1st read: October 2021
2nd read: June 2023

This novella is fun and I really enjoyed reading it. Gleanna and Bram are adorable together. ( )

I really like Ghleanna. ( )

Bram the Merciful has been in love with Ghleanna the Decimator since he first saw her (in A Tale of Two Dragons). But Ghleanna barely notices him. When Queen Rhiannon sends Bram to the sand dragons to broker a truce, Ghleanna goes along for protection. But when they fall prey to the sea dragons, Bram and Ghleanna have to work together to ensure they both come out alive. And it's the perfect chance for Bram to show Ghleanna what she's been missing.

I enjoyed this a lot. Ghleanna is fierce and bloodthirsty, much like Annwyl the Bloody (#1: Dragon Actually) and I rated it. Although Bram is pretty fierce himself - just not all that bloodthirsty. He prefers negotiation to combat. Together they were on fire. The romance and resolution happens pretty quickly, probably a little too quickly but it was enjoyable all the same. And it is a novella so the fast pace is to be expected. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Family Tree: Ailean and Shalin are the parents of fifteen children including including Hew, Adain, Cai, Rhys, Baudwin (named after Shalin's father), Ghleanna (#0.4: Dragon on Top), Maelona, Caerwyn, Addolgar (#0.2: A Tale of Two Dragons) and Bercelak (Chains and Flames found at the back of #1: Dragon Actually).

Bercelak falls in love with Rhiannon - a white dragon who is the daughter of Addiena. Rhiannon and Bercelek have Fearghus (#1: Dragon Actually), Morfyd, Keita (#4: Last Dragon Standing), Eibhear (#6: How to Drive a Dragon Crazy), Briec (#2: About a Dragon) and Gwenvael (#3: What a Dragon Should Know). ( )

Much fun. ( )

I enjoyed this little novella prequel in the Dragon Kin series. At first, I could not remember who Ghleanna was. It became clear as I was reading of course, but it has been so long since I have read the earlier books that I still can't remember her role in them. Then, as I continued to read, I felt like I had read this one before. Maybe it was released in an anthology, I'm not sure (and I haven't looked)... but the whole underwater caves setting was very very familiar.

Anywho, this is the story of Ghleanna, Captain of the Dragon Queen's Guard and Bram the Merciful, peace negotiator. I absolutely loved loved loved Bram, which is weird, because he is not an alpha male and I usually do not go for the betas. But his bookish tendencies and shyness was endearing to me, and I dug his intelligence.

I didn't care for Ghleanna for the first half of the book, she rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. She is definitely a kickass heroine - she is battle-scarred and aggressive. I think what I didn't like was that she doesn't know Bram exists, like, at all. I also didn't like how she treated her father, Ailean the Wicked. But once the story got going, she grew on me and I ended up liking her by the end. I particularly enjoyed the way she interacted with the sea soldiers, and that she opened her mind to see that her father was not defined by his lecherous past.

These headstrong dragons are always a good time. They tend to butt heads first and ask questions later. In fact, their answer for almost everything is a headbutt. The siblings are always fighting and rolling around, and everything is happening with good humor. This is probably the most unique dragon series that I have read, and I hope we keeping getting more books for the foreseeable future.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars / 3 flames. ( )