When A Dragon Falls (Embraced by Magic 4) by Kerrelyn Sparks-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 24, 2023

Princess Lenushka of Norveshka prides herself on her courage. She’s faced down the doubters who think a woman dragon shifter is worth less than a man. She will marry to secure the support of her nobles—and ensure she’ll hold the Norveshki throne. A battle-hardened soldier, she’s prepared to destroy the Brotherhood of the Sun, who threaten all Aerthlan. But she can barely look at Bran Morris, the Raven. His dark, brooding beauty is off-limits for a princess who must wed for advantage. And he has far too many secrets of his own for Lennie to trust him with hers.

Bran’s quest is for vengeance, against the Brotherhood monsters who killed his brother and abused his sisters. He can’t dream about the sharp-eyed woman warrior whose memory haunts him, not even when she appears to rescue him from an unknown dragon shifter. But when Lennie and Bran discover they’re Aerthlan’s last defense against a powerful, murderous mastermind, they can no longer afford to deceive each other—or themselves. And when a dragon’s passion is freed, anything is possible .

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REVIEW:When a Dragon Falls begins with Princess Lenushka (Lennie) of Norveshka arriving for Princes Roslyn’s wedding. Once she sees the bridesmaid’s gowns, she contemplates an accidental hiccup and burning them all. Not wanting to upset Roslyn, she decides against it. Roslyn’s wedding to Earl Freydor worried not only Lennie, but the other bridesmaids as well. When Queens Brigitta and Luciana arrived, Queen Brigitta (Roslyn’s mother) was aghast at the sight of the dresses. Things got really interesting when one of the bridesmaids bumped into Queen Luciana. Anyone who comes into contact with Luciana was compelled to tell the truth. Once Roslyn realized that no one liked the dresses, she was heartbroken and didn’t think it could get any worse. Until one of the maids touched Luciana as well and blurted out that she had been having an affair with Earl Freydor. And she wasn’t the only one.

Bran and his younger brother, Zane, have been tracking Greer for quite a while and argued over who would be the one to deliver the killing blow once they found him. Greer was a member of the Brotherhood of the Sun, just as Bran and Zane had been, until their brother had been killed by Greer. Bran was a spy for the Brotherhood and a raven shifter. He knew more about the outside world than Zane so the two were at odds often about how to handle things. They do agree on one thing: the rest of the Brotherhood had to be taken down.

As Bran and Zane and their two companions enter town, they encounter Earl Freydor heading to where they thought Greer may be. Bran shifts and spies on the Earl who does indeed meet with Greer. Greer gets away with Bran following, only to be chased by a dragon. He doesn’t understand why and does his best to outmaneuver the dragon and is ultimately brought down by an arrow. Roslyn’s arrow. Seems she and Lennie were heading to confront the Earl as well and saw Bran giving chase. Bran had been part of a plot to kidnap one of the Queens a long while back and that is all that Lennie and Roslyn knew.

As Zane is kidnapped, along with two others, Lennie knows she must work with Bran and the others to save everyone. Bran has no idea who, or what, Lennie is and at first refuses. Once they decide to work together, they will move heaven and earth to save those they love.

When a Dragon Falls is another exciting addition to the Embraced by Magic series. Lennie and Bran are slow to admit their feelings for each other. They are written well, and their chemistry is sweet. The love they have for their families, both blood and chosen, draws them closer together. There is a large secondary character presence. I loved getting to catch up with the Kings and Queens from the earlier books and see them interacting with their children in this one. As I’ve said in previous reviews, Sparks is one of very few authors that can pull off a story that builds slowly yet keeps you turning the pages. I love the humor, the intrigue and the romance. I would recommend reading the series in order due to the continuing story arc throughout. And, once again, I can’t wait for the next installment in this series. Well done, Kerrelyn Sparks! Very, very, very well done!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Vickie