The Rogue King

The Rogue King, book 1 in the new Inferno Rising series by Abigail Owen is set in her Fire's Edge world, so if you've read The Mate, The Boss, or The Rookie then you've already got a good grasp of the world and some of the politics and habits of the people contained within. If you haven't, however, you will not be left behind. Though we meet and hear of some of the characters from those books, you won't be at a loss in the least. The summary from Mrs. Owen is perfect and leads the reader to the true tone of the book. This is nice, because not all summaries manage that. Our main characters, Kasia and Brand, are both essentially outcasts that will come to find they have a common enemy. In this world, Phoenixes historically end up the destined mate of a dragon, with the relationship being mutually beneficial in that the dragon offers protection while the phoenix offers luck and an extended life span. Because of a power hungry dragon shifter, the entire world was thrown into a bit of chaos. Kasia and her sisters were raised to fear dragon shifters and avoid them at all costs. During the same time period, Brand lost his entire family and became a rogue dragon; which pretty much means he's hunted by his own kind and has spent his life fighting. Both have a past that makes my heart hurt for them, but also makes me root for them even harder. Brand is friends with the Blue Dragon King, Ladon, who wants the phoenix for her legendary 'ability' to make her mate the High King of all dragons. As he is currently the only dragon king standing against their current high king and his pawn kings, this is important. Most of the book is Brand and Kasia's journey from Montana to Scotland. Along the way, we get to know the two of them as they get to know one another. We also, as readers, get to learn more about the political maneuverings of the dragons and what's been going on for the past 500 years or so. The world Mrs. Owen designed is detailed and quite lush. It's full of interesting people as well as species both common and uncommon (shifters, vampires, spirits, hellhounds, etc). The perspective changes mostly between Kasia and Brand, but occasionally branches out to other important characters giving us inside views of the happenings outside our current focus. This helps to engender greater love or hatred for other characters, which I believe is a beautiful setup for the future of the series. I definitely look forward to the next books in the series. This is most definitely a fantasy and also quite clearly a romance. There are steamy scenes as well as profanity and bloodshed present in the book. If you like shifters, paranormal creatures of various types, romance, action, and a dollop of world shaking political restructuring, this is a book you really shouldn't miss. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Because of who – and what – she is, Kasia Amon is a master at hiding. To dragon shifters, she’s a treasure to be taken and claimed and there’s a sexy dragon shifter in town hunting for her and she can’t stop bursting into flames. Turning a phoenix over to the feared Blood King would get Brand Astarot one step closer to the revenge he’s waited centuries for. But when Kasia sparks a white-hot need inside him – he’ll have to make a new plan: claim her for himself and take back his birthright. The ‘Inferno Rising’ series is off to a fabulous start – one that gets the adrenaline pumping, the heart pounding and the passions soaring. The strong, sexy and bold characters are too die for… they have some uber hot chemistry and have sparks flying in every direction throughout their turbulent relationship. They both are very stubborn and are quite perfect for each other as they continuously overlook what right in front of their hearts while juggling everything that life is throwing at them which has some pretty heavy emotional turmoil flowing from the pages as well. The plot is fast paced, extremely engaging and suspenseful, guaranteeing that readers can’t put this book down as Brand takes steps to secure his path of revenge. But with enemies dogging their every step, explosive battles and the passion continuously building between them, Brand has to entertain some new, radical ideas if he wants to claim Kasia. The author has also introduced more elements to her world which promises more exciting possibilities are in store for this series while some stunning ‘OH MY’ moments and unexpected twists keeps the adrenaline pumping throughout this energetic, exhilarating and satisfying dragon shifter story.

I usually only give stars, but had to add something else here. I found this series recently and am very impressed! This was a fast-moving book. A great read. And well-written! So many books these days have great stories, but this OCD gal gets a tad irritated at the many errors in grammar and continuity to truly enjoy them. Thank you, Abigail Owen, for a wonderful read and following through with your details! Refreshing! Looking forward to all your books now!