So, the story continues... more dragons, more romance and more action!
The Narrators were great and the spice was spicy! It's dark romantasy for sure!

This is my second read by Penelope and this book did not disappoint. Talon is my favorite. The story is well written. Loved it.

LOVED this!
Picking up where the first book ended, we are taken back to the world of Calista and the death king - Talon! I just can't get enough of this character.
We learn a little more about Talon's past and with that it brings a deeper level of understanding of his past actions. The building in this story is next level fantastic.
This is a story that pulls you in and completley absorbs you to the point that time almost stands still.
The ending has left me wanting more and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment.
I would without a doubt recommend this!
Thankyou to Netgalley and to Dreamscape media for allowing me to listen to the audiobook.

I had the absolute pleasure of listening to Blood of Dragons as an ALC, and wow, it did not disappoint! The narration is just as incredible as the first book—immersive and full of emotion, perfectly capturing the intensity of this epic tale. I’m completely obsessed with this series. Penelope Barsetti's storytelling is everything I could ever want: compelling characters, detailed world-building, and high-stakes drama that keeps me hooked from start to finish.

And now, with the third book The Dragon King set to release on October 31, 2024, I can barely contain my excitement! I can't wait to see where this journey leads. If you haven’t started this series yet, do it now—you won’t regret it!

This book is a huge upgrade compared to the first book. In this sequel, we get a better idea of Talon's past and how he was raised. There are multiple "prequel" chapters that delve deeper into his personal life and why he doesn't open himself up to anyone else. After these chapters, I appreciate the fact that I can understand him better, especially since I was not a fan of him after the first book. It was just a bit off to me when we would get chapters in the present time line, and then suddenly go back in time during a prequel chapter. It was a bit confusing at first. Talon does seem like a completely different person at times, but other times, he still comes off as very controlling and possessive, but after the chapters explaining his past, it's a little more understandable but I wouldn't quite say that he is redeemed in my eyes. I just wish he would explain everything to Calista.

We are also introduced to new fantasy creatures including elves, orcs, behemoths, and even more dragons, and new locations and I honestly got Lord of the Rings vibes when it came to the elves and the Elvish city.

Finding out what Talon had to give up in order to gain his powers so that he could take revenge didn't really take me by surprise, but still made me very sad for him either way. I'm hopeful that he can be redeemed.

After the first book, I wasn't sure if I would continue the series, but after this ARC, I could absolutely see myself checking out the next book that comes out. Rating this 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Penelope Barsetti, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the audio ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Blood of Dragons, the second book in the series, continues right where The Death King left off, plunging readers back into Calista and Talon’s world. As Calista sets out to find the dragons mentioned in her father’s map, Talon embarks on a mission of his own: to find her. The tension between them is palpable as Calista battles her conflicting feelings—both hate and longing—for Talon while making critical decisions that will shape her future.

This installment deepens the world-building by introducing a village of elves, where Calista feels the weight of loneliness and isolation as one of the few remaining of her kind. Having parted ways with her dragon, Inferno, to grant them freedom, she craves human connection, which makes her feelings for Talon even more complicated. Talon's presence looms large, and readers are offered glimpses into his past through flashbacks, helping us understand his actions and motivations. Although his rage has softened, his dark past and the trade he made with an evil spirit make it difficult to fully trust him.

The chemistry between Calista and Talon remains electric, with a few steamy scenes sprinkled throughout. However, while their brief reunion ignites sparks, lingering doubts about Talon’s trustworthiness linger—he is, after all, the Death King who has captured and destroyed kingdoms without mercy.

The narration in the audiobook version is superb, capturing the emotion and tension between characters perfectly. If you enjoyed the first book, this one will not disappoint—especially if you're a fan of cliffhangers!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance listener copy. My review is based on my personal views.

Blood of Dragons by Penelope Barsetti had me completely hooked from start to finish. The world-building and high-stakes tension of the Death series kept me glued to the page. The character development is exceptional, and I loved watching the protagonists grow through the intense challenges they faced.
The pacing never lets up, and the blend of romance and action made it such a thrilling read.
I’m absolutely obsessed with this series and can’t wait to see what the next installment brings.
Definitely a must-read

NARRATORS: Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo did an exceptional job, adding the extra needed to bring a great story into an unforgettable story.


I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Blood of Dragons (Death book 2)
Penelope Barsetti
Blood of Dragons is the second book in the series: it picks up where book 1 drops off.
We once again enter the world of Calista and the Death King, Talon. In this book readers are allowed a peek into Talon’s past through flashbacks. Talon’s background information is interesting and does help the reader to understand him and his actions. Talon was enraged at the end of book 1 but he is more thoughtful, calmer and not as angry in book 2. Much of his anger was toward Calista who he felt had betrayed him. He refuses to share his story with Calista. They are reunited briefly in some spicy scenes and declare their love for each other. While I want to trust Talon, I am still suspicious; he has captured and destroyed kingdoms without compassion. He made a trade with an evil spirit.
Book 1 ended with Calista and her dragon on their own, Inferno. The two return to her home kingdom (which was destroyed in book 1), where she discovers a map, her father left for her showing the location of the free dragons. Following the map, she travels to the area when she arrives, she finds a peaceful kingdom of Elves serenely occupying the forest. She is reunited with her uncle who is married to the queen with an unforgiving heart. Peace doesn’t last long because an old adversary attacks the forest.
At the end of book 2 the reader knows what happened to Talon and why he is called Death King. He compares what he has been through with what Calista has gone through. What he went through was terrible but was nothing compared to what she has experienced, captured, beat, tortured and raped.
I received a copy of this audiobook for review purposes. My reviews are always my personal opinions.

This was far less smutty that my other reads/listens by this fabulous author. This was sad and interesting and I was pretty into it. Gah the gruesome stuff with the family!
The narration was just as amazing all the the rest of the listens as well. I love how these exist and I love that I get to listen to them.

I’m glad I stuck with this series because I loved this one! I felt like the pacing was perfect and literally read it in one sitting. I really enjoyed getting a better look at talons past. I really like the plot and world building.

*Blood of Dragons*, the second book in Penelope Barsetti's *Death* series, continues the intense story of Calista and Talon, the Death King. Following Talon's betrayal, Calista seeks refuge with the elves but finds herself still emotionally entangled with the man she should hate. This installment adds more depth to both characters, revealing Talon’s hidden vulnerabilities and Calista’s struggle to reconcile her feelings and past trauma.

The narration by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo is a standout feature of the audiobook. Their duet performance is captivating, bringing each character to life with distinct voices and emotions. Master perfectly portrays Calista’s inner strength and vulnerability, while Ferraiuolo gives Talon a menacing yet complex edge. Their alternating narration adds a dynamic layer to the storytelling, making it an immersive and engaging listen.

With strong character development, emotional depth, and great narration, *Blood of Dragons* is a must-listen for fans of the series. Looking forward to Book 3!

I really liked the first book in this series and this one is just as good. I appreciate that we get more of Talon's backstory in this one and probably would have appreciated his story and him more if we had know a little more about his past in the first book. There is definitely more character building in this one and I love the story progression thus far. I still feel really bad for Calista and she deserves a partner that will burn the world down for her and I think Talon is getting there despite previous questionable motives.

Now that we know more about Talon's past and why he is the way he is, I'm interested to see how this is all going to resolve.

Once again, narration done by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo is great.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars ⭐️

I was completely amazed and totally shocked with the way that I loved the first book in this series. This book, begins right at the moment that the first book ended, and we are thrown right back into the world of Calista and the Death King...Talon.

I think that the thing I loved the most in this book is that we FINALLY get to see behind the curtain and begin to understand a little bit about Talon's past. And his past is EXTREMELY important in letting us understand his actions of the present.

One of the things that I mentioned in the review of first book was that Talon was an antagonist that you don't necessarily want to root for, yet you somehow find yourself rooting for him anyway. In this book, we get his back story. It was such a delight to finally be able to understand some of the reasons that caused his behavior and some of the things that he went through that caused his heart to harden. Was he 100 percent right? No, absolutely not. But we do make strides in understanding the WHY behind his current actions.

This book takes off immediately and before I knew it, the narrator was saying the "Thank you for listening to Audible" or whatever it is that they say when the book is finished. The reason that I mention that is because I totally fell into the story, and it felt like it was over in no time. Those are the best books. The books that pull you into the story - that you are so invested in them that you have no concept of time as you are in that world. This was one of those books.

And ugh....wouldn't you know it....this book ends in a way that totally sets up the next book. Was it a cliffhanger? Yes, sort of. But honestly, it just sets up the next book and gives us the first stepping stone - the stone that we currently on and lets us know that there is a path in front of us - if we are ready to step on to the next stone.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be available to the public on October 22, 2024.

This is the second book in the *Death King* series, and it’s just as amazing as the first! I loved getting more insight into Talon’s past and what his life was like before he met Calista. The ending has me super excited for the next book and I can’t wait to see how they handle their current challenges and if they’ll succeed!
This still remains as one of my fave dragon books!

Ahhh the ending... I need the next book ASAP. I loved hearing Tallon's story. There was so much angst in this book and I loved everything about it. I'm so glad the next books will be released soon so I don't have to wait long! I also love this book as an audiobook, the narrators are great! If you love dragons you should add this to your TBR!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

🖤Enemies to Lovers
🐉dragons
🖤Dark Fantasy
🐉Dual POV
🖤Multiple Timelines

This one was better than the first one. There was more character building and you understand that king more. I love that we got to see other lands. The FMC had great character growth. The dragons!!! I love both even more. The back story of Tallon was heartbreaking! I am excited to read the next one! Also…finally, I could not stand that one character…good riddance.

Blood of Dragons is bringing all emotions! We get so much more of their backstory and with all the betrayal I flew through this book. You can see why Talon is the way he is but you still feel for Calista.

I can't wait to see what comes next for Talon & Calista as I'm sure it will be explosive!

I received an audio copy of Blood of Dragons from the author and Dreamscape. Both narrators were new to me and I enjoyed the way they performed this story!

Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook ARC.

This is book 2 in the Death series. This continues the story of Talon , the Death King , and Calista. After the cliff hanger ending of the first book, Calista is on her own with her dragon.

After returning to her fallen kingdom , she finds a secret map that her father has left behind that shows where the free dragons are hiding. She journeys to this land only to find a peaceful kingdom of Elves living in the forest and is reunite with her uncle.

Talon anger has cooled and is left feeling devasted at his loss of Calista and can see the error in his ways. With his magic he astroplanes to her and tries to apologise ad begs her to come back.

However Calista peaceful forest is soon under attack from an old enemy of hers.

This book also had a lot of flashbacks on Talons past and his journey in becoming the Death King. I am excited to see where this series goes.

The narrators for this book were great and I thoroughly enjoy this story.

Penelope Barsetti does it again - 5 stars are not enough!! With this the second of the trilogy, the listener follows along between the past and the present as Talon and Calista fight the good fight as they figure out if they are fighting together or apart and for the good side or the bad. With every chapter the game gets more intense and the listener is left wanting more. I cannot wait to see where this goes next. LOVE these two!!

Blood of dragons

Picking up right where the Death King ended, Calista is on a journey to find the dragons. Talon is on a journey to find Calista. Calista struggling between the hate and longing she feels for Talon and is faced with huge decisions for her future.

Calista finds herself in a village of elves where she feels lonely and unsure of herself as one of the only left of her kind. After unfusing with Inferno to grant them freedom, she seeks human interaction making her feelings again for Ton conflicted.

We get a peek at another village and society of elves. I will say that this whole book felt like a big epilogue, a lot of anticipation- and with how short the books are, they could probably be all one. This author just loves a cliffhanger though!

Can’t say much without a spoiler for cliffhanger ending of book #1, but loved the build up between these characters again and how their separate journeys and motivations unite.

Narration was excellent. 10/10! Can’t wait for the next book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.