Review: The Dragon Heart Series by L.L. Hunter

This week I had the opportunity to read all of the Dragon Heart series by L.L. Hunter. The last book in the series is available now!

---

I received this book via Lady Amber's Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

The Dragon Heart Keeper by L.L. Hunter
Series: Dragon Heart,
Published by Vices and Virtues Publishing on 2012-12-01
Length: 37 pages
Reviewing eARC from Lady Amber's Book Tours
Rating:

Framed for a crime he didn't commit, 18 year old Ash Brandon finds himself being whisked away to what he thought was jail. Until he wakes up the next morning feeling really strange. But what's more strange are the people he meets.

When Ash discovers he is going through a frightening new metamorphosis, he has no choice but to trust these people.

Until he meets their beautiful young daughter, Eva, his whole outlook on life changes and she helps him accept who he was destined to become.

For they are the Keepers, and he is a Dragon Heart.

The Dragon Heart Keeper by L.L. Hunter is the prequel novella that started the series. When Ashley Brandon is framed for murder, his sentence is an unusual one. He must live for one year as a dragon. Ash never knew his heritage as a Dragon Heart, aka dragon shifter. Nor did he know that there was another realm parallel to this one that housed all the paranormal creatures from the story books.

Ash is an easy to like character. He’s kind, confused, and all-to-trusting. When he shifts the first time, he takes it all in stride. Then he meets his keeper, Eva, and sparks fly. Eva’s a year younger than Ash’s 18. She’s kind, the only one that can talk to him, she keeps him sane. Not to mention she’s a beautiful girl and even as a dragon Ash has teenage boy hormones 😉

The plot centers around Ash and his being the Dragon Heart. The question is why was he framed,  who were the people that were killed, and why can’t Ash remember any of it. This is a short story, clocking in at just under 40 pages. There’s a lot packed into one small package. Because of the small package, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the world they lived in. It was very 2-dimensional without much depth. However if you enjoy paranormal romance and urban-esque fantasy, than you should definitely check it out!

Final Conclusion: 

---

I received this book via Lady Amber's Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Crave by L.L. Hunter
Series: Dragon Heart,
Published by Vices and Virtues Publishing on 2014-07-01
Length: 292 pages
Reviewing eARC from Lady Amber's Book Tours
Rating:

I remember excruciating pain.
I remember unimaginable heat.
I remember an undeniably beautiful young woman.
But I’m not sure whether these things are real.

One year ago, Ash Brandon was framed and sent to an unknown realm where he learnt his fate. A fate where he held the blood of an ancient line of Dragon shifters called Dragon Hearts. The thing is, he can no longer remember. All he knows is that he is a nineteen-year-old guy who wants to study architecture and one day, take over the family business.

Then two beautiful girls show up in his life — one who is sexy as hell and could be the woman of his dreams, while the other claims to have known him from a past he cannot remember. Only there is one thing he can’t wrap his mind around — Why does he crave each of the girls?

A now eighteen-year-old Eva, a powerful Dragon Heart Keeper from the Dragon Realm, is punished by her parents and sent to the earthly realm by her witch maiden. Her memories have all been wiped clean, but why can she still remember Ash, and the undeniable bond they once shared?

Emily is a Siren princess, and she always gets what she wants. When she sets her sights on Ash, all bets are off. She will make him hers — if only his Keeper weren’t in the way.

Will Ash discover who he truly is before its too late? Or will his deadly addiction to both girls get him killed?

Crave Love - Crave Life - Crave Truth

Crave by L.L. Hunter picks up one year after the end of the prequel novella. Ash is a college student and suffers from nightmares about murders and burning. When two girls show up in his life, Ash doesn’t know which to choose. One girl is beautiful, seductive, and intriguing while the other girl claims to know him and the past he can’t recall. So who does he trust?

I’ll be honest I struggled with this book. I enjoyed the prequel novella and while there were some glaring plot holes I was willing to forgive them because it was only 40 pages AND it caught my attention to read the rest of the series. However when I started Crave, I was disappointed. Ash had no memory of what had happened in the novella and he was just as clueless as he was in the beginning which meant the reader was also clueless and confused. I was completely lost! I didn’t understand what was going on. Add in some timeline issues and I was completely clueless…just like Ash.

Ash is still a likable character, though I can’t decide if I actually like him or just feel sorry for him. His life sucks. He’s having nightmares about the night of the murders that he was convicted for in the prequel but he has no memory of them occurring. Then there are Emily and Eva constantly in the picture. Emily (as the blurb says) is a Siren and even before that is revealed, the author does some great foreshadowing to point you to the obvious. She’s seductive and her agenda isn’t known. Eva, like Ash, has no memories but she can still remember him…confused yet?! She comes to the Human Realm to find him, to be with him, but the question remains why the were separated in the first place.

The plot was kind of all over the place, or maybe that’s just me. There were times where I would be reading and think I’d skipped a page, so I’d go back and realize I hadn’t missed anything. Then there were timeline issues where the character would say it happened then the next page it’s been three weeks or they’ve been traveling together for a month. Confusing!! The world-building was a little better though than it was in the prequel. The author got into the different realms within the paranormal world and Eva and Ash traveled to a couple of them.

Overall I wasn’t that impressed with this book. The romance was awkward, the timeline was off, and the differing POV was confusing. However the ending hooked me in to read the next in the series. Cliffhangers *shakes head* I cannot handle them! If you enjoy paranormal romance, urban fantasy, check out this series.

Final Conclusion: 

---

Hunger by L.L. Hunter
Series: Dragon Heart,
Published by Vices and Virtues Publishing on 2015-05-28
Length: 222 pages
Reviewing eARC from Lady Amber's Book Tours

Eva and Ash thought they were safe.

What they don’t know is someone is watching their every move.

As the bounty on their head looms, Eva will do anything to protect Ash, even if it means trusting the enemy.

Ash must learn to work with Henry if he is to survive, and Eva must put up with both boys—and her feelings for them.

But their plan to escape the clutches of Eva's father is ruined when the trio is separated.

To find their way back together, they must all confront their own demons—in order for them to confront the Man with the Fire in his Eyes.

When you’re the last of the Dragon Hearts, everyone hungers for your blood.

Crave Love. Crave Blood. Crave Death.

Hunger by L.L. Hunter is the 2nd full length novel of the Dragon Heart series and picks up right where Crave left off. Ash is a prisoner of the Siren Princess. Eva is looking for him with the help of Henry, a wolf-shifter. Once he’s rescued though, Airicka comes up with a plan and separates the three of them. Now they have to find a way back to each other if they are ever to defeat the man with fire in his eyes.

Eva is a character that I’ve struggled to like throughout the series. She’s a girl in love and will stop at nothing to be able to be with Ash. She can come off as selfish, especially after what happened with her and Henry at the end of Crave and she’s impulsive. This impulsivity is what got them in trouble in the first place.

Henry may be my favorite character so far. He’s kind, not overbearing, and obviously in love (or maybe lust) with Eva. Yes, friends there is a love triangle of sorts going on, but it’s mostly one sided on Henry’s part. Henry is a wolf-shifter and working for Eva’s father. Something he’s not proud of and the only reason he does it is his brother.

The plot of the series finally starts to come together in this book. Ash and Eva have a forbidden love thing going on. It’s illegal to be with anyone outside of your race in this paranormal world. So Eva being mostly human is forbidden to mate with Ash, the last pureblooded  dragon heart. Obviously they didn’t follow the rules. Now the president of the Paranormal council, who also happens to be Eva’s father, has put a price on their heads. The entire paranormal community is after them. However it is still unclear as to why Ash is wanted dead.

Overall this installment of the series starts to pick up. I still don’t care for the odd POV. It’s one thing to switch POV between chapters, but this series is separated into parts. Sometimes these parts are in chronological order and sometimes they aren’t which can make for a confusing read. For example, Henry’s part in the book picks up where Airicka separated him from Ash and Eva and spans to the part when they are reunited. This is at the end of the book (or close to it), but most of the events are out of order and don’t match up with what Ash and Eva have depicted. Confusing!!! At least it is to me 😉 If you enjoy paranormal romance, though I’d classify this one as more of an urban fantasy with a touch of romance, check out the series!

Final Conclusion: 

---

Thirst by L.L. Hunter
Series: Dragon Heart,
Published by Vices and Virtues Publishing on 2016-03-31
Length: 126 pages
Reviewing eARC from Lady Amber's Book Tours

Ash and Eva have been reunited.
Henry has found his brother.
Happily ever after.
The end. Right?
Wrong.
They may be together, but all is not what it seems.
They soon discover everyone has their own goals.
Some want freedom. Some want blood. And most want answers.

Who will lose their life in the thirst for power?

Alliances will be forged, battles will be fought, and lines will be drawn.

In the thrilling conclusion to the Dragon Heart series, will Eva and Ash finally have their happily ever after?

Crave Power. Crave Blood. Crave Freedom.

Thirst by L.L. Hunter is the last book of the Dragon Heart series. War is on the horizon. Eva has been rescued from the Fae Realm by Henry, Ash, and her father, but Queen Amber of the Fae has a warning for them. Christian wants Ash dead. Why? Because he is too powerful and his power is awakening a power in the paranormal world that hasn’t been seen in millennia.

Ash is conflicted in this book. His memories are returning at a faster pace and he now knows who the people that were murdered are AND who murdered them. This is a game changer for him. He’s focused on hiding, protecting Eva at all costs. If he can give up his power he will do so willingly.

Eva has matured in this book. She’s ready to face the consequences of her actions. BUT more than that, she’s ready to have a showdown with her father. Eva wants to fight for what she believes is right: freedom. But not just her own freedom, but the freedom of every paranormal creature in the realm.

The plot focuses on Eva’s plan, leading up to the ultimate battle between herself and her father. She has to gain alliances, figure out who she can trust and who to avoid. All the Queens participate and Darcy the Vampire King is also present. I’m secretly hoping to see more of him in the spin-off series. I like him! The POVs flowed better in this installment than in previous books which added to the overall appeal.

Overall I enjoyed the conclusion to the Dragon Heart series. While it was a bit predictable, it concluded the series nicely, leaving little room for questions. I liked how Eva resolves the conflict and how it shows the paranormal community after. If you enjoy paranormal romance, urban fantasy, check out the series!

Final Conclusion: 

---

Burn by L.L. Hunter
Series: Hidden Magic,
Published by Vices and Virtues Publishing on 2016-03-31
Length: 20 pages
Reviewing eARC from Lady Amber's Book Tours

Emmaline was once the most beautiful princess in all the lands.
She was also the most powerful.
You see, she was from a long line of powerful Dragon Shifters, and the magic in her blood was pure and strong.
Everyone wanted it.
This is the story of the girl with the fire in her eyes - —the first and the last.

Eva’s ancestor, Emmaline, was once the most powerful being in existence.
She was one to be feared.
But when she fell in love with a vampire, she knew she had to make a decision: surrender her power or let it consume her.

After all, her father warned her of Darcy.
She only found out too late.

In the exciting new spin- off to of the Dragon Heart series,
Discover why some loves are never meant to be.

When you play with fire, you are bound to burn

Burn by L.L. Hunter is a prequel novella for the Hidden Magic series, a spin-off of Dragon Heart. This short story (under 30 pages) sets the stage for the new series while telling the history between Emma and Darcy.

Emma was first introduced in Thirst as Eva’s ancestor. She’s a powerful witch, but also half dragon shifter. She can be either. Her magic is a curse to her. One she feels she cannot control. Because of this, she wants to do away with all magical abilities. In the Human Realm, she offers asylum to those paranormal creatures who escape their world by suppressing their magic. She thinks this is the right thing to do and will continue to do it until she finds the person she is looking for.

Darcy was a young vampire when he took in Emmaline, the princess of the Dragon Realm. She was running scared and she ran straight to his palace. The problem lied in falling in love with her. When he tastes her blood for the first time, he awakens the dragon within her. Emma, scared of what she’s done, flees, but not before casting a spell, locking Darcy within the walls of his castle.

Now the two are pitted against each other. Darcy, now free, offers protection to his realm and those in the Human world. He offers a safe haven for them to use their magic in his club and live as humans the rest of the time. This is in direct contrast to what Emma is doing. I’m excited to see how this will play out in the series to come. I’d love to see more of Darcy 😀

Final Conclusion:

---

 

As a thank you to those that are following me on Facebook, there is a giveaway going on! One person will win an eBook (value up to $9.99) of their choice, and 5 runner-ups will receive a goody-bag with bookmarks, keychains, etc. Click the image above to enter! Good luck ☺️

 

Related Posts