Maiden Flight
Bianca D'Arc
Samhain Publishing
Feb. 2006
145 pages
$4.50
ISBN: 1-59998-022-3
Romance
Belora knows that her and her mother, Adora, need meat to supplement their diet of vegetables and herbs. She's been tracking this buck and now has the perfect shot; she gives thanks to the spirit of the buck for giving up its life to save theirs. She aimed, shot and saw her salvation fly away in the grasp of a dragon. She could not allow him to steal their meat. Belora ran after him yelling and demanding the return of the carcass.
Kelvan is amazed by the tenacity of the small human and lands to offer a deal. His knight can decide who owns the rights of the deer. When Gareth finds that his dragon has brought a deer as well as a poacher, he is rightly intrigued. When Kelvan tells him that she can hear him speak; Gareth is amazed. Very few men and even fewer women can hear the dragons. Gareth is extremely attracted to Belora and wastes no time in seducing her. She isn't the only one seduced though. Gareth falls deeply in love with her and asks her to become his mate.
Belora agrees to mate with Gareth and is introduced to the extreme life of a Dragon Knight. There is a catch to mating with one of these men; if their dragon then finds a mate, the new dragon's knight will also become a part of their family. Can Belora accept Lars as well as Gareth into her heart?
All I can say is wow, this is such an amazing tale that I am impatiently waiting for the next book in the series. Bianca D'Arc takes dragon lore and creates a wholly unique story that grabs the reader and makes her never want to leave. I was thrilled with the main storyline; Dragon Knights preparing to protect the kingdom, but was really taken by the subtle threads that Mrs. D'Arc wove in about Belora's heritage.
Belora was a sweet girl who instinctually knew what she needed to do and Gareth and Lars both took their time in introducing the lifestyle of the Lair. I don't think it would have been as good a book if she had been thrown in willy-nilly. Ms. D'Arc showed a side of dragons that is amazingly intriguing and that this reader cannot wait for more of.
I have looked and there will be more in the series; at least another three. We are introduced to most of the characters in Maiden Flight and the author has done a wonderful job of setting up this series. I give this book a 4 ½ out of 5 gems rating.
--Serena Polheber
gottawritenetwork.com
