I really hate pick me girls. "Look at me! I'm not like other girls. I like hunting and not wearing dresses because people look dumb with them! I don't want to be queen, I'm just an ordinary girl." I'm starting to think that romantasy is not for me.

Thank you to netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS bloom books for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for a honest review..

Love the cover, loved the map even more! Every good fantasy book needs a map, it's such a great tool to help the reader picture the world.

I was instantly hooked within the first chapter, the writing flowed very well and with the descriptions of the characters and their world I easily pictured everything. The on page chemistry between Drae and Arwen even at the first meeting in the forest made know I was in for a good read. I really appreciated that Arwen was a strong independent woman who never let anyone push her around. It was also nice to see a male character who wasn't so full of himself that he couldn't apologize for his mistakes and never tried forcing his will onto everyone else through fear. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who needs a fast paced, engaging read.

I have one large complaint and it was that the book was much to short, I need 600+ pages within this world, I'll be very anxiously awaiting the next book!

I enjoyed a female character who can fend for herself. She has to hunt for her family to survive but ends up with a different destiny. It was fairly predictable with a female character who is “not like other girls, plain without any magic” and ends up having lot of magic and now marrying the king.

Lovely world building. I love this introduction into the world of Avalier. I found Arwen to be a really relatable character and really felt for her when she discovered her heritage. But im excited to see the other kings and their interactions with each other as well as the women who bring them to their knees.

This is a re-read for me, and surprisingly enjoyed it more than the first time after reading all four books.
There is lots of fighting/action, dragons, and love. This also starts the storyline of the Nightfall Queen and the other realms.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchance for a review!

Y'all, this was...not good. I don't know where to begin.

First off, content warning for infant death and miscarriage, because that's what the entire book is basically about.

The plot centers around The Dragon King's search for a wife, because his last wife just died during childbirth, and has also had 4 miscarriages. He needs a magical womb that is strong enough to carry a child of his, because he needs an heir. So he goes village to village to find magically rich women of childbearing age so they can essentially compete for a chance to birth his children, bachelor style. Because his magic is fading, and will only come back if he has an heir--it's never explained how that makes sense to anyone. Because it sure doesn't track for me.

Enter our FMC, Arwen, who is a "pick-me" and sooo not like other girls because she haaatess dresses and hunts. But she also wants to fall in love and get married and have kids--but not like all of the other girls in the village because she's <i> special </i> and <i> different </>. The first about 25% of the book makes sure to remind you how pure she is, how until the tent she has never even kissed a boy (she's 18), and how important it is to be pure for marriage. Which is then constantly brought up for the rest of the book.

She's not likable. Drae is not likeable--he barely exists despite the book being ABOUT him. Two importantish characters randomly die, and I felt nothing, because there is no character development for anyone. No chance for us to connect with them or anything. Just there when convenient, then poof-gone!

The wedding night scene is just...gross and terribly poorly written. Arwen is just magically good at everything despite not having any training. The plot of the war/the battles should be the focus, but it's definitely secondary to the idea of purity culture/marriage/being a womb. There are no villains because no one is developed--we're told this other queen is bad, no one can kill her, and then 150 pages later we're in battle with her and Arwen is saving the day. Again, with no training.

It was a fast read, and I read it in 2 days because I just wanted to be done with it. The writing is pretty accessible, but the plot is bad, the character development is bad, and the constant purity culture superiority is gross. This book is absolutely something I would have written when I was an eleven-year-old Catholic girl who wanted to write a fantasy novel. I can't even offer anything constructive as to how this could be tweaked or redeemed in the future because the entire premise of this is just...not good.

This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last! This story sucked me in from the first page and I finished it in one setting. I loved the FMC and how she was not the typical girly girl. I also enjoyed the different relationships the FMC made along the way. This book did touch on some sensitive topics but the author appreciated them beautifully. If you want a faced paced, slow burn, action packed read this is the book for you!

I want to thank Leia Stone,Bloom Books and netgalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I read this book so fast!
I'm a big fan of the author and I've never been disappointed by his series, and once again I'm not, even though I prefer series to standalone.

how to sum up this book? A bit of magic, a bit of dragons, a bit of royalty, a bit of romance, a bit of action, a tragic story and you get "The last dragon king".

enter this new universe and discover a story of sacrifice and responsibility, mixed with romance at first sight (for one of the protagonists).

I'm sad to leave these characters so soon, and I hope to see them again in the sequel to this standalone series in the same universe.

The Last Dragon King was an engaging fantasy romance with plenty of action, court intrigue, and mysterious magic.

Arwen is a young woman from a small village who supports her widowed mother and younger sister. One day, soldiers from Jade City arrive in her town requiring all young women who possess magic to return to Jade City to enter into a competition to win the hand the Dragon King. But Arwen's mother tells her before she is taken away that she is actually her adopted mother, and that her real mother requested before she died that she be hidden from the royal family because the magic she possesses can get her killed. So must travel to the capital to compete, while avoiding the king's attentions, This becomes the biggest challenge of all as they are both drawn to one another right from the start.

I was drawn to this story from the intriguing description. However, while there may be an audience for this book, I was not it. While the overall plot seemed interesting, and the pacing was good for a standalone fantasy book, balancing both the action and romance while moving the plot along, there were many elements of the story that I did not enjoy. The main characters ages were 18 and 21, yet the overall tone of the writing skewed particularly younger. There were some "modern" terms and phrasing that were somewhat jarring and took me out of the fantasy entirely, Additionally, there was a "purity" element to the story, and the sense that marriage and sex are only to produce children, that was not fully disclosed and is not something I support.

While I enjoyed that this is a standalone book in an interconnected fantasy series, which is what drew me initially to the book, I will likely not continue with this series as I am not the intended audience. I do think this book has a place for a younger audience perhaps, or for those who have more conservative views on relationships and sexuality. Unfortunately, I do not fall in that demographic.

I want to thank NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the electronic advanced reader copy of this book.

I wasn't a big fan of the very saccharine romance and the 'not like other girls' attitude of the FMC. It's just not my cup of tea in heroine romance stories. Thank you!

I loooooves this. I didn’t realize going in that it was YA, but honestly, I didn’t mind one bit. The love story between Arwen and Drae was EVERYTHING. I loved her stupid mouth. I loved that not everything happened the way I expected… without giving any spoilers. And, towards the end, I was even happier it didn’t go as expected. Drae has found his way into my heart. I can’t wait to read the next book, even though I know it won’t center on this couple. Thank you Leia for bringing them into the world for everyone else to know, too!

I received an advanced reader's copy of The Last Dragon King by Leia Stone from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and it made for a quick, easy read. The main characters - Arwen and Dragon King Drae - were an interesting match but they worked as a couple. Their banter was entertaining, they had decent chemistry, and they were pretty cute together. This novel was well written, the action moved swiftly, and the plot was engaging. It was rather rushed at the end, but overall a solid read.

The Last Dragon King by L. Stone, published by Sourcebooks is the first book in the Kings of Avalier Series.
The introduction to a whole new world.
I really enjoyed this story, the strong heroine who's already through a lot. She's a fighter.
I like the world building and set up.
Dragons, I love dragons in all forms and colors.
The story started out strong, at the end it became a bit rushed. Did the author lost interest??
All in all an ok story, 4 stars.

The Last Dragon King by Leia Stone is the first book in The Kings of Avalier fantasy series.
 
The heroine Arwen lives in a small mountain town and after her father’s death, she becomes the provider for her mother and little sister. She is a fierce and strong woman, and she reminded me a bit of Feyre from Acotar.
 
In this world there are several paranormal creatures and this one focuses mainly on dragons and the king of them is Drae Valdren. And in order to maintain power, he desperately needs an air and therefore launched a nationwide search for a new wife. This occurs a bit like in The Selection and was very entertaining and of course Arwen gets into the inner selection. Drae is also dealing with grief, and I liked how he showed his emotions during the story.
 
The plot is very fast paced, and action packed, and I practically flew through this book. The world building is very simple and therefore this book is definitely great if you want a quick romantasy read or you’re new to the genre. However, for me this story had so much potential, and a lot of plot points were just glossed over and could have been more detailed. Some things happened too fast like Awren being able to fly within a few minutes and sometimes things conveniently happened in the exact moment to favor the protagonists. Also, the thing I most anticipated finally happened, but it was only shown in a handful of pages at the end which didn’t satisfy me. Sometimes there are also jumps and that keeps Awren and Drae‘s relationship very superficial. Ultimately, I wish this story would have been extended into a duet or series.
 
If you’re looking for a fun and quick romantasy story, definitely check out The Last Dragon King. And I’m intrigued by the other books in this series. 3,5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

This story is the first of a series but it can be read as a standalone as it has an ending. The story itself was interesting and kept me entertained. There were some parts of the book that were a little frustrating to me, especially the MMC's (main male character) decisions and the reason for those decisions. I think some parts could have been better developed and fleshed out more but overall it wasn't a bad story. Just FYI, I received an ARC via NetGalley and this is my honest review of the book.

The Last Dragon King by Leia Stone

Romantasy | Dragons | Shapeshifters

•Arwen has magic that makes her eligible to become a childbearing wife to the Dragon King. Moments before leaving for Jade City, her mother tells er a secret that could get her killed.
•I was shocked to read all the negative reviews about this book. I actually enjoyed reading it and appreciated the fast pace and lack of world building. But I could understand how a true Fantasy reader would have many issues with the plot of this book. I think if you want a light fantasy book and you commit to not over thinking the plot then this could be a good read for you. I’m keen to get my hands on the second book.

★★★★ 4/5

“If it looks like he is going to find out about your powers, make him fall in love with you.”

What happens when the Dragon King comes to Cinder Village to find a wife with enough dragon magic to bear an heir, and finds Awren as a possible prospect?

Awren’s determined to protect a terrifying secret or risk death by the King’s hands. Will Awren be able to protect her growing magic or will the King discover the truth?

"Marry me, Arwen. Not because I need an heir, but because somehow I've fallen in love with you, and now I'm not sure that I can live without you."


“The Last Dragon King” is perfect for fans who enjoy Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black!




⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s truly been a while since a novel has pulled at my heart strings and this novel takes the cake!

“The Last Dragon King” left me in so many emotional rollercoasters that I couldn’t put the book down. I was teary eyed when the novel came to an end and was craving to know what will come for the Nightfall Queen?

I enjoyed the chemistry and the heart clenching scenes between Awren and Drae. I also couldn’t handle the excitement I had to them confessing their undying love for one another.
I was so excited to see strong female protagonist as Awren and how dedicated she was to protecting her family, her people, and Drae, the one who captured her heart!

Thank you to NetGalley, Leia Stone, and Bloom books for an arc of “The Last Dragon King” in exchange for an honest review! ❤️

I devoured this book! It's such a great fantasy world. I loved the characters and their plight. The story moved very quickly. If I was going to mark down anything, it would be that I wanted more of it! One smutty scene.

Think Cinderella with Dragons! Thats what you get with this read. Great story, great characters. It was a bit of Shadow and Bone with a mix of magic and dragons. So much action, sword fighting and shape shifting. Loved it!

The Last Dragon King by Leia Stone is a beautiful book.

This book got a little bit of family secret, angst, action packed, arranged marriage, suspense, shifter, heart breaking moments and tears. I love how deeply in love Drae with Arwen. I love how strong Arwen's characters which fit to be a queen.

I'll definitely be waiting for Leia Stone and the next book.