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!

The Bastard King (The Bastard Duology, #1) by Donna Grant
I gave the book 4 stars - This book is a cliffhanger and I do not like a book that does this. I don't mind if a story continues on - but I like to get to a HEA for the one I'm reading. I hope the December book clears things up.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed Page-turner Scary Tear-jerker Unpredictable.

For me the romance aspect was missing in this book. It was mainly sexual tension which was solved very instantly. I'm an angst girlie, I like when the characters are not getting what they so much desire. But then again it works for some. The plot overall was good same as the writing. But honestly I was not hooked. I dunno like there was the main plot and then there were more elements added and I'm like what's happening now. And what's up with them saying aye like they are pirates (but they are not and everytime I read aye I imagined them on a ship and sailor clothes but anyway).

3 ⭐️ this book was good, was it a masterpiece ? No but I had a good time while reading it, the book kept my attention and had me wanting more.

The Bastard King - a quick start duology

The bastard King begins with some intense burn between Kora and Derrick - the world building is choppy at best, but there are 2 earlier books that I haven't read. The author drops the nuances of the tale and backstories continually and the tale ends in a cliffhanger. The storyline takes frequent dips and turns and is not lyrical as most fantasy compositions go. The addition of the Scottish( i think) accent to when the characters speak seems at odds when it doesn't appear when they mindspeak.
Overall, it was a quick read but leaves the reader confused as to who is the MC and why the title? I would like to read the sequel to resolve my doubts.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book!

The idea of this book had me excited to read it. The story sounded interesting and made it sound like a good read. The characters are well thought out and the banter is fun. The drawback is that their attraction is intense and overdone. I unfortunately did not finish the book due to the the fact that the writing seemed choppy and did not pull me into the world. The sentences were nondescript and cut short.

Wow. I loved this story! It was like breadcrumbs the author kept dropping...more reveals as well as new secrets and questions. note: while not necessary to have read Dragon Arisen and Dragon Born, this story is more robust if those have been read first. I can't wait to read the sequel to this story. Thank goodness it will be a fast follower!

The first book in the duology. The story of Derek and Kora, who are bonded forever by a chance encounter. They embark on a journey together that won't be easy, because, besides all the dangers, it's the secrets that threaten their relationship the most, or rather the things that come out too late.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgalley

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

I put this book down at 40%, due to my own personal preferences in writing style

The world building was interesting. Kora's backstory could have drawn me in, however I struggled with the prose. I tend to find consistently short sentences immersion breaking and found the prose to be almost exclusively in this style.
It is a personal preference, and the author created an interesting and rich world that I would otherwise be interested in exploring.

I really liked the premise of the story and the beginning of the book leads to a lot of intrigue, but ultimately the storyline felt pretty flat. The characters had a lot of insta love and no real tension or understanding of the connection . I wish there was a bit more depth because I did still follow the story and was intrigued by the Kora's backstory.

Thank you for the arc and opportunity to read this book! ❤️

Now let me start with this... I personally DNF'd this book.

If tiktok got ahold of this book though... I think they would eat it up.

Doing some extra research, I learned that this is a prequel to another series - which would clear up A LOT of the problems I had with this book.

I was under the impression this was a stand alone series - so when it felt like I was just kind of dropped into the story and not a lot was explained I wasn't sure if that was an error on the world building or I was just missing information somehow. Clearly, the fault was on me there because there is a whole other series that, if I had read, would rectify this situation.

Now, this story does feel somewhat fresh after all the other fantasy books I've read. I was intrigued to learn what was going on with Derek and Kora. What was going on with the dragons? What *is* Kora? Who is Villette, and what is the connection with her and Derek? This is what kept me reading.

Now, what made me DNF this book? The romance and the writing. It felt weirdly immediate. They seem to immediately come together (pun not intended), and then every moment they are alone after that it's just them trying to fight the urge to bone each other - and they are not successful. Some of the time that's fine - others, I'm just trying to get through the plot and get information without them burning for each other from one look.

The writing at times also felt very off. It took me about 20% of the way through to get used to it and get into a rhythme where the words didn't feel choppy in my head. The sentences felt fractured at times and it felt like it was missing some description - but as I said, I seemed to get used to it part way through the book. The beginning it just seemed very jarring and off putting...

I really wanted to like this book because the premise was interesting, and I really liked Derek and Kora as characters, but I unfortunately didn't make it all the way through.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I am always looking for the next Dragon Kings book so was super excited to see this one!

This is going to be hard to review without giving away any secrets but will try! Along the way, I was so intrigued to figure out what Kora was as we can see that she is not human when she does not die when killed.

Who is the mysterious voice in Derek's head and how is he enslaved to Villette? Where is Merrill?

I could not put the book down and loved it BUT just a warning - there is a huge cliffhanger ending so now I am dying here waiting to find out what happens! I have to say that there has not been a Dragon King book that I have not loved.

Thank you DL Grant, LLC and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I unfortunately DNF'd this book. The writing style felt a bit too much like a fanfic and I found it hard to get into the story.

The plot was very interesting and I am a die hard fan of enemies to lovers in fantasy books, so I was really looking forward to reading and loving this book. But the way Derek was thinking of how "he has a hole that no women has been able to fill" was just...for lack of a better worth cringey.

I really enjoyed the adventure of this book, and the lore of the story. I loved the romance and the slow-burn of the main characters, and the way it takes for them to realize their love.

In saying that, I do have to rate it a bit lower because I felt that the tone of the writing was a bit juvenile for beings that are hundreds of years old. I wanted to enjoy the book a lot more than I did, but I did enjoy the story!

Loved reading the mesmerizing & spellbinding paranormal story. Derek, a dragon, wants to get to know Kora, a magical being, better. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written full of mystery and romance, and a must read riveting love story. Can't wait to read the next story in the series by the phenomenal author, Donna Grant!

The book started off a little slow but it quickly changed into something very interesting. I love the story line, the romance, the characters. All of it! It was very captivating and I devoured this book in a day. I can not wait for the next one!

Various characters from previous novels in the Dragon Kings series appear in The Bastard King: Merrill, Lotti, Katla, and of course, the villain, Villette. But here we meet Derek, a new dragon who doesn't seem to know anything about the dragons' history on Zora and who is a slave to Villette's commands. Then there is Kora, a type of creature we've not met before in Donna Grant's Dark Universe. She has her own personal vendetta against Villette. As Derek and Kora start to develop feelings for each other, their conflicting backgrounds seem likely to tear them apart. Finally, there is another new character: Miena, who is locked away in the palace and keeps trying to regain her freedom. When she ultimately does, all hell breaks loose, resulting in a cliffhanger ending. While this novel can be read as a stand-alone, it's better to be familiar with the background of all these characters. Can't wait to find out what happens next in The Uncrowned King, the second novel in the Bastard Duology. As always, Donna Grant never fails to deliver suspenseful, action-packed tales.