I was so so grateful to get an ARC of this!!! I devoured KitRocha's Beyond books and Gideon's Riders annnnd the Mercenary Librarians series. So i was sooo eager to read this one. And let me say it did not disappoint at all!!

I was engrossed from the first word to the last. Give me the movie nowwwww!! I loved Sachi, Zanya and Ash as individuals but oooh boy together they are fireeee. (Ash is literally lol but yeah you get me).

The world building was so intriguing and interesting. Nothing ever felt too word dumpy in the way the lore etc was explained but flowed naturally for me with each reveal. There's a lot of characters who come into play here even though we mainly get the three MCs POVs. But learning about the rest of the High court was so fun and i need a book for everybodyyyyy!!!

And a movie. give me a movie!! This was a great start to a new series and now i know i have to wait a bit for book 2 *pouts* but it will be worth it i'm sure!

Ce livre traînait dans ma liseuse depuis un sacré bout de temps et je me suis enfin décidée à le lire… L’histoire avait un potentiel de dingue: un royaume est protégé depuis des millénaires par un dragon, en échange, celui-ci demande juste une femme tous les cent ans… C’est au tour de Sachielle d’être la prochaine sacrifiée mais elle a plusieurs secrets qui peuvent la sauver…
Au bout de 20%, j’ai complètement décroché de l’histoire car l’intrigue ne bougeait toujours pas et il y avait beaucoup de personnages (je m’y perdais) et aucun n’avait de charme particulier… j’ai préféré abandonné ma lecture que de continuer à m’acharner inutilement

🔥🔥🔥/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Wow! This was the first time I’ve read anything by this duo and I really enjoyed it! A really nice balance of story and spice and it really felt like the spice moved the story forward, it was just included to be there.

Sachi was brought up to be the Dragons consort. Trained from a young age (☹️☹️), she is capable of being whatever the Dragon wants in a consort. Her lover and protector, Zenya, has also been trained from a young age. But instead of courtly conversation and soft caresses, she is trained to kill.

I absolutely love that their relationship was not overshadowed or cast aside when we meet Ash. The development of all of them (as individuals. a thruple, and in pairs) was beautifully handled and respected.

Can’t wait to read the next one!

I have never read this author duet before, so I had no idea what to expect. Fantasy is my jam, so I gave it a try.
Great world building with a story that hooks you, though not as much as I had hoped it would. I struggled a little, but not enough to give up.
Good characters that each have their own traumas and some major trust issues.
A dragon god that's lived a long, long time and just wants his greatest dream of being loved.
A princess who wishes that she could make it out of this alive, that glows and loves freely despite all the darkness forced on her.
An assassin clocked in shadows that hid herself from everyone but the one she loves.
There is a terrible danger coming to the world, and they will have to fight it together.
There is some heat to this one! Delicious, sexy heat! Looking forward to more.

I've been a Kit Rocha fan for a long long time now. I think I tried Beyond Shame on a whim from NetGalley years ago and was hooked from the get go. So when I saw them talking about "the horny dragon" book, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy. Luckily, I signed up for their ARC list eons ago and happily devoured my copy.

The book started a little slow for me but it sure didn't stay that way. Sachielle, Zanya, Ash and the rest of the characters quickly wormed their way into my heart and burrowed in for a long stay. The book was absolutely horny AF and everyone was down for a good time.

Read this book if you like:
*Found family
*Dragon shifters
*Political intrigue but not really (it's light)
*Badass women
*Horniess

This one took a while to get. Through, not because it wasn't good, but I kept getting distracted by other stories. Yet, I always found myself coming back to it.
I liked the world building, the characters and the relationships that formed the heart of the story.
Ash. Sachi and Zanya's journey to trusting each other and making a commitment to each other was great to see. I like that they all had their own special bond, with Sachi being the central link.
I liked the friendships and found family aspects of the story, they were heartwarming and charming.

I love Kit Rocha and will eagerly read any new Rocha title, but think the science fiction/dystopian Beyond and Mercenary Librarians series are stronger than this foray into epic romantasy (and, for that matter, than the earlier paranormal romances the authors published as Moira Rogers). Four stars rounded up because I love some of the characters and the f/f/m central relationship, but the pacing was off and the worldbuilding didn't blow me away. Hopefully this book and world will become more satisfying when (re)read as part of the complete duology/trilogy/series rather than as part one of the story.

This book felt more like a fantasy story with a FFM romantic subplot than it did an erotic romance. There was a ton of worldbuilding, a ton of secondary characters, and they ate up a significant chunk of the word count.

For our MCs, I found the connection between Sachi and Zanya to be well-written and compelling, but their respective relationships with Ash felt too lightly sketched [for Ash to make the decision he did when Zanya attacked him].

And then the ending. After having the curse hanging over the women for the entire story, the resolution felt rushed. One of my least favorite tropes in fantasy is when [the MCs end up being the bestest, most special, powerful beings in that world. I find it boring in the extreme - like when Zanya zaps herself to the bad guys and offs them in the space of a couple of pages.] YMMV, I guess.

Ok!!! Poly love yes!!!

I’m here for this energy!!! It was a slow build up!!! I mean slow….

There’s always gotta be world building but damn there was so much of it.

Once we get going I didn’t want it to stop! Assassins, dragons, and betrayal! Yes, yes, yes!

Thanks for letting me read this arc!

I was so excited to start this series, and now am eagerly waiting for the next books! This is a true romantasy, full of diverse characters, mysterious intrigue and lots of excellent spicy scenes (and a dragon!). I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. I wouldn't expect anything less from Kit Rocha, so of course the characters are well developed, and a lot of plot is packed into the book without seeming like to much or making the book drag. If you are a Kit Rocha and/or romantasy fan, I highly recommend reading this!

Twisty betrayals, unexpected revelations, gods who will protect their people and land with everything inside them, and a big something that's heading in the Sheltered Lands direction. And if that's not enough, we also have Ash, Sachi, and Zanya. Three people who are very different, but who fit together perfectly.

No lie, this book slayed me. Sachi and Zanya are bound to one another by love and their painful past. Ash is alone and lonely despite his position in the High Court. They have their hopes and their dreams and they're all wrecked by the idea that those hopes and dreams won't come to pass. It's a tangled web and it gets even more tangled when Sachi and Zanya realize Ash and the other gods aren't the monsters they've been told they are.

Despite knowing their plans for him, Ash is intrigued by both women. He might have to watch his back in the grand scheme of things, but he's drawn to Zanya's darkness as much as Sachi's bright affection. Frankly, finding a way into Zanya's wary heart is a bigger challenge than figuring out what the king has planned. But Ash is tenacious and he can't help but love both of them the way only a dragon can love.

A gorgeous world, dangerous times, a plot that could threaten the balance of everything, two women used as pawns against an ancient pact, and a dragon who loves them both. I canNOT wait for book 2.

A fun introduction to the epic world of the High Court of Dreamers. Sachielle and her handmaid, Zanya, were trained from childhood with one purpose: kill the dragon. Since Sachi’s life is on the line they feel they do not have a choice. But Ash has secrets of his own. Their triad romance forms the heart of the story with complex motivations, political machinations, a dash of humor, and an intriguing cast of characters. I particularly hope to learn more about the Raven guards as well as the members of the court in the next book. The duology has an overarching plot, but this book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. Excited to read the upcoming book and further explore their relationship. Highly recommend. Four and a half stars.

Thanks to Montlake and #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/5. Releases 11/28/2023.

Vibes: a complex love triangle, handmaiden/princess, arranged marriage, dragon heroes that fuck, and enemies to lovers with actual stakes.

Princess Sachielle is betrothed to the Dragon, a god feared for killing his previous consort a century prior. What the Dragon doesn't know is that she's been charged with killing him--and her own life is forfeit if she fails. He also doesn't know that Sachi's handmaiden and lover, Zanya, is much more than she seems. And neither Sachi nor Zanya expected their very different connections with the Dragon--or his determination to win both of them.

It's not easy to find FFM menage romances, and of course, it's therefore even harder to find good ones that don't treat the women as side dishes next to a hero entree. But this? This is really fucking good. And it's really good fantasy romance, at that. If the other dragon romance book (which I personally liked as well) was too light or tame for you--this uh... will not be that. This one is wild, and it is the beginning of a series--while this isn't exactly a cliffhanger, it doesn't end in a fully resolved manner, and I'm excited to see what comes next.

Quick Takes:

--Menage romances often favor one bond over the other; while I love them in general, I find many that do not... work. Here, it's pitched perfectly--and I suspect some of that has to do with the fact that we still have some story to tell, and development to watch unfold. Zanya and Sachi have a very established, loving, and passionate long-term relationship, and that is never in question in this book (despite the necessity of them keeping it a secret, initially). Sachi and Ash (of course the Dragon goes by Ash) have an immediate chemistry and physical attraction, which puts a real wrench in the "I'm here to kill him" thing. It only deepens into something more as they spend time together, with Zanya looking on--not quite un-jealous, but not really threatened either.

Zanya and Ash's interplay might have been my favorite, though. She is determined to keep Sachi safe no matter what, and she is vicious. Ash? Loves and relates to both of those things. The very literal sparring scenes between these two? So hot. And while I feel very sure about the dynamic between Sachi and Zanya and Sachi and Ash, these two still have a ways to go. Zanya is a hard character, with many emotional walls (and her reasons are super valid). Ash, on the other hand, is all heat--and while he's initially determined to make nice with Zanya because of his feelings for Sachi, over the course of the book you feel him become more interested in her, and excited to get to know her better and be with her for the long term. Zanya? Still needs some convincing. I am pumped to see how he wins her over.

--The way sexuality is handled in this book is so casual, and I fucking love that. Really, the main obstacle to Sachi and Zanya being together in public is related to class and Sachi's duty to marry Ash. The gods they meet are pretty much universally bisexual, and Ash's previous consort was a prince, not a princess, which doesn't seem unusual or remarked upon.

--I think it would be very easy for Ash to come off as a "just happy to be there" guy, because Zanya and Sachi have such a strong love, and such an established relationship. But he's really so lovable, so patient with both of them (well, Sachi has to be more patient in their case--he's very worried about hurting her) and so charmingly teasing. Like, he's a protective dangerous dragon guy (and to be clear: for most of the book, Ash is totally this big hot man dude, he shifts separately into a dragon form) but he's also just? A good guy?

--I loved the world of the gods and their mythology. It's fun, it's hedonistic, I identified several cool characters I'd love to see find love in their own books, and it feels like they're both... above humanity and sweetly emotional. It's a hard balance to strike, but I think they got it in this one. (Fun fact: Kit Rocha is a pen name for two friends.)

--In terms of "how fantasy is this and how romance is this" it's a romance novel, despite the fact that it doesn't end on a totally resolved note (I trust that will come in the future). But the fantasy is strong without being too hard to follow. I feel like fantasy purists who are Very Vocal On Twitter may complain about the level of fantasy in this but like. The world was very much solid enough for me. I got it. It was the right balance for me, as a romance reader, and I refuse to accept romantasy as a thing unless it defines itself better, because it feels like fantasy romance is all I really need to know about.

The Sex:

Um, one of the hottest books I've read in a while. It takes a bit before you get to the first sex scene, but once it gets going it's going. Most of the sex scenes involve all three parties in one way or the other. Sachi is absolutely a brat with both of her partners, and frankly, we love to see it.

One thing I really loved was the evolution of Zanya's role in the sexual aspect of the relationship. We see that she and Sachi have very defined roles in bed, they know each others' bodies so well. Ash is respectful of that, as he is respectful in general--and he's willing to learn from both Sachi and Zanya (and I get the impression that while both of them are clearly bi, neither has much or any experience with men due to their longstanding, presumably monogamous involvement with each other). He's such a great example of writing a romance hero who's like... an animal where it counts, but so respectful of consent and so willing to be taught. So, as time passes, you see Zanya's more dominant side come out with Ash as well, and the way in which she begins to shift her focus from just Sachi to Sachi and Ash. Which of course, very much aligns with the fact that she's catching feelings. Oops!

I can't give away too much, but--there is one sex scene towards the end of the book that is just. Beyond.

Like I said, it's kind of hard to find FFM, and I jumped on this book because I was so excited to see that--and of course, I want to read more fantasy romance. I'm really happy with where it's going, and I look forward to the next book.

Thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow. Honestly? This was a RIDE. I loved it. HATE cliffhangers, but I loved it. The twists? Amazing. I am impressed.

This novel is about a consort, the assassin assigned to protect her and dragon prince.

Sachielle must fulfill a centuries long pact by becoming the latest consort of the dragon prince. All is not well or what it seems within the world they live in—there are secrets and hidden dangers. Ultimately all three face difficult choices in order to survive.

I thought this was a decent fantasy read. As it is the first in a series, it sets up the world including a magic system with light and dark elements. There is a lot to like including forbidden love, sexual tension, facing adversity, building trust, as well as the search for self identity. It will likely appeal to readers who enjoy a not-so-typical love story and fantasy with an erotic element.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me with a ARC of this novel. All of the opinions offered in this review are solely my own.

Consort of Fire was one of those books I was just flabbergasted by. Not in a bad way but in a what in the world just happened kinda way. This was a spicy MFF fantasy read that still had a plot. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Montlake and #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(First half three stars tepid, second half five stars burn!) This took a long time before the story finally really caught fire for me as the blurb had suggested. At that point the authors seemed to me to be ready to ramp up the fun story line, and boy did they. So now I’m in the mood for the next in the series, I just hope it starts like this one ends. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Kit Rocha up their game with each series they do and I love this one so, so much. The worldbuilding is seamless, the characters fascinating, the relationships complex, and the sex is super hot, of course. I suspect I won't be able to form a more coherent opinion than "ahh! so good!" until I get back to this on reread, so until then here's some bits I especially loved:

- Sachi wants to kill Ash, and would like to get into his bed to do it, being very good at deception and seduction. What she doesn't count on is Ash having a one-way connection to her heart, and an ability to sense the fear there. In the beginning he thinks it's a fear of him, and refuses to have sex with her until it's gone. I love that Ash cares about that fear and only wants to be intimate with a completely willing partner, and having that parlayed into a plot point? Genius.

- We see early on that people's attraction has no relation to gender, and that we can basically assume that everyone is bi, which feels so incredibly safe and wonderful.

- The Phoenix's pronouns are they/them, and their fire lets people be reborn. It makes total sense, while also allowing trans folx to fully exist in this world in whatever form is best for them which, LOVE.

- I love that in one scene Zanya makes no judgement if it's good or bad to be in the closet, but she calls the opportunity to be out "an unexpected gift". This nuance is greatly appreciated when so many books go on about how great it is to be out without considering the very real safety concerns that keep some people in the closet.

- Did I mention that the sex is super hot and the relationship is polyamorous?

If you have been looking to get lost in a fantasy world, if you want to feel safe in a queer space, if you'd like to be swept away by a fascinating story, get on this. I cannot wait to see where this series goes.

Sachielle of House Roquebarre has been pledged as consort to the Dragon-king. of the Sheltered Lands. But there are so many secrets in the marvelously detailed world, some that Sachi knows about, some that are secret even from her. Her chief handmaid Zanya is also something very much more than she appears to be. But how this story unfolds is so, so satisfying. All three main characters, Sachi, Zanya, and the Dragonlord Ash, interact in so many unexpected ways--and the chemistry among them is dragonfire hot. All three are fascinating people in their own right, but as they interact with each other, the relationships keep changing in unexpected ways that keep a reader's interest totally invested. I highly recommend this book.

Kit Rocha is a writing duo specializing in erotic polyamorous romances. If you know that going in and it’s ok with you then you are in for a fantastic ride.

Their new series is based in a fantasy world with gods that can turn into magical creatures, mortals with secret agendas, and of course all the main characters are wounded in different ways which lust and love can cure. I do mean love, true love. Kind love. Taking care of each other and even being willing to die to save the one you love. The highest stakes possible.

This immersive world is so lush, so sensuous, so luscious. The world-building is fantastic and not something that felt clichéd to me, very original with some elements that I’ve never come across before.

Our main characters are mortals: a princess and her handmaiden/assassin, sent to a dragon-god/man in order to bind the high court of the gods with the mortals. Nothing is as it seems and not only that: time is running out for our heroines, grain by grain – measured in an enchanted and cursed hour glass.

I’m being vague with the plot details because I went in knowing nothing and was delighted to discover certain things that might be out on blurbs etc (there is ALWAYS too much info on the covers).

The writing is smooth and lyrical, the story is intense and romantic and exciting. What more could you ask for? Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for letting me read this in exchange for an honest opinion.