Four and a half
Sabine has hidden in plain sight amongst humans since the Wild Hunt were first sent out to kill her. Now she hides permanently behind a glamour and although she might have originated in the land of the few remaining Fae Sabine has learned to trust and embrace those around her. Sabine is attacked and yes she can take care of it but a mysterious stranger shows up determined to save her. Sabine is unaccountably drawn towards Malek but his reasons for being in her city are something he’s hiding from everyone.
This features the Fae so obviously I was interested but unsure until a fellow bibliophile said it was definitely my sort of book . Essentially we have a story set in a world after a war that decimated the Fae but also locked down boundaries meaning Gods, Dragons, Human, Fae and everything in between became segregated. It’s made abundantly clear that Sabine is no ordinary refugee and she’s imbued with some very cool powers, yet in order to fully unleash her abilities she would sadly reveal her whereabouts so obviously that’s a huge no .
There are some amazing supporting characters here although it’s pretty clear that Malek is destined to be the love interest. If I’m brutal I wasn’t that enamoured with that idea because honestly for more than half the book he just wasn’t that interesting. Yes I had guessed what he was hiding before the reveal because that was the thing that made the most sense but boy he just didn’t set my pulse racing. That having been said we meet two Demons who were extremely vibrant and actually dominated a lot of this story. Dax who is violent, quick tempered and obsessed with Sabine and Bane who is smooth, dangerous and very cunning. My heart actually wanted Bane as the love interest initially but my head did remind me that hey he’s a manipulative Demon so better give Malek a chance to step up. This has a great deal to recommend it meaning I’m really looking forward to reading more and as it’s urban fantasy there’s plenty of time for relationships to develop . If you want an interesting idea told in a believable way than this author should definitely go on your wish list !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Ten years before Sabine left her home in the Fae realm to escape those who were seeking her demise. After years of hiding behind all her carefully constructed glamour, Sabine’s hidden life is unraveling and though she has several allies in this magical world including humans, someone has discovered Sabine’s whereabouts. The Wild Hunt has been unleashed and Sabine knows the Hunt never stops until they catch their target. Others seek to own or destroy Sabine as she has the powers of both Seelie and Unseelie blood making her a formidable young woman who would one day be queen if her own family did not seek her death.

A very powerful stranger has arrived in her port city who is searching for magical artifacts. Sabine has an unexplained attraction to him and the power she senses within. Malek has his own hidden agenda, but after meeting Sabine, a woman he has been seeking as well for her abilities, things change rapidly. Malek must prove to Sabine and her friends that his goals are altruistic even though his people and the Fae have been great enemies in the past.

This is the first book in the Dragon Portal series which I liked very much. Ms. Waters interesting world building with elements of the fae, dragons, and other magical creatures makes for a very enjoyable and well-paced read. Sabine, Malek and the other major characters draw the reader in to a complex and intriguing realm where the fate of many rests on the courage of a few. I look forward to the next one in the series of this well told tale.

Waters new series Dragon Portal promises more to come of these amazing characters. Sabine has stayed hidden from a death threat for over a decade.
If a mostly human community, she finds friends who love her and also an array of residents who depend on her giving nature. Don't worry no cliff hanger in this book other than the readers desire to see what happens next. NOT SO PATIENTLY AWAIT THE the continuation of this paranormal prose. Waters' does a great job. "A copy of this book was provided by author via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Magic and mayhem come together is this novel. Fae, demons, dwarves, pixies, and dragons roam the world after the portal was closed, keeping them separated, some part of the human world. However, the power that closed the portal is fading and only Sabine can stop the current course. Sabine, a fae, escaped from her home with help after her mother was killed, betrayed by her father. But the past always returns and Sabine will have a fight on her hands. A handsome stranger, Malek, comes to port seeking rare artifacts and comes across Sabine. Both have hidden pasts that will impact their growing relationship. Sabine has oaths to demons who have been protecting her since her escape, but they also have their own ulterior motives. As a prophecy comes to the forefront, the Wild Hunt returns to kill Sabine because of the power of her magic and what it means to the Council of Eight, made of Seelie and Unseelie fae. An intriguing tale that is very well weaved, grabbing your interest and holding it. Sabine's adventures are only just beginning in the rise to protect the world and be the Fae she was destined to become.

I received a free copy of TO KILL A FAE (The Dragon Portal, Book 1) by Jamie A. Waters in exchange for an honest review. Sabine has been in hiding from her mother’s killer for more than a decade. Not only has Sabine been living in a human city, but she’s also been magically concealing her fae nature. In order to save an ally from a death curse, Sabine dropped her glamour. The resulting pulse of magic alerted Sabine’s enemies to her continued existence. Now, the Wild Hunt is coming to kill her. Who can Sabine trust? Can she trust the possessive and violent brothers who have been watching out for her? Can she trust their henchmen? Can she trust the enigmatic stranger whose quest led her to dropping her façade? Can she trust the childhood guard who saved her from being murdered alongside her mother? Can she trust those who’ve benefitted from her kindness? Here, there be fae, pixies, witches, demons, dwarves, humans, gods, omens, and prophecies. The adventure begins.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next tale in the series. Though there is no sex in this novel, there are elements of romance in this book. Sabine mentions that sex is a pretty casual thing for her species. Also, several of the male characters are possessive and jealous; these attitudes seem to stem, at least in part, from their prior sexual relationships with Sabine; however, Sabine doesn’t seem very interested in revisiting those connections. Instead, the build-up of romantic potential points toward the enigmatic stranger. This is a good start to a new high-fantasy series.

Thank you NetGalley and Jamie A. Waters for this arc.

The blurb for this book sounded great to me and I have never read any of Jamie A Waters' previous books so I jumped in with high hopes.

I found the world building here kind of slow as it seemed like the details were parsed out on a "need-to-know" basis and felt almost like plot devices to me. Also, the various characters felt under developed and more like contradictory stereotypes. The story itself was good enough, but it bogged down for me with all the various crises Sabine had to deal with.

2.5 stars

Awesome beginning to what looks like an amazing series. I am really looking forward to more adventures with these fabulous characters!

I've read other books by Jamie A. Waters and truly enjoyed them. This appears to be a bit different from the Omni Towers series, but from the very first page I was hooked. Whew! So much intrigue and excitement starting with the first few lines. I absolutely loved the vast assortment of characters, especially Sabine with her kick-ass attitude, but with a soft side as well. No one... I mean NO ONE messes with Sabine and gets away with it. Add in the handsome and charismatic captain of a smuggler's ship, with secrets of his own, and you have a dynamic duo that you seriously hope will get together. So much chemistry! There are demons, witches, pixie's, a goblin and more. All have very unique characteristics set in a world that only Ms. Waters could have created. It was like watching a movie playing in my head as I read! At times, I was sitting on the edge of my seat and cringing and at other times I was smiling and out-right laughing.

Who is trying to have Sabine killed? And what is her connection to Dax and Bane, the two demon brothers? As much as I want to, I can't give away any spoilers. So you'll just have to pick up the book yourself and read it.