This is Cain’s story…and I would give his story 4 stars. Cain is so nice compared to most of the other Dragon Kings. He is calm, kind, sweet, and until about halfway through the book, tolerant. He doesn’t get anxious or angry at what is happening. The story for him turns at that point, and he finally shows the dragon side of himself, letting us see his life before the dragons were sent away. Noreen starts out as a frightened woman, who runs into Cain. She stays that way until she meets Rhi. For Cain and Noreen, the story runs along much as you’d expect it to. Then, about midway through the book, things begin to change, and happen, to both of them and to several others. From this point to the end of the book, it’s a 5-star read. Donna Grant weaves together some of the ongoing plot points, and gives us clues to the next couple of books in this series. As always, this book is well written, and you’ll be halfway in before you know it. I can’t wait to see how she’ll deal with all the loose ends that are still in play. I’ve read the book twice already, and still am finding parts that I didn’t catch on my first read. Read her books-enjoy the ride! *I received and ARC of this book to read, and this is my honest opinion.

Book 17 of the Dark Kings series features Cain and Noreen in an enemies to lovers story with developments in the other storylines in this series, e.g. Rhi, Erith, and Con's HEA. The main story revolves around Cain and Noreen. Noreen, a Dark Fae affiliated with the Others, the big bads of the story. Noreen tips off the Dragon Kings about possible danger and gets caught by the Dragon Kings. Did you really think you can fool the tech-savvy dragon? Noreen agrees to help the Dragon Kings and Cain is suspicious of her, but it doesn't stop him from lusting after her. Things do get a little confusing with some timey-wimey flashbacks and hints about who Rhi's Dragon King was. The ending scene leaves readers on such a cliffhanger about Con and his HEA. I thought Flame was along the same vein as the previous Dragon Kings books. MCs meet, there's attraction, conflict, danger, and banging/mate talks. Y'know, standard stuff in a rushed manner. This time around, it seemed a little different with the time skipping and memory manipulation. Ahhhhh!

Flame is Cain’s and Noreen’s story. From the beginning it is realized that this will be an “enemies to lovers” story. Donna Grant does a marvelous job of making them both likable and have you rooting for them to completely trust one another. Not an easy task for the rest of the Dragon Kings to do though. In each story including this one the romance is complete and the overall story is moved along. However like the other stories in the series the revelations lead to more reader questions and predictions. Still it shouldn’t be long now before all is resolved. Every book gets the Dragon Kings closer and closer to the big show down.

Flame is book seventeen in the Dark Kings series so this is not the book to start reading first in the series. The overarching theme is very complex and complicated with many characters on both sides, even switching sides at times. However, for the fans this is a welcome addition leaving you with wanting more.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this series and I'm always excited when I can read a new instalment. This one was no exception as it's gripping and entertaining.
Great character, world building and plot.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

After reading this book I went back to read all other books in the series. This book can be read as a standalone but for an enjoyable reading experience, I would recommend reading the other books in the series. Ms. Grant weaved a delicious paranormal romance, with fantastical world-building.

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Could not put this book down. I didn't want to stop reading it and when I found out this was a series, I immediately looked for books 1-16 in our library collection/ordered them from a different library. The drama, the love, the action, the adventure and the conflict made my skin yearn for more and I was just about to pass out from over excitement when I finished the book. Our book club will absolutely love this book and I can not wait to see their expressions on their faces and hear their thoughts on this book and the discussions that will generate from that.

We will consider adding this title (and the rest) to our Sci-Fi collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

5 stars!!

Wow!!
I don’t want to give any spoilers so I will keep this as short and sweet as I can, this series is so enjoyable and the characters your rooting for them to win to get there HEA. The chemistry between all of them they’re so gelled these people are family who have each other’s backs.

This was Cain and Noreen’s book the romance was perfect and unique to them as is every other couple before them, no two are the same and the steam was hot.

There is so much going on and I couldn’t read fast enough, I was on the edge of my seat and my family members got the death glare I’m sure that all readers have perfected when they’re interrupted.


One of my favourite Characters is unravelling during this story and his infamous cool control is shattering and as a reader you can’t help but feel sorry for him but kind of also want to reach into the book and....smack him too. I’m so looking forward to his book it’s going to be epic!!.

This series has been a perfectly tangled twisty ride and now it’s all coming together it’s shaping into a wonderfully woven masterpiece!

I enjoyed my visit to this world

I voluntarily read this book in exchange for an honest review, Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity of this ARC

Even though this is the first book that I have read in the series, it won't be my last. When dragon king Cain searches for the dark fae Noreen, he isn't sure if he should trust her or her information. It wouldn't be the first time that the dragon kings have been betrayed by a female. Noreen is afraid that she won't be believed by the dragon king. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I really like imaginative fantasy. What I like best about the book were the characters and the twists in the story. My only regret is that I hadn't read the previous books, but I still enjoyed the book. I definitely will be reading more of this series.

Flame was the 17th Book in the "Dark Kings" series and I was totally glued to my kindle from the very beginning! The storyline was well written and the characters were so well detailed that as each page was turned Cain and Noreen kept me totally captivated until the very last page was turned!

Just when you think you know what to expect in author Donna Grant's Dragon King series - FLAME happens. This is an action packed emotional upheaval that will have readers perpetually on the edge of their seats

Reviewed by Annetta Sweetko for Fresh Fiction

Complete review may be found at: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=70935

Hot romance and cool world building. A quick, urban fantasy read for everyone who is a fan of a hot shifter books. I enjoyed the sassy characters and the voice is fun and engaging.

I did not like this book. I thought the world-building was weak and there was no chemistry between the two main characters. Maybe if I had read earlier books in the series I would have liked this better.

When a Dark Fae sides with the Dragon Kings, where is the truth and who lies ...

Before anything, I must say discovering an author’s work with the seventeenth book in a series is probably not the best way to appreciate it.
Why I was given a crash course to pick this and there the many components of the background plot and the many supernatural beings and their ramifications and interactions between them. Because while I have read about shifters or changelings and vampires through Mrs Nalini Singh’s work, they do not interact like any others shifters or vampires as they are usually depicted in other authors world. So here, it is the classic shifters/faes/druids/sorcerers ...

At first I was a bit lost, I am thankful that I got from time to time a crash course about the background plot, yet with so many characters, it can be a bit confusing. Still the more I progressed in my reading, the more I was eager to know about the Dragon Kings, and the ending leaves me wondering about Rhi, Con, Henri and Melissa.
This was no short read, thus I finished it late last night. And while it ends with a happily for now for the lead couple, the epilogue leaves many questions yet to answer.
As I have no idea about the other Dragon Kings, i can only talk about the main hero here, Cain.
With such a name, I was not sure what to expect.
Cain is in fact a silent and protective observer. He assists his brethren but keeps quiet his own feelings.
Noreen is so much more than what her appearance as a dark Fae lets transpire, she is the Noreen who wants to save the Dragon Kings but also the one who was on the Others side. She was shaped by her parents’ circumstances death, and from there it influenced her every move.
Together they have an instant recognition, and while I saw some twists and turns coming, it was an entertaining read, and every follower of these series will appreciate the progression of the narrative, coming closer to its resolution.
4.5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher St Martin’s Paperbacks, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Have you ever gone to see a movie you haven't heard of but want to check out? And then you go and try to watch the movie and it's got everything you usually like but it's just missing a real flow?

That's what reading Flame was like. I liked the premise and I've read some of the previous books, so I figured I would like this one! Unfortunately it was really missing something to make the pieces fit together. It seemed like Cain and Noreen just came together for no reason when they just met, a weird insta-love kind of thing that has worked before but just not this time. Their relationship could have used more building and development to make it more realistic. Unfortunately the lack of realism in their relationship made it very hard for me to finish this book.

Flame did have amazing moments though! The way Grant describes the locations of her scenes is awesome, and her steamy scenes had me blushing!! This would be a four star read if Cain and Noreen were more natural together. I wish 2 or 3 chapters more had been spent fleshing them out before they hooked up.

I give this book 3 stars, because it had interesting world building and set the next book up well! I again just wish Cain and Noreen had more of a chance to BE together before they got together.

Happy reading!

ARC rec'd by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

>> B&N and Amazon reviews will be posted closer to release date!

Flame was a good, quick read. It had good characterizations and an interesting plot. However, what I was unaware of when I downloaded it was that it was smack dab in the middle of a series. So… that default made it a tad confusing.

All-in-all the premise, and the pieces that I’d missed out on from the earlier story was enthralling. Enough that one day when I have a lot of time on my hands (there’s over 11 books!) I will be going back to read the series I think. The pulling in of multiple worlds, portals, dark and light fae, mages, and dragon-shifters was unique in a way I’d not seen before.

I also appreciated how even though there is a mate-attraction in the book, and the romance does get hot and heavy pretty early on, the characters aren’t completely off-putting. While there are some hard alpha moments, they aren’t alpha-holes which I find can be very common in the shifter worlds. Though I will admit there was one part where I was very not impressed with the main love interest. The stubborn streak that appears to run through them might get a touch grating. Nonetheless, I appreciated the nuances of characters, and how each character was fully fleshed out and yes in some case redeemable.

Finally, even picking up the book without realizing it was in the middle of the series I was able to learn the characters, learn the story, and enjoy it all. I know I was missing on subplots, and darn it those were some of the characters I seemed to like most, but it just makes me want to go read the rest! I don’t know if I can keep all of the slight misgivings I have without reading the rest of them. But it was exactly what I needed, it allowed me to escape into a fast paced story that flew by quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley, Donna Grant, and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Noreen and Cain’s book made me cry more than one time...and not just for them. If you’ve read previous books (and why wouldn’t you?) you know that each book touches on other characters, past and future. So we’ll be seeing more from many characters as the Dragon Kings and the Reapers continue to find their mates and true love. I’ll just say that you’ll definitely be wanting more!
5 stars!!

Who do you trust? That is the question you ask throughout the book. Cain is sent to find out if the Dark Fae can be trusted to give the information needed to thwart the destruction of The Dragon Kings. Noreen has been a Dark Fae and an Other all her life. She has come to the conclusion she has been on the wrong side. There is no love lost or trust between them but a spark was ignited. For a moment in time, it was just the two of them. The real world came crashing through. Trust has been lost Love is being tested. Life and death situations are discussed. In the end it is the Light Fae(Rhi) and Dark Fae (Noreen) coming together to fight a common enemy. Moreann managed to escape with the help of Usaeil. Rhi is upset that she failed but it will be her that puts an end to them both. Only Noreen believes it is her revenge to take against Moreann. I can't wait to see how this all ends.

Honestly this book was the perfect set up for the final book in the series. It answered questions that have been plaguing the minds of fans since the first book in the series and you realize that all the subplots tie together beautifully. It explains quite a few secrets while also giving the reader some shocks that they will be obsessing over until the next book comes out. Noreen and Cain are definitely an insta love couple but given the situation they are in it works for them. The romance feels more like a subplot in the book with the main focus being on giving the reader more information on the DKs enemies and using the perspective of multiple characters to keep the reader guessing. You will come away with a multitude of questions regarding new characters and characters that have been getting shoved to the side for the past few books and I can almost guarantee that you will feel an intense need to get the next book in the series because you need more explanations and the questions are driving you nuts. You could read this book as a stand-alone but you will not enjoy it nearly as much since you won’t understand all the past drama and the beauty of the long game referenced in the novel. This is a great series that is long enough that you could get lost in it for weeks and even when you aren’t reading you won’t be able to stop thinking about it.

Noreen is a Dark Fae who is really worried about what the "Others" and in particular the woman who has been her mentor have planned for the Dragon kings. If she can get some information to them without being killed on sight, maybe she can stop it.

Cain is the Dragon King sent to investigate what the email is about.

There is a high risk of treachery from all sides. Although death is not necessarily a possible outcome, somethings can be worse. Personal relationships between the different factions make trust the key element. The history between the Dragon kings, Fae and Druids is violent and humans can get caught in between. Because of this history it's better to read this series in order.

An exciting action packed story.

While 17th in a series, I never felt lost while reading this steamy paranormal romance. Great characters, political intrigue, and a super hot romance make for a fun and enjoyable reading experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions are my own.