Quick Shot: Dragon Bound - Thea Harrison

Publisher’s Summary:
“Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful–and passionate—of the Elder Races.

As the most feared and respected of the wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they’ve ignited in one another.”

You know, it’s been a fair while since I last read a paranormal romance. I guess you could say all of those urban fantasy series I love so much – and my YA addiction, and the random I’ll read this! pattern that has recently emerged – has gotten in the way. It was really quite nice to get back into the PNR world, and Dragon Bound was just the type of make-me-feel-light-hearted kind of read I’ve lately been craving.

Basically, I really liked the world Thea Harrison created in the first of her Elder Races novels. It cuts across an oft written about cross section of creatures – shifters, Fae, vampires – but the story avoids feeling tired or clichéd, which owes something to Dragos, the book’s dragon shifter hero, and Pia’s unique identity. Granted, there are a crop of dragon shifters in PNR these days –Tessa Adam’s Dragon Heat novels and Deborah Cooke’s Dragonfire novels come immediately to mind – but Dragos more than holds his own in the field, reminding me, in certain respects, of Nalini Singh’s Raphael.* He’s all teeth and talons and “Mine!”, which, every now and again, can be just what the book-doctor ordered. Pia had one definite thing going for her: She didn’t get on my nerves. And, yes, that really is saying something. (Too often PNR heroines set my teeth on edge.) Alongside the main characters are a cadre of secondary ones that all standout on their own – particularly and especially Gray and Quentin – who will, I hope, be featured in a book of their own.

All in all, Dragon Bound was highly enjoyable, and I’ll be quick to scoop up the next book in the Elder Races’ series, Storm’s Heart.

• The review that prompted me to pick this one up sooner rather than later: Smexy Books

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*Dragos’ looooong life removes him from experiencing finer emotions (so he thinks). His approach to anger and violence, however, is casual as it’s an inbred part of his nature that he sees no reason to snuff. The comparison thins after that because Raphael oozes a tangibly lethal, don’t-cross-me vibe that Dragos can’t touch.

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