The Last Dragon King: Kings of Avalier

The whole series is absolute FIRE!! The FMCs radiate strength and are absolutely fierce! I couldn’t pick a favorite. What is absolutely impressive to me is just how real the internal struggles of the characters are. You can feel their doubts and insecurities, you can commiserate with them, but they never overpower the story and become a hinderance. Although I would’ve liked to see a little more spice, I totally get why the books are on the mild side. It did not detract from my enjoyment of them or my excitement to pick up the next one. In fact, the witty banter between each couple and the slow burn romances are exquisite. If I hit the lottery, I’m buying the whole set bc my Kindle versions are not sufficient. If I could’ve given it 10 stars I would’ve.

Standalone but intertwines with the next 3 books.This story starts off really good. The Dragon King is in search of a queen and happens to be intrigued by Arwen before he even knows if she has dragon magic or not.There are a lot of unknowns and the main focus is to help the king have heirs so his dragon magic doesn't run out. But all the twists and turns and decisions to be made are so hard for them to go through.Very little smut. I enjoyed the story and may well continue to the next books!

This storyline lacks any real depth. Everything was too predictable; meeting by chance, some kind of turmoil, some kind of battle, resolution to the simple turmoil then everything is perfect after a very predictable event and finally another problem and battle left on a cliffhanger. The book seems very rushed and as the introduction to this series, I’m not sure I’d read the rest.

Not a bad standalone that's part of a series. I will say that it's an interesting premise and I liked the story. I do wish the author had spent more time developing the story and adding length along with character depth. It's a great premise but one that just felt rushed with a high level view which was a little disappointing when it had so much potential.

then this the book! Well it was for me. I found myself leaving my current epic hexologies and trilogies to read a new epic series. Lol I needed a fresh story and Dragons were the right choice! The first romance feels that Drae and Arwen gave me hooked to the end. Loved it!

I enjoyed this book. It was written well but lacked that something that made it great. It was still worth reading.

Very good book. I liked the humor in the story. I love dragons stories and magic. All I can say it was a good story. Don't know what else to say. Thank you for writing a good story.

3.2/ 5.0 This story is not bad. I like the plot and the way magic is manifested in this world. I intend to read all 4 books because for all the shortcomings, it’s not bad. It’s just meant for a far younger audience than I am part of. It also is written for a more conservative audience.The characters are not complex or deeply developed. There feels like so much more importance to the FL (Arwen) and like she should be more mature, but she is 17. She is literally a child, and not a child in some fantasy world that’s has dragons and fae, but a child in our modern world that’s play acting. The emotional swings, the doubt and disbelief, the drama is all attuned to a teenager, not to someone even in their mid 20s, and certainly not to what a person growing up as a peasant in a semi-medieval world would exhibit. The ML (Drae) is equally devoid of any real, lasting permanence in a reader’s mind.There is no smut in this, it is not fairy-corn in the least and actually portrays sex and childbirth as being unpleasant to downright excruciating, respectively. As a mother of two successful and two unsuccessful births, I feel the trauma surrounding the ML is not addressed in the story at all. It is something that happened to him and he just moves on for duty, and I get there’s a time limit for the plot, but it is glossed over hurriedly. The author seems to want to keep this in the YA instead of letting it be NA, so again we are dealing with a very young person. There are many individuals out there that have dealt with loss like this at an early age (teens to 20s) and there is a missed opportunity by this author to really write about that trauma and ways of getting through it. I have reviewed books before that use this type of writing device, trauma as petty dramatics instead of true growth in a character, and it alway leaves a bad aftertaste, so to speak.I am surprised that the human queen has all these people that can invent great weapons and such, but no one defects ever, or no spies steal this technology to invent counter measures in the magic kingdoms? Again, I am older than the intended audience, so my level of skepticism is higher, but in our reality with all the intensity that people are going through, I wonder if the shortcomings in this book are a result of the author’s naïveté or intentional ignorance. The battle scenes and military strategies are so juvenile they are nearly elementary, and the author seems to have done little to no research on writing war scenes. That tracks with the book being for a younger, conservative audience.Like I said, I will read the next books because I am interested in the plot. Do not expect rave reviews, but most likely more of the same. There are 4 men these books follow, so I imagine the formula will emerge quickly.Until Next Time,MC

Overall Rating: 2.5/5 (rounded up to 3 stars)Spice Rating: 0.5/5 - lots of angst but no real explicit scenes!!This premise of this book is centred around pregnancy/infant loss. It is not a casual mention but is a main theme driving the plot, so please consider this before starting!!The Last Dragon King is the first book in a new fantasy romance series by Leia Stone. From the way she set up with ending, I get the feeling that each book will focus on a different king within Avalier as they band together to stop the humans of Nightfall from wiping out all magical beings.Arwen, FMC, was just casually minding her own business, hunting game for her family’s survival after the passing of her father and looking forward to Mayday..and the kissing tent. But her plans are upended when a royal envoy arrives in her small, remote town of Cinder Village with a shocking announcement.The Dragon King is in want of a wife and they are here to take those with enough magical to produce an heir to Jade City, the glittering capital, where a host of eligible women have gathered from all corners of the kingdom.But a trip to Jade City, under the scrutiny of the Dragon King and his advisors, could mean Arwen’s death. Only if she can’t make him fall in love with her first.Characters:Drae is the widower Dragon King, searching for a women to give him an heir after the devastating loss of his wife and numerous unborn children. Arwen is one of those ‘not like other girls' girls, who is chosen as an eligible maiden that could produce an heir and save the kingdom. At eighteen, Arwen hasn’t left her small town and has no ambitions to become queen, which makes her all the more appealing to Drae. But things get complicated when a veil is lifted over her shadowy past, putting everyone she loves in danger.These two have undeniable chemistry and their angst and struggles with their forbidden desires are written well. There are some moments when I thought my eyes would get stuck in the back of my head from how hard I was eye-rolling but these two make an entertainment pair.Tropes:- Forbidden Romance- Hidden/Secret Identity- Hidden/Secret Ability or Power- Royalty/Court Intrigue- Humans vs. 'Others'- Dark Secrets- Slow BurnIs The Last Dragon King Spicy?There is a lot of tension and angst between Arwen and Drae throughout the book but the spice, overall, is pretty tame. We are rewarded with some dramatic, steamy scenes but nothing sweltering.My Thoughts:So, I’m torn.The opening of The Last Dragon King gave me instant A Court of Thorns and Roses vibes, with Arwen’s situation mirroring that of Feyre. Now, I realise that I immediately began to compare this read to ACOTAR (which, in my opinion, is in a league of it’s own). I also saw this book hyped all over social media, so I had already set the bar high after seeing so many good reviews. This is why I much prefer going into books blind because I think I would have enjoyed it much more without my inflated expectations.Here’s what didn’t work for me:To me, it read as a upper YA story but with adult themes. I can’t quite put my finger on it but, the age/maturity of the characters and the seriousness/gravity of the pregnancy loss thing just didn’t vibe. I felt that, though it was one of – if not the main – plot driver, the handling of pregnancy and child loss felt a bit surface level to me. What I found most emotionally compelling was Drae and Arwen’s internal struggle at the end, but even then it was born more from a place of personal desire/possessiveness rather than grief (at least for Arwen). I started to see progress in Arwen’s character arc towards the end, after actual contemplation of this very mature theme but it was rather short lived. With the story told from Arwen’s POV (and as someone who has experienced pregnancy loss), I felt that it just missed mark a bit on exposing the depths of despair and heartbreak of that particular type of loss. It just felt a bit flat, expositional, a light, caressing breeze instead of a emotion-razing tornado. I think Drae’s POV would have been able to fill these emotional gaps where Arwen’s missed the mark.I also felt that the story was a bit obvious and predictable. There’s a reason why most stories follow a formula, but it’s more than that. For example (without spoilers), there’s a scene where one character tells another that they have a ‘dark secret’ but literally saying, “I have a dark secret.” There just no subtlety, more telling than showing.Here’s what I liked:I enjoyed the twist on the Humans vs. ‘Others’ where, this time, the humans are the aggressors, developing technology to wipe out the magical races. There is also a lot of action and mystery that keeps the story flowing. And the angst, lots of steamy angst. My muscles ached at the suspense towards the end of the book but it does finish with a happily-ever-after (HEA)!I would recommend The Last Dragon King to...- readers who love a slow-burn romance with a HEA- Upper YA fantasy readers who want a bit of extra steam- fantasy romance readers who want steamy angst without full-on spice

I would recommend this to fantasy loversWaiting to read the whole seriesStarting on the broken elf king .

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series. The. Backstory is described with just enough detail and not all in one chunk which permits the action to rattle along. There are dramatics and secrets behind every door and things and people are definitely not who they first appear. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

This is a great book. I loved the world building, the characters and everything about it. I would highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

I've been counting down the days till this released and it definitely didn't disappoint. Had a bit of a heart attack near the end when I thought the hea was going to get ripped away but so glad everything worked out. Arwen is such a great Heroine and I loved the fact that Drae had loved and lost before it gave him a vulnerable side ♡When Arwen's father died she became the hunter to feed her mother and sister. On the day of her biggest kill she's shocked to find that the kings army turns up in her little town, a town the king never visits. Apparently he's searching for a bride someone who wields enough magic to carry an heir to full term. His late wife Queen Amelia lost four children and then the last took her too. But when her mum hears of the guards arrival she tells Arwen to run something she wasn't expecting but when she learns the reason why she does as she's told, this may be her mother but it turns out not by blood. As the kings sniffers search through those of child baring age for how much magic they possess Arwen tries to sneak out but it is the king himself who stops her and forces her to get tested and of course she's chosen as worthy. What Arwen didn't expect on arrival to Jade city was the hundred other girls there. Arwen was adamant she didn't want to marry the king and so the many women gave her hope she would return home. Whilst the other girls wear pretty dresses everywhere she chooses to wear pants thinking it will dissuade the king but it's exactly what gets her noticed the fact that she's more relaxed in every way.But Arwen must keep her true nature hidden for her birth mother warned her mother that if her magic was ever discovered she'd be killed. Arwen comes from a line whom were enemies to Drae's family thought to have all been executed. But Drae needs an heir to save the dragon folk and the magic that is slowly fading but when he finds out what Arwen truly is will his feelings for her be enough to save her or will he simply remove her and marry another of the many girls brought to Jade City.Drae will have to pick his battles because the night queen is hell bent on removing magic from all kingdoms and she's see the perfect opportunity when she hears what will happen if Drae doesn't sire a child.Will Arwen and Drae get their HEA or will the dragonfolk be lost becoming another lost bloodline in Avalier.Definitely Recommend Reading 📚