Review by Booklist Review
Princess Sachielle (Sachi), accompanied by her handmaid and lover, Zanya, is the once-a-century companion offered to the Dragon, binding the ruling family to his power and the land. The Dragon is one of several Dreamers imbued with power and near immortality, intrinsically tied to the land and its people, protecting them from the Betrayer, another Dreamer who turned against the land centuries before. But Sachi and Zanya are orphans, raised, tortured, and trained to kill the Dragon before a curse enacted by High Priest Nikkon and Sachi's supposed father, King Dalvish II, drains away Sachi's life force. As they travel together, visiting each major seat of the Dragon's court--the homes of the other Dreamers--the Dragon shares centuries of history through nightly stories, and the trio become lovers, the growing attachment between them making the assassination more difficult. Interwoven with the history, the curse, and the intended murder is an overarching plot that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next book in the Bound to Fire and Steel series.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The bestselling writing duo of Donna Herren and Bree Bridges, writing as Rocha (the Beyond series), launch their Bound to Fire and Steel erotic fantasy series with this steamy and irresistible outing. Every hundred years, the heir to the House of Roquebarre is sent to become the consort of the Dragon, a feared god (one of many) who protects the Roquebarre's kingdom in exchange for these sacrifices. This centennial, it's Sachielle who must go to the Dragon's Keep, together with her handmaid and lover, Zanya. But neither woman is who she says she is--and they're on a mission to assassinate the Dragon. If they fail to do so within five weeks, then they've been cursed to die themselves. The ensuing tale of intrigue, danger, and red-hot romance is told in alternating perspectives between Sachielle, Zanya, and the Dragon himself. By combining life-or-death stakes with off-the-charts eroticism, Rocha keeps the pages flying. The scalding sex scenes drive both plot and character development and incorporate the fantastical worldbuilding in fascinating ways. This is an exciting start to what promises to be a thrilling new series. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Sachielle of House Roquebarre is the 31st consort to be presented to the dragon god that protects the Sheltered Lands. The previous 30 have not survived long. There are many rumors about the monstrous entities, but Sachielle, along with her handmaiden Zanya, have their own secrets. They are orphans trained to kill gods, and they are on a mission, with limited time for success. If the Dragon is not killed in the next five weeks, then Sachi will die and her soul will be destroyed. As they meet the people and gods whom the Dragon calls friends and family, Sachi and Zanya learn that the Dragon is more than they believed. The Dragon also knows there is more to the two beautiful women than was he told, and he will do all in his power to possess them both. The story layers are peeled back slowly enough to immerse readers, and several erotic scenes showcase the relationships between Sachi and Zanya, the women and Dragon, and other characters. VERDICT Rocha's ("Mercenary Librarians" series) new offering is set in a rich, erotic fantasy world, filled with lush characters and a magical landscape of secrets, power, and betrayal.--Kristi Chadwick
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A princess and a trained assassin are ordered to kill a powerful dragon. Thousands of years ago, the humans of the Sheltered Lands made a pact with the gods for protection. In exchange, once a century, whatever mortal king is on the throne must send his oldest child to be bound as consort to Ash, the king of the gods. Ash can take the shape of a man, but his dragon form strikes terror and enmity into the hearts of most humans. The mortal king longs to be free of the pact for his own evil reasons. He has trained his daughter, Sachielle, to become both consort and killer. Sachi will be accompanied by Zanya, a trained assassin who is also her secret lover. The king tells the two women to kill Ash; if they fail, a powerful curse will kill Sachi and consume her soul. Once Sachi and Zanya arrive at the Dragon's Keep, they realize that Ash is extraordinarily well protected by his private guard. He might be impossible to kill, and even more troubling, they realize they don't want to even try. Ash is intelligent and incisive, hardly the monster of myth and legend. His years of experience make it easy for him to guess at Sachi and Zanya's true purpose, but he's fascinated rather than angry. Eventually the three become lovers, and the intrigue of court politics takes a backseat to the steamy, sexy world they create for themselves. Zanya and Ash are powerhouse characters, completely overshadowing Sachi. Her bland, generic goodness is dull compared to them, yet the plot requires readers to believe that Zanya and Ash would do anything to save her. The fiery breath of a dragon pales in comparison to the incendiary heat of this epic erotic fantasy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
