Authors: Jasmine Walt, May Sage
Series: The Dragon’s Gift Trilogy
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Reverse Harem
Audience: Upper Young Adult, New Adult
Summary: This book follows Dareena Sellis, an orphaned serving girl who never would’ve expected to be Chosen never mind actually turn out to be the Dragon’s Gift, the one woman who can bear children for the king. Faced with three Princes, Dareena is directed to choose one to be her mate and the future King of Dragonfell. With none of the princes willing to back down, feelings growing between them all, and danger knocking at the doors of the Keep, Dareena’s decision and the actions of the Princes determine the future of not just Dragonfell but all three kingdoms of this land.
Goodreads says:
Three dragons. One woman. A reverse harem fantasy that will leave you breathless and begging for more...
Dareena Sellis is a nobody. The orphaned daughter of a no-name farmer, she toils away as a serving girl at Hallowdale Inn, her only marriage prospects either shipping off to war, or pawing at her skirts with their grubby, gnarled hands.
But fate takes a strange turn the day a dragon huntress comes to town. Suddenly, Dareena is swept off to Dragon’s Keep, trading in her raggedy dresses for silken gowns, her closet-sized room for feather pillows and spacious gardens, and her miserable suitor for three very handsome, very virile dragon princes.
For Dareena is not a nobody. She is the Dragon’s Gift—the one woman chosen by the gods every century to bear children for the future king of Dragonfell.
Despite her pre-ordained path, Dareena’s fate is far from certain. The crown has not given birth to more than one son in nearly a thousand years, and the line of succession is far from clear. Neither of the princes are willing to cede Dareena to the other, and yet she must choose. For the enemy is knocking on Dragonfell’s door, and Dareena’s decision could either mean the kingdom’s salvation…
…or annihilation.
Review: I absolutely love this book. There is not a single moment where Dareena is weak or victimised, she is strong, determined, and sassy as can be. The princes are so well defined, their personalities completely different from each other and their unique relationships with Dareena so well written. The plot itself doesn’t get too deep in this first book, but it is still intriguing and keeps you hooked till the very end. Reading the full trilogy is definitely needed to understand the complex web of politics that the authors have weaved together beautifully.
There is steam and it does include hints at more explicit details, so I definitely recommend 17+.
