Book Review: Dark Embers

Title: Dark Embers
Author: Tessa Adams
ISBN: 978-0451230584
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Romance/Paranormal Romance/Erotica
Theme: Dragon shifters
Binding: softcover
Length: 320 pgs
Published: 6 July 2010
Buy: amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com
My Rating:


Synopsis: Prince Dylan MacLeod is one of the last pure-blood dragon shape- shifters-and ruler of a dying race, the Dragonstar clan. It falls to him to protect his people and their ancient magic. But he has one important duty: to provide an heir...

Like all dragons, Dylan, who has a dark, rampant sexual appetite, can only procreate with his destined mate-for whom he's searched for the last five hundred years. But his quest is delayed when a disease sweeps through the Dragonstars, and Dylan must venture to the human world to find a cure. He tracks down bio-chemist Phoebe Quillum, never imagining the beautiful scientist would be the mate he's been seeking. But even with the fate of the clan on their shoulders, Phoebe and Dylan are overcome by their sexual desire.

Their passion turns to something truer, but when Phoebe is kidnapped by Dylan's oldest enemy, he must risk everything for his love and his clan...

**The following review may contain SPOILERS**


My Review: I figured it was about time to go back to my first love-- the romance genre-- and write a review about the latest one I just finished reading. Dark Embers is the start of a new steamy series about dragon shifters. I have read my fair share of shape shifting romance novels, everything from wolves, lions, bears, eagles, hawks-- you name it. In more recent years, I've noticed a trend of dragon shifter books but for some reason none of them really caught my attention. Until Dark Embers that is.

Let's face it, when you are on B&N.com or at a bookstore going up and down the isles, the first thing that catches your eye is the cover artwork of a book. It doesn't matter what section you are in, it is just a known fact that, unless you already had an author picked out ahead of time, your first going to go to the book that is aesthetically pleasing to look at. It doesn't mean you are going to buy it, but the cover will draw you like a moth to a flame. That is exactly what happened to me with Dark Embers. Come on! Look at the hunk on the front cover! Okay, okay, while I reign in my raging hormones, it's more than just the hunk with 6 pack abs that drew my eye. I like the attention to detail everything from his belt buckle (Oh come on! I am not that perverted! I wasn't looking at anything below the belt! >=)~) to the color scheme, to the little desert town in the background. It gives you a lot of info in that one piece of artwork and it definitely makes me wonder what the cover of book 2 will look like!

Okay so here are the things I like about Dark Embers. This may piss off the feminists out there but Dylan, king of the Dragonstar shapeshifter clan and our hero is most definitely an alpha male. I'm not going to lie, I love my romance heroes to be dark and dominant. I know this view may set back the female rights movement back 200 years but hey, I know I am not the only woman who likes their heroes to be alphas. Moving on to Dylan's character, Tessa Adams does a great job developing his story, everything from his insecurities as a leader of his clan to his more personal angst, such as not having found his mate. Besides really good character development, Adams does well on creating this dragonshifter mythology and the mysterious way they live and have survived for ages in the human world. For example, these shifters:

a) They live in hidden caves in the desert (dragons like it hot!)
b) They love gems and precious stones
c) These gems/precious stones have meaning and can be used for different purposes
d) In human form their bodies run hotter than normal humans (makes sense since dragons like the heat)

I know there has to be more which will hopefully be explored in future books of the series.

Now here is what kept me from giving it a perfect 5 star rating and these are truly minor things that may be explained in the future. Okay so we know these dragonshifters live in the desert in hidden caves. Cool. But one thing that sorta bothered me was the flying in the air. Adams describes their dragon form as being pretty damn big. If they are flying around, are you telling me that no one is going to notice a huge dragon? How about airplanes or other aircrafts? I know that some of these dragonshifters can use "glamour" to hide their identity but I am not sure if I read somewhere that they can make themselves completely invisible in the air.

The other thing that bothered me-- and I know this is soooo trivial-- but in the synopsis of the book and throughout the beginning it is mentioned that Dylan not only yearns to find his mate to fill the other half of his soul, but only a true dragon mate will allow him to procreate. Another words, he can't knock up anyone other than his true mate. So I was thinking, cool, Dylan is going to find his woman and he is going to get her pregnant which will give hope to his people since they have lost so many loved ones to this terrible disease. Nope. Doesn't happen. At least not yet. Hopefully in book 2 Adams will develop that a little.

Hot alpha male? Check
Hot sex scenes? Check
Originality? Check

Dark Embers is definitely worth checking out if you are looking for something a little different in the dragon shifter category. Can't wait to read more from Tessa Adams!

~Mia~