˗ˋˏ ♡Thank you and NetGalley♡ ˎˊ˗

I would say this was a solid fantasy book. I enjoyed the characters and how they developed through the story. The plot was also very good, however it felt like something was missing. Overall I would recommend!

This is book one in The Bastard King Duology and it features Derek and Kora. WOW! This author never ceases to amaze me with her astonishing imagination in storytelling. The action, adventure and suspense in this story kept me on the edge of my seat. It is thrilling! I’m trying not to rush this review so I can pick up the next book.

So many things are happening but the gist of it is that this is a large chunk of history of the dragon kings. You actually find out how and why they are on earth with humans and so much more. The detail in the story line is fantastic and I really felt like I was standing there watching it all unravel.
BRILLIANT WRITING!

If you love mystery, action, suspense, romance and villains who bite, then this book is for you. I had never read a Donna Grant novel before, but I am now invested in exploring her backlog of over 100+ books. I loved that there was banter between multiple characters, multiple types of family dynamic, and dragons!! I was concerned at a little spice early in the book; however this was not gratuitous but necessary to build a link between the protagonists. I have already obtained the second book and am starting it right now...

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book. Technically, I had difficulty following the thoughts and the facts within the first 25% of the book. It was like, there were missing chapters. Maybe the sentences were to abrupt, and there should have been more descriptions. The relation between MMC and MFC started almost without any depth. The story in general could have been nice if it was told more generously.. maybe more background or environmental info could be placed.

Big thanks to Donna Grant and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for a review.

I loved this. Revenge, love but not insta-love, dark character back stories, steamy with no slut shaming. This was my jam.

I loved everything about Kora and Derek and their passion. Dragons and magic, evil and betrayal. This has everything that one could want in a romantacy.

5 stars

What to Expect:
🐉 Dragon shifter x supernatural FMC
💕 Insta-lust with hidden identities
✨ Multi-POV (mostly MMC/FMC)
🌶️ Spice level: 2/5
⚠️ Cliffhanger ending

Kora, the last of her kind, is fueled by revenge against dragons, the creatures responsible for destroying her family. When she unknowingly crosses paths with Derek, a lone dragon enslaved by the villainous Villette, she has no idea he’s a shifter. As sparks fly between them, buried secrets and past traumas threaten to shatter their fragile connection.

✨ What I Loved:
A captivating supernatural world with dragons at its heart!
The fast-paced, action-packed opening that hooked me right away.
Derek’s protective yet tender nature—he’s impossible not to root for.

⚡ What Could Be Better:
Kora’s impulsive decisions didn’t quite match her 500+ years of life experience.
The pacing felt uneven; it dragged in the middle and had an ending packed with too many reveals.
I’ve never been a huge fan of 3rd person, so this could be a bias of mine…

Despite its flaws, The Bastard King delivers an exciting mix of spice, suspense, and dragons! Perfect for romantasy fans. I’ll be picking up The Uncrowned King to see how it all wraps up.

This book unfortunately fell flat for me as a reader. Initially this story seemed right up my alley with dragons, fae, romance and overall fantasy setting - however all it appeared to be was tropes on tropes on tropes. The entire book felt as if the author was trying to hit every single trend popular in the book community today, and then cram it all together and slap a title on it. This has the ability to be a great book, but there needed to be more editing.
In this book there are two opposing sides, dragons and the group our FMC belongs too - a classic Romeo and Juliet foreshadowing.. This was a very instant attraction and insta love; which if you prefer, you will greatly adore this novel. The dialogue also felt choppy and unrealistic at times as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

3.75 ⭐ I would have liked there to be more world building on the front end, but you eventually get mostly there. Kora is a strong FMC who is resourceful, independent, fiery, loyal, and a smidge anxious. Derek is a brooding, loner alpha MMC who doesn't trust anyone, even Kora, until it's too late.

This was entertaining but lacked of descriptiveness, the characters could have been so much better. FMC and the MMC felt a strong attraction for one another from the beginining but there was no explanation about it. I would of loved to learn more about her powers but then again this is book one could be on book 2. I am more of a character driven person and this was not it for me but just me thing. I would still recommend this if you're looking for some spice, dragon shifters, insta-lust, and quick paced. This book can be read in one or two sittings.


Thank you Netgalley for the Ebook!

The Bastard King marks the beginning of the Bastard Duology. While I found aspects of this book enjoyable, I cannot say I was entirely captivated by it.

I completed my reading in December after requesting a copy, and I struggled to form a definitive opinion about it.

The narrative holds promise, and the world-building was quite engaging. As a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, I was eager to dive in. However, I felt that the writing style could have been improved.

The characters seemed somewhat lacking in depth and realism, and the story did not fully engage me until the final sections. I wouldn't rate this book too harshly, as I appreciated Derek's character and his growth throughout the narrative.

I have already read the sequel, but I will hold off on sharing my review until its official release.

This was my first time reading a book by Donna Grant, and while I didn’t have any specific expectations, the intriguing description immediately caught my attention. The story was captivating, with unexpected twists that kept me engaged all the way to the end.

However, I didn’t realize this was a spin-off series when I started reading, and it was noticeable. I often felt like I was missing key world-building details and backstory. So I would advise to read some of the other books before diving in, to be able to fully immerse yourself in the story.

Despite that, it was an enjoyable read, and I’m definitely looking forward to book two!

I’ve got a few warnings before I dive into the review. First, this book ends in a cliffhanger that caught me by surprise even though this is a “duology.” If that is not your jam, I understand, and figured a heads up would be appreciated. Second, I am well versed in the Donna Grant world of dragon kings and their related politics/supernatural drama. I mention this because I am not quite sure you could start your journey in this world with this book series. There have been a lot of preliminary skirmishes and buildup to this big showdown that you may not fully understand or appreciate without having at least gotten a taste of this world from one or more previous books.

Now on to Derek and Kora’s story (or the start of it at least)! Kora is a woman alone in the world on a world similar to ours, but in another realm. It is a bit “old timey” in that they don’t have much technology and hot water is a luxury still. The word tunic is thrown around a lot. In this world, dragons are real and are to be avoided at all costs. The humans are slowly being either captured or lured into a city that has a very extreme class system. There is a mysterious ruler nobody has seen and the religion revolves around killing anyone with magic. Oh, and nobody can have kids for some reason, but they magically show up. This is all “normal” and Kora has reached the point where she is ready to put an end to it all.

Kora has a vendetta against the ruler, who is a “star person,” which essentially means a god. They have magic and can only be taken down by one other supernatural thing - a hellhound. Lucky for Kora, she is one and may be the only remaining one because dragons have destroyed her entire race. She hides this and lives a solitary life until she comes upon Derek. Derek is secretly his own type of supernatural, a dragon. Since he can take human form, he can conceal that secret from Kora when they meet. They both have oodles of secrets but manage to find a relationship together, even though it starts as purely physical.

These two go on an adventure that ends up putting them directly in the plot line of dragon kings books. Kora is determined to get revenge, Derek is conflicted because he works for the woman Kora has sworn revenge upon, and all of this ends up coming to a head at the end when some mistakes are made. With so much turmoil, I couldn’t resist and dove right into book 2 at the end, so the cliffhanger did not impact me too badly.

Awesome book. Loved the characters and plot. Would definitely love to read more from this author. Love how she built this book.

Kora and Derek are two natural born enemies that end up falling head-over-heels in lust for each other. Kora is on a mission for revenge against those that killed her family. Derek has information that can help her, and our story takes off from there.

The story is not plot-heavy during the middle. It felt like the story was stagnant from 30%-60%. The story picks up quickly and gets very good, so make sure to keep trudging through that middle section. I do recommend picking this book up, though. It was a very good read!!

Reviews can be found on my GoodReads and my Instagram.

The prose made this a little harder to get through, like it was all short sentences and it felt like I was reading bullet points. I think if I had read the other books in the universe some of the confusion I had around who some characters were would make more sense. That aside, I did quite enjoy it and have added some other books to by TBR that I'm interested in reading. I was really invested in Kora's character and development so I think if this book was able to stand more on its own I would have enjoyed it more.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy, fun, suspenseful and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and will continue to watch for new books by this author.

*3.5 stars*

Fantasy world where dragons are king…

Or are they? The mystical dragons of this author’s series are strength personified, and some definitely are kings, but that doesn’t mean they are not vulnerable. Enemies come in many forms and their power can undermine even the strongest foes. Derek and Kora found themselves right in the middle of that struggle and there was no clear way to win or get out…

Trust was at the heart of their relationship and given the circumstances it was not hard to see why it was such a problem. A problem, like it wasn’t the death-defying tug of war it actually was. And it was a lot of back and forth, one step forward, two steps back as they tried to find common ground and a way forward. With so much between them, it was heartening to see their relationship build despite it all.

If you haven’t read any of the Dragon books before, be warned. It’s been a while since I read one and it took me a minute to remember the characters and how they fit. Few explanations, so if I was new to this world, I would go back to the beginning.

This is the first in a two-part arc and the cliffhanger was sudden and steep. There was no happily ever after for Derek and Kora. Yet, I hope…

Was initially excited to read this book, but ultimately the pacing and lack of clear world building prevented me from truly enjoying or even experiencing this story. Not sure I will read the next book because of this.

The cover is great! I love that it is a duology and not five-ten books. It's abit like Fourth Wing but still it's own book. I enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this book.

The Bastard King by Donna Grant is a thrilling mix of passion, danger, and destiny. The story follows a powerful dragon torn between his duty to free his kin and the irresistible pull of a brave, mysterious woman. The chemistry between the two leads is electric, and the tension between love and loyalty keeps the pages turning. Grant’s vivid world-building and emotional depth make this a must-read for fans of paranormal romance. A fantastic start to the Dragon King duology that will leave you hooked!