Check your warnings! There are some decidedly darker elements and themes in this one. The world building is incredibly unique and the main characters flawed and relatable.

What can I say except my mind is blown?

That's my reaction after every book by Terry J. Benton-Walker, but this Adult debut is elevated and unique and compulsively readable. Though it works as a perfect standalone, I would happily read ten more books in this detailed world, with its dragons and mages and humans, its lost gods and scheming rulers, its vices and its virtues. I'm forever impressed by how much charm and emotion this author can fit into each page.

Reverie's journey from an impulsive, selfish man who desires nothing but his freedom to an anxious but dependable man who seeks to break the chains that bind them all is so gorgeously rendered, and his romance with Xan was equal parts funny, sexy, and adorable. And that ending! I got shivers!

Basically, don't miss this one.

The Drakon King • Terry J. Benton-Walker

One phrase: human prince meets dragon prince magic 🐉🖤

This book ruined me in the best way.

The Drakon King is queer, Black, sexy, emotional romantasy with dragons, forced proximity, magical tech, powerful witches, missing people, political betrayal, and a love story between two princes that completely had my heart.

Reverie is the human crown prince of a kingdom built on lies and stolen magic, and he wants absolutely nothing to do with the crown. Raised by a cruel king, trapped by expectation, and desperate for freedom, his life does not truly feel like his own. He is messy, hurting, lonely, and carrying so much more than anyone around him seems willing to see.

And I felt all of it.

Then there is Xandreth, the Drakon prince searching for answers when his people begin disappearing. He is determined, protective, soft in the ways that matter, and exactly the kind of character I wanted to stay with forever.

When Reverie and Xandreth end up stranded together in the Wraithwood, their reluctant alliance turns into something so tender and meaningful. Their relationship felt natural, emotional, and deeply healing. They challenged each other, softened each other, and fit together in a way that made the romance feel unforgettable.

The worldbuilding was incredible too. The blend of fantasy, technology, magic, dragons, mechs, and political tension felt fresh and immersive without ever becoming overwhelming. Even with the length, I never felt bored or lost. I just wanted to keep living in this world.

And can we talk about this being a standalone fantasy?

A full, complete fantasy story in one book? Bless.

The emotional depth is what really got me, though. Reverie’s longing to be loved, his desire to escape, his pain, his growth, all of it was written so beautifully. When he hurt, I hurt. When he found happiness, I felt that too.

I finished this feeling completely attached and honestly unsure how I’m supposed to move on to another book.

✨ Tropes and vibes:
🐉 dragon prince
👑 human prince
🖤 Black MLM romance
🌈 queer romantasy
⚔️ forced proximity
🔥 rivals to lovers
✨ fantasy plus technology
🧙 powerful witches
🤖 mechs and magical tech
💔 healing through love
🌑 missing dragons
💞 first love

📚 Read this if you like:
Crescent City, When the Moon Hatched, Fourth Wing, queer fantasy romance, dragons, magical technology, immersive worldbuilding, cinnamon roll heroes, and love stories that feel like survival and home at the same time.

This was emotional, fresh, romantic, immersive, and absolutely one of those worlds I did not want to leave.

#TheDrakonKing #TerryJBentonWalker #QueerRomantasy #FantasyRomance #BookReview

I need everyone to understand that this book had me the moment someone said “queer princes, dragons, and forbidden romance.” There was literally no scenario where I wasn’t picking this up.

Reverie and Xandreth had me invested almost immediately. I loved watching them go from reluctant allies to something more. The tension was there, the chemistry was there, and every interaction had me kicking my feet a little.

One thing I really appreciated was that the dragons actually felt important to the story. They’re not just hanging around looking pretty. The mystery surrounding them kept me turning pages because I needed answers.

The worldbuilding is pretty expansive, but I never felt lost. Every new piece of information made me more curious about what was really going on.

I also loved how much was happening at once. Missing dragons, kingdom politics, dangerous secrets, magical chaos, and somehow the romance never got buried underneath all of it.

By the end I was completely invested in these characters and not ready to leave this world behind. I need more books with dragons, messy royals, and feelings immediately. My only complaint is that I eventually ran out of pages.

I received an ARC of The Drakon King in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved the worldbuilding and the way the realm's history slowly unfolded throughout the story. We begin with the goddess Aja and her daughter creating the realm with Humans, Mages and Drakons living in peace. In the present time we learn that there was a devastating war that ultimately led to division between Humans, Mages and Drakons.

The current Human King, Alton, is despicable but his son Prince Reverie is his complete opposite. Reverie is kind, open-minded though he did come across as selfish. His desire to run away felt self-centered because he knew how terrible his father was but he seemed more focused on escaping his circumstances rather than helping his people.

However, the more I learned about Reverie, the more my perspective changed. I realized that he's not selfish, he's really just trying to survive. He's spent his entire life being abused, controlled and made to feel powerless. He turns to sex and drugs because they are something he can control while also letting him cope with the pain of his everyday life. Although he did not make choices I wanted him to make, I was able to give him grace knowing that this all came from his trauma. Meeting Prince Xandreth, the brother to the Drakon King, was such a pivotal moment to Reverie's story and the fate of the realm. Seeing how their relationship developed as they supported each other and helped one another heal felt so authentic and beautiful. I absolutely recommend this book to any romantasy fans.

I cannot even explain how much I loved this book. It felt like such a refreshing reprieve from the same old romantasy. The elements of scifi in the tech mixed in with the fantasy of dragons and magic can be a fine line but this book hit it. I loved the characters; they were so well developed and grew along the way. The plot and pacing were both great and the writing was beautiful. This is a MM romance; I received an ARC and it's out 11/10/2026! Don't miss it.

This was beautiful written!! 🥰 I love how The Drakon King Loves The Prince. The prince had sooo much character development and finally standing up for himself against his father brought me so much joy!

Terry J. Benton-Walker never misses. I always love reading anything he writes because he knows exactly how to grab a reader’s attention from the very first page and hold it until the very end. That was exactly my experience with The Drakon King. Once I started reading, I literally could not stop. Every chapter left me on edge because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

This book is an action-packed fantasy ride from start to finish. The pacing is intense, the stakes keep getting higher, and there’s never really a moment to breathe. On top of all the thrilling fantasy elements, the family drama and messy personal relationships added so much depth to the story and made the characters feel real. And honestly… dragons? Say less. The dragons made everything even better.

If you love fantasy filled with nonstop action, emotional chaos, complicated relationships, and dragons, The Drakon King is absolutely worth the read.

I had a blast reading this. The romance is messy and hot, the prince drama is genuinely juicy, and the dragons/missing-people mystery kept me turning pages.

First of all thank you Netgalley I was privileged enough to receive the ARC of this book.


Omg I did not imagine I would love an MM fantasy this much it literally blew my mind. Guys if you are skeptical about it because you have never read MM fantasy I promise you this is the best book to start.

The world building the storyline and the plot the way they were explained was perfect it didn’t even feel like info dumping.

And don’t even get me started on my babies Reverie and Xandreth (screaming) I loved them so much the emotional depth the baggage the romance was 100% giving. The rivals to lovers trope and forced proximity was perfectly executed in accordance to their characters.

I very much loved the futuristic setting and the workings of the court it was very entertaining and engaging.

And if you know me I am a sucker for dragons if it has dragons I am already sat. Anyways this was a very fun and easy read would 100% recommend

Terry J. Benton-Walker created a world that feels massive, dangerous, and completely addictive. The mix of dragons, magic, technology, political tension, and forbidden romance had me hooked immediately. Reverie and Xandreth’s chemistry was EVERYTHING. Tender one moment, devastating the next, and layered with so much emotional depth. I went in expecting dragons and came out emotionally attached to every single disaster prince in this book.

This was personally one of the best mm fantasy novels I've read in a long time. You follow two Princes; one human, one dragon. Emotional and physical abuse is happening to our characters. When they are thrown together to find answers what you end up with is an organically grown slow burn romance that doesnt overpower the plot, standing up for themselves and finding self worth within those answers. I honestly ate this story up, I couldn't put it down. And FINALLY a standalone. I love a good series but it is so ewarding when a story is great plus there is no cliffhangers. 10/10 would recommend.