I didn’t realize this was a book from a series but wow I still love it! I love the world building and how easy it was to catch up to who characters are

I enjoyed this book! The beginning and world-setting was a little hard to follow without having read the rest of the series, but the book as a standalone was good!

I was in a rush to read this book so I read it as a standalone. Did great and was able to get into very much. It was a great story about being on the wrong path and then someone seeing the good in you to help you see it in yourself. I did not think that I would get into it as much as I did but I loved it. Now I need to read the first eight books to see what the rest are about.

Fair warning - this world is gigantic and we are several books deep in this Zora spinoff, so if you aren’t familiar with this world, these characters, or the baggage we’ve accumulated along the way, you probably aren’t going to quite get the same thing out of this book as I did.

I’ve been along for this wild and crazy ride since the start, so I know all the players. This book is about Merrill and Katla. Merrill ran away on purpose (sort-of) from his fellow dragon kings to help process some of the anger and hatred he never got around to dealing with for… a lot of years post-human war. Now on Zora, he was given a unique opportunity to hide out with the enemy but ultimately join the gang again. Now lurking around a kingdom without a ruler, he finds himself taken by Katla.

Katla is also a bad guy turned good guy in this story. She was capturing and probably resulting in the horrible death of many many dragons over her countless years. Was she duped by the big bad? Yes. Does she maybe have special powers above-and-beyond standard Druid powers? Probably. Either way she is struggling with her guilt and on her path to redemption. She’s taken some of the kids that were supposed to be sacrificed and treated them like her own. When Merrill offers them sanctuary, she reluctantly agrees and then they set off on their very poorly planned attempt to track down the current big bad. As is the case with these books, we don’t see the big bad get theirs, but we do see a coupling between these two guilt-ridden folks and progress in the larger story. With a world containing so many active characters, you can’t accomplish everything at once!

Dragon Marked by Donna Grant
Dragon Kings #9

The complex and often complicated universe created by Donna Grant includes a wide variety of paranormal beings that have their own laws, customs, and belief. I have not read all of the book from beginning to end but find myself being able to slip back in without trouble even if I have missed a book from time to time.

The dragon kings series has a large backstory that was summed up and referred to in this book well enough for a new reader to probably follow but having some background did help me when reading Katla and Merrill’s finding of one another as soul mates.

The story is an action-packed emotional thrill-ride from beginning to end that had me rooting for the couple and the dragons as they saved children, fought for their lives, were tortured, reconnected with family, and fell in love. Both Merrill and Katla feel guilty for past actions and seek redemption even though they both were manipulated by Villetta, a star person with a cruel streak. They seek to right wrongs, end evil beings, and find their way into a meaningful future.

The plot was well crafted, pace was perfect, setting perfectly described, characters easy to see and relate to, and the story excellently crafted with a twist at the end that evoked emotion. The ending indicated that Villetta plans to cause more chaos and gave me an idea of who will star in the next book of the series.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Even though this is book 9 in a series, it was easy to pick up and read without getting lost. I particularly loved the run down of all dragon kings and their details at the beginning of the book.
I found the beginning a bit slow, but then it picked up and I did really enjoy reading this book. I was quite surprised by the plot twist at the end, nothing is ever what it seems.
All in all this was a good read, and I will likely add the preceding books to my never ending TBR!

***Thank you so much NetGalley and Donna Grant for allowing me to be able to read this ARC***

In this story if dragons, druids, fae, shifters and mates we follow Katla (a Druid and touched with other magic) and Merrill a dragon king shifter. Katla is looking for vengeance on a Star Person named Villette, which just so happens, so is Merrill. But there are other beasts in this story that got in the way of Katla and Merrill trying to be able to do so! I absolutely loved how these two characters came together and I’m so excited to see how their story continues in the next book!

I did not realize that this was book 9 but I was able to read it and get most of what was happening. Over all it felt a little long and dragged in some areas but was a fun dragon shifter book.

Mysterious, fast-paced, and full of dragon lore 🐉✨

Dragon Marked draws readers into a world of ancient power, hidden scars, and dangerous alliances. There’s a compelling sense of history beneath the surface, and the connection between the leads feels deeply fated. With a focus on loyalty, redemption, and the secrets that bind the Dragon Kings, this is a quick, engaging read for fans of paranormal intrigue and epic romantic stakes.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was action-packed, interesting, steamy, fun and held my interest. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Dragon shifters.
Star crossed lovers
Yearning
Fast paced
All good things but wasn’t able to connect with characters. Lacked depth.

I’ve been waiting for Merrill’s story, and it was everything I hoped for and more. His bond with Katla is raw, emotional, and beautifully healing. Both carry heavy scars from their pasts, and watching them find strength and redemption in each other was powerful. Their journey across Zora, battling Villette and confronting old wounds, kept me hooked from start to finish. The emotional depth, the intense action, and the undeniable chemistry between Merrill and Katla made this one of my favorite reads in the Dragon Kings series. Donna Grant’s world-building is as magical as ever. This is a heartfelt, action-packed romance that lingers long after the final page.

A redemption story about resilience and finding a connection in the most unexpected place (not to mention steamy Scottish accents). Merrill and Katla are two souls with heavy pasts that learn to trust one another over the course of this emotional, action-packed ride of a book. A fantastic read for everyone in need of a dragon of their own.

As with the other books in this series, Dragon Marked is loaded with great characters, so much action, a difficult situation to be dealt with and a slow burn love story. Grant is so consistently good and this series is exactly as good as one would expect from her.

Merrill and Katla have been through hell with everyone else in Stonemore. The recent battle against Miena was devastating. No one is comfortable with Villette despite her having help them kill her sister. Katla is has so much remorse for her role in luring unsuspecting dragons into the brambles and to their deaths. How does she live with that now that she knows that the anger she carried for a millennium was all based on a lie. Her family was not killed. They are long gone now but they lived out their lives after the attack where Katla was certain a dragon had killed them. She's been duped and used in the worst way for so long. How many dragons died because of her? Merrill too was lied to by Miena and Villette and led to do unspeakable acts. He can't ignore that he willingly did what he was told even if he did so out of being misinformed and used. There is no happy life for these two. How can there be?

Or can there be? Merrill finds Katla taking care of three orphans in the middle of the woods. He cannot ignore their dire situation. Food is obviously and issue. He can easily contribute a tasty meal. As the two work to save the children trust begins to build, very slowly. Eventually, the children are delivered to Merrill's dragon kin to be protected and nurtured. An event Katla could never have envisioned! Now Merrill and Katla are free to seek out Villette for the revenge each needs. Their trek finds them reevaluating everything and learning to not only trust but care for each other.

They aren't getting out easily of course and a battle must be fought and won before they can find their HEA. But, of course, they do. Sigh.

Ms. Grant, keep up the good work!

Great editon to the series! Can be read one its own, as well as part of the series if you're looking for more!

When I signed up for this book, I was not aware it was part of a series. Turns out that didn't matter. This book provides enough history to keep up with the story. The world building is there as well as character development. There wasn't as much enemies to lovers as I thought there would be, but it doesn't detract from anything. Very enjoyable book that has me wanting to read the series from the beginning ...

Will be recommending to all my fantasy reading friends for sure!

I must admit that I did not realize this was part of a series when I requested it. That being said, I feel the author did a great job recapping what had previously occurred in the plot line seamlessly. I enjoyed the scenes with the dragons in their dragon form the most, and the dialogue having the Scottish accent built in.

Loved reading the mesmerizing and spellbinding paranormal story. When Merrill leaves the Dragon Kings to find his enemy Villette, he meets Katla who is protecting three children. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting story by the phenomenal author, Donna Grant.

Well now I have an entire backlog of TBR got this author! This is my first Donna Grant book and will not be my last. I've already added this entire series to my digital shelves. A fabulous fantasy with all sorts of different "creatures" including dragon shifters, druid , fae, and more in a fantastically built world. My only complaint is that the pacing seemed a little slow, but I also felt the urge to devour this book in 2 days. Sleep was sacrificed for this fun but heartfelt book where two people grieving losses and mistakes that were made come together to help one another through while fighting forces much bigger than them. Learning to ask for and accept help to overcome their own battles and the battles against evil forces that are pulling their world apart. An emotional and mildlysteamy book that's inspired me to read more from this author.