Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon: A Novel of the Embraced

Kerrelyn Sparks

Mar 2018 · The Embraced Book 3 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this eBook

EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON
“Deeply satisfying, delightfully swoon-inducing.”—Publishers Weekly on Kerrelyn Sparks’s Love at Stake series



TRUTH—OR DARE?

Gwennore is an Elf able to track down the cause of a certain illness and heal it—a valuable asset to her people. But when she is thrust into the realm of the dragons, she discovers a haunted place of power, passion, and magic—one that is plagued by an ancient curse. When she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko, Gwen knows she’s entered a whole new world of trouble. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon. So why does making a deal with the devil feel so good?

Silas has no way of saving the royal family he’s served for years. But when a beautiful, innocent elf comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to desire in a way he’s never felt before. But how can he trust a sworn enemy. . .and how can he live without her, in Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks.

Ratings and reviews

I prefer to get the negatives out of the way first. I found 2 typos in my copy. They are minor & did not interfere with the story nor its flow. There's a couple of areas that felt a bit rushed. I felt more adventure and danger could have been detailed. I also didn't like certain areas about the queen and kings relationship to Gwennore. For me it was just a bit to convenient. I would've liked the confrontation between the king & the villain to have a bit more detail. Just more..... Now to the 'Nitty Gritty' I had a blast reading this one. It was full of humor and mystery. The main characters, Gwennore & Silas, were fun to read about. They definitely had a lot of obstacles to deal with. While I wished at times that Gwennore was a bit more confidante in herself, watching her courage mature was well worth it. Silas is a blast, and I'm not just talking about his dragon fire. His wit and his confidence in Gwennore is refreshing. The world build was great. The main characters from the previous books are a part of this story and we get to see how their lives have changed. While there isn't a lot of 'sex' scenes in this book, there are a few beautiful and funny make-out sessions. Then the 'main event' between Gwennore & Silas is hot, sweet and romantic. The way this story is written it is safe to say even young adults (say 15 or so & up), depending on their maturity, would really enjoy this series. In fact, I would recommend this entire series to everyone who enjoys a well written and great fantasy world story. They are fun and entertaining with plenty of action and adventure.

This is another great addition to The Embraced series! As an elf, Gwennore is constantly beging rejected and ridiculed. She longs for a husband and children but is very much aware that her hopes will never be fulfilled. Instead of a family of her own, she lives with Luciana, her adopted sister, and cares for her children. While she loves them all, Eviana is the most precious to her. So when a dragon swoops down and snatches the three year old, Gwen attaches herself to its leg and refuses to let go. Silas’ country is slowly dying from the inside. Filled with secrets and curses and an illness that has swept over Norveshka, he isolates himself with his army at the border to fight a war against the elves. When he realizes that Gwen might be able to help identify and possible rid his country of the curse his kind has lived with for hundreds of years, he will do anything to keep her. The fact that he is extremely attracted to her doesn’t play any part in his decision. None at all. This book has quite a bit of mystique to it as it twists and turns while these characters race to find a solution before things go from bad to worse. Gwen’s gift wasn’t as much a part of the story as I had expected but the knowledge she has gained throughout her life is a huge focus of the story. The humor here is the kind that has you smiling from the banter sprinkled liberally throughout the story. I’ve got a soft spot for dragons so I especially enjoyed Gwen’s conversations with and regarding Puff. Silas’ jealousy of the dragon was quite entertaining as well. While this is third in the series, there isn’t a demanding need to read the previous books to understand what’s going on here. The author gives enough background information to make this a standalone even with the continuing villainy that has traveled through each of these books. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gwennore is the sister, of all the five, with the most uncertain future: she is at least part elf as shown by her pointed ears, and is constantly subject to snide, sotto voice (or not) comments about her heritage. Elves are the least accepted people in the kingdom: warlike and secretive, with a coldness and single minded purpose that makes them fearsome in battle. While her sisters (and their children) all adore her, and her ability to both diagnose and heal illness are useful, she’s still more retiring and less willing to put herself into situations where her existence could or would cause trouble or discontent for those she loves. Silas (General Dravenko) is captivated by Gwennie and her ability to communicate through telepathy with he and other members of the ‘Cursed Clans” of his lands. Never before have they met anyone with this ability, and Gwennie’s elfin appearance conflicts with their own need for secrecy. Their kingdom of Norveshka is in crisis: people are not having children, the Queen is the most recent in a long line of queens who have gone mad after their losses, and the war with the elves of Woodwyn have stretched resources thin. While Silas is desperately saddened by his brother’s (the king) struggles and worries for his wife, he’s also seeing that something is amiss - from a curse that all but him believe in to the kidnapping of children for the Queen to replace children she had lost, to an apparent infiltration of palace security placing everyone at risk, he’s got a ton of issues to sort. And, it’s not made easier by the secrets he feels he needs to keep. Gwennie’s introduction to the Norveshkan people (or dragons) and the (for her) curious reactions she has to Silas and his ability to frustrate and anger her at every turn are amusing: she’s getting her feet underneath her and is actually pushing him (at times) because of this frustration – something completely foreign to her as aggressive demands are not in her nature. But, she’s also finding it difficult to not want to help the people and the queen. She agrees to spend a month helping Silas discover the real source of the problem: one she believes is two-fold: poison and plague, and discovering a way to heal the people – then she’ll return to her comfortable life with her sisters, helping with babies and avoiding marriage, shuns from eligible men and the risk of being hurt. Sparks grabs interest from the very first page, and the action never ends. From Gwennie’s growth and discovering her own new skills, to her blossoming under the true admiration that Silas shows for her skills and patience, and the confusion with her own feelings for him and those for the dragon she named “Puff”. With some moments where her naïve and unworldly nature showed in her not putting pieces together that everyone else can see, to the desperation and despair of the King in his need to keep his wife, his love, alive and safe contrasted with the interference from an old enemy designed to cause chaos, the story moves quickly with plenty of moments to love. Visits with characters from earlier books, discovery of family, friends and enemies, and Brody neatly moving through the story with his unique blend of loyalty, shape-shifting and logic and the story is easy to follow. Sparks has explained the most basic of the Embraced legends, and the interconnections between the characters are easy to follow, increasing your interest in reading the earlier titles. Clever dialogue, easy to access emotions and a lovely set of surprises for Gwennie that help her to increase in confidence and discover her worth all make this a wonderful installment in the series. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About the author

Kerrelyn Sparks is best known (so far) for the Love at Stake series, which has hit as high as number 5 on the New York Times list and 22 on the USA Today list.