33 reviews for:

Fire Rising

Donna Grant

3.82 AVERAGE

loverofromance's profile picture

loverofromance's review

5.0

Summary

Sammi Miller, has always lived a tame life, a bar owner in Scotland. She loves doing what she does, and it honors her mother who is gone. But when she learns that her partner, best friend, and ex lover, had stolen money from a mob to support the bar, she ends up seeing him killed, her bar blown apart, shot in the shoulder and on the run from the mob. After a while of being on the run, she knows she needs to find a place of safety, even just for a few days. And there is one place that she has in mind...Dreagan Industries. She has a half sister, Jane, and she knows that she will be safe. But when she arrives, she meets the stunning Tristan. He is gorgeous, sexy and has a past that haunts him. Tristan and Sammi end up together, when Sammi's enemies increase, and the mystery of why become more pronounced. Tristan knows he will do everything in his power to keep his mate safe from their enemies, but will their love be enough to save them...

The Hero

Tristan, is the newest member of the Dragon Kings. He has a past, but he has no knowledge of his past, or how to interact with his twin. The truths that are revealed in this story, connect to Dark Sword series. Tristan is a strong hero, despite the fact he has no idea who he really is, he knows where he belongs...with the Dragon Kings. He is part of a brotherhood. His reaction to Sammi is intense, he knows that she is something special, but he can't pinpoint why. What I loved most about Tristan, is the way he is about Sammi. He has alpha male tendencies...the need to protect and fight for what is his. And even though his character is still struggling because of issues of his past. He is the type of hero, that doesn't focus on the past so much as the present and future. He is a fighter, gorgeous in his dragon form, and very sensual. I loved seeing the connection to the other series. Although I am not sure how I liked the way he was with his twin. I felt so bad for Ian, and there were moments in this story that it was just heartbreaking. But you also see how Tristan develops as a character and the way he changes is very engaging.

The Heroine

Sammi Miller, is a business owner, and in the beginning quite innocent of anything that exists other than humans. Sammi, even though she has a half sister, doesn't know what to make of their relationship. She misses her mother, who raised her and started the pub. At the beginning you see how close she was to her. Sammi's world is torn apart and now is running for her life. Sammi is reluctant to go to her sister, because she doesn't want to risk her safety. Sammi is independent and stubborn, and is adamant that this fight is her own. But the moment she enters Dragan Industries, that all changes. Despite being injured and battle worn from running for a whole month with a bullet in her shoulder...this woman has fortitude. I came to admire her character. She did have some flaws, I felt she was being a bit too hardheaded about some things. And I wanted to shake her and call her "idiot", but I could also see where she was coming from. If I was in her place, I might have done the same thing. What I liked about her character was her fighting spirit and how she never gives up. Sammi is put through the ringer, and what courage she has. I loved how she wants to make her own way and not lean on the hero. Although with Tristan...as sexy as he is...it would be the highest temptation. Sammi was a fascinating character and she had many qualities that I look for in a heroine.

Plot and Story Line
Now first I want to say that if you plan on reading this series, you need to start with the Dark Sword series. I would highly recommend it. There are many connections to that series. You don't have to, but it will make more sense if you do. Now it is a historically based series, but has the same tone of paranormal elements as the Dark Kings have. It is very well done, so I would recommend it. And who can resist Donna Grant? Because I can't. :) Now about the plot of Fire Rising...it was exciting and thrilling. There was so much going on here that if you knew it all, you might become overwhelmed at the beginning. But Grant has a wonderful way of weaving together a story and the way she blends in scenes, characters, climaxes and attention to detail, you won't be overwhelmed in any way. This has everything you need for a stunning paranormal romance that will you have on edge from beginning to end. There is no end to the action. I loved the tone of the story, which is full of suspense and unique plot twists. The romance itself is wonderful, and we see as the characters grow....so does their relationship. The steam isn't super hot, but it is plenty sexy, and I loved seeing how these two come together. There is quite a depth to the story as well, and the villains of the story, oh my...they were written so well. They definitely prove themselves as matches for the Dragon Kings...only the Dragon Kings are experienced, talented, and nothing can stop them. Loved how they band together to fight off the latest threat. The ending...I enjoyed it, as for Sammi and Tristan there is no cliffhanger. But there is a small one, so I hope it continues off in the next book. I can hardly wait...

Cover
I have really enjoyed the covers of this series. They are what drew me to this author and this series. On Fire Rising, we have a image of the hero (Tristan) and what a gorgeous model this is. Oh yeah I could put this on my wall, frame it and gaze at it all day. The imprint of the red dragon on the center, is simply delightful. I never know how I will feel about tats, some are good and some aren't. But this cover...is HOT!!. I really also liked the swirling mist, which goes with certain aspects of the story. They did great with this cover, because it goes with the story hand in hand. Hot Cover...Sexy book...perfect match!

Overall View
Donna Grant brings to us another great installment to the Dark Kings. Fire Rising is a intensely weaved story that is full of compelling characters, steamy action, fast paced scenes, and a love story that is deliciously sexy.
enchantressofbooks's profile picture

enchantressofbooks's review

4.0

Yikes! Catching up on reviews!!! Okay... There's a lot of mystery surrounding Tristan and I've been intrigued from book one! Mind you, I haven't read the other books from the spin of series so I don't know his past, but I'm completely, utterly captivated. That's how awesome Donna's writing is!

Sammie's world has been torn apart and must now seek refuge with the one person she hardly knows, her half sister, who happens to reside at Dreagan. So the story of Tristan and Sammie begin. Lots of bad things are happening to Sammie and Tristan is determined to keep her safe. She fights her feelings for him at first and of course, something big has to happen for her to wake up and realize what they have between them is real.

The character development for both the hero and heroine is great and I love that in this series, we get to see the other cast of characters we've come to know and love from the previous books. Donna keeps us wanting more and this is a true testament of a great series!

This and other reviews available at Viviana, Enchantress of Books

tanyad74's review

4.0

I have a soft spot for Tristan. He was having a hard enough time adjusting to becoming a Dragon King, but now he must accept all these new revelations about his past. It is just not the timing for Sammi to come into his life. I wanted things for him, in hopes to ease some of his confusion. Yep, definitely have a soft spot for that Dragon King!

I really enjoyed Sammi's character. She's got fight, and like I've said before, that is my favorite kind of heroine. She doesn't want to bring those at Draegan down with her so she tries to stay on the run. Silly Sammi. I'm pretty sure she doesn't need to protect them! I'm glad that she is going to get the opportunity to really have a relationship with her sister Jane. Surrounding herself in the circle of the Dragon Kings family really helps her to relax and trust.

I am going nuts with these attacks on the Dragon Kings, and they just know who is behind them. I know Con is trying to make sure he doesn't disrupt the close group of Kings by being absolutely sure about the enemy, but this is going on WAY too long. The ending just proves that they have no time to waste and made my anxiety for the next book pretty high. The Kings need to get back to the Dark, and fast. A character (one of my favorites) is counting on them!

Luckily I have the next book already because this is definitely one I need to marathon! I really enjoyed it and am so nervous for the next book. This storyline is so intense!

Right now, if you buy the kindle book, you can Whispersync the audio for $3.49! I love it when I find those Whispersync deals! Check first though to make sure that deal is still available when this post comes out.

This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
fsmeurinne's profile picture

fsmeurinne's review

5.0

I am enjoying the audiobooks for this series, the Dark Kings is a very interesting concept, Dragon shifters, this time we get Tristan's story, one I really wanted to know, with his past been erased and being the newest King Dragon, and we get Sammie, Jane's sister, so this was going to be interesting and it was. Looking forward to get the rest.
shannonhdempsey's profile picture

shannonhdempsey's review

4.0

This is the second book of the Dark Kings series. It's about Tristan, a new Dragon King, and Sammi, not only a mortal but the sister of another Dragon King's mate. Like the first book, this book has a great hook at the beginning and introduces the characters almost flawlessly. It also has more characters from Donna Grant's other series. I actually prefer this book to the first. I feel like the book is more balanced.
Like the first book there is still so much we don't know but there are some things that are revealed throughout the book. Unlike the first book, I think this book does a better job at adding suspense with all the unanswered questions. It's also easier to follow than the first book. There's still a lot going on but it's less confusing. This book is amazing. It has romance, action, and suspense.
redhairedashreads's profile picture

redhairedashreads's review

4.0

Sammi, Jane’s sister (Dawn’s Desire), is on the run and heads to Dreagan. While resting there she meets Tristan (Duncan) and is instantly attracted to him. Their relationship was quick, steamy, and filled with danger.

I really liked Sammi. She was strong, stubborn, and yet, very vulnerable. Sammi has to face a lot of challenging things throughout this book: dragons are real, the dark fae are after her, and most importantly, her own feelings about love.

Tristan, also known as Duncan the Warrior, is struggling to find out who he is. Is he Tristan? Is he Duncan? Can he be both? The struggle gets even harder after meeting Sammi because she keeps triggering memories of his past. His instant attraction to Sammi makes him leary and standoffish at times.

I really liked these two and the trials they faced. The story keeps getting better and more complex with each of these books. Who is after the Kings? Is it Ulrik or is someone else pulling the strings? I can’t wait to see what happens next because I don’t remember at this point (been 5 years). Also what is about Rhi???
lemon_teeth's profile picture

lemon_teeth's review

4.0
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

doorasbookshelf's review

2.0
emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

 Spice: 0.5 stars
Book itself: 2 stars

I have not read the first book and I don't know if I would've enjoyed this more if I had but to be honest, it was quite dull. It was interesting enough in the beginning - then it got dull as we met the "love interest".
No chemistry between the characters, medium-burn romance, where we first get the romance aspect at the last 50-ish pages.

Hopefully the 3rd book is better.

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hatgirl's review


5/19/18


I can never go long without some shifter dragon UF :)