⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Definitely. The Dragon Kings make a spectacularly united stand against the evil Miena, and gain valuable information about this realm that once again threatens the future of the dragons.

My people have been hunted to extinction by dragons. I am the last of my kind. Forever running. Forever alone. Then I met him. Dangerous. Carnal. Dragon. And utterly magnetic. I had no defenses against the passion that claimed us. Each time his lips touched mine, each time his arms held me, I fell deeper. And I fell hard. My mortal enemy became my world. The very reason for my existence. My one and only. Until our forever was violently snatched away. Now, I’m hunted, once more. But I’m not running this time. I’m fighting for love. For him.

MY THOUGHTS

The Uncrowned King is the second book in a brand new duology in Donna Grant’s Dark Universe, which is a huge universe made up of interconnected series. This duology fits in with the Dragon Kings series and advances parts of the plotline of that series. If you’re up to it, I’d say read all of it, it’s well worth it. You can also start each series in this universe on its own, as long as you start that series at the beginning. Each book builds on the previous one.

The story started off right where the first book ended. And we cleverly got a recap of the previous events. Throughout the story the other Dragon Kings also explained their history to Derek as they brought him up to speed.

From the first pages, our heroes were navigating a tightrope of tension that threatened to snap at any moment. That breathtaking scene when Kora faced off with Derek, with the hope of sparking his memories, was exquisitely nerve-wracking.

At one point, our intrepid warriors split up and the focus jumped from group to group, amping up the unease even more. And as always, the battles left me breathless and wrung out. It was phenomenal to see all the magical abilities deployed in cohesion so effectively.

I want to say that the romance between Kora and Derek felt almost secondary to everything else, but their bond was a huge part of their eventual success, and I certainly breathed a sigh of relief when they could just be together.

On a side note, I wish I had the ability to make clothes appear and disappear at will. Think of the time saved by not having to do all that laundry.

I can recommend this entire series if you like dragon shifters, magic, and steamy romance. It would be worth it to read some of the Dark Kings and Dragon Kings series to get the necessary background for this world. 

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Published: January 14, 2025
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: Book 2 of The Bastard Duology