Kora returns home to fight the evil that destroyed her family, wary of the dragons surrounding the city. Derek, the dragon in hiding sworn to the evil, can't help his fascination with Kora. Will his growing attachment to her change his priorities?

This book worked for me for the first half of the story, then went off the rails for the rest. What started out as a high fantasy novel turned turned into a space-fearing, multi-dimensional jumble (presumably related to another series) that introduced a bunch of characters and lore that I knew nothing about. I suspect readers who are familiar with Ms. Grant's other novels would not have found this as jarring as I did.

Book Review: The Bastard King by Donna Grant

A Riveting Tale of Dragons, Love, and Redemption

Donna Grant’s The Bastard King is a masterful foray into a world of fire-breathing dragons, forbidden romance, and high-stakes loyalty. The first in a duology, this novel sets the stage for a gripping saga where heart and duty collide, all while delivering the lush world-building and passionate storytelling that fans of Grant have come to expect.

Plot Overview
The protagonist is a Dragon King, an outcast driven by one singular purpose: to free his kin. His existence has been defined by war and vengeance, with little room for anything else. That is, until a fateful encounter with a woman who challenges everything he believes in.

She is bold, fearless, and haunted by her own secrets—a perfect foil for the fire and death that the Dragon King embodies. Their connection is immediate and electric, but it comes with a heavy cost. The Dragon King is torn between his growing love for her and his sworn allegiance to those who promise freedom for his kind.

As their bond deepens, both must confront their pasts and the daunting threat of an impending doom. Trust becomes their only weapon in a world where betrayal lurks around every corner.

Character Dynamics
One of the novel’s greatest strengths lies in its characters. The Dragon King is a complex figure, embodying raw power and vulnerability in equal measure. His struggles with loyalty, identity, and love make him a compelling lead. His journey from a solitary warrior to someone capable of love and trust is deeply satisfying.

The heroine is equally captivating. She is no damsel in distress but a formidable force in her own right, grappling with a past that threatens to define her. Her bravery and resilience are inspiring, making her a character you root for from start to finish.

Together, their chemistry is incendiary. Grant skillfully builds their relationship, balancing moments of fiery passion with tender vulnerability.

Themes and Emotional Resonance
The Bastard King explores themes of loyalty, redemption, and the power of love to heal even the deepest wounds. The tension between duty and personal desire is a recurring motif, as the protagonists must decide what—and who—they are willing to fight for.

The theme of trust is particularly poignant. Both characters carry emotional scars that make vulnerability a challenge, and their ability to open up to one another is a testament to the strength of their bond.

World-Building
Grant’s world-building is immersive and vivid. The realm of the Dragon Kings is richly imagined, with its own lore, politics, and magic that feel fully realized. The descriptions of dragonfire, epic battles, and the sweeping landscapes of the kingdom draw readers in, creating a cinematic reading experience.

The duality of fire and ice, destruction and creation, mirrors the internal struggles of the characters, adding depth to the narrative.

Pacing and Prose
The novel strikes a careful balance between action and introspection. The battles are thrilling, the stakes are high, and the quieter moments are laced with emotional intensity. Grant’s prose is lyrical yet accessible, capturing both the grandeur of the world and the intimacy of the romance.

For Fans Of...
If you’re a fan of epic fantasy romances like those by Sarah J. Maas, Deborah Harkness, or Grace Draven, The Bastard King will feel like a natural fit. Its blend of action, romance, and richly developed characters offers something for every reader who loves a good mix of fire and heart.

Final Thoughts
The Bastard King is a dazzling start to Donna Grant’s duology, combining high fantasy with a deeply emotional romance. The stakes are monumental, the romance is scorching, and the characters are unforgettable. As the Dragon King and his fearless love interest navigate their shared destiny, readers are left breathless and eager for the next installment.

A must-read for fans of dragons, love stories with bite, and tales of redemption and trust.

Thank you to NetGalley and DL Grant LLC for an advanced reader copy of this book.

I read this book in one sitting and am screaming at the ending!! This story was filled with sizzling tension, secrets, dragons, and an intriguing plot. I loved seeing the connection between two beings who should hate each other, but can’t deny the connection between them. She is the last of her kind that got destroyed by dragons, he is a dragon without a family, yet the two of them cross paths and everything changes. This was an adventurous read with twists and turns and characters to root for.

If you’re into messy, morally gray main characters, *The Bastard King* delivers in spades. The male main character (MMC) is everything you’d want in an antihero—flawed, ambitious, and constantly toeing the line between doing what’s right and what’s necessary. He’s a bastard (literally and figuratively), and watching him navigate betrayals, power struggles, and his own demons makes for such an addictive read.

The story itself is full of political drama, broken alliances, and characters you’ll love to hate (and maybe hate to love). It takes a bit of time to really pick up, but once it does, it’s hard to put down. The MMC’s internal struggles and questionable choices add so much depth—you don’t always agree with him, but you can’t stop rooting for him.

If you love stories with complicated characters, sharp dialogue, and a plot that keeps you guessing, *The Bastard King* is definitely worth checking out. It’s dark, a little messy, and totally addictive.

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Let me know if you want me to add more about the plot or other characters!

Since her entire family was killed by dragons, Kora has wandered, hoping for revenge on the dragon who destroyed her home. Until one day, she meets Derek, a handsome stranger, and begins to work together to find her family's killer. Of course, Derek is hiding secrets of his own and their explosive chemistry may not be enough to build the trust between them.

This book had a real dystopian fantasy feel, which is unusual, but I really enjoyed the unique setting and sense of Kora's world. Kora is also one of the FMC that I have really enjoyed. Despite her quest for vengeance, she has a strong sense of justice and protecting the innocent, which is exactly the kind of woman I like reading about in the world we're in! In the last third of the book, some fascinating secondary characters are introduced. I left the book wanting to know more about Merrill the Scots man and Katla the Druid. The cliffhanger was tough, but I am excited to read the next book! I would really recommend this to anyone who is interested in the idea of dystopian fantasy and likes a bit of spice!

2.5⭐
Don't have much to say (almost DNF'D) - though, it was quite a quick, easy read, finished within 2 days.

EVEN though this isn't my cup of tea, I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy dragons, politics & spice.

✨ Thank you DL Grant, LLC, & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book had a LOT of potential—it could have been an incredible enemies-to-lovers romantasy if there had been any actual tension between the characters, but unfortunately, there wasn’t. The lack of world-building was another major issue for me.

The pacing was all over the place, with nothing substantial happening until the very end. Instead, we had random characters showing up just to drop bits of exposition that only made the plot feel like it was going in circles. It was frustrating and repetitive. And just when the story finally got interesting, it ended on a cliffhanger that was all too predictable.

For all the trauma these characters endured, they never felt complex or layered. They often came across as single-minded and one-dimensional, which made it hard to connect with them. The fact that the main characters were centuries old but still acted worse than teenagers, constantly indecisive and unable to get their act together, made it even more disappointing.

Even the romance didn’t deliver. It wasn’t developed enough to make me root for the characters or care about their relationship. Overall, this story had so much potential, but it just didn’t work for me.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I read this in one sitting! Loved! Warning, cliffhanger!!

After losing her entire family to dragons nearly 500 years ago, Kora, a hellhound, is back seeking revenge for her loved ones. She wants her vengeance on the person responsible. Along the way, she meets Derek, a handsome stranger, who happens to be one of the dragons responsible for killing thousands of villagers; including her family, although neither one of them knows that yet.

Their chemistry is out of control, but neither one of them can walk away; even though they know they should.

Both of them are hiding big secrets from each other, while beginning to develop feelings. These secrets have the potential to destroy what's slowly growing between them. When Kora finally confides in him about what happened to her family and what she really is, Derek never tells her about his involvement. Dragons kill hellhounds; at least Derek was brainwashed to do so.

Derek realizes that he's been brainwashed his whole life, he's responsible for innocent people dying; Kora's story was true. Kora wanting revenge on the same woman who brainwashed him, finally opens his eyes to the truth. He's been told so many lies his whole life, without him questioning them; it's now hard for him to trust anyone or anything anymore.

Will his secrets and lies destroy their newfound love? Or will Kora forgive him after she finds out the truth?

A must read!! I can't wait to read the second book!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Donna Grant has woven an incredible story. The story has great pacing and keeps the reader glued to the pages.

3.5 (rounded to 4 for Goodreads)/5 stars.

Donna Grant’s The Bastard King is a fiery, chaotic adventure filled with dragons, hellhounds, and the most annoyingly persistent villain ever, Villette. The story kicks off an intriguing duology, though it feels like some essential world-building details got lost along the way. Fans of connected series might find more context in the other books, but as a standalone, this one left me with more questions than answers.

Kora, the hellhound heroine, has lived over 500 years, yet her impulsive and overly trusting nature makes her feel oddly inexperienced. Still, her bravery and sense of justice make her compelling, even if she sometimes left me scratching my head. Derek, the dragon-turned-shapeshifter, is sweet and conflicted but burdened by secrets that make his relationship with Kora more icky than romantic at times. The chemistry between them sizzles, but their inability to communicate is frustrating.

The spice level is high, with plenty of steamy scenes, though they often felt out of sync with the pacing. I would have gladly traded some of those moments for more character depth and world-building. The reveals and twists in the final chapters came fast and furious, leaving me both exhilarated and overwhelmed.

Despite its flaws, The Bastard King is undeniably entertaining. The high-stakes action, unique writing style, and brutal cliffhanger make it hard to put down. It’s far from perfect, but if you love dragons, drama, and a touch of chaos, this book is worth the ride. Just be ready to dive into the sequel because you’ll need it.

I received this book for my honest review from NetGalley.

I wanted to like this one, but maybe I am not the right reader profile for it. I still think you should give it a try. Interesting ideas, but something was missing for me.

I started this book very excited for the concept but was ultimately disappointed right off the bat. The point of view of the book as a hovering overseer of events always turns me off from the book if it’s not done well. Usually when you start a book, you know who the first main character, not in this case. I was two chapters in and still did not know who the main character is in the book. Overall had to DNF the book after two chapters which is very rare as I usually never DNF a book.

Unfortunately, I DNF'd this book.
The writing was all over the place, switching from an older style of language to the modern one. Also, the protagonists could not draw me in and the "steamy" scene felt just wrong that early in the book.
After 26% of the book I just couldn't take it no more.

Not sure if this was the book for me, but the insta-lust, insta-bang within the first few chapters really just threw it off for me.
Was too predictable for me and just didn't enjoy it enough to continue reading.

Received this as an advanced reader copy through #netgalley.

4/5 stars.

Quick and entertaining read. Maybe not the most fleshed out characters or world, but it kept me hooked until the very end. Also a plus for me as a Finn myself was all the Finnish names dropped here and there. It was a nice surprise.

I also enjoyed the book because there were all kinds of magical beings and not just typical fae or warrior/assassin type of princesses I've seen everywhere. And the instant connection between the mcs after all the slow burn books I have read recently was really refreshing and made me like the book even more.

The cliffhanger was amazing. I did have my suspicions about how the book would end and I really liked how it was executed. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc!

This book had a lot of potential to be a favourite but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I wanted a lot more out of the world building and had so many questions left unanswered, but in a way that was frustrating rather than intriguing.

The other point that lost me was the relationship - I don’t mind a relationship that develops quickly, but a spicy scene that lasted 5% of the book and started at the 10% mark is too much too quickly for me. I just didn’t believe in the relationship or the chemistry between the main characters.

Before moving into the rest of the review, this is the first book of a duology. I expect that some of my questions will be answered in the second book. However, my interest in the plot will be the reason I read the second one, rather than any connection to the characters. There are also related books in the series that likely provide some of the world building that I felt was lacking in this book.

Character Rating:
Kora and Dereck felt quite flat. There was some movement/growth for each of them, but Kora was the scared FMC who was just discovering her strength and Dereck was the MMC who had never met anyone like her before. They have an instant attraction, but neither of them fully communicates with the other. They weren't my favorite main characters that I have read, and I am largely only interested in them moving forward as part of my larger understanding of the wold building.

Relationships Rating:
There are several side characters, but most of them are forgettable. I really liked the older man that we meet in the latter part of the book, but the remaining characters were either villains or inconsequential. I've seen that some of them are cameo characters from other books in the series, so perhaps that is where some of the disconnect lies.

Emotional Impact Rating:
It was difficult to be overly invested in the story due to a lack of world building. Again, and not to sound like a broken record, I understand that there are other books that likely provided some of that. However, I would have liked more in this book if the intention is for it to be an interconnected standalone. There were just too many questions for me to stay invested the entire time.

Writing Style Rating:
I enjoyed the high action points of the plot, as well as the slower stealth and fact gathering parts of their overall mission. I also liked the dual POV, and I would read other books by Donna Grant.

Spice Level Rating:
There are quite a few open door spicy scenes. Not all of them feel entirely natural for the pacing of the book, and I would have readily trade some of the spice for more character development and world building. Additionally, it would be difficult to recommend closed door modifications for this book.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.

This was my first Donna Grant book. I liked the story but also felt I was missing a lot of information that I should have known. Now that I have found out this book is part of an ongoing series set in this world, the fact that I am missing information makes sense.

Overall, I liked the story. It started slowly, and I sometimes struggled to keep going. The book did pick up in about the last third of the story and I was happy I kept going. I am interested enough to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley, DL Grant, LLC, and Donna Grant for the eARC.

"The only thing we can choose is who we love and how we live".

One of the best features of this book was the inclusion of a map at the beginning. It gave me the chance to follow the charaters' journey and understand better the world they live in.
Unfortunately I struggled to connect to the main characters, and I probably would have preferred a slow burn romance.
Despite this, the plot was original and this kept me engaged.

~ 3 ⭐️

4⭐️
2.5🌶️
“You're the only one I want to be around. Today. Tomorrow. In a million tomorrows.”

Derek and Kora are constantly on guard, and honestly, I get it. Kora’s family was destroyed by dragons, and Derek’s carrying his own pile of baggage. Watching them slowly learn to trust each other while untangling all the secrets and lies they’ve been told? So worth it—especially as things heat up between them and they finally stop pretending they’re “just friends.”

Their chemistry is undeniable, and those early spicy scenes...🔥🔥🔥 But as the story goes on, the spice cools down to focus more on the emotional side, which I actually didn’t mind. The character growth was real.

Not a fan of the random POV shifts, though. It always threw me off a bit trying to figure out whose perspective I was in, but maybe that’s just me. That cliffhanger? Torture! I’m crossing my fingers for a “bonded mates” situation in the next book because, after all that, we deserve it.

If you’re into dragons, trust issues, and high-stakes romance with a side of emotional growth, give this one a go. Just be ready for the twists!

Tropes:

⭐️Paranormal Romance
⭐️Dragon Shifter
⭐️Soul Mates / Bonds
⭐️Magic
⭐️Hidden Identities
⭐️Strong FMC
⭐️Forced Proximity


Thank you Donna Grant and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review⭐️