I really liked this story but it took me awhile to understand everything, since I didn’t read the first book. I highly recommend readers to start with book one so you understand everything going on in this book. Okra is determined to bring back Dereck’s memory after it was wiped by a powerful Star person. Dereck has been told lies and he is out for vengeance which includes killing a lot of innocents. Will his memory come back or will he forever be this vengeful dragon who has lost their true identity? I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Uncrowned King by Donna Grant is book 2 in the Bastard King series. The story continues on Zora. The Star People, sisters Vilette and Miena, created a catch of dragon eggs. The first to hatch was Derek, who became a weapon for the sisters. Soon the sisters turned on each other and Vilette got the better of Miena. Derek was ordered to kill all hell-hounds, the only beings capable of killing Star People. As the reining Star Person, Vilette ruled over the human side of Zora. But a chance encounter between Derek and Kora, the last remaining hell-hound on Zora, turned the tide on Vilette’s plans. This book continues to saga of Derek and Kora as they fight for their freedom and forge new bonds. You will enjoy the action and the depth of emotion from the cast of characters. It’s a great continuation of the series!

Of Donna Grant has done it again, i never expect anything less than perfection from her. A Forbidden love that's put to the ultimate test, full of action and tension! I'm sad this is the conclusion to the Bastard King duolgy but it's just so good.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4.
3 🌶

WOW! I requested this ARC without ever reading The Bastard King (book 1 in The Bastard Dulogy) because it sounded so good. I mean, come on, who doesn't like dragons?! I quickly read The Bastard King, and boy, was I glad that I had The Uncrowned King to follow up right behind it because holy cliffhanger!

The Uncrowned King immediately picks up right where The Bastard King leaves off. From there, it is action-packed from beginning to end.
The Uncrowned King does have a HEA and does wrap up neatly, but as most stories, you're always left wondering about the characters, especially some side characters in the end.
Donna Grant did a good job with the world building, pretty easy to follow, and character development.
My qualms are that I feel like the ending was a bit rushed, some little holes such as I wish I knew what happened with Eurielle, I had trouble connecting with some characters, and last but not least, the insta-love but I get the mates trope so I won't harp on that too much!

Tropes include- romantasy, dragons, mates, magic, battles, suspense, memory loss, death, betrayal, sibling rivalry, found family, HEA, good guys win.

If you're looking for a fantasy romance with dragons and other magical creatures in it, this is the duology you need in your life!

Thank you, DL Grant LLC and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!
Publishers release date 1/14/2025

Donna Grant weaves a rich and vivid tale in The Uncrowned King, a story packed with magic, political intrigue, and romance that will keep fantasy fans hooked. This second installment in the series dives deeper into the world of the Draegon, and once again, Grant’s mastery of world-building shines.

The story centers on Urian, a king struggling to reclaim his throne while navigating the treacherous waters of alliances, betrayals, and long-buried secrets. Urian is a complex character, both noble and deeply flawed, which makes his journey all the more compelling. His relationship with the fierce and enigmatic heroine, Taliyah, is the heart of the story. Their chemistry crackles, but it’s not just romance; their dynamic adds depth to the plot as they challenge and support each other.

Grant’s writing is lush, drawing you into a world of towering castles, fiery Draegon, and shadowy threats. The pacing is steady, with moments of action balanced by quieter, emotional beats. The supporting cast is memorable, though at times the sheer number of characters can make it tricky to keep track of alliances and motivations.

One minor critique: the plot can occasionally feel predictable, with a few tropes that veteran fantasy readers will see coming. Still, Grant’s evocative prose and the emotional stakes keep the story engaging.

Overall, The Uncrowned King delivers exactly what fans of the genre want: a mix of epic battles, heartfelt romance, and enough twists to keep you flipping pages late into the night. It’s a solid entry in the series that leaves you eager for more, and for anyone who loves dragons, kings, and a dash of danger, this book is a must-read. Highly recommended!

Derek and Kora have been separated. Will they manage to find each other again?
This is a story of how love can conquer all… or can it?
It’s got found family, fated mates, lots of battle, and just a sprinkling of spice!

Rating 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 for Goodreads)
Spice 2/5

This is book two in the Bastard Duology. It starts up almost immediately where book one ended.

Kora and Derek are separated. Kora is fighting to return to Derek, restore his memories, and kill Miena. Derek is fighting memory loss, implanted memories, and trying to avenge what he believes happened to his mate and eggs.

This book was I believe written better than book one. I still felt there were a lot of plot holes. I liked that there was less spice and more feelings. It did get me teary eyed in one part! I also felt that the Star People were modeled really closely after the beings in the Crescent City series where they world hop and interfere etc.

Another thing that kind of bothered me was the language. It almost seemed like it was trying to be a mix of different language styles and some of it could be a little hard to understand.

Overall, I would say this was an enjoyable duology. It had a lot of good elements. If you read the first book, I highly recommend you read this one too!

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

The Uncrowned King picks up right where the 1st book tragically ended. Kora and Derek have to continue their journey but with many obstacles in their way. While I think the writing is a bit better in this second book, I still can’t connect to the characters which I hate because this storyline has amazing potential.

The Uncrowned King was a good read, but I found this book a bit slower than the previous book in this series. This book picks up where the previous book left off with Derek dealing with his memory loss and trying to figure out what is the truth and what's lies, and Miena isn't making things easy. Kora is desperate to find Derek but when it comes to him her life may be in more danger than she thinks. Miena isn't going down without a fight, even if that means taking out family. Merril saved Kora's life and now he's also introduced her to allies she would have never imagined working with. She's in for a world of surprises, even when it comes to her "species" and those she seen and thought of as enemies. If she wants to save Derek and survive, everyone must work together to beat their common enemy. There were a lot of characters introduced in this story so although this is the ending to Derek and Kora's story, I'm sure well read more about the dragons, druids, fae's, reapers, star people, banshee, humans, tomte and many more of these characters in other books. However, when it comes to this story, it has memory loss, battle, sacrifice, death, betrayal, suspense, surprises, forgiveness, love and a sweet and happy ending for Derek and Kora.

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley! I enjoyed the second and final book in this series. When starting it, I realized there are other books in this universe and I will also be reading them to get to know the other characters better. I do feel like some of the events were rushed in this book especially the ending. I am not really a fan of insta- love as I have said before and so Derek and Kora’s relationship was a little cringey to me. However, I do love their devotion to each other. When Kora finally brings Derek back, I can honestly say I was crying, good ending!

Love, love these dragon kings! Finally the end of Kora and Dericks story, and it was just as spectacular as the beginning was! If your a dragon and magic fan this is the book for you, lol and who doesn’t like a good guys winning over the bad story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

Donna Grant, you never cease to enrapture me. I have been dying to get my hands on this book! Kora and Derek are the it couple. I love them so much! I'm only sad this was a duology and that their story has ended.

This story continues where the other left off. Derek's memory is erased again and Kora is still battling evil while trying to get Derek back, only this time she's not alone. She's made friends with other magical creatures and dragons of all people. You see her struggle to push past her fear and accept her new reality where not all dragons are evil. She's also come to terms with her feelings for Derek.

Derek is struggling because he needs facts to fully accept what Miena has said but doesn't really have any information to go on. He's struggling to remember anything. He gets glimpses of dark hair and knows his heart belongs to someone but can't remember who. My heart was breaking for Derek. I was basically screaming in my head for Derek to remember Kora.

The other characters in the story were also fantastic. Rhi was a strong guidance and ally for Kora. Villette shocked me and now I'm questioning her. Do I like her or not because even she grew on me. There are somethings I'm still curious about, like Eurielle and what happened.

The end had my heart singing. I'm so happy and sad at the same time. I'm only really sad because their story is over. Derek and Kora will forever be a top couple for me.

I highly recommend this duology!

Thank you Donna Grant and Netgalley for the ARC!

Kora and Derek are back. Derek has his memories erased and is with Miena. She tells him to kill the Dragon Kings and any hellhounds he comes across. He keeps dreaming of a woman but she has no face. He believes it’s his mate but he can’t remember her name. Kora is with the other dragons on Zora and all trying to come up with a plan to get Derek back. She has to make a blood vow with Villette to get her help. Anything done to the other they feel is many times more. Hen Derek finally faces Kora, he tries to kill her but they capture him so they can try and get his memories back. Lottie, Villette, and Eurielle must take on Miena to destroy her while Kora sneaks in to destroy her. Can Kora and Derek finally get their happily ever after?
I loved this book. Action. Forever love. Dragons. Fae. Familiar faces. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away.

*VOLUNTARILY READ AND REVIEWED FOR NETGALLEY *

Finally! After being in agony for two months after finishing the Bastard King, I was very excited to see the Uncrowned king pop up on Netgalley.

Finally we can find out what Derek's history is and how Kora will learn whether dragon's are responsible for her family's deaths, or not… True to Donna, she keeps you on your toes and she gives you hope and takes it away on the next page. But, when you turn the final page, you can't help but sigh and think back on a marvelous ride!

Thank you, Donna, again for the great addition to the Dark Kings family. It just keeps expanding. Keep it up, please! Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC
Second book was even better than the first. Sibling rivalry, mates, and war. I definitely think the bastard kind and the uncrowned king could have been one book. They are great short reads though. Donna did a great job with world building and characters. I do wish there would have been more to Koras character though. Overall a great read.

Part 2 of a duology set on Zora and the Dragon Kings world. Derek is a Dragon King who has had his mind wiped by Villette so many times he doesn’t know who he is anymore. Kora is a Hellhound whose family was destroyed by Villette. Derek and Kora teamed up in book one and fell in love while trying to take down Villette but now Derek is in the hands of Miena, Villete’s sister. Miena is even more evil than Villette if that’s even possible. Kora teams up with Rhi and Con and the other Kings to bring Derek back and are forced to work with Villette to take Miena diwn for good.

I enjoyed book 2. It was more action packed than book 1 with a larger group of characters. There was heartbreak, tragedy, reunions, love and a very satisfying ending. Highly recommend.

Wow! what an epic conclusion to this duology in the Dragon Kings universe. I was eagerly anticipating this novel after completing the first in the duology, The Bastard King. HIGHLY recommend reading the Bastard King first. In Bastard King, Derek was a dragon made, not a dragon born, and has been manipulated all of his life by his creator. He meets Kora, and his world is turned upside down. In The Uncrowned King, Derek and Kora's story continues as they unite with the dragon kings to battle a common foe on Zora. Their relationship is tested throughout the story, but their love and bond is unbreakable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Donna Grant for the ARC of The Uncrowned King.
While I can see this book appealing to many readers, it just didn’t align with my personal preferences. The writing style felt off and I found the world-building a bit thin, leaving me wanting more depth to the story’s setting, especially after the first book thrusted one into the story without any explanation.
Sadly, I couldn’t bring myself to care for the main character on a deeper level.
Additionally, the level of spice was more than I typically enjoy.

Although not my particular preference in story, I can see this book being popular with readers of different tastes.

Part two of the Bastard Duology follows the cliffhanger ending of The Bastard King. It takes us to new levels of conflict in the never-ending battle of good versus evil in Donna Grant's Dark Universe. The Uncrowned King ratchets up the tension between the Dragon Kings and Miena. Is the enemy of my enemy my friend? New alliances form in the effort to rid Zora of that evil Star Person.

This is an exciting, action packed story that questions loyalty under pressure. We are left wondering what happens next with Villette, Daelya, and Katla. At least Kora and Derek found their HEA together. With Skye Druids, Elves, Reapers, Dark Fae, Light Fae, Star People, Dark Kings, Hellhounds and more, Donna Grant's Dark Universe keeps expanding as the worlds keep overlapping. Can't wait to find out what happens next!

Loved reading the mesmerizing, spellbinding, and engaging paranormal story. When Derek loses his memory again endangering Kora, Kora stands firm against Derek's uncontrollable fury to kill her, and Kora believes their love for each other will save them. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written full of action and captivating characters, and a must read riveting story by the phenomenally talented author, Donna Grant.