I've been really enjoying Lindsay Buroker's series. This is the third
one I've read now and I like that they are quick easy reads. I had
already read a space opera and a more traditional high fantasy by her,
so I wanted to try her urban fantasy. I ended up liking the first book
in the series quite a lot, but not loving it as much as I had hoped.
That being said, I've read the whole series, or at least what's been
published now, and I think the following books were better than the first
one.
The trademark Lindsay Buroker humor is present, which is
one reason I like her books. They make me laugh quite a bit, and who
doesn't like a little bit of laughter in their life? On the downside, I
do feel like I've, for the most part, read the same main character in
all three series. There are some slight differences, but they could be
more distinct. Also every once in a while I find myself rolling my eyes
at the attempts at humor, but still the stories are mostly good fun, and
I don't think we are meant to take them too seriously.
I
thought this series had an interesting mix of fantasy creatures. There
was pretty much everything but the kitchen sink thrown in, from dragons
to vampires to orcs, and somehow it worked.
I read these books back to back and I really can't remember now where one ended and the next started, so this will be my review for the whole series, but I'll post the books, their descriptions, and my ratings below.
The overall content for the series is some strong language (but not a lot of it), some suggestive jokes, a naked hot tub scene, a couple of make out scenes that involve fondling, and a sex scene that is moderately descriptive.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
I’m Val Thorvald, and I’m an assassin.
When magical bad guys hurt people, I take care of them. Permanently.
This doesn’t make me popular with the rest of the magical community—as you can tell from the numerous break-ins and assassination attempts I’ve endured over the years. But thanks to my half-elven blood, a powerful sword named Chopper, and a telepathic tiger with an attitude, I’ve always been able to handle my problems with aplomb. Maybe some cursing and swearing, too, but definitely aplomb.
That changes when my boss is afflicted with a mysterious disease, a government agent starts investigating me, and a godforsaken dragon shows up in the middle of my latest job.
I’ve taken down vampires, zombies, and ogres, but dragons are way, way more powerful. And it doesn’t look like this one is going to like me.
Worse than that, he wants to use his magic to compel me to do his bidding, as if I’m some weak-minded minion.
That’s not going to happen. I’d die before being some dragon’s slave.
But if I can’t figure out a way to avoid him, save my boss, and get rid of the government spook, I’m screwed. Or dead. Or screwed and dead. And that’s never comfortable.
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
I’m Val Thorvald, assassin of magical bad guys and tenuous ally to the dragon lord Zav.
He still calls me a mongrel and thinks I’m a criminal, but he healed my wounds after we fought those dark elves together. That’s progress, right? Maybe one day, he’ll deign to use my name.
Not that this is my primary concern. I’m busy with a new assignment. Nin, the awesome lady who makes my magical weapons, has a werewolf problem. Specifically, sleazy loser werewolf competitors who want to drive her out of business. Or worse.
Normally, a couple of werewolves wouldn’t be a big deal, but these ones have powerful allies. And then there’s that new dragon.
It turns out he’s one of Zav’s enemies, and he wants to use me against him.
I don’t know why he’s picking on me—it’s not like I mean something to Zav—but somehow I’ve gotten stuck in the middle of dragon politics. If you think that sounds like a nightmare, you’re right.
If I can’t figure out a way to help my friend with the werewolves while keeping these dragons from tearing me apart, we’re both going to end up flatter than the deck chairs when Zav lands on the roof of my apartment building.
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My new mission involves both. Weird things are happening in Northern Idaho, and my boss is sending me to investigate. Unfortunately, my daughter and ex-husband are vacationing in the town that’s at the center of the trouble. Coincidence? Or is someone targeting them to get at me?
I’m a wanted woman right now. Not only by the criminal werewolves, orcs, and trolls that I’m often hired to kill. But by the Dragon Justice Court.
An organization full of arrogant, powerful dragons is exactly as horrible as it sounds. They’re the last beings you’d want after your family. If I can’t get to the bottom of the mystery and convince the dragons I’m not their enemy, I stand to lose far more than my own life.
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Dragons make life complicated. Extremely complicated.
After returning from Idaho, I was hoping to have time to figure things out with Zav—also known as Lord Zavryd, the dragon who claimed me as his mate without asking—but the dark elves are up to their old tricks again.
Actually, they’re up to far more deadly tricks, using more powerful magic than I knew existed. I have no idea how I’m going to stop them, but if I can’t, my entire city and everybody I care about could be obliterated.
To make matters worse, Zav’s sister has shown up and is rooting around in my life. His family doesn’t approve of me, and she plans to put an end to our relationship... one way or another.
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
In the bonus scenes, we take a look at several events from the first three novels in the Death Before Dragons series from Lord Zavryd's point of view. For the first time ever, we see what he was thinking while interacting with Val and the world at large.
From the author's site: I wrote story to stand alone (so if you’re a new reader, you can jump in and enjoy it), but it does have some spoilers for the earlier books. It takes places between Books 4 and 5 in the Death Before Dragons series.
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My steady dragon—you may know him as Lord Zavryd’nokquetal, but I get to call him Zav—is offering to take me to the elven homeland to meet my father and learn to harness the magic in my blood.
Sure, I’m wary about his plans to force the elves to train me, but I need every advantage I can get. Especially when vampire attacks start cropping up all over Seattle, and my friend and business partner, Dimitri, disappears.
Unfortunately, my training will have to wait. If I don’t find my friend in time, I may never see him alive again.
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
The surprising part? It’s my friend Nin’s long-lost grandfather.
Since he’s unconscious, we can’t figure out who’s chasing him, or where he’s been all these years, but if we can’t help him, he’ll die.
To make matters worse, there’s a new dragon in town. A female dragon. Everyone knows females are more dangerous than the males, and this one takes an instant dislike to me. It seems that she wants to date my mate, Zav, and has his mother’s approval.
If I can’t avoid her wrath and find a way to cure the gnome, Nin’s going to lose her grandfather, and I’m going to end up deader than the vampire in the basement.
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