So, I have been reading paranormal romance for years. Literally years. And I read anywhere between 130 - 160 books a year. That may seem amazing to some, and not very impressive to others. But the fact remains I have read pretty much every PNR trope there is. I requested the book from NetGalley because I love dragon stories and I loved the cover. So when I say this book was refreshing, engaging and entertaining from the prologue to epilogue and everything in between, I absolutely mean it.

I loved Kasia (and her mother). I loved Brand (just one name, like Cher). I loved the dynamics in the world the author created. I loved the side characters and their back stories. I loved how the relationship between the main characters developed over time and felt real. I love that there are 3 more sisters so we get at least 3 more books. I loved the humor. And I loved a hellhound named Maul.

I will definitely be searching out more books by this author to keep me entertained until the next book in this series is released (recently discovered there are more dragon books in a related series - yay!)

OMG! This one was so good!  Hot, passionate, intense, action packed, and a great plot to boot. Loved every second of it. So want more and can’t wait for more in the series. Brand and Kasia are great together, they are strong and carry the story from start to finish with no weak or slow areas. The obstacles they face seem insurmountable, which add to the intense-ness of the story. I don’t want to give much away concerning the plot and who the bad guys are or anything. I went utterly blind into this one, never read a book by Abigail Owen before, so I didn’t know what to expect and it was fresh and exciting. Right up there with Donna Grant, and that is saying something in my book!  Loved it and want more.

Dragon Prince in hiding, Brand, finds the most special of all special supernatural shifters, Kasia. If Brand mates Kasia, he can retake his family throne and the pairing would fate him as the next high king of all the dragon shifters. Instead of seeing the obvious advantage Brand has by finding Kasia, he remains determined to turn the woman he’s fallen in love with over to his loyal friend and King of the Blue Dragon clan.

I give this book three out of five stars for a predictable narrative, a mediocre cast of characters, and odd pacing.

Things I liked about the book:
1) The world building and how the author relayed the fantasy world and rules without lengthy exposition narratives.
2) The were some laugh out loud moments.

Things I feel need improvement:
1) The character Kasia is five hundred years old, but reads with an intelligence of a 20-25 year old. She never behaves like someone with even fifty years life experience let alone five hundred.
2) Brand is a moron. He seriously didn’t have an epiphany about the advantage he’d have if Kasia became his mate until well after the 75% mark in the book. It’s really dumb to see the hero struggling with his lust/feelings for Kasia, but never debating the added advantage their pairing would be for his chance at regaining his families throne.
3) A great deal of the romantic conflict between Brand and Kasia is miscommunication and hurt based on hidden secrets. I get how Brand is supposed to be broody and non communicative, but there comes a point where not sharing with your significant other key details about your childhood reads as ridiculous. Add to this the over reaction by Kasia when she does find out Brands heritage not only reinforces my disbelief in her half a millennium age, but paints her as hyperbolic.

I received a review copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an exciting adventure, the world building was excellent. I loved the characters, especially strong and fierce Kasia. A world with sexy Brand, dragon shifters and a phoenix, nothing more to want!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Rogue King was an adventurous read. It felt both medieval and modern all at once. While the story was definitely a romance novel, it didn’t feel like a paranormal bodice ripping romance that are a dime a dozen right now. There was meat and substance. The backstory built into this first story in the series was well done in my opinion.

There wasn’t too much so that it felt overwhelming, and it wasn’t all at once either. It was in pieces, where it fit in with Brand’s mysterious development. His hatred of Uther felt justified throughout, and when he takes on this phoenix quest, it makes sense in all the ways his story develops.

Let’s talk about Brand for a second. He’s everything romance readers want: brooding, strong, caring (behind closed doors of course), and sexy. He’s cocky and rough around the edges and has this rogue thing that doesn’t quite get explained when you want it to, but Kasia and her visions, intrinsically trusts him to do the right thing by her.

What I really like is that, as a reader, I wasn’t sure if I could trust Brand to do the right thing. I wanted him to, sure, but was he going to? Not sure. There was always something guarded and rough about him that made me question his motives and gave me pause. I like that in a story like this. Like I said, it wasn’t just a romance— it was very much a quest story too. If it had been a pure romance, I think this might have annoyed me a bit, but as it was more like, deliver a princess to a castle-esque, it felt well-written and well-paced.

Onto the princess now, yeah? Kasia is no defenseless princess. She’s kind of badass. She keeps her own secrets, she develops her own talents and her own powers, and she fights her own battles. She demands to be part of her own storyline and I love that. She goes against her own self interest a few times, but that’s to save people she loves, or to do the right thing. She doesn’t always do it for male characters either. Which — wooohoo, go strong female leads in romance/adventure stories!— is pretty rare in my romance reading experience.  Most romance female leads tend to sacrifice (or attempt to sacrifice) themselves for their love interests, but Kasia does it for the people she wants to protect, people who protect the ones she loves.

Kasia is the phoenix and she is only just learning her skill set, so learning it along side her is pretty cool. I like stories where we see the powerful ones struggle with their duty or responsibilities. She isn’t perfect. She makes mistakes, she fights with herself and her decisions. I enjoy that about this story. Will she make the right deicision or the selfish one? Is the selfish one the right one? She has a personality with dimension. She has a little bit of grit to her too. Where Brand is too rough around the edges, she shows she can be too, when the occasion calls for it.

The side characters had substance and were given enough oomph that I wanted more. In particular, I’m really looking forward to more from Hershel. He was very interesting. I can imagine that the rest of the series will bring back all of these named characters and give them even more developed plot lines — I’m looking at Arden and Ladon and Reid and Angelika and Skylar in particular.

Overall, this is an intriguing first book in a series and I would definitely pick up book 2.

** Thanks to Netgalley for this free download in exchange for an honest review.

Abigail Owen is at the top of her game, with her latest title The Rogue King. This is not one of those guys meet girl and fall instantly in love. These characters must work for their HEA. With Kasia on the run from people who wish to control her, for what she is. She must stay hidden or life as she knows it would be no more.

I really enjoyed this title. But then again Abigail Owens has become my go-to author lately. With a fantastic, fast-paced plot and intriguing characters. The Rogue King is a must-read this summer.

This book was Hot. With a capital H. I honestly don't think I've ever read a book about... er... dragon shifters. You read that right. Steamy hot hunky men who are all primal instincts and turn into a two ton mythical creature that could crush you like a gnat.  I'm surprised I waited so long to read these types of books. Haha! It was a wild ride from start to finish and I loved Kasia's character. She was fierce and headstrong and I was about as surprised as Brand with half the stuff that came out of her mouth or the things she did.

I was worried this would be a multi-universe story where I would need to feel like I knew the side characters or anything but I think (correct me if I'm wrong) this is a separate story all together from the authors other dragon-esque books. Straight from the beginning we get ACTION and fast paced plot and just yes yes yes! I love when you start a new book and it's just like a skydive right into the middle of things. No slow build up, no sluggish dialog.  It was a fairly quick read and very surprising so I'm not going to get into detail about it as I was to leave some surprises for the readers but just know, I am team Kasia forever.

Would I buy this book? Normally, probably not. But since I've actually read it yes. Covers like these tend to scare me away as I don't want the book to scream "HOT ROMANCE" when I read it in public. So, technically I probably would if it was an eBook.

Would I recommend it? Yes it was really fun to read and STEAMY.

Would I re-read it? Well seeing how I'm planning to read the next book you bet your booty I will. Because I've got the memory of a goldfish.

Really good book! The story is entertaining and full of wonderful paranormal characters and places. I really enjoyed the Phoenix aspect of it. Kascia is a great heroine. Tough but also soft and good at hiding her vulnerability. I also love the dragons. This was a great read and I hope I get to read more!

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

What non-stop action and tension as Brand tries to bring Kasia to his king - for his own advantage. Poor Kasia knows that Phoenix shifters are valued and used so it is hard to trust anyone so it is surprising that she does trust Brand - and probably shouldn't at some points!

There are lots of connections between groups and we get to see some previous characters in this book so that is always fun!

You just want to dislike Ladon and don't want Kasia to end up mated to him but in the end, I really liked him. And what a teaser when we see Kasia's sister show up at the end!

Another great book and just keeps me waiting for the next one!

What a great First-in-Series!

It had a bit of a slow start for me but boy oh boy, did it pick up. The sexual tension is off the charts and I was totally rooting for them by the end!

Great characters, I adored Maul. I'm anxious to find out who he really is. (I have a theory.)

Overall it's a fantastic read.

I so enjoyed the "Rogue King". It was well-written and packed a punch.G ood story building and characters.

Always a fan of dragons and shifters in general, this new idea with phoenixes in the supernatural realm was a delight to read! Looking forward to the next book!

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My first dragon shifter book. Who knew they could be so Badass?

What a great adventure and an awesome romance. I loved this book and after that powerful ending and terrific fight scenes, I can’t wait for Skylar’s story next. The hate to love romance sounds like it will be fantasmorgamsic. This book with was the story of Kasia and Brand. Brand is a rogue dragon shifter due to the fact that Uhler, King of the Gold clan killed his family when Brand was a boy and took over the throne of the Gold clan. Brand hid in the mountain caves and has been a rogue ever since.

Rogue dragons don’t generally survive, they are usually killed by their own kind, so the fact that he has survived over 500 years speaks to how strong he is. However, he is working for his friend the blue king and he has promised to bring him a Phoenix to mate in exchange for his chance at becoming part of the blue clan and getting his revenge on Uhler.

Kasia is one of 4 Daughters of the Phoenix Serafina and her Mate Dragon shifter who was king of the white clan, though their mating wasn’t fully formed at the time the Red King killed him. The legend says that when a Phoenix mates with a Dragon King, that king becomes the High King (leader of the Five Kingdoms). The red king wanted to be the High King and wanted to be immortal as High Kings and Phoenix’s are, so he murdered Kasia’s grandparents, her father, then last year her mother. Her mother just barely had time to send her 4 girls into hiding. Kasia is the oldest and is a Phoenix, we don’t know for certain if any of the others are.

The book has awesome twists and turns. Kasia was in hiding, but is having some sort of burning visions so she goes to a supernatural clinic and the doctor tells everyone and their brother about her. Brand finds her first but she is wary of him. Her father was a Dragon but also a Dragon hunted and killed her mother and the Red King controls 4 of the other kings and their clans. The book definitely end spectacularly. It is a stand-alone but it sets up the next story so that is nice also. I really want to read the next one. The romance was awesome, the sex was steamy but there wasn’t too much, there was more adventure and fantasy and the story was written well.

The Rogue King gets five enthusiastic stars from me. It’s PHENOMENAL in every way. I have not followed the Game of Thrones series but did get the sense that if you enjoyed the books (in which the series is based) or the television series itself, you are going to fall head over heels for The Rogue King. It’s oh so sexy, smart, and full of action. I honestly can’t say enough good things about it. If you haven’t guessed yet, I highly recommend it and am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Rogue King, book 1 in the new Inferno Rising series by Abigail Owen is set in her Fire's Edge world, so if you've read The Mate, The Boss, or The Rookie then you've already got a good grasp of the world and some of the politics and habits of the people contained within. If you haven't, however, you will not be left behind. Though we meet and hear of some of the characters from those books, you won't be at a loss in the least.

The summary from Mrs. Owen is perfect and leads the reader to the true tone of the book. This is nice, because not all summaries manage that. Our main characters, Kasia and Brand, are both essentially outcasts that will come to find they have a common enemy. In this world, Phoenixes historically end up the destined mate of a dragon, with the relationship being mutually beneficial in that the dragon offers protection while the phoenix offers luck and an extended life span. Because of a power hungry dragon shifter, the entire world was thrown into a bit of chaos. Kasia and her sisters were raised to fear dragon shifters and avoid them at all costs. During the same time period, Brand lost his entire family and became a rogue dragon; which pretty much means he's hunted by his own kind and has spent his life fighting. Both have a past that makes my heart hurt for them, but also makes me root for them even harder.

Brand is friends with the Blue Dragon King, Ladon, who wants the phoenix for her legendary 'ability' to make her mate the High King of all dragons. As he is currently the only dragon king standing against their current high king and his pawn kings, this is important. Most of the book is Brand and Kasia's journey from Montana to Scotland. Along the way, we get to know the two of them as they get to know one another. We also, as readers, get to learn more about the political maneuverings of the dragons and what's been going on for the past 500 years or so.

The world Mrs. Owen designed is detailed and quite lush. It's full of interesting people as well as species both common and uncommon (shifters, vampires, spirits, hellhounds, etc). The perspective changes mostly between Kasia and Brand, but occasionally branches out to other important characters giving us inside views of the happenings outside our current focus. This helps to engender greater love or hatred for other characters, which I believe is a beautiful setup for the future of the series. I definitely look forward to the next books in the series.

This is most definitely a fantasy and also quite clearly a romance. There are steamy scenes as well as profanity and bloodshed present in the book. If you like shifters, paranormal creatures of various types, romance, action, and a dollop of world shaking political restructuring, this is a book you really shouldn't miss.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Abigail weaves a tale of romance and fantasy in her newest book. Brand is a rogue dragon who lost everything when the current gold dragon king Uther massacres his entire family. Kasia the phoenix; the only one some believe actually she is one of four born to her mother the last known Phoenix. She watched as the current High King murder mother right in front of her. Fate has a plan of its own as when she develops seizures and seeks helps but no other than Brand is thrown in her path. Kasia steals Brand's car. When Brand catches up to her he has a plan. Take her the last known Phoenix to marry no other than his friend Landon the King of the Blue Dragons. Sometimes the best-laid plan goes awry and the what is supposed to happen is better than our best-laid plans.
This was my first in to read in her Dragon Series and I have to say I was over the moon excited to open it after the first page and I did not put it down until the last page which meant reading into the night. The action and suspense never end with a few steamy scenes thrown in. There are plenty of sexy characters and enjoyable storyline to keep the staunchest critic of paranormal romance satisfied. You will find your self a character just for you with her real to life characters and very appealing personalities I wanted to take one home myself right out of the pages. If you are a true fan of dragons, paranormal and romance this is the book for you. I am excited to see where this series goes and I am waiting to pick it up as soon as it hits the stand.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was fast paced, engaging, and sexy.
The book starts out with backstory that is more interesting than most backstories. It transitions well into the main story where we meet Brand and Kasia. Their adventure begins and ends with lots of unexpected twists and turns.
I never felt that the events were predictable and was never 100 percent sure where Kasia and Brand would end up.
I will enjoy reading the other books in this series and world

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/the-rogue-king-by-abigail-owen/)

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library paranormal romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


_________________________


Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Medium burn

Relationship dynamics: The PI Dragon Shifter (H) / The Phoenix on the Run (h)

Sexual content: Some; romantic, “on-screen” and explicit

Triggers: Attempted sexual assault (of h, not by H); some extreme violence

Grammar/Editing: Aside from a verb tense error, this was a clean ARC.

Review: This is a very well-paced novel and I found it to be a very quick read, even considering the amount of detail that I had to retain while reading. The fantasy world that the author has very skillfully built falls within the real world. The different shifter societies have been well-developed and the author showed excellent observance of her own internal structures and laws within the novel.

Kasia and Brand have an instant attraction and bond that develops at a steady pace. Brand is a rather stoic figure but is also a tender protector. Kasia is intelligent and strong-willed with a strong protective nature of her own, particularly for those she loves. Together, they make a very compelling couple. The supporting characters are also well-done, although some are merely mentioned and not featured heavily in this book. I suspect that they will feature more prominently in subsequent books in the series, which I definitely intend to read. I particularly enjoyed Maul, the Hellhound.

Fire Sounds Version: Snap. Crackle. Pop. ROAR.



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Action, political intrigues, mythical beings, romance, betrayal...this book has it all and in spades. The story has a great pace and is full of vivid imagery that painted a new world full of amazing creatures and cultures. The family relationships and dynamics between species was interesting and I loved finding out the strengths and powers associated with everyone. Great buildup to the fights and endings. The ending didn’t go the way I thought it would but I loved it and can’t wait to read more of this author and series!

Thank you NetGalley, Entangled and Abigail Owen for the chance to read this book and share my opinions.

Kasia Amon has been in hiding for five hundred years. As a phoenix recently come in to her powers, she is highly sought after by every kind of supernatural, but most especially the dragons. It takes a phoenix queen to make a dragon become the King of all dragons, but only if they are fated mates. When Brand Astarot, a rogue dragon who is a sort of PI and bounty hunter, is sent after her, Kasia must make some desperate choices. Brand has been waiting centuries for revenge against the dragon who took out his whole family ripping away his heritage as well.


While Kasia and Brand are on the run trying to make it to the blue dragon stronghold, their relationship sparks and burns deep. Brand knows with Kaisia as his queen, he could have it all, but he made a promise to bring her to another man and is honor bound to keep it. They have quite a few adventures on their quest. Kasia is witty, resourceful, and not about to let “Neanderthal” dragony men tell her what to do. She also has secrets of her own that Kasia would die to protect. Though they resist it mightily, Brand and Kasia cannot fight their destined fate or all will be lost.

This is a fine tale that fans of shifters, particularly dragons, and paranormal romance will quite enjoy. ROGUE KING incorporates a good mix of humor, action, adventure, and romance. Kasia is the type of fearless heroine who is a pleasure to read. Brand’s growly, fire-breathing self hides a heart as big as his dragon. They make a very good team together as well as with the secondary characters whom I enjoyed getting to know. I very much look forward to the next book in this new series.