Donna Grant’s The Bastard King sets the stage for an epic fantasy romance full of intrigue, magic, and sizzling chemistry. As the first book in the Rogues of Scotland series, it introduces readers to the enigmatic warrior King Arran, whose complex character immediately pulls you in. The blend of historical fantasy with a slow-burn romance gives it that extra spark, even though at times I felt the pace could have been slightly faster.

The worldbuilding in The Bastard King is one of its standout features. Grant vividly crafts a realm filled with mythical creatures, warring factions, and an underlying tension that keeps you guessing. The way she weaves together the lore and political dynamics makes the world feel alive and dangerous, while still leaving plenty of room for expansion in future books.

Arran’s journey from a tormented outcast to a leader is gripping. His personal struggles, especially with his sense of duty and his need for revenge, are explored well, making him a more relatable and nuanced character. The heroine, Marguerite, also holds her own, embodying strength and resilience while challenging Arran in ways that make their interactions both tense and emotional.

However, one of the reasons I’m giving this book four stars instead of five is that some aspects of the romance felt a bit drawn out. The tension between Arran and Marguerite builds steadily, but there were moments where I wished the story would dive deeper into their emotional connection rather than holding back. That said, when the romance does finally take center stage, it’s intense and rewarding.

Overall, The Bastard King is a solid start to what promises to be an adventurous and passionate trilogy. It has all the hallmarks of a great fantasy romance: rich worldbuilding, well-developed characters, and a story that leaves you eager to see what happens next. If you’re a fan of historical fantasy with a generous dose of romance, this is a must-read!

....if you HATE cliffhangers, well, this was still worth the read....Donna Grant is amazing, and “The Bastard King” even more if that’s possible. This book was a great surprise, and it just expanded the Dark Universe even further. Old and new characters appear throughout the book and the magic ensues.

Kora, a magical being who has some unique and unusual powers, and Derek, a dragon shifter who has forgotten his true past. These two meet and the heat and fire between the two run through the entire story, along with the tension is the mystery surrounding Kora, her past, and her purpose in the present and Derek is keeping his secrets close. Around every turn is a surprise, and another familiar character enters the plot that reminds us of the plight of the Dragon Kings and the mystery that surrounds Stonemore and the Divine.

The suspense leading up to exactly who and what Kora is will keep you turning the pages, along with the fast-moving story of good and evil. The only challenge, for lack of a better word, I had with this book was the ending, which will spin you around….OMG, when is the next book coming out!!!!!

I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. If you are looking for a story that contains dragons, hell hounds, star people, loss and vengeance look no further! In The Bastard King you come along on a journey with Kora as she tries to avenge the deaths of her uncle, brother and family. She’s the last of her kind that can defeat the powerful star person who initiated the attack to eliminate her kind. On her quest she’ll meet Derek, a dragon whose sole purpose has been to carry out the demands of the Star Person, Villette and protect the two dragon eggs in his care. As they meet and fall in love you’ll find out that they’re more connected than either of them realizes. The first book focused on character development and the stories of Kora and Derek. There is definitely some fighting action, but the main focus was getting us to fall in love with Kora and Derek and understanding what each person has gone through. Derek is strong and broody, but a loner and Kora is fiery and strong. I thoroughly enjoyed my read of this book and cannot WAIT until the next one comes out!

Enjoyable read! Recommend if you are looking for a grumpy king and some spice! The plot was intriguing and the female MC was a little fire cracker.

DNF AT 30%

I was super excited to read The Bastard King since I loved listening to Rising Sun by Donna Grant, but I unfortunately just couldn’t get into the story. I think the main reason is because I couldn’t connect with the characters - there was almost too much mystery about backgrounds to really get them.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Despite this one not being for me, I look forward to reading more of Donna Grant’s work.

A truly amazing story that swept me into the pages. I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from Grant.

Thank you to NetGalley and Donna Grant for providing me with the ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What to expect:
- Spice 4/5 🌶️ 🥵🥵🥵
- Hidden identities
- Many different and unique types of supernaturals
- Dragons/shifters
- Insta- lust
- Cliffhanger ⚠️
- 500+ year old fmc and mmc
- multi- PoV, mostly mmc and fmc
- third person

What I liked:
This book was amazing! It had everything I love, dragons, spice, did I mention dragons? I swear I’ve been feral for anything dragon related since reading Fourth Wing. That’s beside the point, this book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its entirety. I found the reveals unexpected and interesting. And that cliffhanger!?! I NEED the second book immediately!

I enjoyed the fmc, Kora. Was she perfect? No. But I still enjoyed reading about her. She has been through many hardships in her long life and lost many of the people she’s loved. Unfortunately I did find that she seemed a bit young to me. This woman is supposed to be over 500 years old and yet she’s making rash decisions and sharing her entire life story, which could get her killed, to a virtual stranger. Now, I understand that she isn’t perfect but I feel like after 500 years you would have more knowledge and experience to avoid making those impulsive decisions.

The writing style was unique, which I quite enjoyed. The minimal dialogue was definitely interesting. I felt I enjoyed the silence between Kora and Derek.

Finally the mmc, Derek. Honestly I really liked him. He has spent most of his life trying to find a way to free his people. Which is admirable until you learn the cost. Derek was super sweet when it came to Kora. It was cute watching him fall in love for the first time. Of course it was an annoying that he kept so many secrets but I do understand why he did, at least to some extent.

What I didn’t like:
Specifically with Kora I felt there was a lot of backstory missing. Like for instance, she spends 500 years hiding and searching for others like her, yet we get no description of it. I also felt like there was almost too much going on at the end of the book. It was like boom, reveal, boom, reveal, boom, betrayal. I felt it was hard to follow along at that point.

Other than that I still immensely enjoyed the book, even reading it in one sitting! Definitely pick it up if you enjoy spice and dragons!

I think The Bastard King is enjoyable without having read the The Dragon Kings series. Having really enjoyed the books from that series that I had read, I found The Bastard King quite entertaining. Much of the story and several characters overlap and it helped knowing the back story.

I liked Derek and Kora and the story had a lot of suspenseful moments. There was their love affair, their opposing views of the current situations and all the external influences to add to the book's appeal.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.

❖ dragon shifter x hellbent (I forgot her species)
❖ kinda insta connection
❖ first instalment in duopoly
❖ FMC driven by revenge

Apparently, this is a spin-off ? Because some character appeared in an other series "dragon king" (do not quote me one that) . If it is a spin-off it didn't felt like I was missing out on something . You can totally read it without reading the other series.

As for the book, it was entertaining but the rythme felt odd . The first 150 pages were really fast paced and it was announcing a good journey for the characters .
My issue started when the characters settled in a city . It was long for no reason. If those pages were used to develop the love story I wouldn't have mind but nothing happened. Some stuff were brought up about what's going on in the city but there were no explanations . The religious aspect could have been SO interesting but they were just dumb priest following order . If you want to sacrifice children at least do it for a reason..

The characters could have been so much better .
They felt empty (?)
Both of them are strongly attracted to one another a that from page 1 and there was no explanation about it . Why do they feel like that ? How?
Thus it feel like they will learn about a mate bond or something. Who knows ?
Kora is pretty annoying. I get the whole "I'm seeking revenge for my family" but I'm kinda over it .
I'm tired of FMC feeling like they should have done better even though they were actual child when their family perished.
And that "I don't need anyone" speech every two pages makes me want to die . Seriously.
I took her so long to change her mind and still it wasn't enough.
I would have like some deep dive into her species . Her species are technically immortal, they can jump from a building and will only die for a few minutes . But the two times were this ability was shown was for stupid reasons, she wanted to be a hero to save one kid and ended up killing 10 persons + herself .

As for Dereck, I don't have much to say because when we have his pov nothing much happened .
His storyline is actually interesting. His memory loss, his kinds and why he is at Vilette services .
We didn't have much answer on anything and I feel like book two will either be hella short or hella long.

The Bastard King is a must-read (or listen) for fans of fantasy romance. It's got everything you could want: a fast-paced plot, intriguing characters, and a healthy dose of spice.

The plot? Let's just say it's a whirlwind of intrigue, secrets, and a whole lot of angst. Derek, our brooding dragon shifter, and Kora, our mysterious heroine, have got more secrets for their secrets. This world is unique. It includes dragons, hellhounds, druids, and other mythical creatures.

Derek and Kora are a match made in dragon heaven. Their chemistry is off the charts, and their secrets keep you guessing.

The only downside? The cliffhanger! I'm dying to know what happens next. Donna Grant, please, I need the sequel ASAP!

Overall, The Bastard King is a must-read (or listen) for any fantasy lover. It's got everything you could want: dragons, romance, mystery, and a cliffhanger that will leave you begging for more.

Kora knows that she is close to getting her revenge but that changes when she meets Derek. They are both magical beings that keep to the shadows. Kora knows that it is dangerous to be out in the open as she has been hiding for so long. So when Derek offers to take her to the city she agrees as that is the only way to get close to her goal. Derek knows that he can never tell Kora the truth as she will hate him as he killed her family. Now that Kora has told Derek the truth she realises that she has to keep him safe as they will come for him. Derek knows that he needs to tell her the truth but that could destroy everything. But will they make it out alive as the enemies have just grown. Will Derek find out the truth about his fellow dragons? A good read. Glad to see Merrill again. Kora has lived so many life times alone and she really needs to avenge her family for everyone’s sake. Derek is lost and he has been alone for so long being used as a weapon. Major cliffhanger.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC copy. This is my voluntary review. Can’t wait for part 2

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Another awesome book by my favorite authors. Never disappointed in any of her work. Highly recommend her to everyone.

There is nothing for me to say...nothing for me to do...other than riot. I absolutely refuse to wait until the middle of January to find out how this story ends! UGH!

I'm normally really good about not buying or requesting books that are part of a series...but this one got by me somehow. When I tell you that I literally didn't put this book down; from start to finish, I was enthralled. I read other reviews, and some of them mentioned needing more world building, but I disagree. In my opinion, this was everything it should've been - except published closer to the second book. There are definitely things that could be expounded on, but I never felt like that detracted from the storyline in any way. In fact, I think it helped keep me interested since there wasn't a ton of lore or information I had to slog through or remember.

This book was...chef's kiss. I definitely think there are going to be some who don't like it, but for me, I absolutely loved it. I will definitely be reading more books by Donna Grant - without question.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Donna for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed Kora going on a quest for vengeance and her needing Derek, as well as the interesting plot twists. I loved Derek's inner turmoil of deciding to help either Kora or help Villette in order to free his people. It felt like the book could've used more world building, as well as more background on the characters. It also would've been nice to see more emotional development between Kora and Derek. It did end on a cliff hanger, and I'm curious to see what happens next, so I will most likely read the second book.

This book was amazing! The writing was so beautiful and it was very enjoyable to read. And the romance was so good! It was such an enjoyable read.

This book was alright but not my favorite, I like that it was faster paced as opposed to a slow burn.
This is a more story based pace than like epic fantasy and world building, so don't expect extremely descriptive things like the layout of the land, this is is great for the times you want to just read a book that doesn't drag out everything and the story just progresses.
I do think Kora and Derek were cute together.
This book does end kind of cliffy, just enough that I want to read the next one cause I want to know what happens I'm invested enough to want to know :)

Thank you netgalley for the arc

Dammit Donna! Did you really need to make it a cliffhanger like that?! Kora and Derek are great characters. Both broken and full of distrust. And yet, there is an undeniable attraction. Placed within the realm of the Dragon Kings, it is a great addition to the wonderful series of Donna.

But also if you haven’t read those (although I would highly recommend it) you can read the Bastard King perfectly as a stand alone, only to find yourself cursing at Donna for not having the second part of this duology ready now. Because I really, really need to know how this story will end. Four out of five stars and a very special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Noooooooo,, now I have to wait, I love these dragon kings! Can a hellhound and a dragon ever be in love? This is the question for Derrick and Kora. Kora is the last of her people seeking revenge for their deaths. Derrick has secrets that Kora can never know about. Be aware even though it’s a cliffhanger it’s a great read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

SPORTOCHICK’S MUSINGS: The stunning ending of The Bastard King (The Bastard Duology book 1) stopped my heart, held it suspended, and my own being cried immediately for book 2.

The whole premise of this book was surprising, exciting and ties in nicely with the Dragon King series. The introduction of Kora in chapter one creates the fast-paced flow of this storyline where she is a fearless protector warrior with a mission. I like her stick-to-it-iveness on her secretive end game at all costs. She was a stubborn smart warrior and an exciting character.

When Derek enters the story, I was ready for some unhappy dramatic occurrences but ultimately, he surprised me. Slowly throughout the story the reader finds the reason behind his anger and need for revenge. This area was handled with finesse and the reader will appreciate how he comes to terms with everything.

Author Donna Grant incorporates several characters from the previous Dragon King series and you will find out what happens to several key characters from Dragon Born.

The stunning ending of The Bastard Duology book 1 stopped my heart, held it suspended, and my own being cried immediately for book 2. Read the book and let me know you agree.

This installment in the Dragon Kings world is riveting. It was a big surprise to find out what Kora was. Merrill was an unexpected twist as well. I actually said "No" when I read the ending!