Thanks to NetGalley and DL Grant LLC for the ARC.

My biggest complaint is that both the NetGalley and Goodreads listing fail to communicate well enough that this is a new duology within an existing fictional universe 20+ books in. There is so much information that isn't explained until maybe the very end because it assumes you've read some of the other series. Otherwise, this is a fun romantasy. It's nice to see a couple in the genre that are both fully grown adults, I'm tired of weird age gaps because one is magically near immortal. It is very much a insta-lust romance that grows into something deeper. The villain(s) are comically evil, but that might also be because I'm missing context from the other series. Their motives feels so basic, and I struggle to take them seriously. I do plan to read the conclusion soonish, none of my issues prevent me from wanting to know how this ends.

THE BASTARD KING is the first book of the Bastard Duology series. As a lover of Donna Grant’s dragons, I was very excited about this book. It features a unique dark fantasy world. If you’re familiar with Grant’s writing style, you may know that she is great at worldbuilding and this book is no exception.

I enjoyed the dragon mythology and the romance between Kora and Derek. Kora especially interested me because of her past. Her strong spirit was evident from the get-go and I loved how Derek was able to support her and make her shine even more.

The duology surprised me as Grant has always done long series, so if you’re new to her writing and want to try it out, I feel like it’s a good chance to do so. If you’re anything like me, you’ll get addicted to her worlds and writing style. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

2.5 stars rounded to 3.

I received an advance ebook copy of The Bastard King by Donna Grant.

If you're looking for a spicy fantasy then this book is for you.

I was drawn to this book because of the fantasy aspect, and the cover art. Going in I was expecting spice, but not right away and immediately in your face. I know there are plenty of readers who will enjoy that, but it's not for me.

There is potential for stronger character development and World building. It's sort of lacking here.

However, I'm still interested enough to move onto book 2.

Overall I thought this book had a lot of potential. I loved the tropes and I think I can get behind Kora and Derek eventually. He gave me the big ick and there isnt a whole lot of character dev on either side. I didnt love that there was insta lust, I’m more of a yearning girl. I was a little confused in the beginning with people being introduced, I need at least some information as to why they are imoortant.

I had the time of my life reading this book. Something Grant did a great job with, were stakes. I just CARED about this book.

The character development was great, the Worldbuilding was kind of at a medium grade, which fit the story well, and I loved the romance. I had to have a physical copy, and added it to my collection.

Donna Grant's The Bastard King, the first installment in The Bastard Duology, offers a thrilling blend of paranormal romance and fantasy, even if it takes a little while to ignite. While the beginning felt a bit rough, the story quickly drew me in with its unexpected twists and compelling characters. Fans of Grant's previous Dragon Kings series will find familiar faces and threads woven into this new narrative, though the book can be enjoyed as a standalone. However, a deeper appreciation for the world-building and character dynamics will likely come from familiarity with the previous series.

Kora, the last of her kind, is a fiercely protective character who unknowingly stumbles into dragon territory while trying to save another. Her bravery, though ultimately leading to a near-fatal wound, catches the attention of Derek, a powerful dragon shifter. Derek, bound by the will of the manipulative Villette, finds himself drawn to Kora, but must conceal his true nature due to her distrust of dragons. Their burgeoning connection is fraught with secrets and prejudices, creating a compelling tension that promises to erupt in the second book.

Derek, a formidable dragon, is also a prisoner, forced to obey Villette's commands despite his own internal conflicts and amnesia regarding his past. Villette herself is a complex antagonist, battling her own demons while ruthlessly pursuing her goals of dragon mastery. The introduction of Miena, a mysterious character held captive, adds another layer of intrigue and sets the stage for the explosive cliffhanger ending.

This was a DNF for me! I made it through 56% of this book and really wanted to give it a chance. The premise sounded great. The characters and world building are really flat. I still don’t understand the magic system and I am halfway through. Both main characters spend a ton of time speaking about the past without actually giving any information. I’m rating this 2 stars because I do think others who like long story backgrounds may like this book.

Kora is the last of her kind, the mythical Hellhound. Her people died to save her and she has spent the last hundreds of years running away from duty. When the book opens, she has finally decided to face her fate and the evil dragons in pursuit of vengeance.
Derek is the last of the dragons, tasked with hundreds of years of watching over the last surviving dragon eggs. He serves the last star person, hoping that one day she will help him free the dragons.

This book includes:
- Dragons
- Hellhounds
- Druids
- Asteri??
- memory loss
- secrets and race wars
- lies and betrayal
- instant love

This was an engaging book, with a plot that was kinda reminiscent of the Crescent City series, without the cell phones. Kora and Derek are both pretty likable, even tho I didn't really feel like they had the most natural chemistry. The plot kept me entertained, and the author did a good job of trying to include plot twists. While I wouldn't really recommend this book, I also wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Donna Grant, and DL Grant for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/
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Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The bastard king's initial pages had me intrigued but later on as story progressed it became more smut than the actual fantasy novel. It wasn't bad but when you start a book with an expectation and they are not met it holds you back.

The world buidling should have been better. The insta lust gave me ick too but okay. The characters are randomly introduced and there's no development for any of them including even Derek and Kora. We don't get a clue as to what's really happening in the book. Who's who? What they mean? Like what is star person? What's kora exactly is. How this world exactly works. The plot has many loopholes, which I just couldn't ignore.

The characters had zero to little chemistry. I feel if there had been proper character development and world building the book would have been much better.

Star rating : 2.5 stars

Overall, I enjoyed this book. But I must say the first 60% were quite slow. The plot was interesting, and I haven´t read a similar story to this one. The pacing in the second half was great. This book was missing world-building, and until the end, I still had no clue about different universes, what exactly different types of characters were, and what their abilities were. I hope in the second book we will get more explanations since I plan to finish this duology.

DNF at 29%
݁₊ ⊹ ARC review! ⊹₊⟡⋆🗡

I was quite excited about the concept of this book—a fantasy story featuring dragons, politics, and magic set in a medieval world. It sounded like exactly the kind of story I would enjoy. Unfortunately, I had to put it down and DNF it. We are thrown into a world we know little about, and the story doesn’t provide much context. And then, since the beginning of the book, there's insta-lust and just...smut, without any plot or depth whatsoever, the writing was all over the place, and switching from an older style of language to the modern one and the characters felt really flat and emotionless. I rarely DNF books because I believe in giving every book a fair chance, but I just couldn’t continue with this one. I find it uncomfortable to read a fantasy book that focuses almost entirely on spice when I was hoping for dragons instead. Sure, I haven't read further to know how much we get of dragons in this book later on, so I can't say much about that. But, if there's barely anything explained, when there's a lack of description and everything is very much confusing and I can't connect with the characters at all and the romance isn't convincing because of the reasons I already mentioned, I just don't feel the motivation or excitement to keep reading to find out, unfortunately.

Even though this book wasn't for me, it doesn't mean it can't be for you. If you don't need much descriptions in your stories, if you like insta-lust/insta-love, if you don't feel the need to know emotions and thoughts of characters that much to be able to connect with, then maybe this one might be a nice, enjoyable quick read for you. It just wasn't for me.

thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and author for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

˗ˋˏ ♡Thank you and NetGalley♡ ˎˊ˗

I would say this was a solid fantasy book. I enjoyed the characters and how they developed through the story. The plot was also very good, however it felt like something was missing. Overall I would recommend!

This is book one in The Bastard King Duology and it features Derek and Kora. WOW! This author never ceases to amaze me with her astonishing imagination in storytelling. The action, adventure and suspense in this story kept me on the edge of my seat. It is thrilling! I’m trying not to rush this review so I can pick up the next book.

So many things are happening but the gist of it is that this is a large chunk of history of the dragon kings. You actually find out how and why they are on earth with humans and so much more. The detail in the story line is fantastic and I really felt like I was standing there watching it all unravel.
BRILLIANT WRITING!

If you love mystery, action, suspense, romance and villains who bite, then this book is for you. I had never read a Donna Grant novel before, but I am now invested in exploring her backlog of over 100+ books. I loved that there was banter between multiple characters, multiple types of family dynamic, and dragons!! I was concerned at a little spice early in the book; however this was not gratuitous but necessary to build a link between the protagonists. I have already obtained the second book and am starting it right now...

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book. Technically, I had difficulty following the thoughts and the facts within the first 25% of the book. It was like, there were missing chapters. Maybe the sentences were to abrupt, and there should have been more descriptions. The relation between MMC and MFC started almost without any depth. The story in general could have been nice if it was told more generously.. maybe more background or environmental info could be placed.

Big thanks to Donna Grant and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for a review.

I loved this. Revenge, love but not insta-love, dark character back stories, steamy with no slut shaming. This was my jam.

I loved everything about Kora and Derek and their passion. Dragons and magic, evil and betrayal. This has everything that one could want in a romantacy.

5 stars

What to Expect:
🐉 Dragon shifter x supernatural FMC
💕 Insta-lust with hidden identities
✨ Multi-POV (mostly MMC/FMC)
🌶️ Spice level: 2/5
⚠️ Cliffhanger ending

Kora, the last of her kind, is fueled by revenge against dragons, the creatures responsible for destroying her family. When she unknowingly crosses paths with Derek, a lone dragon enslaved by the villainous Villette, she has no idea he’s a shifter. As sparks fly between them, buried secrets and past traumas threaten to shatter their fragile connection.

✨ What I Loved:
A captivating supernatural world with dragons at its heart!
The fast-paced, action-packed opening that hooked me right away.
Derek’s protective yet tender nature—he’s impossible not to root for.

⚡ What Could Be Better:
Kora’s impulsive decisions didn’t quite match her 500+ years of life experience.
The pacing felt uneven; it dragged in the middle and had an ending packed with too many reveals.
I’ve never been a huge fan of 3rd person, so this could be a bias of mine…

Despite its flaws, The Bastard King delivers an exciting mix of spice, suspense, and dragons! Perfect for romantasy fans. I’ll be picking up The Uncrowned King to see how it all wraps up.

This book unfortunately fell flat for me as a reader. Initially this story seemed right up my alley with dragons, fae, romance and overall fantasy setting - however all it appeared to be was tropes on tropes on tropes. The entire book felt as if the author was trying to hit every single trend popular in the book community today, and then cram it all together and slap a title on it. This has the ability to be a great book, but there needed to be more editing.
In this book there are two opposing sides, dragons and the group our FMC belongs too - a classic Romeo and Juliet foreshadowing.. This was a very instant attraction and insta love; which if you prefer, you will greatly adore this novel. The dialogue also felt choppy and unrealistic at times as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

3.75 ⭐ I would have liked there to be more world building on the front end, but you eventually get mostly there. Kora is a strong FMC who is resourceful, independent, fiery, loyal, and a smidge anxious. Derek is a brooding, loner alpha MMC who doesn't trust anyone, even Kora, until it's too late.

This was entertaining but lacked of descriptiveness, the characters could have been so much better. FMC and the MMC felt a strong attraction for one another from the beginining but there was no explanation about it. I would of loved to learn more about her powers but then again this is book one could be on book 2. I am more of a character driven person and this was not it for me but just me thing. I would still recommend this if you're looking for some spice, dragon shifters, insta-lust, and quick paced. This book can be read in one or two sittings.


Thank you Netgalley for the Ebook!