ANCIENT VENGEANCE (Ancients Rising 6) by Katie Reus-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 27, 2022

She’s been sheltered her entire life…

Stella is from a fierce and ancient dragon line, but when her kingdom was invaded and half her family slaughtered, everything changed. She’s been taught to fight, to protect herself, but now that one of her sisters is back after being thought dead, she realizes it’s time to make some changes. After years of being smothered, she needs freedom, to spread her dragon wings and experience life. So when her grandmother tasks her with a job in New Orleans, she jumps at the chance to strike out on her own and prove herself.

He’s never met anyone like her…

Dragon shifter Rhodes is a killer. An assassin. And he’s been ordered to kidnap the dragon princess Stella as vengeance against her clan. He’s always finished his contracts—until he meets her. Now he’ll do anything to keep her safe. To claim her forever as his mate. But first they’ll have to overcome the danger stalking her—and then he’ll have to figure out how to get her to forgive him for betraying her.

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REVIEW: ANCIENT VENGEANCE is the sixth instalment in Katie Reus’ contemporary, adult ANCIENT RISINGS paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is dragon shifter and assassin Rhodes, and Nova Princess dragon shifter Stella’s story line. ANCIENT VENGEANCE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: Months earlier, several dragons rose from their sleep, and in the aftermath destroyed much of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, in an apocalyptic showdown known as The Fall, but in doing so revealed the existence of the supernatural world to humankind. Ancients Rising focuses on the recovery of the city, and the group of supernaturals and dragons who have come to call New Orleans their home.

Told from several third person perspectives including Rhodes and Stella ANCIENT VENGEANCE focuses on the building romance and relationship between is ancient dragon shifter and assassin Rhodes, and Nova Princess dragon shifter Stella. Princess Stella has lived a shelter life in the Nova Realm in the years her beloved sister had gone missing and was presumed dead. Wanting her freedom Stella volunteers to head to the Earth realm to search for a stolen crown, but all does not go according to plan when our heroine is attacked, shot full of poison by the Domincary Fae, left to struggle on her own.Enter her savior and downfall, dragon shifter and hired assassin Rhodes, the man/dragon with whom Stella will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Rhodes and Stella, and the potential fall-out when Stella discovers Rhodes has been hired to kidnap and take her to the Dominicary Realm.

Stella never expected to come face to face with her future in the guise of ‘rogue’ dragon Rhodes but without our hero Stella may have never survived. Healing in the Earth Realm in New Orleans, Stella has lost her ability to shift but finds her inner dragon wants something more from our story line hero. Rhodes has no intention of taking Stella to be tortured by the Fae but Rhodes never expected to find his fated mate in Princess Stella but disobeying the King of the Fae places Rhodes in the direct line of fire.

The relationship between Rhodes and Stella is one of immediate attraction predicated upon circumstance, a lie, and a poison arrow.Rhodes inner dragon wants to claim Stella as his own but the truth will push Stella out of his life. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Stella’s sister Juniper and her mate Zephyr, their parents Soleil and Ares, as well ancient vampire Christian, and feline shifters Axel, Harlow and Brielle. There is something developing between Axel and Christian. The requisite evil has many faces.

ANCIENT VENGEANCE is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, desire and acceptance , forgiveness and love. The premise is captivating and entertaining; the characters are powerful and energetic; the romance is seductive and provocative.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Ancient Protector
Ancient Enemy
Ancient Enforcer
Ancient Vendetta
Ancient Retribution

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Katie Reus is the New York Times, USA Today, and IndieReader bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Moon Shifter series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it.

However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. Her book Avenger’s Heat recently won the Georgia RWA Maggie Award for Excellence in the fantasy/paranormal category.

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