Book Review | What A Dragon Should Know

Yes I know another G. A. Aiken  Dragon Kin book. I promise I’ll have a different series and author next month, I just couldn’t resist.

I got my hands on this book, it turns out that I hadn’t read it before, which surprised me because I thought that I had read all of the Dragon Kin books, I was obviously wrong.

This was another book that I enjoyed reading. I’ve said it before and I will say it again I love the depth that G. A. Aiken gives to her characters. You really do finish the book and feel as if you know the characters, that you understand them and even though there dragons and live in a fictional universe you somehow can relate. Because at the heart of it whether it be dragon or human, fiction or fact, family and the bonds that hold us together are important.

The one theme that I saw woven throughout this book, (I’ve seen it in other books in the series as well) is family and the dynamics within family.Sometimes having a blood bond doesn’t make you any closer than strangers, and sometimes having that bond can make you move heaven and earth  just so they will be happy.

The main story line focuses on Dagmar who is also called “the Beast" and Gwenvael the handsome. Dagmar says she has a message for Annwyl, the Bloody Queen.Gwenvaels is tasked with meeting her and bringing her back from the Northern Lands. There’s torture, kidnapping, a birth and a bit of death to round out the story. Oh and a little romance woven into the mix.

It’s a bit longer that most of the other books in the Dragon Kin series, though you are seeing a lot of the secondary characters. Their lives round out the novel and set the groundwork for things that you will see in the future books.

What Happened?:

Dagmar says that she wants to speak with Annwyl regarding her pregnancy and the problems that she’s having, she says that she has news that may save her and her children, yet the ‘news’ is never shared even when it becomes apparent that such help would be needed. Did she really have news or was she just looking for a way to leave her father’s lands?

This might just be me, but I don’t understand the motive of the Dragon God Rhhydis, he sets a plan in motion and at every turn seems to change his mind about what the purpose of the plan is and in the end completely bails on the events that he set in motion? Why?

Favourite Part (s):

Most of the parts where Dagmar is ‘negotiating’ or stirring up some trouble, like when she sets up Elder erganius death. Genius.

But emotionally my favourite part is in the tunnel’s with the minatours, when you literally thing that all is lost and that help won’t reach in time and Annwyl comes through and decimates. She cut’s down the enemy in true ‘Bloody Queen’ fashion literally getting covered in the minatours blood. I’m keeping it a bit vague because it’s also a key emotional point in the story and I don’t want to give too much away.

Favourite Quote or Line:

‘He raised his ax high, knowing there was only one war cry that would mean anything to himself or his men on this day.”For the Beast” he bellowed. And as one, her kinsmen yelled back “For the Beast”

Looking Forward to:

As far as I know there aren’t any new Dragon Kin books expected out soon, so I will spend time re-reading some of the them. I think I’ll read Eibhear and Izzy’s book again.

Overall thoughts:

Time well spent. It had it’s slow parts, but that’s to be expected, this isn’t a thriller where every second counts. I always enjoy reading about the Dragon Kin and their interesting dynamic