This amazing story is Merrill and Katla's story. Katla was introduced in the Dragon Kings series in Dragon Born, which is another exceptional story in this series. Dragon Marked can be read as standalone, but to really comprehend the depth of Katla's backstory, I would highly recommend also reading Dragon Born. this love story between the King of Orange dragons and Katla, who is more than she originally seemed in Dragon Born, was beautiful, sad and joyous at the same time. Questions about "the entity" are answered and new ones arise. These little hints dropped in the story guaranteed I'll be reading the next book. Highly recommend this unique story!

honestly I did really like this book but it started off super slow for me and I just couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to but I continued to read in hopes it would get better. Maybe it was the writing I wasn't used to, some words were difficult to understand and most of the time it would confuse me, like-
EX: "It's verra strong" (very??)
"That isna to say I didna want to. I did. Which is why I didna.”
Maybe it's just me but I just wasnt a fan of the writing🤧.

Anyway... If you push past that it's a good book.
Also the spice was great 👀

Thanks netgalley and the publisher for this free copy in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻!

This was a great read - 3.75 stars 🌟

I wasn’t aware this book was book 9 in the series so there was some backstory which I felt there was a few gaps in my understanding of the world, however this disconnect is likely due to the context being in the previous books.

There was a few points where the book felt dull during the middle, where I think the additional context would help engage the reader a bit more.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to any lovers of dragons, fantasy /romantasy readers

The story:
A redemption journey ending in hea. I mean, can't get better!
The plot:
He was deceived by the enemy and feels he betrayed his kind, in pain, regretting his past decisions, and filled with rage.
She was led to believed dragons killed her family, and spent the last years of her life hunting them. Now that she knows the truth, feels gilty about the lifes she unfairly took.
Together, they embarc a travesy to find the real culprit of their sins and make her pay. Only they never expected to find a bigger threat and also fall in love in the process.

Let me begin telling you this book number 10th in a series. So there's A LOT-and I mean A LOT- of history in this world, which is probably reviewed in the previous books and you are not seeing. You can tell both mmc and fmc development goes a long way back, and it shows in the complexity of their feelings and relationships.
That being said, you can TOTALLY read this and understand the entirety of the story if you haven't read any of the previous books ( such as me), so kudos to Donna for it. You nailed it.

I loved the complexity of the world, the magic system, and how you get several races intertwined. It's really unique. Also loved the multiples pov's tho I prefer them to be identified as such. you learn who's talking on the first page of the character, but no name on the title.

🌶Spice lvl is open door, but there's not much along the story. You get THE scene, and it all goes done beautifully.

All in all, 4,5 stars out of 5 for me.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

Definitely recommend if you love fantasy and romance stories ✨️

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Yet another hit by one of my favorite authors. I can't wait for the next book by her. Highly recommend her work to everyone.

This is a great read.. So much turmoil and pain. Katla thinks she has nothing to lose. Saving three children is the first chink in her armor. Meeting Merrill yet another. The "entity" is a shocking thing and it's war against the dragons makes sense in the end. I loved the characters and their connections in this story.

So embarrassingly when I initially picked this book I didn’t realize it was part of a series. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get into it because of that however that is not what I got at all. I was able to follow the story easily and loved the backdrop as well as the dragons of course. This is such a beautiful story I’m going to read the rest now. Would recommend for any avid fan of fantasy/Romantasy.

i stared this book 3.5 stars because I didn't realize this was part of a series/ world of books.

This is in no fault to the book because the author dopes recap you I'll say but even with a recap there were some gaps or so it felt that way for me. Again no fault to the author because you don't want to spend too much time on a book recapping the previous books.

That said the story did feel boring at time but that's because there was no build up or playfulness in the dynamic of the relationship between the main characters. It felt bit rushed and i was confused as how the relationship escalated so quickly when there was no actual build up.

The disconnect may have been that I didn't read the previous books in the series. I plan on reading those book and this possible giving this book a reread. (which i tend to do when i judge as book harshly or read a book accidently out of order in a series.)

Thank you Net Galley and DL Grant, LLC for the eARc.

Merrill can’t seem to get a break: first Stonemore and Villette; then all sorts of self-doubts and anger issues. Meeting Katla seems to help but she has her own problems. In the midst of working to help each other (while simultaneously falling in love), they are suddenly attacked by several different evil beings and enemies. How they manage to save themselves and each other is the crux of this novel. However, I couldn’t help wondering if Merrill hadn’t already suffered enough before being subjected to the cruelty inflicted upon him in Dragon Marked. It is all a bit much.

This is definitely not a standalone novel; the back-story from previous books in this series is essential to better understanding what is going on. As always, Donna Grant ends the novel with an unexpected development and an Epilogue that hints at things to come. I’m looking forward to reading future novels in the world of the Dragon Kings.

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this book from NetGally, and let me tell you it was amazing 🤩.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Okay I have to be honest when I applied for this ARC I was unaware that it was book 9 💀. However it can be read as a standalone! Even though I came in the middle of the overarching plot line this book follows a new couple. And was fantastic on its own! ( I read it in a 24hr time frame )

The world and story were really easy to follow, which is impressive considering the fact that I had no prior context. Now I would recommend reading all of the books in order so that you have a more in depth and detailed understanding of what had happened prior to the events of this book. But even if you don’t want to commit to something that long this book is still AMAZING!

The character growth was evident and this couples relationship was just so wholesome. I was out here giggling and kicking my feet for these two. On top of that there was a captivating story line that kept me on my toes the whole time.

Donna Grants ability to make me feel a spectrum of emotions in such a short amount of time is truly impressive and I would 100% recommend this book to fantasy and romantasy readers!

Pop on the kettle and get settled in for a world submerged with magic, mates and a whole lot of Scottish accents (if you have an inner monologue like myself it’s fabulous listening to the voices in your head as you read!). This book beautifully encapsulates Merrill’s and Katla’s past to be able to appreciate their journey throughout the pages of this book.

I was fortunate to receive Dragon Marked as an ARC which was such a pleasure to read - Donna balanced emotion with drama perfectly.

Full Review Available on Goodreads

I have been waiting a long time for this book and was sadly disappointed.

This book was depressing, frustrating, slow and boring. The MMC and FMC lacked chemistry and only seemed to bring each other down. There was none of the fun, humor and excitement of past books in the series. I felt like the book lacked any heart.

The only upside was progression of the overall plot and closure with one of the villains.

This was an ok read. I found it a little boring in spots but all in all it was a good book. I found it a bit underwhelming.

Katla is a Druid and for many many years lived in a valley filled with vines that would trap dragons. She finds out that a Star Person, Villette, manipulated her and finally breaks free of her. Merrill is an orange Dragon King and was held captive by Villette. Merrill and Katla both feel they need to prove themselves by defeating Villette. But while hunting her, a couple of more enemies start to pursue them. Merrill will do whatever it takes to stay with Katla.
These are such good books but are so hard to explain. Dragons. Strange entity. Forgiveness. Action. Steamy. Second chance for love.

* VOLUNTARILY READ AND REVIEWED FOR NETGALLEY *

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley. Thank you so much!

This was such an entertaining read! Set against a historical backdrop, this book is perfect for people that enjoy possessive dragon males in an engaging story with emotional depth.

Couldn’t put this down once I started it and it lent itself as perfect escapism for my afternoon.

I was honored to read this book (I absolutely love dragons) as an arc and I honestly enjoyed the story. This book has everything you look for in a fantasy novel.
I loved the characters and the depth of healing and emotional connection within this book. I will definitely be recommending it to anyone who is looking for their next adventure. I had such an amazing journey with this read and I will most definitely be checking out more reads by this author.