I enjoyed this book and believe The Dark World series would make a brilliant series for TV or the big screen. I will say that having only read three books from this series, the Reaper series from the beginning and few if any other books in this series it is not always easy to follow what has happened in the past or figure out where the story might go in the future. In spite of not having all of the backstories I am eager to keep reading this series and look forward to what will happen in this marvelous paranormal world that is so wonderfully created. I LOVED when Esther flew through the sky on the back of Nikolai while he was in dragon form…what a wonderful thing that would be to do! I would recommend reading from the beginning (if you can) and found a listing of the order to read the books should you decide to do so: http://www.motherofdragonsbooks.com/category/books/?series=dark-world

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Publisher's Description:
He knew her round eyes and the deep shade of brown along with the band of black that encircled her irises. He knew the slope of her breasts, the indent of her waist, and the flare of her hips. He knew the way she preferred to wear muted colors to help her blend in with a crowd. It had taken one look to put all that to memory, but he found his eyes going to her again and again, as if he couldn’t get enough.

Nikolai is a dragon shapeshifter who knows well the meaning of loss. Orphaned and raised to be a Dragon King, he never accepts defeat. Now, Nikolai prefers his solitude. . .until a beautiful, irresistible woman calls upon him for help—and Nikolai’s whole world goes up in flames.

Ever since MI5 agent Esther woke to discover her mind taken over with magic, she feels like a stranger to herself. She looks to a notorious dragon, one who has the power to help her find her memory. But as she and Nikolai come closer to discovering what really happened to her, a dangerous passion ignites between them. Can this lone Dragon King help the woman he’s grown to love to uncover the truth about her past—or will a deep and fiery danger tear them both apart in Heat, the next Dark Kings novel by New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant.

My Thoughts:
"Heat" reads much better and with more ease than the other book I have read in this series, "Blaze". I have read other titles by Ms. Grant but they were read several years ago as hardback and paperback titles when I read more paranormal type romance. Now my taste runs more toward Historical romance and Historical Fiction with some lighthearted contemporary romance thrown in for good measure.
Blaze was much too violent for my taste. This book was much more of the soul searching variety.
It is important that I have only read two books in a very long series, because this is book twelve.
This is not a book to be read as a standalone title. The reader could become lost with so many characters most of which were introduced and visited in prior books of the series.
I liked the underlying story of Nikolai and Esther, but thought the jumping back and forth from their story to the others in this book very distracting. Maybe that would not be the case if I had read the entire series from the beginning.
We have dragon shifters, light and dark fae, druids and other paranormal beings. Thankfully this book didn't contain all of the violence the prior book did. It was a much easier read with the much milder violent nature.
I gave this book 4 of 5 stars for storyline and character development and a mild sensual rating of 3.5 of 5.0 flames. The intimacy is not overly descriptive but we can feel the heat between our hero and heroine.
I received a complimentary digital ARC by invitation, of this book to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I’m sorry I ended up with this book by accident and while the blurb sounds good I feel it’s not fair to start a series at book 12. I tried the first chapter but felt I’d missed too much backstory.

***I was provided a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest and entirely mine review***

WHAT. THE. HELL! Too much happened too much to grasp and the effing ending! *screetches* lol.

First my character breakdown:

Nikolai; His story tugged at my heart strings, his relationship with Ulrik broke my heart. But his power and his certainty for Esther was pleasant to read. I adore how he showed his affections to Esther and to Ulrick.

Esther; The girl is a though chick. All that she was dealt with and all that she was dealing with. Yet still be determine to find answers and stand so strong. I love when the heroine in books are this tough but still hold vulnerabilities. I am looking forward towards seeing how her future will go.

Like I said before this story had a lot of things happening at once. It will take you a minute to wrap your mind around them. I took it all as best I could but damn that blew my mind. 

I feel so bad for Rhi and I am looking forward to the day she finally gets the happy ending she deserves. Poor thing.

I only gave the book 4 stars because it ended on a cliffhanger! I. Can't. Wait. Until. May. Ulrick come quick!

I enjoyed this book. I thought Esther and Nikolai were a good couple. I liked most of the other characters, the exceptions being Balatyne, Mikkel and Usaeil!

I love, love, love Donna Grant -- her books sweep me off to somewhere fantastic, usually with someone incredibly hot and this one is no different. Nikolai is a Dragon King and he doesn't really want to be around anymore; he would love to be in his mountain away from all the nonsense. But Esther needs help only he can provide so he agrees to help and, as they say, it is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

These books should really be read in order to enjoy all of the interaction and recurring characters but could be read as a standalone if you insist -- it is just that good. I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley and enjoyed the diversion immensely.

This book was just OK for me. In all fairness, I have not read the other books in this series and this did put me at a disadvantage. Esther really got on my nerves, with her whining and complaining about her memory. Nikolai has the patience of Job. I am an Alpha Male person and Nikolai performed that role well, but the book lacked action and was a bit boring. Maybe it was because I should have been putting the story together from previous books, but I do not feel the urge to go back and familiarize myself with the others. This will be it for me with this series.

After eleven books in this series we've come to know a lot of the characters already. Nikolai may be newly awakened, but we are quickly introduced and you feel as if you know him and his feelings toward Esther right away. Esther has been in the storyline for a few books, but it is not until now that we see some glimmer of feelings towards someone. The attraction between them both is hinted at pretty early.

Esther hasn't been the same since the Druid messed with her memories and she believes the only way she will get them back is to have Nikolai take her back to where she was when she lost them. She has some coasters from different places in the area she's visited so they decide to use those as a kind of road map. Nikolai can see from her past when she was actually in those places and draw what he sees. What is interesting is they come across some information that may, or may not, change the Druid's alliance.

We do learn more about the Druid, Eilish, and what she is actually after with Mikkel. Why she is working with him. After the strange events with Sebastian and Gianna, we wonder just how dedicated she really is to Mikkel. She is definitely keeping her options open as we see her more in Heat.

I thought the romance was pretty close to being already established at the beginning of the story. That just left the mystery of Esther's memories and finding the Druid. We get some surprising visits from Ulrik, which continues to make me question my feelings on him and his plans. Not that I want to see him actually challenge Con, but I'm learning so much more about him, that I'm dying to read his book. To make it even more exciting, the ending to Heat really leaves you hanging. Kind of a cliffhanger, but more just hinting that we may have come to the point in the war we are all waiting for.

In disappointing news, we still don't find out who Rhi's King was, but we learn so much more about the Light Queen. She is incredibly more dangerous and conniving than we thought and her betrayals go a lot deeper than anyone could have imagined. Rhi's relationship with Balladyn is kind of put in question over some of his actions. That kind of makes me happy because I'm really hoping that Rhi gets reunited with her King. I just love her character and want to see her happy. She's been miserable for so long, and now when she learns even more details of their separation, I feel like a reunion may be possible!

In even more exciting news, we find out some pretty cool stuff about Esther and Henry. It takes Ryder some digging, but it will set them on a course looking for answers.

So much has happened in this series and we've been building up to a lot of things. We don't get many answers in Heat, but a lot of new information is revealed. I was even left questioning Ulrik and wondering if his plans had changed any as he continues to make contact with the other Kings. This build up has me craving each new installment despite the challenge of keeping all the dragons with their powers and their mates straight. I may need a chart.

If you are a follower of this series, you definitely want to get in on this installment. Too much is revealed and questions raised with new information that reading Torched (book 13) may leave you a bit disoriented. You don't want to miss all Heat has in store!

I was kinda lost , didn’t realize it was the twelfth book in the series and I haven’t read any of the previous ones. My bad should have started from the beginning of the series but overall a good story and plot. This is the first time I am reading this author and I really enjoyed the writing style.

Ok so a confession/explanation before I start this review.

I received this book by the publisher through netgalley.. It didnae say that this was not a standalone and in my opinion it's definitely not.

- This book is number 12 is the series and very obviously not a standalone. I'm not sure if this world interlinks with any of the other series's (I'm gathering it does) but reading this book as my first from the series was a colossal mistake. If your reading this as an ARC then I highly suggest you start from the first book. I wished I did because while I really enjoyed it, starting late in a series that's interlinked is my peeve.

With all that in mind... I genuinely really enjoyed this book. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't lost in parts because especially in the beginning I was. However the story still sucked me in. I was intrigued by the characters and captivated by the plot. Nicolai and Esther had great chemistry and a believable connection from the start. I love that there's no ow/om drama or really any angst at all with them as a couple. A slow burn romance that just clicked, they complement eachother in everyway. Both strong characters yet neither of them pushed for dominance.. they just fit together perfectly.
There's a whole slew of side characters which I kinda loved and was so curious about! Rhi being a huge ??? For me. I want to know more about her for sure. The story is set at a great pace and again despite being a newbie way to late on in this series I caught up on most of what was happening and really enjoyed it! It's seemlessly written with great depth and emotion. A crazy tale of suspense, lies and betrayals. Untold truths and newfound loves. Some pretty funny moments and super hot lovings.
The attention to detail is fascinating in the book. It's a crazy world woven with twist and turns designed to suck us as readers in & it did that for me.

DRAGONS!!! Did I mention that part?. Oh I do lurvv me some dragon shifters.

Only negative that I found was the accent... am no sure what its supposed to resemble (Scottish or Irish?. I'm Scottish btw.) but it didnae sound right... it annoyed me at first then I just forgot about it but thought I'd mention it anyhow.

I will be starting this series from the start because I'm so intrigued now. There's a good chance I'll come back to this review with more thoughts and a better in depth understanding once I'm up to date on the history .. I have a feeling I may have to add more once I have.

I kindly received this ARC from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Heat is the 12th book in the Dark Kings series and having only read one book previously I have to admit to finding this one rather confusing at first and I have to admit I took a little while to get into it, plus dragons with Scottish accents was a little odd! That said it was an enjoyable and at times exciting read.
NIcolai a dragon shifter has been raised to become a dragon king after being orphaned when very young. Esther an MI5 agent has lost her memory after her mind was taken over by magic, she looks to NIcolai to help restore her memory and uncover her past. They embark on a hazardous journey where passion between them ignites and danger beckons.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

Will this King find his mate? Esther needs to find the druid that took her memories and there is only one Dragon that can help her, Nikolas has watched her for so long and he knows he has been waiting for her all along. But what are they going to find on their search, will it lead too even more questions? Esther is about to find out that she& her brother Henry have a family history buried under secrets but why? Will the druid hold all the answers and why is she working for Ulrik or is she? Will Ulrik make his attack on Con soon or has he other things to worry about? Rhi thought that she had found some happiness with Balladyn but he has turned his back on her now that he has what he wants. What does that mean for them? Will he still protect from the Queen or will Con & the kings have her back? War is coming and it isn't going to be pretty but who will win in the end? Another great book in the series. What I like so much about Donna's is that we always get to see glimpses of the other characters throughout the series and we are learning so much more about the Dragon Kings. Con draws me back each time there is so much more we need to learn. I was lucky enough to receive a copy in exchange for my honest review via Netgalley & the publishing house.

Action, suspense, intrigue and some surprising twists…

This is the twelfth book in the Dark Kings series.

MI5 Agent Esther North and her brother joined forces with the Dragon Kings against Ulrik and his machinations to regain power and exterminate humans, the silver’s vengeance has been brewing for centuries. Esther is recovering from being used by a powerful druid and her memories of that time are gone, not knowing what she’d done during the missing periods plague her as does an internal sense that something within her mind is amiss, she fears that she’ll lose herself in the unconsciousness of sleep and the lack of the necessary function is wreaking havoc on her physically. With the help of the Dragon King Nikolai and his unique abilities she hopes to retrace her steps and find the answers she desperately seeks. The man is also a gorgeous distraction whose empathy is supportive and comforting.

Unbeknownst to Esther, Nikolai, Dragon King of the Ivories, has sketched her when she wasn’t looking. His ability allows him to see a person through time and space and retain all aspects of a scene that he then sketches. His interest in her is one of understanding her pains and strength to not accept defeat plus an attraction that he’s kept to himself. When she reaches out to him for assistance he can’t deny her. Nikolai feels guilt when it comes to Ulrik who was once friend, brother, father to him. Like some others Nikolai has doubts about the silver’s total responsibility for all that has happened. As Esther’s answers are connected perhaps in the journey they take together he’ll also find his own.

Every time I pick up one of these books I find myself with a new favorite dragon king, Nikolai is awesome and Esther the perfect complement for him, a trained intelligence agent with immense reserves of inner strength that enabled her to confront the aftereffects of deadly magic on her psyche. I admire a heroine who doesn’t concede and act the victim. Ulrik is a dragon of much complexity and there is more to the pained silver than previously realized. He is not as alone as he believes, perhaps there’s still a sliver of goodness in his soul that needs a catalyst to be fully realized. Or is that just wishful supposition?

This book was filled with engaging action, suspense, intrigue and some surprising twists. Multiple plot lines unfolded seamlessly and for every answer we learned more questions arose, unexpected actions caused unexpected reactions changing the play that is being acted out before us. After so many books you’d think the reader would tire of an ongoing story but the author easily grabs our attention and imagination anew with each installment and the constant twists that never cease to surprise.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

Only thing I knew going into this book was what the synopsis on Net Galley website had posted. Going by that alone, this book sounded good. I made it through the first chapter okay! But all that changed in the middle of the second chapter, when the two main characters meet then everything started to feel strange like I was missing out on something. Went on to Goodreads and low and behold, I realized that Heat is book #12 of Donna Grant “A Dark Kings” series.

You're probably wondering if this story could be read as a stand-alone? My answer. No, this title can't be read as a stand-alone. However, I did complete the story. Only so I can give my honest opinion about this title. The world that Donna Grant created was fun. The characters too were well created and the predicaments that the characters found themselves, advance the story without slowing the tempo too much. As, a whole, I found this story just okay. The story for what it's worth keep my attention. After the story was over, it was over.

If you found pleasure in watching or reading the Hobbit and, or The Lord of the Rings. You would surprisingly enjoy this title.